Amelia laughed. “You’re still as unworldly as ever, Jess. You know,” she said to Dan, “on our morning promenades at boarding school, Jess would walk right past a Rothschild but wink at the impoverished pianist from the jazz club.”

Jess interrupted. “What happened to your husband?” she asked, noticing Amelia wasn’t wearing a wedding band.

“He died.” Amelia sniffed dramatically and without any real emotion. “Somewhere in the Mediterranean. Didn’t I write you that?”

“No,” Jess said, both exasperated by Amelia’s usual lack of sentiment and pleased to see a familiar face. “You didn’t. I think I’d remember that.”

Jess saw Dan shifting with impatience in the jeep; he’d moved across to the driver’s side, obviously keen to go. “You take the jeep,” Jess said to him, really wanting to keep to her plans with Dan but knowing she should catch up with Amelia while she had the chance. “I’ll get a ride back with someone later.”

“Why doesn’t Amelia go back with you now to the press camp and you can talk there?” he said. “Drop me at Prinzregentenplatz. I’ll come and get the jeep later. Then I don’t have to worry about who you’re hitching a ride with.”

“How sweet of you,” Amelia said, behaving as if his solicitude was all for her. She opened the door of the front passenger seat, waving her ATS companions off with a cheery, “Bye!”

“Jess is navigating so she needs to sit there,” Dan said to Amelia.

“I’m sure I can navigate,” Amelia protested.

“You know what unexploded ordnance looks like?” he asked.

“I don’t think I want to,” Amelia replied primly as Jess, trying not to smile, hopped in beside Dan, knowing he didn’t need her to navigate through the city streets but glad that he wanted her beside him and not Amelia, despite Amelia’s beauty and silk stockings and clean face.

* * *

“Is he single?” were Amelia’s first words when they arrived at the mess and Jess poured out the schnapps.

Jess could feel her face burning. Amelia looked at her appraisingly.

Lee Carson walked past at that moment and took a seat on the other side of Jess. “How’s your Lieutenant Colonel?” Lee asked Jess, thankfully with teasing rather than malice, which perhaps meant that Warren hadn’t yet told the world about Dan and Jess.

Amelia smirked and held out her hand. “I’m Amelia and I was just asking Jess the same question. Perhaps you’ll be more forthcoming with the details.”

“Lee Carson, and it’s useless asking her anything.” Lee tipped her head at Jess. “She and Lieutenant Colonel Hallworth are the tightest of buddies and they never gossip about each other. Believe me, I’ve tried more than once to prize info out of Jess about the oh so handsome Dan and I’ve tried even harder to prize something out of him but…” She spread her hands out, palms up. “Empty handed, as you can see.”

“Isn’t it your duty to keep our spirits up by sharing what you know?” Amelia said to Jess.