His grin broadened. ‘My squadron’s just been moved to East Markham.’ In the darkness she could not see his face, but she could hear the excitement in his voice. He made no effort to conceal it.

‘East Markham! Why, that’s only a few miles from Suddaby.’

‘I know.’ He put his arm casually around her shoulders as they walked along the street. The pavements were wet now with a fine drizzle. ‘We’d best get out of this, else we’ll end up soaked. There’s a pub over there. It might not be too crowded. Let’s try it.’

Pushing open the door to the bar, they were met by that unmistakable pub smell, a mixture of beer and smoke. Four old men sat in one corner playing dominoes and the barmaid leaned against the bar examining her long painted nails in close detail. She straightened up as Danny approached the bar, and smiled.

‘I was beginning to think I’d ’ave to close up an’ go home. All our regulars is at the dance.’ She pulled a face and it was obvious the girl wished she were there too. ‘What’ll it be, love?’

Danny ordered a beer for himself and a shandy for Kate. As he carried them across to her and placed them on a small round table, he jerked his head towards the opposite corner. ‘Reminds you of me dad and old Tom Willoughby playing dominoes in their usual corner in the Seagull, dun’t it?’

The barmaid had gone back to leaning against the bar and had resumed her nail examination.

Kate smiled as she sipped her drink. ‘And you – given half a chance.’

He grinned and then sighed. ‘What I’d give sometimes to be safely back at Fleethaven Point playing dominoes with the old ’uns! I had a game with ’em last time I was home.’

‘Have – you flown any missions yet?’

He twisted the glass round and round as it stood on the table, staring at it but not really seeing it. The frothy beer slopped from side to side in the glass. ‘Yup,’ he answered shortly.

‘Is it very bad?’

There was silence for a moment. ‘Varies.’

She leaned forward. ‘Danny. It’s me – Kate. You can talk to me about it.’

He sighed deeply. ‘It’s not that, Katie, you know I’d tell you. But – well – we all like to try to forget about it for a while when we’re out. Y’know.’

‘Oh, I see,’ she said, but her tone indicated the opposite. He was leading a different life now, a life in which she had no part and he was reluctant to tell her about it. She felt resentful.

Sensing her mood, he grinned. ‘Come on, Katie. Let’s go for a walk up the hill, eh? It’s stopped raining.’

Mollified a little, she agreed.