Your loving friend,

Ivy xxx

Holly sniffed back tears and gave a wry smile. The letter was beautifully written following all the evening classes Ivy had done in London. She then returned the letter to its envelope and opened the one from her mother. It said much the same as Ivy’s and a wave of terrible homesickness swept through her. Despite this, Holly didn’t regret coming; she was needed here, and her only regret was that by some cruel twist of fate she and Richard had landed up at the same place and it was painful to be so close to him. Still, this was nothing compared to what the injured were going through so, like Ivy, all she could do for now was pray that the damned war would soon be over.

Towards the end of January Sister Flynn pulled her to one side one evening and whispered, ‘I need to speak to you, Nurse Farthing … in private. Could you come to my room in half an hour?’

‘Of course, Sister.’ Holly frowned as the woman walked away, wondering what she might have done to warrant her wishing to speak to her alone, but then one of her patients called out for her and rushing to his side she tried not to think of it. At least she didn’t have long to wait to find out what the sister wanted, her but she was intrigued and slightly apprehensive all the same.

When she reported to Sister Flynn’s office shortly after, she was surprised to find Richard and the Frenchman who she had seen about the hospital also there.

‘Come in,’ Sister invited and after glancing at Richard she began, ‘I am going to put something to you because I feel of all my nurses you are the most hardworking and the most trustworthy, but I want to make it clear that if you don’t wish to do what I’m proposing you are under absolutely no obligation.’

Holly nodded and swallowed. Whatever it was it sounded serious.

‘The thing is … we have, shall we say, a “safe house” for our injured airmen who have been shot down behind the enemy lines. Monsieur Le’Fete here has a smallholding where he keeps them safe until they are well enough to be brought here. Every day he risks his life to help us. Sadly an airman whose plane was shot down was found hanging in a tree from his parachute close to the monsieur’s farm shortly before Christmas. Usually the monsieur and his wife can tend them and get them well enough to be smuggled to us but this time the airman’s injuries are too serious. It appears that his leg is badly broken and an infection has set in. Dr Parkin has volunteered to tend to him but he will need a nurse to assist him and I thought of you, especially when I discovered that you can speak fluent French. You and Dr Parkin would have to pretend that you were newly-wed relatives of the monsieur should you be questioned. I will not lie to you, it is a very dangerous mission I am asking you to undertake. Should it ever become known to the enemy what the monsieur does he would be taken out and shot, as would anyone else involved, including his family and yourselves. I know it is a lot to ask, but do you think you could do it? I assure you I will think no less of you if you consider it to be too dangerous.’