No sooner had Dulcie, Anna and Sylvia wheeled the last bed out and lined it up on the terrace as Sister had instructed than the air-raid klaxon started up.

Private Gordon started like a frightened rabbit, looking around him with wide, terrified eyes.

‘It’s only an air raid, pal. They won’t be coming for us, don’t worry.’ Albie Sallis leaned over and patted his friend’s hand. ‘And on a Sunday morning, too,’ he tutted. ‘I ask you, is nothing sacred to those bloody Germans?’

Sylvia looked around nervously. ‘Perhaps we should bring the men back in?’

‘But we’ve only just got them out!’ Dulcie sighed. ‘Anyway, it’s probably just a false alarm.’

‘I don’t think so – look!’ Anna pointed towards the sky, where a scattering of dark dots were approaching over the distant horizon.

The men craned their necks to see. One of the soldiers, a pale young Lance Corporal called Frost, began to hum under his breath as he always did when he was nervous.

‘“It’s a long way to Tipperary, it’s a long way to go. It’s a long, long way to Tipperary …”’

‘He’s off again!’ Dulcie sighed to Anna. ‘He’ll be singing that wretched song for hours now.’

‘They’re coming this way, I think. This should be rather good.’ George Jeffers, a young captain in the Royal Fusiliers, lit up a cigarette and leaned back to enjoy the show.

‘Take no notice of him, Nurse,’ Albie said. ‘They’re miles away. There’s no need to be afraid.’ But even as he said it, he was shaking so much his iron bed frame rattled.

‘Oh, don’t worry about me.’ Dulcie turned round to tell him she was not in the least bit afraid, that in fact she found the distant sound of the aeroplanes quite exhilarating, when she saw Roger Wallace in the doorway.

Immediately she dissolved into a fit of nervous trembling. ‘Oh!’ she squealed. ‘Oh, I can’t bear it. Make it stop, please!’

‘What’s going on?’ Roger said.

‘Nurse Moore seems to be having hysterics,’ Anna said in a flat voice. ‘They came on suddenly.’

‘Very suddenly,’ Sylvia said.

‘I can’t help it if I’m terrified, can I?’ Dulcie launched herself at Roger, burying her face in his chest. ‘It’s the planes, I can’t stand the sound of them,’ she whimpered. ‘What if they bomb us?’

‘Perhaps we should slap her face?’ Sylvia suggested.

‘Really, Nurse Moore. You must try and collect yourself. Remember the men …’ Roger gave her a half-hearted pat on the shoulder. He was holding himself far too rigid for Dulcie’s liking. She threw her arms around his neck and burrowed her face deeper into his white coat, breathing in the antiseptic smell of him. She pressed her face against his chest, hoping to hear his heart skittering at the nearness of her, but all she could feel was a disappointingly steady thud against her cheek. Meanwhile, all around them, the patients cat-called and whistled.

‘Come on, let’s get you inside.’ To Dulcie’s annoyance, Anna stepped in briskly, pulling her away from Roger. ‘I’ll make you a cup of hot sweet tea. That’ll sort you out.’