‘I know you do. Well, I’ll let you buy them for him. I hate the things and don’t fancy going into a tobacconist’s to buy them.’

‘You’re delegating well, darling.’

‘Ha, it’s my nature. I’ll get the boiled sweets, if they are available, and any other treats that I think I can get into the permitted parcel size that the Red Cross will deliver.’

‘That’s settled, then. Oh, I’m so happy to hear from our Freddy at last. And Randie will be home in a couple of days – he’s doing well with his training.’

‘Don’t remind me. I can’t bear to think of him going out on operations. Oh, Cyrus, every day I worry that we will hear the news about one of them that we are dreading. But, more than that, I am so anxious about Monty, and the news that a traitor has been identified. If it is him, then . . . oh God!’

Cyrus could offer Flors no comfort on this, so instead he sought to distract her. ‘Well, let’s concentrate on our darling Sibbie and Paulo for now. And pray they are going to get better. Mags is on her way down, with Ella and Susan. We need to be there when they arrive.’

‘I feel so much for Ella and Susan, darling. The shock for Susan must have been tremendous. For Ella, too, but at least she knew what Paulo was doing and the risks he was taking. But Susan had no idea that her daughter wasn’t doing important work somewhere in the South of England. And I feel so guilty about the letters we have had to send to Susan as if they were from Sibbie.’

‘I do, too, but it is the way of things, and is not of our doing, darling. Although I can imagine how we would feel if we didn’t know and then were suddenly faced with this!’

Flors shuddered. All her nightmares were wrapped up in something bad happening to her children. But at least, she thought, Mags – who looked on Sibbie as if she were her own daughter – had half-guessed what work Sibbie was doing, so wouldn’t feel the shock about her that Susan would.

When they arrived at the Military Hospital in Millbank, a young WRAC member, who worked as a driver to M, was there to greet them and saluted Cyrus. ‘Hello, sir, ma’am. M assigned me to meet the plane bringing Agent S and Resistance fighter Paulo Rennaise in. I escorted the ambulance to the hospital. I’m sorry, but they told me to let you know that you need to hurry . . . It isn’t looking good for Paulo.’