‘Of course not,’ Holly answered with a smile. She was ready for a rest. She went to check on Sam first, who was improving by the day. Of course no one knew that it had been she and Richard who had looked after him before he had been admitted so she had to be very professional when speaking to him.

‘How are you today, Mr Wickes?’ she asked as she lifted the notes from the end of his bed and scanned through them. Heart rate normal, pulse normal. He really was on the mend.

‘Fine and dandy, thank you, nurse. In fact I’m being shipped home on the morning of the first of February.’

Holly’s head snapped up and he gave her a crafty wink. No wonder the sister had said she could help with the patients on the crossing. She would be travelling back to England with Sam.

‘I’m very pleased for you,’ she answered, her eyes twinkling and she went on her way with a little spring in her step.

Angela was somewhat the worse for wear the next morning after partaking of rather too much home-made French wine but she’d clearly had a wonderful evening.

‘You were right,’ she told Holly as she got into bed and Angela got out. ‘There were hardly any Frenchmen there, well, not young ones anyway, but there were loads of very handsome soldiers and I got to dance three dances with Dr Parkin an’ all.’

‘Sounds wonderful,’ Holly said in a clipped voice as she felt tears pricking her eyes. ‘But now I must get some sleep. It was really busy on the ward last night. We lost two of the patients, unfortunately. You can tell me all about the dance this evening. I’ll meet you in the mess when you’ve done your shift.’ With that she snuggled down under the blankets and stayed there until Angela had left, torturing herself as she imagined Angela in Richard’s arms.

As she was waiting for Angela to join her in the mess that evening she saw Richard for the first time since they had got back from the Le’Fetes and to her surprise he joined her at the table.

‘You missed a good night last night. I thought you’d be there.’

She shrugged. ‘I had to work but Angela told me you both had a good time.’ She silently cursed herself. That must have sounded like she cared and of course she didn’t!

Seeing her discomfort he grinned. ‘As luck would have it she’s a very good dancer,’ he replied and just at that moment the person they were discussing appeared.

‘Hello, Dr Parkin,’ she said cheerily. ‘Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee?’

He rose hastily from his seat. ‘No, thank you, nurse, I must be off now. It looks like it’s going to be another busy night in theatre after the influx of wounded we’ve had in today.’

‘Oh bugger!’ Angela pouted as he disappeared. ‘I thought he’d come to have dinner with me.’