Dr Phillips collapsed into a chair and stretched his long legs out while Holly poured boiling water into the teapot and left the tea to mash while she prepared the cups.

‘I reckon I could sleep on a washing line,’ he groaned. ‘Thank you for all your help. Oh, and my name is Henry, by the way, but everyone calls me Harry. I hope you will too. It’s so much less formal than Dr Phillips.’

Holly felt embarrassed as she spooned sugar into two mugs. ‘I don’t think Matron would appreciate that,’ she answered primly. ‘She’s very strict about the nurses always addressing the doctors by their surnames.’

‘Well, she wouldn’t have to know if you only used my Christian name when we were away from the hospital, would she? Which brings me round to asking … would you like to go out with me one evening, for a meal or to the theatre perhaps?’

Holly’s heart skipped a beat as she slopped milk all over the table and hastily mopped it up.

‘That’s very nice of you,’ she answered as calmly as she could. ‘But I, er … don’t think so.’

‘Oh.’ Disappointment washed across his face. ‘You already have a young man then, do you?’

She shook her head feeling decidedly uncomfortable now. ‘No, I don’t.’ That much at least was true, she thought, not any more, and the pain of losing Richard sliced through her again. Was he missing her as much as she was missing him? ‘It’s just that I’m very dedicated to my job and I don’t have time for that sort of thing.’ She carried his tea across to him and he stared at her thoughtfully.

‘That’s very commendable but you should make time for a private life too.’

‘I’m quite happy as I am, thank you,’ she responded sharply.

He shrugged. ‘Perhaps another time then?’ Silence filled the air so Harry went on to a safer subject and they spoke of the various children they had nursed throughout the night and eventually they left to make their way to their separate homes.

Emma was waiting for her when she arrived and she clucked with dismay. ‘Oh, darling, you look worn out,’ she told her worriedly. ‘Go and get yourself tucked into bed and I’ll bring you up a nice hot drink.’ She smiled as she heard Alice wailing loudly in the kitchen.

‘You’re not the only one who’s been up all night, poor Ivy has barely had a wink. Alice is teething and Ivy’s spent half the night rubbing oil of cloves on her poor little gums.’ She took Holly’s cloak and shooed her away upstairs. When Emma carried the tea up to her some minutes later she found Holly wide awake.

‘Matron sent me to the workhouse to nurse the children there all night,’ Holly told her as she climbed into bed and took the tea. She frowned. ‘The staff there do their best for the children, but I’m sure more could be done for the poor little mites.’