She felt, rather than knew, that the car was stopping.

‘Mags, may I hold you? I – I mean as an old friend?’

She slid across the bench seat and went willingly into his arms, touched to see that Jerome too had tears trickling from his eyes. She didn’t register his closeness, as this wasn’t a romantic awareness of each other, just two people who had grown up together and had faced their own hell in wartime.

After a moment Jerome told her the details of how Henry had died. ‘His death affected me so much, and yet death surrounded us every minute of every day. What I can’t come to terms with is the bodies we had to leave where they fell. Thousands of them.’

‘Maybe one day someone will gather their remains and bury them properly. But here we are, seven years later, and there is still so much to rebuild.’

‘Yes. One of the things I learned in medical school was a little-known technique that can match people to family members. It was discovered by a Swiss chap, Johann Friedrich Miescher. I have often thought how wonderful it would be for families to find the body of their sons and be able to lay them to rest. Most just know they are missing, presumed killed in action, which leaves them in limbo somehow.’

Listening to Jerome, Mags thought once more what a caring person he was. ‘Jerome, David – Dr Lange – was right to direct you into medicine. You are the right person, with all the right qualities. Far from giving up being a doctor, you should use the skills you have to treat those who cannot afford medical help.’

‘Yes. You’re right – of course I should, and I will. But come on, old thing, we have a holiday to sort out first.’

With this, he pecked her on the cheek. Something in Mags wanted more than that, but she denied it, helped to do so by Beth stirring and letting out a yell.

‘It’s all right, darling, I’m here.’ However, Beth wasn’t going to be soothed. ‘Oh dear, madam has woken up all grumpy. Are you hungry, darling?’

Beth’s arms were out, her face wet with tears.

‘I’ll get her into the front to sit with you. We should reach the cafe I know of soon – it’s just inside Carlisle. We can get her some hot milk there,’ Jerome suggested.

‘Thank you. I have some rusk, so I’ll soften that in the milk for her.’

Everything about Jerome warmed her heart. Not many young men would dream of having anything to do with the care of a child, even if it was one of their own – all that was women’s work, to them.

‘Come on, little one.’ Beth shied away from him. ‘Oh, I can see a rabbit in the field, come and look.’

Beth stopped crying and looked interested.

‘Yes, a grey one with floppy ears.’ Jerome wiggled his fingers near his ears.