Jackson is glad for the blanket as Mrs Ramsay appears, unannounced, self-consciously smoothing the material over his lap to make sure nothing's on show that shouldn't be.

"There now," Mrs Ramsay prattles on as she brings him the compress, pressing it into his hands. "Use that for your leg, dearie, it'll help the ache. And you tell your sergeant when he's hurting, you're such a delicate little thing."

She leaves the doctor every bit as red as his lover.