Chapter Forty-Six

Holly didn’t see Angela again until the following afternoon in the mess. She had been fast asleep when Angela had got up that morning and she had stayed that way for most of the day.

‘Ah, so here you are,’ Angela greeted her as she carried her tray to Holly’s table. ‘How was it working in the other hospital?’

Holly averted her eyes and crossed her fingers under the table. ‘Much the same as in this one … but it’s good to be back with people I know.’

‘It’s good to have you back,’ Angela answered. ‘And guess what? There’s going to be a dance in the village hall this Saturday and me and some of the other nurses are going. You’ll come, won’t you?’

‘I’ll see a bit nearer the time,’ Holly replied. Going to a dance was the last thing she fancied after what she’d done that week.

Angela frowned. ‘Now come on, you know what they say? All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy! It’ll be lovely to wear our own clothes again, even if it’s only for a few hours. There might be some handsome Frenchmen there, not that Harry would let one near you. He’s been none too pleased about you not being here I can tell you! Oh, please say you’ll come!’

Holly sighed. She would have to tell Harry that there could be no future for them, and soon. And regarding the dance, Angela could be very persuasive when she had the bit between her teeth.

‘I think all the Frenchmen you’d be interested in will be away fighting the war,’ she pointed out. ‘But all right, yes, I’ll come if it makes you happy. Providing I’m not on duty that is.’

Angela grinned from ear to ear. She could hardly wait. ‘And did you see much of that dishy Dr Parkin while you were working away with him?’ she asked.

Holly lowered her eyes to flick an imaginary speck of dust from her apron, ‘Not really,’ she said nonchalantly. ‘But now, tell me what’s been happening here.’ And thankfully the conversation turned to another topic, for the time being at least. The next person she saw was Harry when he strode into the mess looking none too pleased, as Angela had warned her.

‘So you’re back then, are you,’ he said peevishly. ‘I had to hear from Sister Flynn that you’d been transferred. You could have told me.’

‘I didn’t get a chance to,’ Holly answered coolly. ‘You were in theatre when I was told that I was going and I had no way of getting word to you.’

He looked slightly repentant and offered a guilty smile. ‘In that case, I apologise. I was just worried about you, that’s all.’

‘I don’t see why you should have been. It was no more dangerous at that hospital than it is at this one and I could hardly refuse an order.’

‘Of course you couldn’t.’ He sat down and reached for her hand across the table as Angela giggled.