‘That’s the singing group, is it? I thought it was a bunch of tom cats fighting over the bins.’

Nurse Bright’s smile hardened. ‘Well, what would you like to do?’ she asked.

‘I’d like to sit here in peace, if you don’t mind.’

‘But you can’t.’

‘Why not?’

‘You need to get better. You need to be rehabilitated.’ There was a desperate look in Nurse Bright’s eyes.

‘I’m sure I’ll get better faster if you just let me alone.’

‘But—’

Then a voice said, ‘Take no notice of him, Nurse. He was just as grumpy when I was nursing him.’

Sam’s whole body went rigid at the sound of her voice. He did not dare turn round. He had pictured this moment so often, he was worried it might be his mind playing tricks on him.

But then he heard Nurse Bright reply, so he knew it couldn’t have been his imagination.

‘You nursed him?’

‘I looked after him when he first returned to England. Believe me, he was worse-tempered then than he is now.’

‘I find that hard to believe,’ Nurse Bright muttered.

‘I am here, you know,’ Sam snapped. ‘I can hear what you’re saying.’

He kept his back to them, staring out of the French windows. But he could imagine them exchanging exasperated looks.

‘I’ll leave you to it,’ Nurse Bright said. ‘Perhaps you can cheer him up?’

‘I doubt it,’ Dulcie replied.

Sam heard Nurse’s Bright’s footsteps receding, but still he didn’t turn around. He watched the men in their cricket whites gathering on the lawn.

‘You took your time.’ His voice sounded gruff. ‘I thought you were never going to visit.’

‘If I had known I was going to receive such a rapturous welcome I would have come sooner.’

Sam turned slowly to look at Dulcie, savouring the moment. She was wearing that beautiful blue dress again. A fashionable hat was pulled low over her curls.

She looked nervous, he thought. He wondered if her heart was racing as fast as his.

‘How are you?’ she asked, sitting down in an armchair opposite him.

‘Oh, I’m leading a very exciting life. Between the endless exercises and resisting Nurse Bright’s efforts to bring me out of myself – it’s all go.’

Dulcie smiled. ‘It sounds as if you’re winning that particular battle.’

‘Don’t I always?’

He glanced down at her hands folded in her lap, trying to see if she was wearing a ring on her left hand. It was hard to tell through her lacy gloves.

‘How are you?’ he asked.

‘Very well, thank you.’ Then she paused and said, ‘I’ve moved back to Monaghan ward.’

‘Why’s that?’

‘Various reasons. I’m happier where I am.’

She didn’t look very happy, Sam thought. He searched her face, looking for clues.

‘I was sorry I wasn’t there to see you off,’ Dulcie said.

Sam stiffened, remembering his disappointment. ‘I daresay you had better things to do.’

‘It wasn’t that.’

‘What was it, then?’

‘It doesn’t matter.’

Oh, but it does, Sam thought. Suddenly her answer seemed to be the most important thing in the world to him.