For the rest of the week Ivy floated about as if she were on a cloud and when the knock on the door came after lunch on Sunday she flew down the stairs to meet him while Holly peeped through the curtains to get a glimpse of him. As Ivy had said, he was very good-looking and he certainly seemed keen, but she couldn’t help thinking that things seemed to be happening a little too fast. Still, what do I know about love? she asked herself and prepared to settle down to a lonely afternoon. At least while Ivy was out with Jeremy she wasn’t risking getting arrested again with the suffragettes.

After that day, Ivy saw Jeremy a couple of times a week and she spoke of him constantly; Jeremy does this and Jeremy says that, she would chatter and eventually Holly taught herself to listen with half an ear. She did notice, though, that wherever they went Ivy tended to pay for him, which she found quite strange considering he was supposed to be a journalist. Surely he must earn much more than Ivy?

She tactfully broached the subject one day when they were having a rare evening in together and Ivy instantly rushed to his defence.

‘It’s because he’s between jobs,’ she told her.

‘But surely if his family are so well off he would receive a monthly allowance?’ Holly pressed.

‘Ah well, he and his father have had a little fall-out,’ Ivy explained. ‘His father doesn’t want him to work. He wants him to learn how to run their estate ready for when he retires but Jeremy doesn’t want to do that just yet. It would mean wasting all the years he spent at university to qualify as a journalist.’

‘Oh.’ Holly thought the whole story rather strange but didn’t want to upset Ivy so kept her concerns to herself.

The following week the nursing sister who ran the Red Cross course she had been attending pulled Holly to one side. ‘I really don’t think there’s much more I can teach you now. I think you’re ready to go on the wards. I’ve already spoken to the matron and she’s happy to take you on as from this Wednesday. The pay will be minimal of course, but you will be supplied with a uniform so good luck. It’s been a pleasure to teach you and I have no doubt you will make an excellent nurse. Report to the matron’s office at seven o’clock sharp on Wednesday morning.’

‘Oh, thank you, Sister,’ Holly breathed, her eyes shining with excitement. At last she was going to put all her training to real use on real people instead of dummies.

She was there on the dot along with two other girls who looked as nervous as she felt. Matron Lewis eventually admitted them to her room and eyed them up and down before telling them, ‘Right, nurses, the first thing we need to do is get you your uniforms. Nurse Blythe there will take you along for them when we’ve spoken but understand you are still only trainees. Many of the dirty jobs will fall to you until you’ve had further training. Patients’ bed baths, washing the bedpans, rolling bandages, etc, do you think you can handle that?’