Unfortunately Holly was rushed off her feet that day and it wasn’t until the end of her shift in the evening before she was able to see Ivy again.

She was lying in bed looking towards the door hoping for a glimpse of Jeremy.

‘He mustn’t realise that I’m here,’ she told Holly. ‘He’d come if he did so he’ll probably come round to yours thinking I’m there.’

Holly hoped he would. There was nothing she would have liked more than to be able to tell him what she thought of him and give him a piece of her mind!

‘Your mam came earlier,’ Ivy informed her. ‘But he hadn’t been round by then.’

‘Well, don’t worry about it for now. Things will sort themselves out,’ Holly told her. ‘But now if there’s nothing you need I’ll get off. Mother will be worried if I’m any later. And, Ivy … please take care of yourself. I don’t know how I’d cope if anything were to happen to you, I care about you very much.’

Ivy gave her a weak smile. ‘And I care about you too,’ she said softly.

As she left the ward, Holly bent her head to hide the tears that she’d been holding back while she was with Ivy, but which were now sliding down her cheeks. She was wiping her face with her sleeve so didn’t see Richard, who’d stopped right in front of her. She gasped as she nearly bumped into him, but he grasped her arms gently, looking down at her with a concerned expression.

‘Is your friend all right?’ he asked.

‘Yes, yes, she’s fine,’ she sniffed. ‘But I just hate to see her like this. And that man … How I wish I could set the police on him.’

Richard looked grim. ‘Yes, I know what you mean. I see so many women in her situation, and it makes my blood boil. Any man who would beat up a woman like that, especially when she’s carrying his child …’

His fury and indignation comforted Holly more than sympathy would have done. It was nice to know that there was someone on Ivy’s side.

‘Listen, I can’t stop now, but perhaps we could meet another day? And you can come and talk to me about this whenever you need.’

She nodded and smiled gratefully. ‘Thank you so much, Richard. And it would be lovely to meet when you have a moment.’

He touched her cheek very briefly, but then realising where he was, he snatched his hand away, nodded at her and walked off.

Holly arrived home, still buoyed by Richard’s words and the tender way he had touched her cheek, to find Emma had cooked a lovely meal for them and it reminded her of the evenings she used to share with Ivy.

‘I’ve done you some nice lean pork chops and I’ve made some apple sauce, I know it’s one of your favourites,’ her mother told her. ‘And there’s some lovely buttered winter cabbage and mashed potatoes to go with them. That should warm you up.’