‘No, none of this is your fault, Marjie.’ Paulo took her other hand then. He was sitting in his wheelchair facing them, as the three of them sat on the bench. ‘Monty always did anything to get what he wanted – you know that. We heard such horrendous tales of what was happening to those on forced labour, from those who escaped and joined us. Monty must have seen a way to save himself. He was so young. The consequences wouldn’t have occurred to him.’

‘And now that you know it was Monty who betrayed us, which led to all you went through, you can forgive him?’

‘We’re at war, Marjie. Things happen in war that none of us know how we will react to. I loved Monty like a brother. He was my shadow, as you know. If he’d known that this would have happened to me, as a result of his actions, he wouldn’t have done it. I’m sure of that.’

Marjie couldn’t take this in, but she was so grateful to Paulo for thinking like that. It helped, just a little, to ease her pain and guilt. But when she told them of how she’d ordered Monty’s death, it all came rushing back and, no matter what they said, it didn’t stop a shadow being cast over the next few days, which only Marjie could feel.

At night, she and Sibbie slept in the same bed. This was a comfort to them both. ‘Will we ever forget, Sibbie?’

‘No. And nor should we. But we will learn to live with it all, I’m sure. We’ll help each other – the three of us. And Wills will help us. He’s lovely, Marjie.’

‘He is – I adore him. I’m finding it hard not to be with him, as we were before I left.’

‘I know. Paulo and I have done it.’

‘It?’ They both giggled at this.

‘Well, what can you call it? I don’t even know the proper word, but I know it was wonderful.’ Marjie didn’t ask how Sibbie and Paulo managed to make love; she was just so happy for them both.

‘Marjie, shall we go to them? Everyone will be asleep. No one will know. I’ll creep along to the room they are in and send Wills to you. But we must make a pact to be back in our rooms by around three in the morning. Your father sometimes walks the landing then.’

‘I know; poor love, he hasn’t slept well for a long time.’

‘He’ll sleep even less if he finds out that his daughter is sleeping with her man before they’re wed!’

Once more they giggled, as Marjie hit Sibbie with her pillow.