Summary

The miners’ strike had impacted the Service. There was no heat, and the girls worked in their overcoats and put government-issued felt squares under their feet for warmth. When Serena returned from Camden, there was a letter from Tom waiting for her. He was renting a car to take his sister back to Bristol. She had developed a drinking problem. She wanted to take her children back with her but the family thought better of it. After the New Year’s break, Serena was called to Harry Tapp’s office. There were twenty people at the meeting including several girls from her group. She figured it was a Sweet Tooth meeting. An American named Pierre, presumably from the CIA, was introduced.

Pierre spoke of pre-war Manhattan and Japan and China in ruins in the 1950s. He then spoke of his experience in Normandy in...