Ivy had read no more than two or three lines when the door burst open and Emma rushed in waving her letter in the air.

‘Have you read yours yet?’ she asked excitedly, then before Ivy could get a word in she rushed on, ‘Holly is coming home for the weekend towards the end of May and she says she’s bringing someone special with her to meet us. Whoever do you think it might be?’

Ivy grinned from ear to ear. She had a very good idea. ‘I reckon it’ll be that young Dr Parkin. He was right took with Holly, I reckon, an’ she were often mentionin’ him.’

Emma giggled. ‘Oh, how exciting. And it must be serious between them if she’s bringing him home to meet us – although she doesn’t really need to, after all, I’ve already met him. I can hardly wait.’

‘Well, she could do a lot worse,’ Ivy said. Alice stirred then and she rushed to tend to her. Good luck to Holly, Ivy thought a little later as Alice suckled contentedly. Holly was one of the most loving and giving people she knew and she deserved someone nice.

The week before they were due to travel to Nuneaton Richard visited the flat one night looking slightly sheepish.

‘I’ve, er … bought you something,’ he told her. ‘I know we said we would wait and we can but I just wanted you to have it now although you can change it if you don’t like it.’ He self-consciously pulled a small velvet box from his pocket and handed it to Holly and when she flipped it open she gasped with delight. It was a single diamond set in a gold band that caught and reflected the light and she truly thought it was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.

‘Oh, Richard, it’s perfect, but I’m afraid it must have been terribly expensive.’

He waved his hand airily. ‘Only the best for my girl. I thought we could perhaps take it with us when we visit your family and then once I’ve talked to them you could wear it and we could make it official.’

Holly’s eyes shone as she slipped it onto her finger – she couldn’t resist at least trying it on.

‘I think that’s a wonderful idea,’ she agreed, thinking how she couldn’t bear to take it off again.

Just three days before she was due to visit home Holly was in the flat one evening when someone knocked on the door. Hoping it might be Richard finishing his shift earlier than he’d expected she rushed downstairs to open it only to find Dora standing on the step.

‘Why, Dora, this is a nice surprise.’ She took her elbow and led her upstairs. ‘And what brings you out of an evening?’

‘Well, as yer know I put the word out some time ago to try an’ find anyone o’ the name o’ Farthin’ in the area. Up to now I’ve had no luck whatsoever but then one o’ me neighbours come round last night right out o’ the blue an’ said she thought she might know the person yer lookin’ for. Or his wife at least.’