After the two women had exchanged hellos, Celia chattered happily away to Roz. ‘We’ve heard ever so much about you, dear, our Felix thinks the world of you. I’m so glad you could make it.’

Her blush deepening, Roz felt as though she were positively glowing.

‘Oh, I can see I’ve embarrassed you.’ Celia waved a dismissive hand. ‘Let’s get you a nice cold drink to cool them cheeks of yours down.’

Smiling shyly, Roz asked for a lemonade, and after taking a sip, she decided to steer the conversation away from herself to her host.

‘You seem to know a lot about me, yet I don’t know much about you, save that the food here is excellent according to Felix.’

It was now her host’s turn to glow, as she waved a tea towel at Felix. ‘He likes his grub and no mistake, although I’m not sure that it could be described as excellent …’

‘Nonsense,’ said Felix, pushing the required amount of money into the landlady’s outstretched palm. ‘You serve the best lamb hotpot I’ve ever had.’

With Celia giggling like a schoolgirl, it occurred to Roz that Felix had the same effect on this woman as Bernie did on the housewives in Liverpool. She tilted her head to one side, as the landlady went off to fetch the key to Roz’s room. ‘You’ve turned into a real charmer, Felix Ackerman.’

He took a sip of his beer, then wiped the froth from his top lip. ‘I’ve always been charming,’ he said, a cheeky grin playing on his lips.

‘That’s true.’ She took another sip of her lemonade. ‘Do you hear much from Bill and Alan?’

He nodded. ‘Heaps. They’re having a rough old time of it down the docks, but they keep on going.’ He nudged her foot playfully with the toe of his boot. ‘What about this Bernie you told me about? I’ve not heard you mention him much recently?’

Roz could have dropped on the spot. The last thing she had expected was for Felix to mention Bernie. Did he know? Pretending to make light of his question, she looked down as she nudged him back. ‘Nothing to tell, that’s why I’ve not mentioned him.’ She assured herself this was sort of true. ‘Why do you ask?’

He shrugged. ‘Only natural, I suppose. You’re a very attractive young lady, any man with eyes in his head can see that …’ He stopped short as the landlady reappeared, holding out a key, which Roz took, grateful for the interruption.

‘You’re in room two, luvvy,’ she pointed to the door on the far side of the bar, ‘go through there and it’s the second on your left.’