‘Now, Miss Motts, you understand this is a top secret establishment and we have to be extremely careful about who we employ?’

She nodded helplessly. How would she ever explain to Ma and Pa why she’d been rejected?

‘It says here that you were discovered spying on the Manor and were questioned and cautioned by our head of security? Is that true?’

For a moment, Kath considered reprising her birdwatching story, but decided to be honest. ‘It was a stupid thing to do,’ she began. ‘I’ve lived on the other side of the river all my life and when they started building masts and putting up fences and barbed wire, and everything was so hush-hush, I was desperate to find out what was going on over here. I was in the woods looking at the Manor through binoculars when they found me. I pretended I was birdwatching, but they didn’t buy it.’

Mr Brunetti’s smile returned as he picked up the yellow paper once more and began to read from it out loud: ‘We concluded that Miss Motts was just a naive local girl whose curiosity got the better of her, and sent her away with a flea in her ear.’

Her whole body seemed to burn with the shame of it. ‘But if they didn’t think I was any threat, why did you . . .?’

‘I just wanted to reassure myself, Miss Motts. To check whether you would be honest with me. You passed the test.’ He crumpled up the piece of paper and aimed it towards an overflowing waste-paper basket in the corner of the room. It missed. ‘So now I sincerely hope you will take up my offer of a post.’

Kath sighed with relief. At least she wouldn’t have to confess anything to Ma. The job was dull and without tips the money was worse than she had been getting at the cafe, but for the moment she had no other choice. The official secrets document he made her read was terrifying – the penalty for breaking the rules was arrest, or even imprisonment – but she took a deep breath and signed it anyway.

Ma was delighted with her news, and offered to stump up the money for waterproofs and rubber boots so Kath didn’t get soaked on the ferry. She soon acclimatised to the rigours of the journey and even began to enjoy it, especially when the milder weather arrived. ‘Blows the cobwebs away,’ Ma said, and she was right.

Joan said she was mad. ‘Going on that boat in all weathers, just to get to work? And slaving away as a kitchen maid,’ she said scornfully. ‘You’re worth more than that.’ Kath tended to agree, but for the moment there was little alternative, and she’d promised herself to save for a new summer frock and sandals when the weather improved.

She liked getting to know the ‘customers’. The clientele of the Alex had been mostly tourists whom you rarely saw more than once. At the Manor they served the same people every day and although any kind of socialising was strictly discouraged, they would exchange a smile or a few friendly words. She grew to know their preferences; Mac – who also went by the name of Vic – didn’t eat any meat or fish, Johnnie was especially fond of ham and bacon, the smiley ‘big boss’ Mr Watson-Watt liked his portions on the generous side, and serious Dr Rowe never ate desserts, preferring cheese and biscuits.