I clutched his arm. ‘Please tell me he survived, and he and Elsie lived happily ever after.’
‘I didn’t have you down as the romantic type.’ Finn looked amused.
‘Normally I’m not but Elsie’s got me hooked.’ I grinned. ‘And, if we can work out who the mystery man is, then perhaps he’ll help me find Elsie. It would be so perfect to find her.’
‘Wouldn’t it just?’
He turned to me and we looked at each other for a second. I felt something fizz between us and resisted the temptation to reach up and brush his hair back from his face. Then he grinned and my stomach flipped over. Oh dear, I had it bad for my professor.
‘Come on then,’ he said.
‘Where?’
‘I thought you wanted my help with your mural?’
Only a tiny bit disappointed that he’d not meant to whisk me away for a romantic date, I got up from the table. ‘The scaffolding is meant to be arriving tomorrow, but they keep changing the days so I’m not holding my breath,’ I said, as we walked down the corridor.
‘How are you going to paint it?’ Finn said. ‘It’s so big and high up.’
‘I’ll show you.’ I led him into the staffroom where I had my large folder stashed alongside the lockers. ‘Look.’
I took out my final version of the mural. ‘This is my design.’ I smoothed it out on the table and stepped back so I could see it properly.
‘Talk me through it.’
I glanced at him. ‘You’re such a teacher,’ I teased. ‘I remember my lecturers at college saying that.’
‘It’s just good to hear it in your own words.’
I smiled. ‘So obviously the frame around the edge is made up of the tall trees. Then in the background is the outline of the hospital itself. Over here I’ve got silhouettes of soldiers …’ Ipaused. ‘But actually I might change that now, tweak it so they’re more like airmen. There are planes overhead and a searchlight, showing the Blitz. And then all around the bottom, I’m going to pull out quotes from the book. I’ve been keeping a list of my favourite bits.’
‘Do you have enough to choose from?’
‘So many. Some funny bits, some sad, some inspiring.’
‘It sounds wonderful.’ Finn stared at the picture, rubbing his nose. ‘I have a question.’
‘Go on.’
‘How do you get it from here on to the massive wall?’
‘I’ll draw squares on the picture, and then on the wall, and just copy each square. It’s easier than doing it all in one. I’ll do the outline first then fill it in. That’s when I think I’ll need the most help.’
‘So you don’t need me right now?’ Finn sounded disappointed.
‘Not really,’ I admitted. ‘But thanks for offering.’
‘I am very keen to help,’ he said. ‘Honestly.’
‘I know.’
Finn fixed his gaze on the picture on the table. ‘I like spending time with you.’
‘I like that too,’ I said as, much to my annoyance, the door to the staffroom opened and Franklin came in.
‘Dunno what you’ve done to that lot, Stevie, but they’re all totally overexcited. Took me half an hour to get them all in the right place for the talk from the local history chap.’
‘There’s a local history chap?’ I said. ‘What local history chap?’
