An image of Ted flashed into Olivia’s conscience. Guilt swamped her and she spoke as truthfully as she could. ‘If one of your friends had acted inappropriately with me, I’d tell you straight away.’

‘There’s no point in arguing the whys and wherefores,’ said Ralph testily. ‘What’s done is done – we can’t all be as perfect as Saint Liv.’

‘There’s no need to be rude,’ said Olivia. ‘I really can’t see what I’ve done that’s so wrong.’

‘Evidently,’ snapped Ralph. He paused, and when he spoke next he sounded tired. ‘You’re making a lot of fuss, for someone who refuses to become my girl. Perhaps this might be the push you need to make up your mind about what you want.’ He sighed heavily. ‘It’s been a long day and there’s a queue a mile long waiting to use the phone, so if you don’t mind I’ll be getting off.’

Unable to think of a response that wouldn’t cause conflict, Olivia said goodbye. She walked back to Maude and Josie.

‘Well?’ said Josie as Olivia sat down on a chair. She relayed the gist of the telephone conversation.

‘I reckon he knows he should’ve said summat and he feels guilty, so he’s trying to lay the blame on you,’ said Josie.

‘I don’t know,’ said Olivia quietly. ‘There’s something he’s not telling me. He was reasonable until he found out that Beth had been denied her request for a transfer, but after he knew that he got really upset, saying that I should have told him that first, because he wouldn’t have said anything if I’d done so.’

Maude sat forward. ‘That is odd. What’s Beth’s whereabouts got to do with the price of fish?’

‘Did he think she’d already left base?’ asked Josie thoughtfully.

Olivia nodded. ‘Definitely. Why?’

‘Well, you can ask Beth her side of things now, can’t you?’ said Josie. ‘But if she’d gone you’d probably have left sleeping dogs lie …’ She looked at Olivia, whose mouth had dropped open. ‘What?’

‘That’s exactly what Ralph said, that I’d not be able to leave sleeping dogs lie with Beth still on base.’

Maude raised her eyebrow. ‘Then isn’t the real question, why is Ralph worried about you hearing Beth’s version of events?’

Chapter Seven

Matilda Barnham sat by the fire leafing through one of her old diaries. Despite her husband’s insistence that it was a waste of his time going into the attic, she had appealed to his better nature with a bowl of scouse, and had shortly been rewarded with two diaries from 1923 and 1924.