‘She’s still just a baby.’

‘Even worse.’

Howard rode in the front and spoke to the driver about fuel efficiency; the women squeezed together in the back. The dust and noise impeded conversation. Enid found her bones rattled but the journey passed considerably faster than when she took the same route on the bus.

They were shown to a rectangular table in the centre of the room. The café was small and cramped, the tables wedged uncomfortably close to one another. Everyone turned to look at them as they threaded through the tightly packed chairs. Enid knew what sort of an impression her companions made. They were irresistible. The waitress appeared overawed; she chewed the end of her pencil and kept giggling. Vivian and Enid had visited the tea shop together on past occasions and both enjoyed the steamy, cosy, chatty atmosphere. Today, however, Enid noticed that Vivian was more reserved than usual. She studied the menu carefully, even though the choice was limited and extremely familiar; she left Ava to make conversation with Howard. If Howard asked her anything directly, she replied briefly and without raising her eyelids. He also appeared tense. His size and masculinity seemed to insult the pretty china and carefully embroidered tablecloths. He didn’t fit in. He shouldn’t be here.

‘I have never met an actual conscientious objector before,’ commented Ava, rather brightly and far too loudly. Enid and Vivian both glanced around the room to see if anyone was listening. Howard stared straight at Ava, but there was something about the way the muscles around his mouth tightened that suggested he’d also prefer it if she lowered her voice. Ava, to her credit, seemed genuinely unaware that she might have mentioned something controversial; she might just as well have announced that she had never tried plum preserve before.

‘Haven’t you?’

‘No, but then there aren’t many of you, are there?’

‘I think over ten thousand men have registered as such thus far.’

‘Really? I’m surprised.’

‘I imagine there will be more before this war is over.’

‘I suppose you must hope that to be the case.’ Ava appeared genuinely interested in what Howard had to say, and Enid watched as her son registered as much. She wasn’t simply a tactless sightseer, feigning a fascination in his cause; she wanted to get to know him. She was making conversation the way people had before the war. It was a fact that in the process of getting to know Howard, one had to get to know his principles. ‘I understand you served in prison for your beliefs.’

‘Yes, I did.’

‘Gosh, these cakes look marvellous,’ commented Enid. No one acknowledged her interruption. They all had plates in front of them but none of them was displaying much of a hunger, despite the fact that the cakes and sandwiches were freshly made and usually tempting.

‘Are there many men who have done so?’

‘I understand that over five thousand have served prison sentences. Again, I imagine this number will continue to climb.’