‘D’you think Livy will really join up?’ I asked him.

‘She sounded serious enough.’

‘I can’t really imagine it. Though God knows, she needs to get away from those two.’

‘Is Kemp’s going over to the war effort?’

‘I imagine so. I’m sure the war will increase dear Alec’s sales figures enormously. Couldn’t be better for him and his reputation, could it?’ I added almost automatically, ‘Poor old Livy.’

Angus pulled me closer to him. ‘Livy, Livy, Livy. You can’t take on her life for her, you know. If anyone’s going to rescue her from her stifling parents it’s going to have to be herself. After all, she can do a job now and earn her own money. It won’t be long before she’s twenty-one.’

‘I know, but the hold they have on her. They’re so over-protective.’

He leaned over and kissed me to stop me talking. His lips tasted faintly of coffee.

‘Let’s leave Livy out of it for tonight,’ he said, looking into my eyes.

Slowly he undid the buttons down the front of my dress, removed my specs and unfastened the front of his shirt, and we lay holding each other, in the shadows from the little bedside lamp, warm skin touching. The house was silent. From the garden we heard an owl.

Angus ran one finger along the strap of my bra. I sat up. ‘I’ll take it off.’ He helped me pull it away, releasing my breasts, full and heavy. I felt the heat of him against my back as he sat up behind me, his hands reaching round to touch and stroke me.

‘There’s so much of you.’

‘You mean you don’t get many of those to the pound!’

‘No – you’re wonderful. Like touching life.’

We seldom allowed ourselves to go this far. Opportunities were few in any case, and it was hard to draw back, not to take it further. He kissed my neck, lowered his hands so they were round my waist.

Holding me, he said, ‘Katie, what I’d really like to do now is to ask you to marry me. But it doesn’t feel right with the war on and everything feeling so uncertain. So I’m not actually going to ask you, but I wanted you to know that I’d like to.’

I turned my head and pulled him close so our cheeks touched. ‘Well, if you had asked me, I’ll just tell you that I’d have said yes, but since you haven’t, I haven’t!’

We laughed, lying down in each other’s arms. ‘Kate, I do love you. But I don’t want to make you a war widow.’

I felt chilled. ‘Don’t say that, please.’

Angus pulled me on top of him, his hands stroking my body. ‘I love the feel of you. You’re so beautiful.’

We kissed each other hungrily and I felt him move under me, his hands pressing into my back.

After a time he said, ‘Katie, I’m sorry, you’ll have to get off.’ He looked at me shyly. ‘It’s just – if we carry on like this I’ll go too far.’