“Look, you’re not going to make an issue out of this, are you?” Anthea tries the ‘grown up girls’ routine.

“We did have permission to go into town, you know.”

“Until eleven o’clock, I believe, Anthea.

That is, if I recall the exceat book correctly.

And I’m sure I do.

It’s now gone half past two.”

“We missed the bus.” Sara retorts, still sounding somewhat miffed.

“It would only take an hour to walk it, Sara! And there are such things as taxis, you know.”

“So what are you going to do, Clare? Report us?