“Nathan went to fetch a blanket and … well, that’s when it happened … when the planes came. The last thing I remember was hearing the planes and seeing Nathan … seeing Nathan …”

Sam began to cry. Lotti stole a sideways look at Ben, saw that he was crying too and felt a lump rise in her throat. Clara was also wiping away tears.

“Go on,” said the Reverend Mother.

“Then I don’t remember … not clearly … it’s just like pictures, like photographs … trees on fire … and a nurse with blood on her face … and a great hole in the ground … and I just … I put my boots back on and then I just … walked away, following the river … I walked for days, and I slept in barns, and sometimes I stole food … clothes … at some point I must have thrown away my dog tag … I didn’t talk to anyone, I just walked and walked, and then when I did need to talk to someone I found I couldn’t … There was a farmer … he kept asking me my name, and I couldn’t remember … It’s so strange …”

“I believe in English it is part of a syndrome called shell shock,” said the Reverend Mother. “It is strange, but also common. What happened next?”

“In the spring I came here, and you were all so kind, and the woods and the river so lovely … I think, now, that it reminded me of home, the Sparrowhawk, the canals … So I stayed.”

Ben could see from the Reverend Mother’s reaction that she thought Sam’s condition quite normal, but he was struggling to understand, and couldn’t help feeling a little hurt. “But you must have recognized the Sparrowhawk?” he asked. “Didn’t you?”

“Yes … no … I don’t know …” Sam looked apologetic. “A little, maybe … I watched her …”

“I saw you,” said Clara. “You frightened me.”

“I’m sorry,” Sam apologized again. Then, looking puzzled, he asked, “How did the Sparrowhawk get here?”

“We drove her from England,” said Lotti.

“But that’s …”

“I know.” Ben grinned. “Nathan would be livid.”

“He would.” A slow smile spread across Sam’s face, a proper one this time, and Ben breathed a sigh of relief.

At last, Sam looked like himself!

“She took a bashing, the Sparrowhawk,” Ben said. “She’s making this rattling sound. We’ll have to check her properly before we take her home.”

“I’ll come down and look with you now,” said Sam. “I can’t wait to see the old girl again.”

“And Sam … Elsie’s had puppies!”

At this, the Reverend Mother smiled and stood up.

“In such a moment, I think puppies may be just the thing,” she said. “If after all the excitement you are hungry, lunch will be served in half an hour in the refectory. We eat simply here, but there is plenty for everyone, and you are welcome to join us.”