Olivia nodded. ‘I won’t write, but I’ll definitely turn up, because you’re right, I don’t want him to have the chance to turn me away before I get my foot through the door.’ She looked at the letter from Josie. ‘Has Josie much to say?’

‘She’s loving her new job, and wants us to visit,’ Beth waggled her eyebrows, ‘to meet her new beau.’

‘Really? What’s he like? Where did she meet him?’ Olivia fired the questions in quick succession, causing Beth to giggle.

‘His name’s Clive and he’s one of the ground crew on a base not far from Ramsbury. She says he’s a real gent and she thinks he might be the one; she also says there’s more news to tell, but she doesn’t want to take the wind out of Maude’s sails so she’s going to let Maude spill the beans, although she wishes she could be a fly on the wall when we read what she has to say …’ She pulled a face. ‘I wonder what that’s all about.’

Olivia glanced at Maude’s unopened letter. ‘No idea, but I daresay we’re about to find out …’ She slit the envelope open with her finger and gazed speculatively at Beth. ‘So that’s me, Maude and Josie all with fellers – fancy joining the club? I know Corporal Evans would be like a dog with two tails if only you’d give him the chance.’

‘You know I’ve already told him that I’m not interested in starting a relationship,’ Beth protested.

Olivia tutted softly. ‘That was a while ago now, and you shouldn’t let Rotten Ralph put you off fellers. I didn’t.’

‘It was different for you, though, you already had your true love waiting in the wings.’

‘And you could have yours if only you’d give him a chance, and I think that Spencer is a dear, although maybe I’m not the best judge of character.’

Beth decided to be frank. ‘The only fellers that ask me out are the macho type who want to show me off to their pals, hardly the basis for a serious relationship. I know Spencer’s not like the rest of them, but there again I thought Ralph was cut from a different cloth.’

‘Not all men are bad,’ said Olivia, ‘but you’ll never find out unless you take the plunge, and just for the record I don’t think Spencer found it easy to ask you out, even if he had just saved your life.’ She shook her head as Beth tried to interrupt. ‘He’s not cocky like some of them,’ she tried to swallow her smile, ‘he likes trainspotting, for goodness’ sake! I don’t think he has a macho bone in his entire body.’