The victory at El Alamein led by General Montgomery in the autumn had been a huge boost for morale, and this was more cause for celebration. Hope had appeared.

Katie knew this was the happiest time of her life so far. But something was niggling at her. Simon had a very relaxed view of the future, saying that there was no point in thinking about anything permanent until the war was over. After all, everything was uncertain, here today and gone tomorrow: what was the point in making plans? But Katie was beginning to feel she needed more. After all, she had given herself to him and they were, in her eyes – well, just as good as married, weren’t they? She wouldn’t just lose her virginity to anyone. She wasn’t fast like that. It meant something.

And for all Simon’s reasoning, she thought they should have more to do with each other’s families. To satisfy Vera, Simon had been round a couple of times for tea and met her. He was very charming and reassuring, and Vera seemed almost dazzled by him and the happier for it. But Katie had not even so much as met Simon’s sister, never mind his parents, in any other capacity than as a typist at the works. Mr Collinge senior was still none the wiser.

‘Don’t worry,’ Simon kept saying. ‘We’ll tell them in good time. But just for now, I want you too much to spend too many afternoons drinking tea and making small talk.’ Then he would pull her close to him and look deeply into her eyes. ‘For the moment I want you all to myself!’

And it was very gratifying that he couldn’t seem to get enough of her. He had an endless thirst for love-making and this made her feel desirable and, in turn, made her desire him all the more. As spring turned to summer and the flowers blossomed, she resigned herself to waiting – the way they were all waiting, all the time, for the war to end, for things to change.

Seventeen

‘What’s the matter?’ Ann said, seeing Katie grimace as she took a sip of her coffee. ‘Dain’t you put any sugar in?’

‘Yes . . .’ Katie stirred it again, but it still didn’t taste any better.

‘I thought you liked that Camp stuff. Anyway, as I was saying . . .’

Their occasional Saturday-morning meetings for a cuppa were a chance to catch up on Ann’s love life, which to Katie’s surprise still seemed to involve Gordon. She hadn’t thought he’d last long, but Ann seemed quite stuck on him now.

‘I had the most terrible fright . . .’ Ann leaned close across the table, her eyes wide, voice sinking low. She looked to each side to see if anyone could hear. ‘I thought last week that I must be . . .’ She was whispering now. ‘Expecting!’ For a moment she put one hand over her mouth and laid the other on her chest, rolling her eyes. ‘God, I was terrified! What the hell would I’ve said to Mom? She’d’ve killed me! My life would’ve been over.’