‘Yes, or we’ll all be talking German soon.’ The women giggled. It was not possible to get through the war without sometimes making a joke. They couldn’t be sad all the time. Although being happy was unmanageable too.

‘You heard about Nathaniel Thorpe and Charlie Rushmore, I suppose,’ murmured Vivian.

‘Yes, darling, I did.’ Ava squeezed her hand. ‘Terribly sad.’

Ava had all the news because she was who she was, and because she lived in London. On her own! In an enormous bachelor-girl flat in Chelsea. She’d insisted on moving up to town to join the war effort in 1915. Nursing wasn’t for her; the discipline would chafe. Factory work was insufferable, so she’d applied to the Foreign Office. Of course they snapped her up. Fluent in three languages, looked like a deity, why wouldn’t they? Her own flat. No husband to interrupt her authority, no threat that in-laws might arrive unexpectedly. It seemed marvellous and ridiculous to Vivian. The war was chaotic and terrible but it brought freedom and opportunities, at least to women like Ava. She had asked Vivian once if she should feel bad about it, benefiting from their hardship, but as she didn’t have a brother or particular lover serving, it was very hard to see who exactly she was cheating.

Vivian’s in-laws were, as she’d hoped, quite intimidated by Ava. To avoid her they took long walks around the land and visited the villagers in their cottages. Vivian couldn’t deny that their presence was appreciated by the locals, nor could she pretend it was anything other than a pain to her. When they announced that they would not be staying any longer, she had to suppress a cheer. Generous in victory, Ava offered them her driver to take them back to Wales the very next day. Lady Owens protested briefly but Sir Charles was not prepared to miss the opportunity to ride in a Rolls.

‘Although you will have to set off quite early, I should say. So my driver can get there and back before he loses the light.’

Once they were gone, Vivian breathed a huge sigh of relief. She stretched her arms wide as though embracing the house; reasserting her rule.

‘You actually like it here, don’t you?’ Vivian could hear Ava’s amused disbelief.

‘I do rather. When it’s just me, Mabel and our friends.’

‘Speaking of which, will Enid be allowed to come and visit now? I do enjoy her so.’ They had met on Ava’s previous visits. Vivian had been relieved and not that surprised that Ava seemed to have total disregard for any class barrier; she had simply admired Enid thoroughly. They were kindred spirits: unconventional, independent and startling.

‘Yes, I hope so. It’s been far too long.’

‘I get the sense from your letters that you don’t see as much of her as you used to.’

‘The presence of Aubrey and his parents was constraining.’

‘And I imagine she’s busier now her son is home.’

‘Yes, that too.’