‘God, that woman’s useless!’ Mavis moaned to Kate as they cut across the grass to the ablutions at six-thirty one morning.

‘Who – Edith?’

‘Edith? Oh no, not Edith. She’s very clever, actually, with the met reports. Seems it’s a special interest of hers. No, no, me Lady Isobel Cartwright! I would get lumbered with her on my shift, wouldn’t I? Thick as cloud at forty thousand feet, she is!’

Kate felt a moment of sneaking glee to hear Isobel criticized. She bent her head forward so that Mavis should not see the smile on her lips.

‘Still,’ Mavis added, mellowing a little as her normal generous nature surfaced again, ‘she does try, I’ll give her that.’

Kate’s head shot up. ‘Really?’ she said, without thinking. ‘You do surprise me. I’d have thought she’d think it all beneath her.’

‘How on earth she passed out as an R/T operator I don’t know. Dave’s getting fed up with her already. She comes in for some flak from him, I can tell you.’

‘And does she take it?’

‘Oh, yes. Hasn’t much choice, really, now has she?’

‘Suppose not.’ Kate paused a moment then asked, ‘Who’s this Dave?’ As they pushed their way into the wash-room, Kate glanced at her friend and saw Mavis’s cheeks were a faint shade of pink that had nothing to do with the walk through the frosty morning air. Teasing, she added, ‘Do I detect a romance blossoming?’

‘Don’t be daft, Kate,’ Mavis countered, but the pink tinge deepened. ‘I’ve only just met him.’

‘Mmm. I can see I shall have to keep my eye on you. Anyway, tell me more about Isobel.’

Mavis launched into a list of mistakes and inefficiencies of which Isobel Cartwright had managed to be guilty in just two shifts. The catalogue was secretly gratifying to Kate, but she hugged the knowledge to herself. She didn’t want anyone – not even dear old Mavis – to have the slightest inkling that she knew Isobel.

‘How are you getting on with the CO? Is he as nice as he looks?’

‘Every bit,’ Kate said. Again she made no reference to the fact that she and Group Captain Philip Trent had met before, or that he owed his life to her. It was a secret best kept between the two of them. He had done her an enormous favour in arranging for her to be his driver, but neither of them wanted it common knowledge that he had singled her out for biased treatment.

‘Of course, he’s a bit old for you, isn’t he?’

‘Oh, Mavis, really!’ Kate laughed. ‘The thought never even crossed my mind . . .’ But then she remembered his intense gaze across the desk on the day of her arrival. It was more than just a ‘thank you for saving my life’ look.

‘How old do you reckon he is, then?’

‘Forty-ish, I should think.’