Back in London the Brigadier smiled to himself when he received Sybil’s fawning letter; knowing what a wilful young filly she was, he rather flattered himself on the success of his Treat ’em rough, treat ’em tough policy, which had certainly brought hot-headed Sybil to heel. Here she was abjectly apologizing for her behaviour on his last visit North, her excuse being she felt unattractive due to her condition.

‘She certainly looked damned unattractive,’ Monty grunted. ‘Red-eyed and drab as a fish wife … mind you,’ he mused, ‘she still had a good figure.’

In fact, Monty was due to visit a base close to Barrow-in-Furness soon, and now that he had brought his headstrong mistress into line he might just drop in on sassy little Sybil.

‘If she plays her cards right, I’ll book us into a discreet country hotel, where we can pick up where we left off,’ he chuckled to himself.

Sybil was thrilled to receive his letter in which he agreed to meet her at Mary Vale. In an uncharacteristic fluster she fretted, ‘This could be my last chance – I have GOT to make it work.’

Going through her wardrobe she painstakingly chose clothes that enhanced her appearance. Obviously, she couldn’t hide her big tummy, but she could draw the eye away from it, directing attention to her full, voluptuous breasts. Accordingly, she went shopping in Grange, where she bought a soft, silky, Empire-line, midnight-blue crêpe dress with little gathers under the bust, which emphasized her shape but gracefully draped over her tummy. Before Monty arrived, she took great care with her lustrous long hair, which she had washed and rolled into a slick shiny victory roll. After carefully applying foundation and mascara, she dabbed her checks with a warm-coloured rouge, then painted her lips with the glossy Victory Red lipstick she had bought in Mayfair a lifetime ago, or so it seemed now. Before she left her room, she liberally dabbed Chanel No. 5 (a gift from Monty’s amorous courting days) on to her neck and behind her ears as she stood before an inadequate cracked mirror examining her reflection.

‘Good job,’ she said in a satisfied voice. ‘Now keep calm and seduce the bastard!’

When Sybil went downstairs, she found Monty and Matron in deep discussion, with Sister Mary Paul hovering close by in order to overhear what passed between them – which wasn’t difficult, given the Brigadier’s booming voice. As Sybil approached, she heard Monty saying, ‘My dear lady, I’m doing everything I possibly can on your behalf, but if it’s decided by those senior to me to take over the Home, then I would be powerless to stop the order going through. However’ – puffing out his chest self-importantly – ‘the British Army has a heart when it comes to women and children, hey what?’