‘You’re getting your knickers in a twist for no reason,’ said Joyce. ‘Felix is across the other side of the country, and he hasn’t a clue you’re questioning your feelings. The way I see it, you’ve got plenty of time to make up your mind.’

Roz rested her hands on the fork. ‘You’re right. What Felix doesn’t know won’t harm him, and as I’m not intending on starting anything with Bernie, I’m not doing anything wrong.’ She began forking the manure into the barrow. ‘I’m just so confused.’

‘Unsurprising with Bernie working his magic,’ Joyce said acerbically. ‘What you need is time to yourself, and I’d wager you’ve not had that since leaving your parents behind.’

Roz felt a pang of guilt. Felix had done nothing but think about her wellbeing since he’d met her, yet here she was putting herself first, which in truth was all she had ever done, or at least that’s how it felt to her. She said as much to Joyce.

‘Better that than being like me,’ said Joyce resolutely. ‘For years I put everyone else first, which only made me miserable.’

‘I wouldn’t say I was living in misery exactly,’ said Roz.

‘But you aren’t happy either,’ argued Joyce. ‘If you want my opinion, you’ll forget about men for a bit and concentrate on yourself. If they don’t understand that, then you have to question whether either of them really loves you.’

Roz nodded. Joyce was right. Bernie was very keen on her, and whether he meant to or not, he was pressuring her into making a decision. If Roz could stand up to the Nazis then she could stand up to Bernie. She would tell him nicely that he needed to back off and give her space. If he really had feelings for her then he would respect her wishes.

CHAPTER SEVEN

May 1941

For most people the May blitz was a frightening time of uncertainty, but for Callum Haggarty it was a golden window of opportunity. And whilst he had been alarmed by the severity of the bombings on that first fateful night, even he hadn’t envisaged the bounty that awaited him. All he had to do was pick which house looked the most enticing, then root through the debris until he came across anything that looked promising, and with no one to stop him the world really was his oyster.