Then in mid-December, soon after dawn, three German warships loomed out of the mist off the east coast and began shelling the towns of Scarborough, Whitby, Hartlepool and West Hartlepool causing the deaths of over a hundred civilians and injuring a further two hundred. British destroyers were deployed to drive off the German force but two of them were hit, resulting in the deaths of four seamen. During the raid over two hundred shells struck the towns, damaging homes, resort hotels and churches, and that evening West Hartlepool was in total darkness because of a direct hit on the local gasworks.

‘It’s so scary,’ Ivy said as she read the newspaper report out to Holly’s grandfather the next day. She lived in a constant state of anxiety now, fretting about what might happen to Alice if they were invaded and worrying if Marcus was safe. He had been to see her just once after doing his training before being shipped abroad and he had looked so handsome in his uniform that she couldn’t help but be proud of him, although she had wept when he had to leave again. She knew that he was somewhere in France but had no idea what area because the letters she had received from him were so heavily censored that it was difficult to be sure. And now that Holly was insisting she wanted to work in a field hospital near the front, that would be one more for her to worry about!

‘I thought when war was declared that everyone said it would be over by Christmas,’ Ivy grumbled and Gilbert shook his head sadly.

‘That is what everyone hoped but it clearly isn’t going to happen now.’ He sighed heavily and they both sat silently thinking of the effect the war might have on their loved ones.

‘I just wish I were younger so I could go and do my bit for king and country,’ he said regretfully.

Ivy shook her head. ‘An’ that’d be another one I’d have to fret about.’ She smiled at him; it was hard to believe this was the same man who used to strike terror into her heart. He had changed so much and she’d grown fond of him; in fact, sometimes she forgot he was actually her employer. She knew that, like herself, he was dreading Holly going away and was hoping she’d have a change of heart, but at least Ivy could be there for him if Holly did leave. That at least gave her a little comfort.

The day after this exchange, Holly arrived home from the hospital with bad news for them.

‘I shall be shipping out to France next week,’ she informed her grandfather as they sat eating their dinner in the kitchen with Ivy, Alice and the cook. They rarely bothered to use the dining room now; it just meant another fire to light for Ivy and it was cosy in the kitchen.