Others too were satisfying their carnal lusts as business in the stables started getting underway. Baz had positioned himself by the door and was taking the money. He had staff at the clubhouse looking after the bar and alcohol trade; the brothel he entrusted to no-one other than himself.

There were three professional hookers and they were happy to perform ‘quickies’, with men queuing up for their favours. But Baz was pleased to note that, as he’d expected would be the case, several other of the Palm Island girls were already succumbing to the charms of the Americans. Perhaps it was the heat of the moment and the big handsome soldiers, perhaps it was the excitement of the dance floor and the heady pleasure of the music, or perhaps it was a mixture of all these elements that aroused them. Or perhaps, like the pros, the money was the attraction. The new girls took longer on the job, clearly proving they weren’t as efficient as their more sophisticated sisters, but that didn’t bother Baz. They’d learn soon enough that time was money.

‘We’d better get back,’ Betty said regretfully. How she longed to stay entwined like this all night, to fall asleep together as lovers do, to wake up and make love again, drowsily, languidly as if they had all the time in the world.

‘Why?’ Kasey argued. ‘Rupe’ll happily play all night, you know he will.’ He drew her to him even closer. ‘Why don’t we just stay locked away in here until the very last minute? Why don’t we do that?’

Betty laughed out loud. ‘Because it’s my job to play piano, that’s what Val pays me for.’ It had been liberating for them both to give voice to their pleasure, and for Betty, above all, to laugh out loud as she had any number of times just for the sheer joy of the moment.

‘And besides,’ she added in a more sober vein, ‘I promised I’d look after Jill. Val doesn’t trust Baz.’ Was it Baz Val didn’t trust, or Jill, Betty wondered briefly. Either way, she’d promised she’d keep an eye on Jill.

After checking to make sure the coast was clear, she gave Kasey the nod and, once he was safely gone, made a leisurely exit herself, closing the door behind her and pocketing the key. Just a member of the staff taking advantage of the ‘rest room’. But she blessed Val. You’re a bloody saint, Val, she thought gratefully.

Then, before taking over from Rupe at the piano, she popped out to the barn to do her duty and check on Jill.

Val’s fears had obviously proved unfounded. Until now, anyway. Jill’s hair was a tangled mess and her body glowed with sweat; the most indefatigable of all the girls, she hadn’t once left the dance floor. And every second dance had been with Willie. She would have danced all night with Willie if she could; he was by far and away the best dancer and equally inexhaustible. But both she and Willie knew it was only fair they regularly let other guys cut in. There were so few girls to go around as it was, and with the night growing wilder several seemed to disappear every now and then.