Strolling arm in arm back to the Scottie, Felix wondered just how long he could keep up the pretence that he only saw Roz as a very dear friend. He knew that she had seen through him, and so would others. He drew a deep breath. If he wanted the best for Roz, which he did, he would keep up the pretence for as long as necessary, because even if he couldn’t express his love for her, this was the next best thing and he wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardise that.

CHAPTER FIVE

July 1940

Roz sat on the steps to the flat above the ironmonger’s, tears seeping between her lids. How could it have all gone so wrong at the last minute? They had started the day in celebration of Felix turning eighteen. Roz had made an eggless sponge cake as her gift which, despite her reservations, had turned out well. She had gone off to work with a spring in her step, knowing that when she returned she would be moving into her new home with Felix. Or at least that had been the plan. In reality it had been very different. She thought now that she should have realised it wasn’t going to be a good day when Mabel’s mother had come to say that Mabel wouldn’t be able to work as she was laid up with a tummy bug.

It was later that same morning and Roz had been on her tea break, telling the girls what she intended to make for their first supper at the flat, when Robin, Mabel’s oldest brother, had come tearing into the laundry shouting for Roz. Fearing that Mabel had taken a turn for the worse, she had run over and asked for an explanation. Taking her by the hand he had uttered the words ‘Felix has been arrested’ before turning and running full tilt down to the docks.

As she ran behind him, a hundred questions raced through Roz’s mind. What on earth had Felix done that could have caused him to be arrested? Or was this Callum’s idea of revenge? Perhaps they really had found a body! She quickly dismissed this, because Callum wasn’t the sort of man to go to the police – he’d far rather use his fists.

All became clear when she arrived at the quayside to see Felix sitting on his suitcase, alongside a few other men. As she approached, he stood up to greet her.

Tears trickling down her cheeks, she looked from Felix to the other men, then to a group of British soldiers who stood close by.

‘What’s happened? Robin said you’d been arrested, but I don’t see any handcuffs or police?’

Felix gave her a sad smile. ‘Not arrested in the sense you think.’ He sighed heavily. ‘I’m eighteen, Roz, so the British government have decided to intern me as an enemy alien.’