In mutual accord they dropped their half-smoked cigarettes to the ground and grasped hold of each other’s hands.

‘I’m so glad we’ve met,’ Eva said, her eyes brimming with emotion.

‘So am I. Paul has told everyone his plan is that Shuttleworth Hall is to be your home. You’ll love it. And my mother will love you.’

Eva gave a shining smile. ‘That’s what Lotti tells me as well.’

Nancy, who wasn’t usually given to kissing people, kissed her warmly on the cheek and, as she parted from her, her spirits were sky-high.

At one fell stroke she’d met Paul’s future wife, ascertained that every member of the Berlin side of her family was still alive and knew where all of them were, apart from Claus. Only as she walked into the bar she’d been heading for did she remember Eva had made no mention of her uncle. She paused for a second and then shrugged her shoulders. Josef’s austere personality had always meant she’d never been overfond of him. If he were dead she would, for her aunt’s sake, be sorry, but his death wouldn’t throw her into deep grief.

Amalia’s was, as she had known it would be, smoke-laden and jammed shoulder to shoulder with reporters in army uniforms and British servicemen.

She’d pressed only a few feet into the crush when she knew that God wasn’t just giving her a spectacularly good day—He was giving her a bonanza of a good day.

‘Max!’ she shrieked. ‘Max!‘

He pushed the drink he’d been holding into the hand of the person he’d been talking to and shouldered his way towards her.

‘Nancy!’ He gave her a brotherly hug, not remotely surprised at seeing her. ‘I might have known you’d beg, borrow or steal a press pass here. Are you doing what I’m doing? Trying to track down the family?’

‘No. I’ve already done it.’

As his eyebrows shot high, she giggled. She always liked scoring points off him and this time she’d done so big time.

‘Seems army intelligence isn’t quite up to a par with ex-Yorkshire Post, female-journalist intelligence,’ she said, gleeful satisfaction in her voice. ‘Our father is living with Paul’s girlfriend and her mother. He’s OK, but more ga-ga than ever, apparently. Aunt Zelda, Lotti and Ilse are sharing a flat together. I have the address in my shirt pocket. The big news, though…the really big news…is that Hester is alive and living with them!’

He stared at her, goggle-eyed. It was the first time in her life she had seen him so staggered and lost for words and elation zipped through her.

‘I ran into Eva, Paul’s girlfriend,’ she said as they continued to be jostled by people on all sides. ‘She brought me up to date on everything. The only thing she couldn’t tell me was Claus’s whereabouts.’

‘You have Ilse’s address?’ He took hold of her elbow and began marching her smartly towards the door.

‘Yes.’ She took it out of her shirt pocket and handed it to him. ‘I was going there straight after I sorted out a room for myself.’