‘Oh, she was all right when I saw her last week,’ Holly answered carefully. In actual fact she hadn’t been all right at all and Holly was growing more and more concerned about her. She had taken a bag of groceries round to her hoping that Jeremy wouldn’t be in and although Ivy had strongly protested Holly had got the impression that she was actually very grateful for them. It was clear now that he was bleeding her of every penny she had, but what could she do about it?

‘Actually, I need to ask your advice about something to do with Ivy,’ she said as she helped her mother off with her coat. ‘But not until after lunch. I want to hear all about what’s going on at home first.’

For the next hour Holly told her about her work at the hospital and her mother told her the news from home.

‘Your grandfather is mellowing in his old age,’ she informed her daughter. ‘Walter has started to bring his children round occasionally for lunch on Sunday and believe it or not your grandfather is wonderful with them. I think he’s started to bitterly regret not spending more time with you while you were growing up. In fact, he asked me to give you this envelope. He didn’t know what to get you for Christmas so I think he’s sent some money for you to spend as you will, although I think he’s still secretly hoping that you’ll be able to come home and spend some of the holiday with us.’

Holly took the envelope and placed it behind the clock on the shelf to open later. ‘Of course I’ll come home for a visit if I’m able to. Thank him for the gift. I have yours all wrapped up for you to take back with you, just in case I can’t get home. It will all depend on how busy we are at the hospital, but I promise I’ll do my best.’

They sat down to dinner and Emma praised Holly for her cooking. ‘You’ve certainly become very self-sufficient,’ she said proudly. ‘Seeing as you wouldn’t have known how to peel a potato not so long ago.’

When they’d finished eating Holly ignored the dirty pots for the time being and made them both another pot of tea. There would be plenty of time for washing up when her mother had gone home and she didn’t want to waste one precious moment of their time together.

‘Now, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?’ Emma enquired as she spooned sugar into her tea. ‘Something about Ivy, wasn’t it?’

‘Yes, it was.’ Holly’s smile vanished. ‘The thing is I’ve been given some information about the man she wants to marry and I don’t quite know what to do about it.’

She started to tell her mother about what had happened since Ivy met Jeremy, or Jimmy as she now knew he was, but she had barely begun the story when suddenly there was a hammering on the door downstairs.