Philip and her father, Jock, were members of the local civil defence unit, and had been called to arms, but their main priority had been to get Sybil and the girls on a ship to anywhere that was relatively safe. Sybil had gone into labour during the long, treacherous journey down through Malaya to Singapore, and gave birth to James on the day Sarah and Jane had sailed for England.

That had been the last time they’d seen Jock and Philip, or their mother. They learned much later that Jock had managed to get Sybil and the baby passage to Australia with only hours to spare before Singapore fell to the Japanese. What had become of their father and Philip after they’d been imprisoned in Changi was still a source of huge worry, for the news coming out of that part of the world was of slave labour, vast prisoner-of-war camps and hundreds of deaths.

‘Well, you don’t look very cheerful considering we’re about to go to a party,’ said Jane, coming into the room swathed in towels.

Sarah’s dark thoughts scattered as she moved from the window. ‘I was remembering the last time we saw Mother, Pops and Philip,’ she replied.

Jane didn’t reply immediately, but rubbed her cropped hair vigorously with a towel, before running a comb through the tangles. ‘Yes,’ she murmured. ‘I’ve been thinking the same ever since the Japs surrendered.’

She pulled on fresh underwear and rolled on her stockings. ‘I doubt we’ll hear anything much until things settle, and the new British governors can organise searches for the camps and their prisoners. The Japs haven’t been known for their record-keeping, so I suspect it could take months to track everyone down.’

Sarah nodded and bit her lip. ‘Mother’s still convinced they’re alive, but I wish I could be so certain. We’ve heard such awful things about what the POWs have been through, that it would be a miracle if both of them have survived.’

‘It’s the not knowing what happened to them after Changi prison that’s been so frustrating,’ said Jane from the folds of the dress she was pulling over her head. ‘And I agree, it would be hugely against the odds if even one of them came through. But there is a way to get to the heart of the matter if you’re game enough.’

Sarah frowned as Jane straightened the dress and fastened the narrow belt about her slim waist. ‘Game for what?’

‘When I was in London with Jeremy yesterday, I went into the Cook’s travel agency to ask about passage to Singapore. According to the chap there, British Overseas Air Corporation are about to restart their flying boat service from Poole. With all the necessary stops to refuel, it will take about four and a half days to get to Singapore – much quicker than going by boat.’

Sarah’s momentary excitement was quashed by the idea of flying all that way. ‘I dread to think how much that would cost,’ she said. ‘And don’t forget, Jane, the money Pops sent from Singapore was declared invalid the minute the Japs printed their own currency. With everything so expensive here, I haven’t managed to save very much from my wages.’