‘And what if there are such ructions that I’m asked to leave the school?’

Vicky thought of St Dunstan’s sensible and fair-minded headmaster.

‘I don’t think that will happen, darling, but if it does, you will be able to leave knowing you have nothing to be ashamed of.’ With her arm still around his shoulders, she hugged him a little closer to her. ‘What was it Papa once wrote in a letter to you? “Never do anything common or mean, or underhand or cruel just because it is easier to do so or because someone else does so.” And though he didn’t say you must always be brave, I know he would want you to be so.’

He nodded, feeling better, and then said, ‘I wish I could remember more about when we lived in Germany, but I can’t. I can only remember the big statues in the house we lived in and sailing my boat on the lake in the Tiergarten and Papa taking me to the zoo. Hugo doesn’t remember anything.’

By February there were several grim reports in the newspapers as to the conditions in Berlin.

‘Martial law has been declared,’ Arthur said, diligent as ever when it came to delivering regular news bulletins. ‘Apparently, it’s because of a lot of strikes by Spartacist socialists—communists, the lot of them. According to this account the local army chief has ordered them to return to work or be shot.’

It wasn’t news that made her feel good. Though House of Remer workers were concentrated almost entirely in the Ruhr, it conjured up hideous pictures of what might be happening to them there.

‘I’m going out,’ she said. ‘I’m going to give the dogs a long walk.’

‘In the snow?’

‘It isn’t so deep—and besides, they like the snow.’

‘Silly animals,’ her father said, and returned his attention to The Times.

Wearing a chocolate-brown wool coat with black velvet frog-fastenings, a black fur hat crammed on her head and covering her ears, her hands deep in a matching muff, Vicky set off across the snow-covered lawn in the direction of the river. Nursing in winter was not as easy as nursing in the summer. There were fewer distractions for the disabled and despite all the many games by the beds and in the communal sitting room—draughts, dominoes, chess, mah-jong, cards—they still grew bored.

She had a new set of VAD workers and, under the nursing sister and two staff nurses who had been with her from the beginning, nursing care ran like clockwork. It was physiotherapy care that grew more difficult.

Once down by the semi-frozen river, with the dogs skittering at her ankles and kicking up clouds of snow, she trudged on for a good two miles before turning for home.

Though it was only three in the afternoon the crisp cold air was beginning to smoke with dusk, and when she saw someone striding towards her from the direction of the house, at first she thought it was Will. Then she saw that the man carving new tracks through the snow was wearing an officer’s cap and a military greatcoat.