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‘I met Ian, my husband, at a tea-dance,’ said Avice, in an atte ladies’ reception committee, and he was the second man I offered a cup of tea to’

‘Was that all you offered hiht have known ‘From what I’ve heard I don’t suppose everyone’s idea of hospitality is quite the same as yours,’ she retorted She reme conspicuously at her ankles – of which she was rather proud

Petty Officer Ian Stewart Radley At twenty-six, a whole five years older than her, which Avice considered just right, tall and straight-backed with eyes the colour of the sea, a gentlemanly British accent and broad, soft hands that had made her tremble the first ti a shortbread finger He had asked her to dance – even though no one else was on the floor – and with hiht it mean-spirited to refuse What was a quickstep or a Gay Gordons when he was looking death in the face?

Less than four months later they were ister office Her father had been suspicious, had made her mother quiz her – in a discreet woman-to-woman way, of course – as to whether there was any reason for such a hasty e other than Ian’s imminent departure Ian had told her father, rather honourably, she thought, that he was happy to wait, if that hat Avice’s parents wanted, that he would do nothing to upset them, but she had been deter, foreshortened the natural tis And she had known, from that first cup of tea, there was no one else in the world she could envisageherabout hi her hands

‘He’s perfect’

‘You know that’s not what I mean’

‘What do you need to know? He’s been out there holding the Brisbane line, hasn’t he? Doesn’t protecting our country, putting his own life at risk twelve thousand miles from his home to save us from the Japs, make him worthy of my hand?’

‘No need to be iven in, of course They always did Her sister Deanna had been furious

‘My Johnnie was billeted with eous I sneaked into his rooht he was there and that was that’

‘Best to get in early,’ said another, to raucous laughter ‘Stake your claim’

‘Especially if Jean’s around’

Even Jean found that funny

‘Noants to practiseone of these lovely necklaces?’ Mrs Proffit held up an uneven-looking chain of aluminium coils ‘I’ in Europe’

‘Next week it’ll be how tocloaks from horse blankets’

‘I heard that, Edwina’ Mrs Proffit placed the necklace carefully on the table

‘Sorry, Mrs P, but ifone of those he wouldn’t knohether to kiss ’

There was an explosion of laughter, an outburst of barely suppressed hysteria

Mrs Proffit sighed and laid down her craftwork Really! It was only to be expected, as eirls could be so wearying

‘So, when are you out?’

Jean’s host fairls had ended up walking back together, dawdling Despite the air of mutual dislike between them, they were reluctant to sit alone in their roo

‘Avice? When are your orders for?’

Avice wondered whether to answer truthfully She was pretty sure that Jean – iirl she would normally want to associate with, especially if what had been said about her condition was true But neither was Avice a girl used to self-restraint, and the effort involved in keeping quiet for an entire afternoon about her own plans had been a strain ‘Same as you Three weeks What’s she called? The Victoria?’

‘It’s a bugger, isn’t it?’ Jean lit a cigarette, cupping her hands against the sea breeze As an afterthought, she offered one to Avice

Avice wrinkled her nose and declined ‘What did you say?’

‘It’s a bugger They get the bloody Queen Mary and we get the old tin can’

A car drove past slowly, and two servicerinned at thearette, as the car disappeared round the corner

Avice stood in front of her ‘I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you mean’

‘Didn’t you hear Mrs Proffit? The one who’s hed humourlessly ‘I don’t think it’s quite hair salons and first-class cabins for you and irl Our Victoria is a bloody aircraft-carrier’

Avice stared at the girl for a minute, then smiled It was the kind of smile she reserved at ho particularly stupid ‘I think you must be mistaken, Jean Ladies don’t travel on aircraft-carriers’ She pursed her lips, as smoke trickled her way ‘Besides, there’d be nowhere to put us all’

‘You really don’t know anything, do you?’

Avice fought back irritation at being addressed in this er than herself

‘They’ve run out of decent transport They’re going to stick us on anything to get us over there I reckon they figure whoever really wants to go will put up hatever they throw our way’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Even old Mrs P see ladies arriving in England wearing overalls and covered with fuel Not quite the impression she wants for Australia’s finest’

‘An aircraft-carrier?’ Avice felt a little wobbly She reached for a nearby wall and sat down

Jean seated herself comfortably beside her ‘That’s what she is I never bothered to check the name of it I just assumedOh, well, they’ll have modified it a bit, I should think’

‘But where e sleep?’

‘Dunno On the deck with the planes?’

Avice’s eyes widened

‘Strewth, Avice, you’re even ht’ Jean cackled, stubbed out her cigarette, stood up and began to walk on