‘Not your dancing. This. Us.’

‘I don’t understand?’

‘We shouldn’t be doing this. We’re not supposed to be together.’ She looked at him. ‘You’re supposed to be with Grace.’

Robert’s expression darkened. ‘Surely her fiancé would have something to say about that?’ he muttered.

‘There is no fiancé. Not anymore. She’s broken it off with him.’

‘She – broke it off?’ Robert said slowly.

‘She should never have got engaged in the first place. She only did it to please her family. Thank God she came to her senses in the end!’ Dulcie looked up at Robert’s bewildered expression. He was struggling to take it all in, she could tell. ‘Although she might never have found the courage to end it if it hadn’t been for you,’ she said.

‘Me?’

‘She likes you, you dolt!’ Dulcie sighed. For a doctor he could really be rather dim, she thought.

The music stopped and the couples began to leave the floor. But Robert stood rooted to the spot.

He stared at Dulcie, his eyes owlish behind his spectacles. Then he shook his head. ‘That can’t be true. She’s never given me any indication …’

‘That’s because she’s too nice and kind-hearted for her own good!’ Dulcie said. ‘You know what she’s like, she always puts other people before herself.’ And we’ve all let her, she added silently. Especially me. ‘She’s never thought of herself as special, or expected anyone to love her. But she deserves to be loved. And it’s about time someone did.’

She looked up at him. He was so handsome, she thought. They would have made a perfect couple, if only …

If only they weren’t both in love with other people.

She released him. ‘Well? What are you waiting for? Go and find Grace and tell her how you feel. But I’m warning you, she might take some convincing.’

‘Thank you.’ Robert smiled down at her, such a heartbreaking smile that Dulcie began to feel herself weaken.

‘Just promise me you won’t hurt her,’ she muttered. ‘Grace Duffield has a good heart, and it doesn’t deserve to be broken.’

‘I won’t,’ he promised. He started to walk away, then turned back. ‘But what about you? It’s hardly right to leave you standing on your own in the middle of the dance floor.’

Dulcie looked around her. She had completely forgotten where she was until she saw Miriam smirking at her.

She thought of the medal, nestling in her bag.

‘I’ll just have to be brave, won’t I?’ she said.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

‘He’s gone, Nurse. There’s nothing more you can do for him.’

Florence Parker looked down at Grace Duffield, sitting at the side of Albie Sallis’ bed. It had been half an hour since Dr Carlyle issued the death certificate but still Grace sat there, holding on to his lifeless hand.

‘I can’t believe it, Sister,’ she kept saying. ‘I keep thinking he’s going to wake up any minute and smile and everything will be all right.’

The poor girl looked dazed, as well she might. No one had expected someone as full of life as Corporal Sallis to die. But as Kate Carlyle said, the shard of shrapnel was like a ticking time bomb lodged in his brain.