Sibbie looked at Marjie and saw that she was blushing. Her eyes were fixed on Captain William Parsons, and his eyes on her. Sibbie looked from one to the other, before answering, ‘I think that is a good idea, sir.’

Captain Howkins smiled and nodded knowingly. ‘I think someone has been struck by lightning, don’t you?’

‘I do, sir.’

They both laughed, bringing William and Marjie out of their near-stupor, to join in with them.

Sibbie would have said that Captain Howkins was the handsome one of the pair, but then he had dark good looks and she’d always been drawn to them – look at her Paulo, the most handsome man in the world, and he had very black hair and eyes.

Fair-haired and blue-eyed, William’s features were very precise, making him good-looking rather than handsome. He wasn’t as tall as Captain Howkins, but somehow had an elegance about him.

After the phone call was made, all four jumped in a taxi to Baker Street. The congratulations there were wonderful – a real recognition of the way Sibbie and Marjie had both applied the skills they had learned. A short interview, during which they were spoken to in French and then in German, concluded the proceedings.

‘Well, Captain Howkins, I think you can release these two to their parachute training, and then it will be back to London to await their assignment. Good luck, Officer Roford and Officer Harpinham. First-class work.’

Once outside, arrangements were made for them to be picked up at their hotel – a small, nondescript bed-and-breakfast off Shepherds Bush Road. ‘Just send a taxi – we are known there as two French girls, who were at school here and are trapped in England. We aren’t meant to know anyone, and speak mostly in broken English. They would think it funny if two British captains came to pick us up.’

‘Good thinking, Harpinham. Look, may we become less formal? May I call you Marjella and Sybil?’

‘No, you may not, William! I’m Marjie and Sybil is Sibbie.’

William laughed. ‘In that case, I’m Wills. But David is David, I’m afraid. “Dave” just doesn’t suit him.’

Marjie laughed as she looked up into Wills’s eyes. Sibbie sighed, as she could see heartache ahead for them both.

Sibbie and Marjie had been lucky to find a dress shop on Shepherds Bush Road, and each had found an outfit. Both chose warm woollen costumes, because the weather, now that Christmas was approaching, was icy cold. Sibbie’s was charcoal-grey. It had a pencil skirt and a fitted jacket that fell just below her waist. The collar and lapels were edged with black braiding, and there was a thin leather belt to accentuate the waist. She teamed this with a pink silk blouse and a small black, beret-type hat.