They tried to make the house happy, but there were worries. He had spent two hours at the police station after his visit to hospital. Eaton had been there and so were Special Branch officers. He told them all he knew, and Eaton confirmed his story.

The local detectives were not really digging too deeply and Special Branch were less worried now that the threat from Charlie Young had been neutralised.

And yet he was still wary of the local constabulary. A beat constable had seen him on the lane twice and Wilde wasn’t sure whether he had been recognised. He had had to avoid going into the house, simply carrying on along the road until he was sure the danger had passed and then tracking back. It wasn’t that he thought the police would be looking for him – why would they? He had committed no crime – but because they knew that Harry Taylor lived in Trinity Villa and was away on military duty.

Fortunately, it was a large house and so it was easy for them to keep away from the front windows where they might be seen or heard. It wasn’t quite so easy to keep an excitable nineteen-month-old boy’s noise down, but fortunately the walls were thick.

*

On Boxing Day, Klara had perked up considerably and she and Johnny were happily pushing the toy car across the floor to each other. Wilde left them to it, and made his way by a long and circuitous route to college. Eaton wasn’t there, but Wilde was able to call him at his home in Chelsea.

‘Actually, Wilde, I was hoping you’d call. I very badly want to see you.’

‘Bad news, I suppose?’

‘I hope not, old boy. You know this impasse can’t go on – not healthy for anyone. So we need to talk. I also have a present for young Klara.’

‘I’m intrigued.’

‘Well, she deserves something nice. I could get up today. Shall we say your rooms at four?’

‘Will Cashbone be watching you?’

‘I will use my best tradecraft to avoid him.’

‘Unlike me, you mean.’

‘Nonsense, Wilde. You always were a natural at this business.’

*

Wilde was still in his rooms when Eaton arrived four hours later. He had stayed at college because he couldn’t face another laborious journey back to Trinity Villa at the moment. Twice in a day was simply too much. Overdo it and he’d become sloppy, as he had done before when he had been abducted.

When he got home, he would make sure that Lydia got some time out of the house. The sitting around at Trinity Villa, waiting, was bad for all of them. Waiting for what? For the end of the war? The invasion? Capitulation from Cashbone?

Waiting without any end in sight.