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Bill Fenton nodded. ‘I believe that is correct, but as yet we have been unable to verify her story.’ He smiled grimly. ‘We’re fully aware of the sort of cover stories
agents use.’ He shrugged. ‘Our own Special Operations Executive was very creative in the tales they dreamed up.’

Archie and Edie dared not look at each other. Beth, they were both thinking. Is that what our Beth’s been doing?

‘Do you know if she had a job?’ Bill asked.

‘She told us she was writing articles for the
Telegraph
.’ Edie glanced at Archie. ‘We know she used to hang around the docks. I warned her about it’ – Edie
waved her hand vaguely – ‘you know what folks might have thought about her, but never this. It never entered my head.’ Of the two of them, Edie at least could speak the truth
here. She’d never thought to question what the girl had told them. She was too trusting by half, she told herself angrily. To think she’d let Shirley go about with someone who was a
spy. For the first time, Edie was thankful that Shirley had gone away from home and at least put some distance between herself and Ursula.

‘Ah yes, the newspaper. It was the editor who first alerted us,’ the sergeant said. ‘Someone asked him why he was employing a girl with a foreign-sounding accent, which, as it
turns out, he wasn’t. He’d never heard of anyone called Ursula and he’d certainly never employed her – not even as a freelance. So – he got in touch with
us.’

There was a slight pause whilst Bill wrote some notes in his book.

Archie cleared his throat. ‘What will – um – happen to her?’

‘They won’t execute her, will they?’ Edie couldn’t stop the question.

‘I shouldn’t think so for a moment,’ the sergeant answered. ‘We’ve still got agents over there who haven’t come home yet. Maybe some sort of exchange will be
arranged. I really don’t know. But first, we want to find out – if we can – just what sort of information she gave away to the enemy, though I suppose,’ he sighed again,
‘it’s all a bit futile now. Anyway, we would like to speak to your daughter – just a formality, like. Ask her to come to the station in town, will you?’

‘I wouldn’t like to think they’d hurt her,’ Edie murmured. ‘I know she might have worked for our enemy and maybe she’ll have to face some sort of
imprisonment, but – but’ – her head dropped – ‘it was war. She was only serving her own country, wasn’t she? Like – like . . .’ Now her voice faded
and she turned away lest the two men should see the tears in her eyes. Oh Beth, Beth, is this what you’ve been doing? And have you been caught like Ursula? Are you languishing in some filthy
jail somewhere or – or has a worse fate befallen you?

When Shirley breezed in from her shopping expedition, gleeful at the range of goods that could now once more be found in the shops, though there were some things that were
still in short supply, Edie said, ‘Sit down, love, I’ve got a bit of news and I don’t think you’re going to like it.’

As she recounted all that had happened that morning, Shirley’s mouth fell open. ‘Oh Mam,’ she said at last. ‘I’ve been such a fool, so gullible. I never
thought—’

‘Neither did I, love, so don’t blame yourself.’

‘Oh heck, d’you think I’ll be in trouble for consorting with – with a spy? I mean, we’re always being told to watch out what we say and to whom we say it.
We’re not even supposed to tell our families much. Oh Mam . . .’ Tears filled Shirley’s eyes. ‘I could be in real trouble.’

‘If you’re asked, love, just tell the truth.’ Edie leaned closer and lowered her voice, almost as if she feared someone might be listening. ‘You didn’t tell Ursula
– I still can’t get used to calling her by her real name – anything about what went on in the ATS, did you?’

Shirley shook her head firmly. ‘No, I do know that. Ever since we did the training, I’ve watched what I’ve said to anyone, never mind her.’

Edie laughed, trying to lighten the moment. ‘Well, then, you’ve nowt to worry about.’

‘But – but I might have told her things about here – about Grimsby – when I first met her. After all, I thought she was a journalist.’

‘I don’t reckon you knew owt top secret, now did you? The only ship you knew anything about was your dad’s and he was only a fisherman. His trawler wasn’t even a
minesweeper, now was it?’

‘I suppose not – but it’s a bit scary to think I was going around with – with a
spy
.’

‘The police do want to see you.’ Shirley’s eyes widened fearfully as Edie went on, ‘They asked us to get you to go to the police station.’

‘Will you come with me, Mam?’

‘It’d be best if your dad went with you. He’ll advise you what to say.’ Edie laughed wryly. ‘I never knew your dad was so good at – well, not lying exactly,
but bending the truth a little.’

