‘By all accounts, you caused quite an uproar. I came straight over when I read the newspaper.’

‘No! It wasn’t in the papers?’

‘It certainly was, and it seems you struck a blow for all Dover. That Boniface is not a liked man.’

‘He’s just upset after losing his boy, and I shouldn’t have lost my temper. The hearing’s on Tuesday. As if I haven’t got enough to worry about. How’s my father?’

‘I’ve been to see him, to ask his permission to visit you here, and I also asked if I could walk out with you. He’s worried about you, naturally. Otherwise, he’ll be fine once they’ve allowed him to attend to his precious car.’

I smiled, just imagining my father’s concern for the Ford.

‘Gertie, there’s something else you should know, so you can prepare. Public opinion, driven by the press, has demanded another inquiry into the sinking of the Britannic.’

I felt my body deflate. ‘Oh, no. They’ll find out, won’t they? I’m so afraid!’

‘Find out what?’ He blinked at me with what could only be an honest look of confusion.

‘You don’t remember?’

He shook his head. ‘Remember what?’

I stared at him, unsure. Was he simply trying to make me feel better, or did he genuinely not remember? I had thought, when he offered to swear to the press that I did not open the portholes, that he must know what I’d done – but perhaps he didn’t after all.

‘It was my first hour in the ward. You and your fellow patients bullied and tormented me until I relented and opened the portholes.’

He stared at me, clearly shocked. ‘We did?’

‘You certainly did. I was almost in tears. Don’t you remember?’

He shook his head again. ‘You’re telling me that it’s I who is ultimately responsible for all that maiming and the loss of so many lives?’

‘No, not you alone, it was also your friends, and of course I did go against orders. I told you it was against orders, but you said that you’d heard Staff tell me to use my initiative, and that meant opening the portholes for ten minutes when the ward was stinking from fouled bedpans. In the end, I couldn’t take any more, so gave in to you all and opened them.’

He stared at me, clearly horrified. ‘Who else knows?’

‘That I opened the portholes?’

‘No, that we bullied you?’

‘Nobody.’

He stood and paced two steps to the wall, and two back again. ‘You and I, we must make a plan, Gertie.’ He stopped and stared at me.

*

Perkins returned the next day, all suited up this time, and wearing his artificial leg. He used a walking cane, which gave him an ostentatious swagger that made me smile. As he approached, I felt my heart leap with pleasure to see him again.