The following week, her mother sent her a reply, in which she suggested that people in love rarely listened to reason, as she knew all too well, so all Holly could do was wait and make sure she was there for her friend should her concerns prove to be well founded.

Holly knew she was speaking sense, so she resolved to try to set her worries aside, but remain vigilant, just in case Ivy needed her.

Over the next weeks London seemed to be teeming with people who were coming to see the sights. The weather was unbearably hot and humid and Ivy arrived home from the factory each night feeling like a wet rag.

‘Phew, it feels as if the streets are full o’ people,’ she complained as she walked through the door one July evening, just as Holly was putting their supper on the table – she had called in at the greengrocer’s on the way home from the hospital and bought a selection of salad and cold meat as it was far too hot to attempt to cook.

‘I know what you mean,’ Holly agreed. ‘The shop has been really busy with people of all nationalities all out to buy souvenirs to take home. We’ve just about sold out of gloves and scarves. I shall be quite glad when things quieten down a bit. There is no escaping the tourists, especially the Americans. There seem to be droves of them.’

‘I shall just be glad when I start at the suffragettes’ headquarters,’ Ivy wheezed, pushing the window of the flat as far open as it would go. ‘I swear I shall melt clean away if I have to stay in that match factory for much longer.’

‘It’s not much better at the hospital,’ Holly agreed. ‘Though it’s not so bad down in the shop. Miss May has taken to leaving the door wedged open to let a little air in. The only trouble is that one of us has to be in there every minute in case someone comes in and decides to help themselves to the stock.’ She placed a plate in front of her friend. ‘I got us a nice bit of ham to go with the salad.’

Ivy pushed it away. ‘It looks lovely but I’m too hot to even attempt that at the minute,’ she said, fanning herself with the newspaper. ‘Ooh, what I wouldn’t give to be back home swimming in the blue lagoon now.’ She giggled as she confided, ‘I used to go there sometimes in the summer wi’ me brothers an’ sisters an’ we’d strip off down to us underwear an’ dive in. Me mam would have skinned us alive had she known.’ In her mind’s eye she could see them all now splashing about in the cool water and she felt a pang of conscience. ‘I just hope they’re all right,’ she muttered. It had been some time since she had posted any money home but she decided that as soon as she got paid she would send some again.