Shirley smiled tremulously. ‘I’m glad he did. I still can’t help liking Ursula. She was a good friend to me, when I didn’t have anyone else after Beth and Irene had gone
away.’

Archie and Shirley went to the station later that afternoon. ‘Better get it over with, love,’ Archie said to the anxious girl, ‘and then we can all settle down and enjoy New
Year’s Eve and next year things will be a whole lot better.’

Shirley grimaced. ‘Mam doesn’t think so, if none of us come to live back at home. She’s going to be awfully lonely, Dad. I know that, but I do love the life in the ATS.
They’re already saying it might be disbanded but that if it is, there might be some other sort of military service women can join. That’s why I’m so worried I’m going to get
a black mark against my name for this.’

‘Here we are, love, we’ll soon know now, and don’t forget your mam and me will stand by you whatever happens. We know none of this was your fault. In fact, we’re as much
involved, if it comes to that. We welcomed her into our home.’

‘But you had your doubts, didn’t you, Dad?’

‘Yes, I did,’ Archie admitted. ‘But I didn’t do anything about them – and that’s nearly as bad, if not worse. Come on, lass, we’ll face this
together.’

Strangely, Shirley felt comforted; she had never felt closer to her father than in this moment of crisis.

‘I need a drink,’ Shirley said with heartfelt relief as they stepped out of the police station.

‘Let’s get home, then,’ Archie began, but Shirley shook her head.

‘No, Dad, I mean a real drink – in a pub.’

‘Eh?’ For a moment, Archie looked startled and then he grinned. ‘My little girl all grown up. Well, well. Come on, then, we’ll go to our local. It’s nearly opening
time. Harry might be there and we’ve something to celebrate.’

Shirley had told the police all she knew about Ursula, which, when it came down to it, wasn’t very much, but Sergeant Fenton could see that she was being truthful.

‘You might be called upon to give evidence if it comes to a trial, but I can assure you that you’re not in trouble, Shirley. Far from it, because you’ve come forward of your
own free will. You go home and enjoy your New Year with the family.’

‘Except that there won’t be many of the “family” home, will there, Dad?’ she said as they walked towards the pub.

‘No, love, but I expect Harry will first foot for us, just like he always has. They’ll be round for a drink just after midnight. In fact, there he is, look, making for the same place
as us. We’ll ask him.’

They sat at a table in the corner, their drinks in front of them, as they filled Harry in on the excitement that had happened earlier in the day.

‘Poor lass,’ was Harry’s only comment, ‘she was only trying to do her duty by her country, same, perhaps, as—’ He stopped and glanced at Archie and when the
other man gave a slight shake of his head as if to say ‘not in front of Shirley’, Harry said no more.

‘I can’t tell you how relieved I am.’ Still wrapped up in her own worries, Shirley hadn’t noticed the look that had passed between the two men. ‘I really love the
service life and I don’t want to get chucked out just because I was friendly with her. Though I was a bit naïve, I have to admit.’

‘You weren’t to know,’ Harry reassured her. ‘We were all taken in. Even us old ’uns.’

‘Well, I know now and I’ll certainly—’ Suddenly, Shirley stopped speaking. She was staring at the door, her eyes wide and her mouth dropping open. ‘Well, well,
well, just look who the wind’s blown in.’

‘Who?’ Archie glanced up towards the door. For a moment, he, too, stared and then he was on his feet and shouting across the room. ‘Frank! Frank, lad – over
here.’

Frank, dressed in his army uniform, removed his cap and threaded his way amongst the tables, his progress hampered by greetings from all those who knew him. At last he reached their table and
was hugged by Shirley and shaken hands with by his father and uncle.

‘What’ll it be, Frank? This one’s on me,’ Harry said, slapping him on the back. ‘By, it’s good to have you home.’

‘It’s not for long. I don’t get demobbed for a few months yet. But I asked for leave. I needed to come home.’

There was silence; none of them knew quite what to say and Frank’s expression gave nothing away as to how he was feeling about his wife as he sipped his beer and closed his eyes for a
moment with obvious satisfaction. ‘By, I’ve waited a long time for that, I don’t mind telling you.’

‘Are you back in this country now?’ Shirley asked. ‘You won’t be going abroad again, will you?’

