‘Oh goodness,’ I whispered, pulling away from him, feeling his kiss still on my lips. ‘That’s enough of that now.’ His eyes were sparkling. I’d never seen him looking quite so happy and it made me glad . . . Glad, and powerful, and generous, and in control. ‘Now, you must tell me how we will avoid Kaiser Bill’s torpedoes,’ I said in little more than a whisper. ‘For my heart’s very afraid of what might happen.’

‘You can give your heart to me, Gertie Smith, I will take good care of it, I give you my word.’

Oh, I felt myself melting away with his lovely words, but did he mean them? I was not sure. His injuries were bound to change his mood, Nurse Josephine had already told me this. He only meant half the things he said. ‘Dear Corporal Perkins, I’m sure you have many fine ladies awaiting your return to Blighty.’

‘Don’t try and change the subject, nurse. You must kiss me again. That was the best medicine and must be administered every three hours for a speedy recovery.’

‘Behave, Corporal. You must be delirious. Perhaps I should use my initiative and get the orderlies to prepare an ice bath.’

‘Ice? Where would they get that on a ship in the Mediterranean? I think I’m safe.’ He winced again.

‘What is it?’ I took his hand.

‘It’s my foot, my right foot. Strange as I haven’t got one.’ Suddenly he was angry. ‘The pain goes on throbbing, though they cut it off a month ago.’ He reached down towards the missing limb. ‘Damn queer when you reason. I feel it’s still there, sometimes it even itches.’ He glowered at me for a moment. ‘Do you think my foot believes it’s still attached to me, down there on the bottom of the sea? No, of course not, it will be long gone, won’t it. Eaten by crabs and scavenging fish. Perhaps that’s what I’m feeling! What do you think? Is my old foot playing this cruel game, or is it my brain making fun of the poor cripple? How many times do I feel a twinge, a twitch, a little pain, then I look down and realise, I’ve been fooled again.’ His bitter laughter would have curdled cream. ‘How do you scratch the itch of a phantom limb?’

‘You’re just tired, Corporal. You need all the rest you can get in order to heal properly.’

‘Tired!’ he yelled angrily.

‘Shush now,’ I said, startled. ‘I’m not supposed to be here. You’ll get me into trouble.’

He lowered his voice and seemed to calm down a little. ‘What will become of us, Nurse Gertie? What chance have we got together? You’re young and healthy and very beautiful and if I close my eyes and dream, I see you with our child on your hip.’