Ivy looked as if someone had thumped her in the stomach as she stared up at Holly disbelievingly. The colour had drained from her face making the bruises stand out in stark relief. She didn’t want to accept what she was hearing and yet deep down she knew Holly would never lie to her.

‘Y-you mean he only ever wanted me fer the money I gave him?’ Her voice was so low that Holly had to lean towards her to hear it.

‘An’ … what about the baby? We was goin’ to get married.’ Slowly her face crumpled as she realised the depth of his deception. ‘He never did intend to marry me, did he?’ she breathed. ‘He were just usin’ me. No wonder he were so angry when I told him about the baby.’ And then she began to sob, great tearing sobs that shook her body and all Holly could do was hold her close and whisper soothing words as tears streamed from her own eyes.

Chapter Twenty-One

On learning the circumstances of Ivy’s admittance Matron kindly gave Holly permission to pop in to see Ivy on the ward during any spare minute she had so the next few days passed in a blur. Holly would finish her shift, then sit with Ivy for an hour before dashing home to have supper with her mother.

Since their conversation outside Ivy’s ward, she had bumped into Richard on a few occasions and even managed to have a quick lunch with him in the hospital canteen one day, but unfortunately, with everyone looking at them curiously, it was difficult to talk about anything too personal. Even so, they had managed to touch hands briefly as they parted, and as always, the contact warmed and thrilled Holly.

Then finally after a week he sought her out to tell her, ‘I think Ivy could be discharged now. Her cuts and bruises are healing nicely although her arm and her ribs will take longer, of course. I shall speak to her about leaving tomorrow after my rounds but does the poor girl have anywhere to go?’

Holly had told him about what had happened, it was pointless trying to hide it now.

‘She’ll come to me,’ she told him. ‘And then we’ll go from there. My mother is at the flat so she can look after her for a few days but I think she’ll want to get home for Christmas. She only came to visit for the day initially.’

Dr Parkin tapped his chin thoughtfully before suggesting, ‘Why don’t you ask Matron Lewis if it would be possible to take some time off? You’ve been running yourself into the ground here ever since Ivy was admitted and I don’t want you ill as well.’

‘I suppose I could do,’ she answered, deeply touched that he cared, and as soon as she had the chance she went to see the matron.

‘I wouldn’t normally allow this, especially over the Christmas period,’ Matron told her after Holly had made her request. ‘But you have been working exceptionally hard and have even stayed long past your shifts on a number of occasions so just this once I’ll agree to it. I want you back here the day after Boxing Day however.’