‘I know a bit of northern lass comes out in me sometimes, when Mum isn’t listening.’

They were quiet for a moment, each thinking of loved ones.

This flat they had been brought to was the kind of place young people rented: shabby and yet functional. The leather sofa, with its high rounded arms, had seen better days, and so had the rug in front of the gas fire. There was very little else in the room; just a small table under the window, with a wireless on it. Victor Sylvester’s ‘You’re Dancing on My Heart’ was playing, but, like the whole country, Sibbie and Marjie were waiting for the music to stop and for the news to broadcast. The BBC’s bulletins had become the only link to know what was happening wherever loved ones were serving abroad.

Sibbie so wanted to hear that the nurses of the Alexandra Military Hospital in Singapore were safe. As it was, she was worried sick about Billy and knew Aunt Betsy must be, too, as the news coming out of Malaya wasn’t good.

These thoughts spurred her on. ‘You know, Marjie, although I am desperate to see Paulo and hope that we go to France, more than anything I want to help to bring this war to a successful end. I want to make this a safe world once more.’

‘Will it ever be that, Sibbie? Our mothers and fathers fought such a war, and yet here we are, once again in a very unsafe world.’

‘I don’t know what my mum did, as she never talks about it, but my father didn’t fight; he wormed his way out of it all. But your mum and Aunt Ella, and Aunt Mags, did all they could, as did Uncle Cyrus and Uncle Jerome, and the man I loved as a father – Montel. And yes, you’re right, all it did was give twenty years of peace, and here we are again. Oh, I hope it isn’t too long before we hear about our assignment. I’m eager, but the longer we have to wait, the more I’m frightened that the scared part of me will take over and I won’t be able to do it.’

Marjie’s voice had a tremor as she said, ‘Me too. But we will, won’t we, Sibbie?’

With her plate now empty, Sibbie leaned forward and put it on the small occasional table in front of them, then took Marjie’s plate from her, before putting her arm around her, feeling sorry now that she’d unnerved her friend.