Lots more people were now spilling out of the school and into the grounds and it was obvious their little island of privacy would soon be invaded.

He said with reassurance in his voice, ‘Things might be sticky for Berthold for a time when he joins you, but not too seriously. People are too relieved the war is over to persist in violent anti-German behaviour.’

The rakish tilt of his cap was making her feel sick with desire for him. Wondering for how much longer she could keep her feelings from showing in her voice and in her eyes, she said, ‘I don’t think it’s Berthold’s intention to come to England.’

She hadn’t said it to provoke a reaction from him. It had just been a plain statement of fact.

There was a reaction, though. One he couldn’t hide.

‘Good Lord,’ he said explosively. ‘You’ve been separated for over four years! How can he not go through hell and high water to be with you again?’

It was difficult to say which of them was the most taken aback by his outburst.

For a stunned moment their eyes simply held and it was impossible for her to maintain a merely friendly expression in hers—and for him to conceal from himself any longer what the motivation behind his questioning had been.

‘Vicky, I…’

‘No. Please no, Adam.’ She put up a hand to ward him off, knowing that if he narrowed the few inches separating them and touched her, she would be lost.

‘I have to go.’ Her words were rushed, her voice unsteady. ‘Nancy…my father…the children…they’ll be wondering where I am.’

His eyes were dark with heat and as he made a movement towards her, she turned swiftly, beginning to run. Scores of heads turned in her direction and she knew the gossips would be having a field day for years. She didn’t care. Her emotions were in chaos, one half of her absolutely appalled at what had so nearly happened between them, the other half so exultant she thought she would die with the joy of it. He felt the same way about her as she did about him. He might have only just realized it, but the realization had struck deep. She knew it had, because she had seen it in his eyes. Though his grief for Elise was still raw he cared about her just as violently as she cared about him.

‘Mama, what on earth is the matter?’ Max asked, sprinting to meet her. ‘Has there been an accident?’

She came to a halt, sucking in great breaths of air. ‘No, darling,’ she said when she could speak. ‘I was just walking in the grounds and a fox startled me. It was stupid of me to have run. Where are Grandpa and Nancy? Is Hugo with them?’

That night, in bed, she resolved never to speak to Adam alone again and never to seek out opportunities to see him.

The prospect of never doing so caused heartache so intense it was a physical pain. There was other heartache also. Incredibly, until Adam had put the thought in her mind, it had never occurred to her that as it wasn’t safe for her and the children to go to Berlin, Berthold should have announced his intention of journeying to Yorkshire just as soon as civilian travel made it possible for him to do so.