“Can you help me clean?” She nods to the mark on the carpet. “Perhaps we could do it together?”

“Of . . . course,” he says.

“I’ll get a bucket.” And now the barrier is gone. Lily walks into the house and gets to work. When she returns to him with the gloves and the bucket and some soapy detergents, he’s sitting on one of the chairs in the garden, biting at a filthy nail. “Oscar,” she calls sharply. His hand drops into his lap. “Come along then.”

Together they sponge at the marks on the carpet. It’s easy now, like cleaning the step for Mother. The water in the bucket turns to a sludgy, muddy puddle. Oscar’s face drains of the little color it had. Lily begins to tire and stops for a breather. She watches him from the conservatory, where there’s a faded photograph of the man . . . at the bar next to her says, “Steady, old girl!”

He’s one of the most handsome men she’s ever seen. He’s with the Royal Air Force, an officer, and his uniform is pressed so neatly. Not like some of the army boys. The man on her other side is American. He’s not as pretty as the RAF boy, but he certainly has more charm. She can’t decide which of the uniforms she prefers.

She knows she’s probably drunk too much. When she laughs, she giggles like a schoolgirl but she can’t help it, they’re both so funny. Edna is giving her funny looks. Disapproving looks. Lily’s thankful for this new friendship. She was so lonely when she first came here, and the girls at the theater hardly fell over themselves to welcome this upstart girl . . . this northerner! . . . to dance among them. With Edna it’s different. Different from any friendship she’s ever had before. It’s just that she can be so boring at times! And put a foot wrong in Edna’s eyes, and she’s quick enough to tell you where you’ve gone wrong. Susan at the office says she’s sharp as lemons. Lily laughs to herself. She’s not wrong about that. But Lily sees something in this prickly, hard-nosed woman that intrigues her. She is just so confident. She is a force of nature. Susan and the others from the office have already gone, leaving Edna to watch while Lily flirts at the bar. Lily giggles again. Poor disapproving Edna sitting all alone. She will go over. In a minute.

The RAF boy wants to buy her another drink. She’s had enough really, but she doesn’t want to look like she’s inexperienced. She glances back to see if Edna is still watching, but she’s gone. Just like that. Without so much as a word. Well, the blessed cheek! She turns to look round the pub and stumbles against a table.

“Whatchit,” slurs the old fellow whose drink she spills.