‘And how do you feel about that?’

‘How do you think I feel?’ His voice was suddenly sharp. ‘I’d throw myself under a train before I let that happen.’

For a moment they stared at each other. The next minute Captain Jeffers was laughing. ‘Honestly, Nurse Moore, don’t look so stricken. I think you’ve been on Wilson too long. You’ve forgotten how to take a joke.’

They finished their meal and Dr Logan paid the bill. They caught the Underground back to Bethnal Green, but as they were emerging from the station Grace suddenly had the idea of walking to the pie and mash shop to buy some jellied eels for Albie Sallis.

Dulcie was against the idea; it had begun to rain and she could feel her hat turning limp about her ears. But Dr Logan seemed to think it was a capital plan, and so they all trooped down Vallance Road towards Mile End.

They hadn’t gone very far when the air-raid warning bell sounded. Other whistles, horns and klaxons took up the cry and soon the air was filled with a jarring cacophony of wailing, hooting and ringing.

‘This is your fault!’ Dulcie turned on Grace. ‘We could have been safely back at the hospital now if you hadn’t decided to go and look for wretched jellied eels!’

‘Don’t you have a go at her!’ Corporal Sallis jumped to Grace’s defence. ‘She was only being kind – you should try it sometime!’

‘Stop it, both of you!’ Dr Logan’s voice rose over the wail of the siren. ‘We’ve got to get these men back to the hospital.’

Chaos had broken out among them. Private Walsh and a couple of the others had thrown themselves to the ground. Lance Corporal Fletcher stared up at the sky, roaring with laughter, as people pushed past him, running for shelter.

‘Where’s Captain Jeffers?’ Grace asked.

‘I don’t know.’ Dulcie looked around. ‘He was here a minute ago.’

‘Did you see which way he went?’

‘If I knew that he wouldn’t be lost, would he?’

‘Who’s lost?’ Dr Logan came up behind them, propping up Private Walsh with his shoulders.

‘We can’t find Captain Jeffers, Sir,’ Grace said.

Dr Logan looked wildly around. ‘What do you mean, you can’t find him? Who saw him last?’

‘I did, Doctor,’ Dulcie said. ‘We were walking along together, but then the sirens went off, and he just – disappeared.’

Dr Logan stared at her. The rain was falling heavily now, soaking his suit and hat and plastering his white shirt to his torso.

‘Here.’ He lifted Private Walsh’s arm from around his shoulders and across Dulcie’s. She buckled under the sudden weight of him. ‘You get the men back to hospital. I’ll go and look for Captain Jeffers.’

He was off before Dulcie could reply, running down the street, looking this way and that.

‘Come on,’ Grace said. Dulcie could see her mentally bracing herself. ‘We’d better do as he says. Sister will be furious if we all catch pneumonia!’ She hauled one of the men up from the ground and linked her arm through his. ‘Lance Corporal Fletcher, come out of the road, please. And, Corporal Sallis, will you keep an eye on Private Gordon? I think that’s all of us …’