Olivia felt a wave of disappointment sweep over her. She had thought he was going to say he was free to kiss her. She chastised herself for thinking so foolishly and resolved to keep the conversation going before he realised anything was amiss. ‘You were worried before?’

He pulled a face. ‘They like to discourage that sort of thing, but now that you’re no longer under my wing …’

‘You’re free to do what you want?’

‘Precisely! You don’t mind, do you?’

Olivia restrained herself from giving a heartfelt sigh. Corporal Stebbins was a cut above every girl in their platoon, and he wanted to dance with the safe bet, the girl who wouldn’t have any expectations. That was why he wanted to dance with her, because he believed she wouldn’t hold on to any foolish notions. She shrugged. ‘I can’t see any reason to object.’

He grinned down at her, and this time there was no mistaking the wink. ‘Good, because I wouldn’t want to dance with anyone else.’

Olivia felt her impatience beginning to grow. He was sending her mixed messages, whether he intended to or not, and it was unfair for him to continue. She voiced the thought uppermost in her mind. ‘Why me, though? There are a lot of girls in here who would jump at the chance to spend their last evening with you – or is that why?’

He furrowed his brow. ‘I’m not sure I follow …’

Olivia felt a blush begin to make its way up her neckline. ‘Are you only dancing with me so that you don’t have to dance with the other girls?’

He looked genuinely shocked. ‘That’s not the case at all! I want to dance with you because I like you – a lot, have done since the day you arrived.’

Olivia stared at him. ‘How can you have liked me? If I remember rightly, I was rather distant.’

He grinned. ‘You don’t always need to speak to someone to know whether you like them or not. I’ve always thought you can tell what a person’s like just by looking into their eyes.’

She smiled apologetically. ‘I’m sorry, ignore me.’ She decided to change the subject. ‘It’s a shame we won’t get to see each other again.’

‘What makes you say that?’ he asked.

‘Because you’re going to be staying in Pucklechurch and I’m going to Shirehampton,’ Olivia said matter-of-factly.

He grinned. ‘Ah, well that’s where you’re wrong, because I’m coming with you, if only for a couple of nights – not as your corporal, but as an observer, to see how successful this trial run is. You may have passed muster but you’re not out of the woods quite yet – we’ve still got to see how this works out in the real world.’

Olivia looked at him in astonishment. ‘Really?’

He nodded. ‘Just to make sure everything runs smoothly.’

‘It’ll be nice to have you close by,’ she said, ‘like a sort of safety net.’