‘No need for thanks,’ said Knowles briskly, ‘I can’t recommend you if I think you will fall apart every time you walk down a certain street with memories. Not that I believe for a moment that you would. So I had to ask.’ She picked up a pen and glanced at a piece of paper to one side of her desk. ‘Right, well, you don’t have to make up your mind straight away. It’s more important we get the right person for this position than rushing it, but I need you to give me your answer by tomorrow. This is not exactly routine procedure, I’m sure you realise, but I didn’t want to order you to take up the posting without giving you a chance to take on board what it means. Not a word to anyone else, obviously.’

‘No, obviously not,’ said Kitty. She rose. ‘I’m … honoured you think me capable of this, ma’am. I’ll have my answer for you tomorrow, if not sooner.’

‘Excellent, Kitty.’ Knowles rose too, and ushered her to the door.

Kitty stood in the cold little corridor, painted the same dull institutional green as the room where she usually worked, her head reeling. Back to Liverpool. How would that feel?

She could see Rita and the new baby. She might be back in time for the christening. That would be wonderful. She would see Danny, and they could work out what would be best for Tommy – his most recent letter had worried her, and she knew they would have to decide about that soon. If they were both in the same place it would be so much easier. She’d see all the other friends and neighbours, whom she’d missed with a dull ache that she rarely allowed herself to think about. She would be back in a big city, with all that had to offer, away from those aspects of country life that she knew she should relish, but which had in fact been testing her patience ever since she’d arrived.

She drew a breath. She had been chosen for this honour, and she knew she had to accept. It was what she’d sworn to do after Elliott died – to go where she was needed, where her patriotic duty lay. This alone would be enough to say yes. He would have done whatever was asked of him and it was now up to her to carry on in his wake.

Excitement and dread battled within her. She would see Frank Feeny; there would be no way of avoiding him. Frank Feeny with Sylvia. Every time she’d gone home she had wondered if she would meet his new girlfriend, but even though she’d seen him very occasionally, he’d always been on his own. She didn’t know how she’d feel about seeing them as a couple, forced to face the reality that he loved someone else.