Every night the planes came, and every night London burned. Elizabeth was beginning to fear dusk every time it settled over the city. Her dreams were filled with the shrill screams of sirens, bombs falling to the earth, and the rattling cough of antiaircraft guns firing desperately into the night sky.
She and Isabelle shared Auxiliary Fire Service duties two or three nights a week, and the stress of hauling water hoses and driving firemen to burning homes was leaving a black mark upon Elizabeth’s soul. During the day, Elizabeth buried herself in work, but after a week of constant bombardment and nights spent shivering in her shelter, she was struggling. She felt herself withdrawing from life, her face turning pale and her appetite waning.
Hetty pulled Elizabeth aside one morning and gent
