He smiled. He had a beautifully shaped mouth, she thought. ‘I daresay we’ll be seeing each other again, Nurse Moore.’

Oh, we will. I’ll make sure of that, Dulcie thought as she walked away.

She hurried back to the kitchen, where Grace was on her hands and knees, sweeping up the last fragments of bone china.

‘Sister is going to be furious,’ she said gloomily. ‘And I’ll get the blame as usual.’

‘Never mind that! What did you think of him?’

‘Who?’

‘Him! The new doctor! Oh, Duffield, he was here not a minute ago. Surely you couldn’t forget him?’

‘I don’t know, I only caught a fleeting glimpse of him.’ Grace clambered to her feet. ‘He’s a doctor, you say?’

‘Dr Robert Logan.’ Dulcie said the name slowly, savouring it.

‘He seemed nice enough, I suppose.’

‘Nice? He was the most perfect man I’ve ever seen in my life!’

Grace laughed. ‘How do you know that? You know nothing about him.’

‘I know he’s a war hero, and he’s very handsome. I also know he’s a doctor, so he’s bound to be rich.’

‘Not necessarily! The medical students are always trying to borrow money from us, in case you hadn’t noticed?’

‘Yes, but once they qualify and become consultants, they have lots of money.’ Dulcie pressed her hands together. Her palms had gone very clammy, she noticed. ‘Do you know? I think I might be in love.’

Grace laughed. ‘What about Roger Wallace?’

‘What about him?’ Roger had already faded into the back of her mind, with his weak chin and his flat-footed walk. Sylvia was welcome to him, she decided.

She had already found the new object of her affections. And this time nothing was going to stop her from getting her man.

CHAPTER TEN

On a cold afternoon in late October, Anna and Liesel travelled to the internment camp in Holloway to see their father one last time. Liesel’s boyfriend Davy went with them.

The sisters had been visiting the camp every month for the past three years, but Anna didn’t think she would ever get used to the grim surroundings: the featureless slabs of grey single-storey accommodation blocks surrounded by guard posts, high walls and savage barbed wire.

‘At least Papa will be free from this place soon,’ she said quietly.

‘He should be coming home,’ Liesel said. ‘He’s done nothing wrong, and they’re sending him away. It’s not fair.’

She started to cry again. Anna took out her handkerchief and stuffed it into her sister’s hand.

‘Do stop it,’ she snapped. ‘Papa will feel wretched enough without you making it worse.’

‘Leave her be.’ Davy put his arms protectively around Liesel. ‘She can’t help it if she’s sensitive. She’s upset.’

‘We’re all upset,’ Anna snapped. ‘But that won’t help our father, will it?’

Davy ignored her, burying his face in Liesel’s fair hair. ‘There, there,’ he soothed her. ‘Don’t upset yourself. I know it’s hard for you, but we’ll get through this, I promise. You’ve got me. I’ll look after you.’