‘That’s just it. I don’t know how I feel,’ Tilly said.
‘Well, now’s the time to find out. Get over there and see how he reacts.’
Tilly stood up and walked over to his table. She stood there until they both looked up. His face showed how surprised he was to see her.
‘Tilly, you’re back. Good to see you fit and well. How was it?’ Jonathan asked. ‘Madeleine, this is Tilly Truscott — she’s serving with the Queen Alexandra’s Nursing Corps.’
‘How do you do?’ Madeleine enquired, displaying her irritation that Tilly had spoiled their twosome.
‘I’m well, thank you,’ Tilly replied, trying to remain unflustered.
Madeleine, possibly feeling awkward about the situation, explained that she was due back on the ward and left them. Jonathan invited Tilly to sit down and beamed a huge smile, which told Tilly that he was pleased to see her. She certainly was pleased to see him. She felt that flutter of excitement that reminded her of how they had become attracted to one another in the first place.
‘Are you back for long?’ Jonathan asked.
‘Perhaps a week or so more. I’m waiting to hear from the Corps.’
‘That’s great. Can we meet up for a drink before you go?’ Jonathan asked.
So, she had been jumping to conclusions, she thought. It might be that Madeleine was more interested in him than he was in her.
‘That would be wonderful,’ she replied. ‘Where and when?’
‘Let’s make it tomorrow. The White Hart? I’m off duty at six p.m. Meet you there at seven?’
‘I’m not sure of the buses at that time of night, with the black out,’ Tilly replied.
‘Of course,’ Jonathan said. ‘Let’s think again. It’s the weekend coming up. I’m off on Saturday. Let’s meet up then. I’ll take you for a ride in the countryside. We’ll have lunch in a country pub somewhere.’
‘That sounds good,’ Tilly said.
‘I’ll pick you up at eleven a.m., then,’ Jonathan said. ‘Where shall I find you?’
Tilly thought quickly. She didn’t want Amelia to start cautioning her about wartime romances and thought it best if they didn’t know about Jonathan. Would Fliss help her out?
‘I’ll be in Ryde at the weekend. I’ll meet you on the pier at eleven,’ she replied.
She returned to Fliss and began telling her about her arrangement with Jonathan.
‘The only problem is, if Jonathan wants to spend the rest of the day with me, I don’t want to have to get him to take me home and to explain it all to Amelia. Could I stay with you, Fliss? Do you think your parents would mind? Then I could tell Amelia not to expect me home and stay with him as long as we both wanted.’
‘Be very careful, Tilly. Don’t get yourself into something that might not last the duration of the war. You intend to go back, don’t you?’
‘Yes, but that’s precisely why I want to make the most of the fun that I can have now,’ Tilly replied.
‘That all sounds very dangerous to me. Be very careful. Don’t get yourself into a situation you might regret,’ Fliss cautioned.
‘I won’t. Thank you, Fliss. I’ll repay you someday,’ Tilly said.
* * *
Fliss met Jonathan as arranged and he took her on a tour of the east side of the island. They drove to Shanklin Chine and walked down the ravine. The trees, burgeoning with their spring foliage, arched over them, and the light flickering between the branches cast shadows beneath their feet. The river gushed and gurgled over waterfalls, and dippers darted over the stones that forced the fast-flowing river to circuit around them, creating eddies and pools and carving away the banking along the edge. Jonathan held Tilly’s arm to steady her on the slippery footpath and they came very close to each other when she lost her footing at one point. He held on to her round her waist.
‘Steady there. We can’t send you back to France with a broken ankle,’ he said.
Their lips brushed against each other’s and Jonathan pulled her closer to him, pressing his body against hers. Her heart missed a beat and she felt as if she was going to melt in his arms.All the warnings Fliss had given her dissolved into the moisture-filled air.
‘I’ve missed you, Tilly,’ he said.
