It was the day they’d all been waiting for. Germany had finally surrendered and it was official: the Allies had won the war. Kitty sang to herself as she surveyed her kitchen, the dull ache that still plagued her arm and ribs all but forgotten. She was going to celebrate, along with everyone else in Empire Street, and with however many friends and family came to join them. Her job now was to make a cake to suit the occasion, with no notice and no chance to pool rations as they were unprepared for the event. Still, this was what she was good at.

She’d spent the morning in the city centre, which was abuzz with the news. Wireless broadcasts had brought the joyful confirmation that the fighting in Europe was over, and Kitty wasn’t the only person keen to buy flags to hang in celebration. She’d had to queue to get any, but everyone was so good-natured that she hadn’t minded.

Now Tommy was outside with the ladder, insisting that he didn’t need her help and he wouldn’t fall. She knew she had to let him get on with it. He’d always be her little brother, but he was taller than her now, and to be fair she was in no state to stretch up and tie flags to the guttering at the front of the house. She was almost better, but that would be taking things too far. Tommy had proved himself by helping to rescue Georgie, and she had to accept he was well on his way to becoming a man – a sensible and responsible one too.

‘Need any help?’ asked Frank, coming in through the open back door. ‘Don’t you go lifting anything heavy, Kitty.’ He set down a wooden box on the table. ‘Can you make use of any of this?’

Kitty stared at the contents of the box in delighted astonishment. ‘Where did you get this? Eggs and butter – that’s exactly what I need, but they’re as rare as hen’s teeth.’

‘Seth and Joan have just arrived, bringing Michael and Megan to join in the fun,’ he said, stepping behind her and giving her a warm hug. ‘They rightly guessed that we’d all be gathering for a party.’

Kitty relaxed and leant against him for a delicious moment. ‘Let me guess, Dolly has sent them down to the victory garden to get them out of the way.’

Frank laughed and breathed in the beloved scent of her, all the more precious because for a minute or two back in March he had feared he’d never be able to savour this closeness; that Kitty would remain forever trapped under the rubble of the bomb site. He shut his eyes and enjoyed the moment, then he released her. ‘Of course. Nancy’s taken them.’