Nick followed with a funny story about a woman who had come into his surgery having mistaken it for a dressmaker’s, and we all laughed. After that, we talked about the five-year building plan. Even Charles seemed to open up – perhaps it was the three glasses of wine that he had in him. Morton was expounding on the future frontiers of medicine. I chose my moment.

‘What’s norethisterone?’ I said.

Morton jolted at the word. I thought back to that voice on the other end of the telephone when I had overheard Nick.

‘Sorry, darling, what did you say?’ Nick asked.

Unlike Morton, Nick’s face betrayed nothing of what he was thinking. I wanted him to be off-balance, to tell me the truth, not what he had crafted as the truth. ‘Norethisterone – is that right? Someone called for you today,’ I told him.

‘Who was it?’

‘Just someone on the telephone. Didn’t give their name, said they wanted norethisterone. Is it a medical thing?’

‘I don’t think I’ve heard of it,’ he replied. He turned to Morton. ‘Have you?’

‘No,’ Morton said.

‘All sorts of things being discovered all the time; can’t keep up with them,’ Nick continued.

That might have fooled me once. Not any more, I thought.

‘It must all be so exciting,’ breathed Bella. Her soldier husband continued with his food, showing no interest in the conversation. He was used to straightforward men saying what they thought, direct and unvarnished. He didn’t look for unspoken words. I was looking for them all the time now.

I broke a piece of bread and went back to eating. ‘I thought it sounded chemical. Well, maybe I misheard him,’ I said.

‘It was a him, then?’

‘Hmmm? Oh, yes, a him.’

Charles spoke, glancing between Nick and me. ‘Dr Cawson, have you told Mrs Cawson your good news?’

‘No, not yet.’

‘Don’t keep me in suspense,’ I said.

‘No. Well, I’ve made a bit of a strategic alliance. Do you remember Ian Fellowman, Burgess’s Assistant Secretary?’

‘Yes.’ Where was this going? What had Fellowman done?

‘His usual GP has finally decided to retire, so I’ve put myself forward for the job. The Comrade is considering it.’

‘That would be quite an honour.’ So it sounded like the Assistant Secretary was keeping all his options open. Only Nick didn’t know that.

‘Now you will have to join the Party,’ Charles said.

‘Probably,’ Major Singent said with a subtle but unmistakable note of disgust.