again. What if they all rejected her? What if Jack walked away and her friends disowned her? These relationships had been the most important of her life. She didn’t want to jeopardize anything. But as this war was building strength within her, her secret was starting to hollow her out from the inside.
On 14 February there was a knock on the door, and when she opened it, Jack was standing on the doorstep, smiling. She shrieked with surprise; she had her head wrapped in a towel, having just finished washing her hair, and she wasn’t wearing any make-up. She was on duty in the afternoon and she’d thought that he’d been called in that morning.
‘What are you doing here? I thought you were flying.’
‘Happy Valentine’s Day! I’ve got three hours off,’ he said with a smile, ‘so I stole my friend’s car. I thought I would take my fiancée out for a picnic.’
She grimaced. ‘Where are we going to go? It’s freezing.’
‘Where’s your sense of adventure? Put on something warm. I’m sick of being inside. I want to get out, and I’ve got a surprise for you.’
‘What about my hair?’
‘It will dry on the way.’
She shook her head with dismay. Pulling on a sweater and her coat, she followed him out to the car.
‘Where did you get this?’ she asked.
‘I’m helping out. Someone was needed to run a couple of errands in town, and I offered my services as long as I could get a couple of hours off afterwards.’
Opening the door for her, he helped her in and got into the car and turned the key.
Lizzie looked round – behind her was a picnic basket and a large wrapped box. ‘What’s that?’ she asked.
‘It’s your surprise.’
‘Is it a surprise I’ll like?’ she enquired.
‘I think you’ll like it,’ he said, laughing as they drove off.
Arriving at Brockwell Park he parked the car, and rubbing a circle to look through the icy window, Lizzie noted how strange it looked. The vast metal gates and all of the railings that had marked its boundaries had been pulled up and were being melted down for the war effort. The park felt exposed, open, but crisp and beautiful in the winter morning’s light.
Stepping out of the car she shivered not just with the cold from her damp hair but also the exhilaration of this stolen moment with Jack. Making their way along the path – where many of the flowerbeds were now filled with vegetables, becoming victory gardens – they headed for one of the ponds at the far end of the park. Even from a distance she could see that gliding silently on the water, undeterred by the cold, was a flock of swans. They moved with such peace and grace, only occasionally disturbing the icy stillness and sending gentle ripples across the surface as they plunged their heads into the water to search for their food.
Entwining her frozen fingers into his own, she stole sideways glances at him as he carried the box under one arm and she brought the picnic basket. He was so handsome in his blue air-force uniform, his dark hair cut short under his cap, his strong chin and kind blue eyes always so attentive whenever they met hers.
Arriving at the pond, he pulled her towards him and slipped his arms around her waist.
Brushing her cheek with a kiss he whispered into her hair, ‘I don’t know how I got to be so lucky, Lizzie Mackenzie. And the only thing I can thank Hitler for is that he brought you all the way from Scotland so we could meet. I’m never going to stop counting my blessings whenever I look at you. I can’t believe you’re going to be my wife.’
He drew her in for a gentle kiss on the lips, and she felt a shiver down her spine. Every time he kissed her now, she was starting to feel rippling emotions surging through her body that wanted more than was possible at this time. She guessed he felt the same way because quickly, before the electricity between them became too hard to bear, he pulled away from her and held her hands.
She shivered again.
‘I hope that wasn’t you grimacing because I kissed you,’ he joked with her.
She shook her head numbly. ‘That was me freezing!’ she informed him, her teeth chattering.
He drew her in close again, and she slid her arms under his jacket and around his waist.
‘All part of my evil plan to make sure I