Ellen walked to the hospital the next day, first taking the children to Anna then cutting through narrow streets, feeling much surer of her sense of direction. She arrived in half an hour, well before visiting time. It was the young porter who greeted her this time, and he said he’d seen her husband out of bed when he went into the ward on an errand.

‘I reckon he’ll be out of here very soon,’ he said cheerfully. ‘You’ll be pleased to have him back home again.’

‘Oh, I will,’ Ellen agreed, ‘and so will our children, for they keep asking about their dada.’

He told her to go upstairs and wait to see Sister. As it happened, Dr Lucan was leaving the ward as she reached the top of the staircase. She hesitated about approaching him, but he saw her and came to speak to her.

‘Good news, Mrs Randell,’ he greeted her. ‘Your husband is almost ready for home, but I haven’t told him so; I thought you could tell him yourself. Does he know about the new house yet?’

‘No,’ she said, in almost a whisper. ‘It’s a surprise. I’m going to borrow a cart if I can, and take him there after we’ve moved in.’

‘We’ll release him the following day, then.’ He began writing in a notebook. ‘I must tell you that he won’t feel well after leaving here. He’ll be stiff and achy and his burned skin will itch, but I’ll give him something for that, and being at home again will help his recovery, from the shock as well as the burns, which thank goodness are not as bad as they could have been. Falling into the water saved his life, even though he might have drowned but for the bargemen being there.’

‘And the fact that you were nearby,’ she said.

‘That too, I suppose. I’m pleased that I was. Good day to you, Mrs Randell. You can go on the ward now. Good luck with your move to the cottage.’

She watched him run down the stairs and hail the porter and thought that although he was friendly he was also very professional, as if he put on a different coat when dealing with patients or their families.

Harry was sitting in a chair by the side of his bed and attempted to get up when he saw her, but she gently pushed him back down. ‘I said not to come, didn’t I?’ he said as she bent towards him and he kissed her cheek. ‘But I’m glad that you did. Where are the children?’

‘With Anna,’ she said. ‘What a blessing we met them when we did, for we can always help each other out.’ She pulled up another chair so that they could sit close to each other. The ward was quiet, with only a few patients in the beds.