‘You’ve stolen this ribbon,’ Vivian teased.

‘Yes, but for an important reason.’

‘My flowers are an important reason, are they?’

‘No, they are a good reason, but your baby girl is the important reason. To keep colour in her life. You can put the flowers in a vase and tie the ribbon to her cot.’ Vivian didn’t know what to say to such thoughtfulness. She watched as he swept Mabel up on to his shoulders and started to gallop like a pony; the tot screamed with laughter but didn’t show a moment’s fear. Vivian could imagine what the maid thought when she reappeared with a tray.

‘Shall I bring another cup?’ The question was directed towards Vivian, not Howard. The maid’s brother was currently in Baghdad; she didn’t even know where that was, but it sounded terrifying. She had no time for Howard. Just a few years back she’d almost fainted with excitement if he glanced her way; now she could barely stand to look at him.

‘No, don’t bother, thank you. I’m not stopping,’ Howard replied, slowing to a canter and then carefully lifting Mabel from off his shoulders, setting her down, once again, on the ground. The maid went back inside, glad not to have to wait on him. Turning to Vivian, ‘I’ve just come to give you your belated birthday gift.’ Grinning, ‘I feel I owe you.’

Vivian giggled. ‘They are very beautiful.’ She held the posy up to her nose and breathed in the pretty, wild scent.

‘That’s not it. We’re going to London.’

‘London?’

‘You know you ache for it.’

She did. London still existed, she knew that as a rational fact, but she couldn’t quite believe it. There was no hint of it in this country air.

‘A holiday,’ he urged.

‘What will we do in London?’

He grinned lasciviously. Vivian felt hot as she thought of the night before. Admittedly there was all sorts they could do in London. Or anywhere, come to that.

‘Anything you like. We’ll go to the theatre. We’ll shop. Visit the museums. Walk the streets. We’ll look up friends if you want to.’ That last idea was unreasonable and he must have known it. But the theatre. Shops. It was a delicious thought. He leaned in closer to her. ‘We can’t stay here.’ He cast a look over his shoulder. It was true. They would sooner or later be discovered if they were together here, and yet they could not be anything other than together. They would not be able to stay away from each other; they would expose themselves through a look, a word, a pilfered caress. They should go away, at least until they could work the heat out of this, whatever this was. Until they could stand in the same room without leaning towards one another, staring open-mouthed with lust.

‘Mabel?’

‘We’ll take her with us.’ Vivian looked doubtful, so he offered an alternative. ‘We’ll leave her with my mother.’ Vivian trusted Enid completely, but could she leave the baby with her? People would talk.