Harry lowered his eyes. ‘I am really sorry for the way he treated you.’

‘Believe me, I know all about conflicting loyalties.’ There was a ring of bitterness in her voice. ‘Sorry, it’s just that I have been loyal to David since I was sixteen years old. It’s so difficult to let go, and the awful thing is, I can’t even talk about it.’

‘Poor Shelly.’ He placed his arm around her shoulders. ‘I knew something wasn’t right, and that you were in a lot of emotional pain. When you’re ready to tell me, we can work through it together. No judgement, no worries. I’m here for you.’ It was his hand upon her shoulder, the realisation, at last, she was not alone with her problems that gave her strength.

‘Thank you. Is it that obvious?’

‘Not at all, but you cry in your sleep, sometimes.’

‘Gosh, how embarrassing. I promise, I’ll tell all when we get back to Kea.’

Chapter 44

CHAPTER 44

GERTIE

Dover, 1917.

MY FATHER FACED BONIFACE AND the mob fearlessly.

‘The press might not lie, but sometimes by not telling the whole truth, the more gullible may jump to the wrong conclusions. My daughter almost drowned when HMHS Britannic went down. Nevertheless, she risked her own life to save the life of a British soldier, one of our very own boys. Corporal Perkins of the Royal Engineers. The people of Dover should be very proud of her – I am! You should be praising her bravery with a medal – not coming here frightening my wife by behaving like Luddites!’ He stood taller and spoke over Boniface’s head. ‘You don’t know the full story, people. Go home and let me do my job.’ The distant clanging of the police bell rang out. ‘Go back to your families now, before you get into more trouble.’

Once it was clear they were dispersing, my father called through the letterbox. ‘Let me in, Gertie.’ The first thing he noticed, as I had, was my mother, pale with fright. She huddled in the armchair with a blanket over her. Mrs Cooper held her hand while staring at us.

‘Mrs Smith’s taken a turn for the worse, Doctor,’ she said. ‘She’s had nothing to eat all day, just a cup of beef tea. I put some oil of camphor on her chest to help her breathing, and goose fat and brown paper on her back, but she’s still sickly.’

My father sighed, I knew what he thought of these remedies, yet he was too polite to reprimand Mrs Cooper for doing her best. He produced his stethoscope and listened to my mother’s chest. After straightening he said, ‘We must get you to bed, dearest. Now Gertie’s here to look after you, we’ll soon have you well again. I hear from the Matron our daughter’s going to make a fine nurse.’