That night, the three of us opened the last of the wine Bunny had brought back with him from France. We lay shoulder to shoulder on the mat in front of the fire, gazing up at the ceiling. We were drunk, and the dark that pressed against the windows seemed to offer protection. Staring up into the shadows, Bunny conjured fields of ripening corn, orchards laden with fruit. Duncan added prolifically laying hens and flocks of well-fed sheep, while I, in turn, created sackfuls of vegetables from the garden, bunches of drying herbs, pots of preserves. Together we fashioned paradise, bodies interlaced, until the war became no more than a distant inferno, an insane conflagration that would flare and burn and eventually fade.

The next morning I got up early, leaving Duncan and Bunny asleep. I dressed quickly and packed my bag with half a loaf of bread, two apples, and some of the remains of the cheese from our feast the night before. It was still dark as I took my bicycle from the outhouse and wheeled it over the grass to the lane. I thought about our closeness as we lay before the fire, our shared resolution to survive. I felt the power come back into my limbs as I pedaled down the lane. The cool air revived me, gave me a steeliness of purpose. I knew what I had to do. To satisfy the tribunal, Duncan and Bunny could not act as their own employers. I had to find them work.

At the station, I bought a ticket and waited on the platform for the train. I tried to recall my brief introduction to Mr. Hecks at Lewes market. When the train came I lifted my bicycle into the guard’s van and made my way to the second-class seating. I was determined to plead our case. It had to be done in person; a letter would not do so well.

I took a deep breath as I stopped my bicycle at the farmyard gate and dismounted. I rested it against the low stone wall and walked toward the house. The front door was slightly ajar. I rang the bell and a maid in a dirty apron appeared. I quickly explained why I had come. Without saying a word, the maid pointed toward an adjacent barn. I hurried toward it. Though it was only dimly lit inside, Mr. Hecks remembered me from our meeting. Yes, he replied in answer to my eager questions, he would be glad of two extra pairs of hands and promised to give Duncan and Bunny work. All I had to do now was find us a house.