Now she sat on the almost empty bus as it slowly drove back to Bootle and knew that the dream was over. Damn Gary for his good looks and charming ways. He was no better than the rest of them. Gloria had been right – he had been too good to be true, but Nancy had been so dazzled by him she hadn’t been able to see it. How she longed for her best friend at a time like this. Gloria was away with ENSA, though, and not due to return to England any time soon, much less come to Merseyside. Nancy was back on her own.

Wearily she dragged herself off the bus when it reached her stop, the cold wind chilling her through her best clothes, worn for glamour and not to keep out the weather. She sucked in her cheeks in order not to give in to the mounting need to sob out loud. She wouldn’t. He wasn’t worth it. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. He certainly wouldn’t be crying, setting off with his men, leading them back to the final and decisive fight that he was sure was just over the horizon. He’d be laughing, thinking about going back to his accommodating wife at home. A fat lot of use he’d turned out to be.

Nancy thought this was just about as low as she’d ever felt, that life couldn’t throw anything more at her to make things worse. Then she rounded the corner into Empire Street and saw the gathering of people outside her parents’ front door, and two policemen.

‘Do you think you can sleep now?’ Laura asked anxiously as Kitty propped herself against the dark oak headboard. Her arm had been strapped and put in a sling, and she’d been told not to lie down fully as her ribs were bruised. The spare room at the admiral’s flat was the most luxurious she’d ever seen, with its plush furnishings and little touches of comfort, added to by Laura. A glass of water and some tablets were left on the bedside table in case she felt pain on waking.

‘Yes, I’ll be all right.’ Kitty was beginning to feel guilty at all the attention she was getting, even though she told herself not to be stupid. ‘What about you? Where will you go?’

‘I’ve got the admiral’s room – no, he’s not going to be in there,’ Laura said hurriedly. ‘He rang his housekeeper and had her make up the bed for me.’

‘So what about Frank?’ Kitty fretted, unable to accept he might have drawn the short straw after all he’d just been through.

‘He’ll take the sofa. No, don’t worry, it’s a very big and comfortable sofa,’ Laura assured her. ‘He wants to come in to see you now you’re settled. Is that all right?’