‘Be that the eighth time of askin’ or the ninth?’ Rose wanted to know. ‘Dunno, do I!’ Marion said, tossing her head and allowing herself a glance at the cluster of diamonds which had, at last, found its place on the third finger of her left hand. ‘I ’aven’t bin keepin’ count.’ ‘Not much, you ’aven’t!’ Gwennan said. ‘You’ve’ad the poor fellow danglin’ for weeks and you still ’aven’t named the day, ’ave you!’ Marvin Kinski’s military career was under discussion as they spoke. His skill as an instructor had been noted during the run-up to the Normandy landings a year previously and he had recently presented himself well to a selection board, after which he had been informed that he was to be promoted to lieutenant and would shortly be posted to a US marine training academy in West Virginia. When he mentioned his forthcoming marriage he was advised to make the appropriate arrangements without delay. ‘You could be shipped out any time now, Lieutenant,’ his commanding officer told him.
