Ella reached out for Rosie, who came gladly into her arms.

‘Naw one knaws. Not up here, they don’t – well, except for me Ma.’

‘Does that mean you’re ashamed, Rosie?’

‘Naw, I’m not ashamed. Albie were a lovely man; he didn’t want to fight a war, but had no choice.’

‘Then keep his memory inside you. Only share it if you think you will have understanding, as you don’t want to be in the position of having to defend yourself. I understand, and I know the pain of losing the man you love. We can’t choose who they are, or where they are from, or anything about them. Yes, we have preferences, but that’s all they are. The reality hits you like a ton of bricks. Albie sounds like a nice person. He must have been, for you to love him.’

Rosie wept for a little while, then lifted her head. ‘Ta, Ella, I feel better about it now. I’ll do as you say, and I’ll ask for that transfer.’ She wiped her eyes and blew her nose loudly. ‘You knaw, I have some advice for you an’ all. Why not volunteer? I mean, if you don’t need the money. There’s a lot of volunteers in the hospital. They don’t do much medical stuff, but they make the patients more comfortable, making beds, doing bedpans, serving meals – that sort of thing.’

‘Yes, I like that idea. Thank you. Rosie. And you know what? I love it up here. I might just volunteer in the hospital that you land up in. I think it would be good for Lonia up here, too.’

‘That’d be grand, Ella. I reckon as me and you could become real friends.’ With this, Rosie hugged Ella, and Ella knew she could love this young woman like a younger sister, in the way that she’d been denied loving her own sister for so long. At this thought she drew in her breath.

‘Are you all right, Ella? I ain’t upset you, have I?’

‘I – I have something I haven’t been able to talk about, Rosie. And, like you, I believe everyone will think less of me if they know. You see, I – I was interrogated.’ Never thinking she would tell anyone this in a million years, Ella related how she’d betrayed her own family. ‘But they were going to hurt Lonia and . . . and they told me my sister had perished. Oh, I – I—’

‘Eeh, Ella lass, don’t.’ Rosie held her. ‘Sit down, lass.’

They sat on the grass. Rosie holding Ella and rocking her in her arms helped.