Frank turned to her and seemed to realize for the first time that his little sister was in uniform. ‘Hey, you joined the ATS, Shirl. Good for you. What about Beth? Did she join up? Is she
home yet?’

So many questions and yet they were all shying away from the one topic that was uppermost in all of their minds; Irene and her baby. Even Shirley, for once, held her outspoken tongue in
check.

Archie sighed as he said heavily. ‘Beth went off to London, we thought to work for that feller whose kiddies she looked after. Alan Forster. But he was something in the war office and I
– I have my suspicions she might have ended up working for them too.’

Frank stared at his father and then at Shirley as she added, ‘We haven’t heard from her at all for ages and before that, it was only a measly postcard about once a month.’

Frank frowned. ‘That’s not like Beth. She was always writing home when she was in France. Long newsy letters about all she was doing, about the children and – oh, everything.
Postcards, you say? Was that really all she sent?’

Shirley nodded and added quietly, ‘I don’t think the last ones were from her. You know how she always used to sign off with “Stay safe”? Well, that wasn’t on any of
the last few cards.’

‘Ah.’ Frank was thoughtful, gazing down at his beer and twisting the glass round in his hand.

They were silent for several minutes as if not one of them wanted to be the first to voice their fears. At last, Archie said, ‘I just wonder if she was involved in some sort of secret work
in France. You know, because she could speak the language so well.’ He glanced at Shirley as he added, ‘We’ve just had a bit of that sort of thing here, haven’t we, love?
You tell Frank all about it.’ So, haltingly at first and then with increasing confidence, Shirley told him about Ursula.

‘It’s possible, I suppose,’ Frank said slowly. He looked straight into his father’s eyes as he said softly, ‘And you haven’t heard from her recently, not even
since the war ended?’

Unable to speak now for the lump in his throat, Archie just shook his head.

‘Look,’ Harry said, getting up. ‘It’s time I was going. And your Aunty Jessie will be so pleased to hear you’re home safe and sound, Frank.’ He put his hand
briefly on the young man’s shoulder. ‘Night, all.’

‘Shirley, love, would you go home ahead of us and tell your mam?’ Archie said, ‘She’ll be thrilled, but it’ll be a bit of a shock all the same.’

‘Oh – yes, right you are, Dad.’ Where once she might have argued, Shirley now understood what Archie meant. Edie needed to be prepared to greet Frank and perhaps, too, Archie
wanted a quiet word with his son before going home. ‘I’ll tell her to get the kettle on, shall I?’

‘And tell her I’m famished, an’ all,’ Frank said, grinning up at his sister. ‘That’ll keep her busy.’

As she passed by his chair, Shirley paused and looked down at him. ‘Frank, I’m sorry if I did the wrong thing writing to you like that, but . . .’

Frank looked up and smiled at her. ‘I’m glad you did, Shirl. It helped me get things right in my head before I came home. I know now what I’m going to do, so thanks.’

‘Really?’

‘Really.’

It was the second huge wave of relief that Shirley had felt that day.

Left together in the pub, Archie leaned forward and said, ‘I know it’s nowt to do with me, lad, but if you want to talk things over, I’m here.’

‘Nowt to talk about, Dad. I’ve made me mind up and no one’s going to persuade me different, so let’s have another one and then we’ll get going.’

They talked some more over their drinks and then Frank made a move to go. As he stood up, he glanced down at his father. ‘Dad, just between ourselves, I’ve been no angel while
I’ve been away. It’s hard when you’re separated for years on end like me and Irene have been.’

Understanding, Archie nodded and added, ‘You go, lad. If you don’t mind, I’ll sit here for a bit. It’s been a busy old day and I’d just like to be left alone with
my thoughts.’

‘I’ll see you later, then.’

Archie sat for another hour and then, reluctantly, he left the pub and walked up the street towards his home, quite expecting to walk into a full-blown row between Edie and Frank. But he opened
the back door to the sound of laughter and, walking into the living room, it was to see Frank sitting at the table attacking a huge plate of bacon, eggs, fried bread and sausage.

‘Where on earth . . . ?’ he began, but then he looked up to see a grinning Reggie standing behind Frank’s chair.

‘Joe Schofield brought him. He’s staying a couple of nights with us.’ Edie was somewhere between laughing and crying with happiness. To have her two boys home unexpectedly was
almost too much to bear at once, even if the reason for Frank’s return was not a happy one. ‘And he’ll fetch him again on Wednesday morning.’