She cast her eyes skyward. ‘That’s why I tried to get them talking, so that Ralph would see what Beth was really like …’ She thought back. ‘Blimey, Ted, had I not nipped off to the lavvy that day, I might never have seen his true colours.’

‘Would it have mattered?’ Ted asked. ‘You were planning on telling him there was no future for the two of you.’

‘But everything is all down to chance, don’t you think? If you’d not gone to see my grandparents I might well have settled for Ralph, completely unaware of his real intentions. I might even have married him!’ She gave a mirthless laugh. ‘I bet Ralph would’ve laid it on pretty thick with my father.’

Ted nodded. ‘Your father would’ve let Ralph charm his way into his life, because Ralph knows the right things to say, yet he’d rather die than have me around.’

She tilted her head to one side. ‘Actually, that makes me feel a bit better, knowing that someone as ruthless and seemingly intelligent as my father would have been just as blinkered as me.’

Ted slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

‘Ted!’ giggled Olivia, looking to see if anyone was watching. ‘Not here!’ she whispered.

Ted glanced around and gave one of the Waafs crossing the yard a little wave, then turned his attention back to Olivia. ‘Why not?’ He smiled at Olivia’s half-hearted attempts to push him away. ‘Now that Ralph’s out of the picture, you’re a free woman. Or rather, you aren’t, because you’re my woman now.’

Olivia gave up the pretence of pushing him away. ‘You’re right, and to think I actually felt guilty that I might break Ralph’s heart!’ She opened her mouth to continue speaking, but Ted had waited long enough. In one swift movement his lips met hers and he was kissing her with such tenderness Olivia felt as though she were light as air in his strong, all-encompassing embrace. She didn’t even notice when the bus pulled up beside them.

‘I want to say don’t go, but I know you have to,’ she said miserably. ‘I can’t believe you’ve been here for a week, because it feels like you’ve hardly been here any time at all.’

He nodded. ‘I know. I wish I could stay.’ He kissed her briefly on the tip of her nose. ‘I’ll phone as soon as I’m back in Liverpool, and I’ll write every day.’

‘Me too!’ said Olivia ardently. ‘I miss you already.’

She gazed longingly at Ted as he took a window seat on the bus. Breathing on the window, he drew a heart shape with his finger.

Olivia beamed at him, but her face soon fell as the bus pulled away. She watched until it was out of sight before turning back.