Felix spoke quietly to the soldier over the top of Roz’s head. ‘Just give me a minute, mate, you can see the lady’s upset.’

Rather than risk Roz making more of a scene than she already had, the soldier nodded abruptly. ‘You’ve got one minute, but that’s all.’

Still holding him in a tight embrace, Roz looked up into Felix’s face. ‘Please don’t go,’ she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Pushing her hair back from her tear-stained face, Felix kissed her forehead. ‘I’ll be back before you know it.’ His eyes shone down at her with the same warmth as they had when they first met. ‘You know I wouldn’t leave you if I had a choice.’

Realising that she was making things worse, Roz put on a brave face. Leaning back, she tried her best to smile, and was pleasantly surprised when Felix took her in his arms and kissed her full on the mouth.

If anyone asked Roz where she would have wanted her first kiss to be, the answer would not have been on a busy quayside, but right now, it was exactly where she wanted it to be. With silent tears falling down her cheeks, she felt herself melt into his embrace. Kissing him back, she noticed the familiar scent of his aftershave.

As they continued to kiss, the soldier cleared his throat before stepping forward. ‘Righto, mate, we really do have to go.’

Felix reluctantly broke away from Roz. ‘One more minute, please.’ Without waiting for the soldier to respond, he turned back to Roz, his eyes twinkling as they locked with hers, and he said the words that Roz realised she had been longing to hear.

‘Roz Sachs, will you be my one and only?’

Beaming through the tears, Roz nodded fervently. ‘Of course I will.’

Shaking the soldier off his arm, he took Roz in his arms and kissed her for the final time, although this time the kiss was deeper and longer than the first. As he broke away, his lips brushed her cheek and he whispered, ‘I love you, Rozalin Sachs, and I don’t give two hoots what the neighbours think.’

Roz managed to get the words ‘I love you too’ out, as the soldier took hold of Felix, slightly more roughly than he had the first time, but before he could lead him away, Felix thrust his hand into his pocket and pulled out an object which he handed to Roz.

‘You can wear it now you no longer live in Crooked Lane.’

Roz took the necklace in her fingers and kissed the star. Watching the soldiers lead him up the gangplank, she called after him, ‘I’ll be right here waiting for you, Felix Ackerman.’

Just before he was led from view Felix managed to turn his head and smile. ‘I know you will, my little bubala.’