Or perhaps God had decided to answer her prayers for once.

‘You’ll be coming home.’ Her dazed mind could scarcely take it in. She had longed for this moment for so long, part of her wondered if it was still a dream. It seemed too good to be true.

‘Yes.’ He turned his head away from her, a faraway look on his face.

‘Edward, what is it? What’s wrong?’ Anna asked.

‘Nothing. Only – well, I don’t know where home is anymore, do I? I’ve been away so long, I’m not really sure what I’ll do once I’m in Civvy Street again. I mean, where will I live for a start?’

Anna stared at him. ‘Why do you have to ask that? Of course you’ll come and live at the bakery.’

‘Yes, but it’s not really my home, is it?’

‘It will be once we’re married.’

He looked up at her, his face so full of hope and uncertainty, Anna felt as if her heart would break.

‘Do you mean it?’ he said. ‘You still want to marry me?’

‘Of course I do, you daft ha’porth. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.’

‘I wasn’t sure if you’d changed your mind after all this time?’

Anna laughed. ‘As if I would!’ Then a thought struck her. ‘Unless – you’re the one who’s changed their mind?’

‘What do you think?’

Edward reached for her hand just as Miss Sutton came stomping down the corridor. Anna quickly drew away from his grasp, hiding her hands in the folds of her voluminous blue dress.

‘Don’t,’ she whispered. ‘Sister might see.’

‘I don’t care.’ Edward grinned. ‘You’ll be Mrs Edward Stanning soon, and then I can hold your hand as much as I like!’

Anna was still blushing as she hurried away. For the rest of the afternoon, she went about her work, unable to keep a smile off her face.

Edward was coming home. If he did not receive a complete discharge, at least she would know he wasn’t in danger anymore. And even if his light duties took him to another part of the country, they would still be married.

And one day, when this wretched war was over, he would come home to her and they could be together again, in the bakery, just like old times.

‘Nurse? Could you do me a favour?’

Anna looked over to where Corporal Mason was sitting up in bed against a bank of pillows. He had a serious heart condition that meant he had to remain propped up at all times.

‘What is it, Corporal?’

‘You couldn’t give these pillows a bit of a shake for me, could you? One’s slipped down a bit, and it’s ever so uncomfortable.’

‘Of course.’

She should have known, Anna thought. As she approached the soldier’s bed, she could hear the muffled snorts of laughter. She should have realised then that something was up. But she was so carried away with her own daydreams that she barely noticed the grins on the faces of the men in the surrounding beds.