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The steamer trunk was gone, and Camilla’s lavender dinner gown was wadded on the floor with all her underthings.

When male pilots flew over their air base and spotted the women’s underthings hanging out to dry—a big clue that this was a women’s regiment—they’d perform noisy aerobatics in celebration.

Her underthings hung heavily on her slim frame, a stained white shift dripping ghostly water onto the floorboards of the trolley.

They didn’t have much: a couple of dresses and some underthings for each of them and a single pair of shoes, as well as an ivory comb Mrs. Harrison had found at a secondhand store and a few hair ribbons.

I had my camisoles and underthings laid out to iron next when I heard a horse in the yard.