In the midday break he got talking to some of the other clerks and soon found himself something of a celebrity when they heard he had been on board the Shenandoah. He got on particularly well with a young man some four or five years his senior. He was called Jack Watts and he had a cheerful manner and a lively sense of humour that made up to some extent for the dour influence of Leonard Lloyd.

* * *

Next day, being Wednesday, May had her usual date with Armando and as always he walked her back to Nan’s afterwards. She had told him not to kiss her goodbye there, in case Nan saw, and it was just as well. She waved him goodbye and turned back to find Gus watching her from the doorway.

‘Who was that?’ he demanded.

‘Just a friend. His name is Armando.’

‘An Italian?’

‘Yes. He works in terrazzo, with his father. You remember I showed you the floor in St George’s? His father helped to lay that.’

‘So what does he want with you?’

‘We’re … friends. I’ve been to his uncle’s shop to eat ice cream.’

‘Huh!’ Gus turned away.

She caught his arm. ‘Gus, you mustn’t be jealous. I’ve been all alone most of my life, since we left the workhouse anyway. We both need to have friends.’

He looked back at her and his face softened. ‘Yes, I know. But you need to be careful going around with men. You don’t want to lose your reputation.’

She gazed at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. ‘You sound just like Mrs Wilkins, the horrible old cook I used to work for. She was always accusing me of having “followers”.’ Then she added more soberly, ‘Don’t worry. I do know what you mean. I’ll be careful.’

Then she remembered that she had another assignation on Sunday and sobered up. Should she tell James about Armando? She decided not to.

She was uneasy, too, about telling Gus about it, bearing in mind his reaction to his first encounter with Armando; and she felt rather guilty about leaving him to his own devices on the only afternoon they both had off. He solved both problems by informing her on the Friday evening that he had been invited to play football with Jack Watts and some other friends on Sunday.

‘You don’t know how to play football,’ she said.

‘Anyone can kick a ball about,’ he responded airily.