Peggy lay in the profound darkness long after the house had settled, weary to the bone but unable to sleep. It felt a bit strange to have Pauline beside her, who was a restless sleeper, forever turning, shifting, mumbling and stealing the blankets – so very different to Jim, who hardly stirred all night. Peggy closed her eyes, but her whirling thoughts wouldn’t let her relax.

It was clear that Pauline had yet to read her post, for she’d made no mention during supper of her sister, Carol, or Dolly’s revelation about Felix being the girl’s father, and their future plans. No doubt there would be ructions, and coming on top of Brendon’s leaving, Pauline would find it very hard to cope with it all.

Brendon would be leaving within hours for God knew where – Flora and Dora were probably enjoying their freedom somewhere in the hills, and although Ron would be devastated to lose them, it was entirely his fault they’d escaped. As for Rosie, she’d obviously heard about him being in the Crown, and his trying to serenade her had clearly been the last straw.

Peggy didn’t blame her one bit for tipping all that muck over him, but what was Rosie thinking by going for lunch with the Major when she must have known Ron would hear about it? The pair of them were behaving like naughty children, and deserved a good ticking-off. But then perhaps Rosie really had had enough of him, and had set her sights on someone who would no doubt prove more reliable and thoughtful. If that was the case, poor Ron would be bereft, and Peggy dreaded the fall-out. Her longstanding friendship with Rosie didn’t give her the right to interfere, but if things did go pear-shaped, Peggy knew she’d have to try and smooth the rift between them before it all went too far.

As her eyelids fluttered and her limbs became heavy with sleep, Peggy’s thoughts turned as always to her Jim. He would have loved to have taken part in today’s boisterous fun, and would probably have ended up in the compost heap alongside his brother, as had so often happened in the past. Darling Jim, she thought. I so wish you were here.

5

Burma

Jim’s thoughts were far from Cliffehaven as he marched with Big Bert and Ernie in the long column of men and hundreds of heavily laden mules and horses through the teak tree plantation and away from the latest skirmish. The Japanese patrol had been lurking in ambush and now lay dead some miles behind them. Their own casualties had been light, but it had been a salutary lesson to stay alert for further attacks.