She stopped outside one smart-looking house, her heart beating erratically, but she managed a bright smile. ‘This is it. It was nice to see you again, Gerry. I hope all goes well for you.’

‘And you, Miss Winford.’

She had been hoping he would walk away after that, but he didn’t. He just stood on the pavement, smiling down at her.

‘In you go, then.’

Now she was really alarmed. He obviously wanted to see her enter the house to confirm that she actually lived there. There was nothing for it but to knock on the door and try to persuade whoever owned it to let her in for a moment.

Her luck was holding. The door was slightly ajar and, without stopping to think, she stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She peered through a small stained-glass window at the side of the door and saw Gerry writing the address on a piece of paper. She had been right to be cautious. He was going to try for the reward!

He seemed to take ages to walk out of sight, and Jenny expected to be discovered at any minute. If the owners found her standing in their hall, they would think she was a thief. Being accused of that once was quite enough! As soon as she thought it safe, she slipped out, leaving the door slightly open as she’d found it, and hurried up the street in the opposite direction. By now she was shaking very badly; that had been a close thing. Too close: she saw a woman come out of a house two doors down and go into the one she had just left. Then she began to grin to herself as she thought how foolish Gerry was going to look when he found out that she didn’t live there after all.

That evening the three brothers were having a fierce discussion, with John and Matt trying to convince Luke that the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany was something to be concerned about.

‘It won’t affect us,’ Luke argued. ‘All right, I don’t agree with the near-hysteria and fanaticism they’re causing, but you must admit they’re giving the people something to cheer about.’

‘Yes, but they’re growing too fast,’ John said. ‘In September the Nazis won about one hundred seats from moderates in the German elections.’

Luke didn’t look convinced, but said, ‘And you think that makes them a threat?’

Matt leant forward in his chair and spoke with conviction. ‘I don’t trust this man Hitler. He’s already calling for the Treaty of Versailles to be torn up. Once he’s got the power and the means, he’ll start to regain the territory the Germans lost as the result of the last war. After that he might set his sights on the rest of Europe.’