She hurried away to give instructions to the seamstresses and finally she went through the diary with Holly.

‘Lady Hamilton will be in to try on her latest gown tomorrow and Mrs Bracken will be in this afternoon to be measured. Oh, and there’s a new delivery of gloves and stockings coming this afternoon too. Do you think you could see to putting them all away and checking that they’re all there for me?’

‘I shall be fine,’ Holly assured her and soon after Miss May left to catch the train north.

The second surprise came when she closed the shop that evening and made her way up to the flat where she found Ivy packing a large carpet bag with tears streaming down her cheeks.

‘What’s going on, Ivy?’ Holly asked in a small voice.

‘Oh, Holly, I’m ever so sorry but I’m movin’ out,’ Ivy told her tearfully.

‘Moving out!’ Holly was so shocked her mouth dropped open. ‘But why?’

‘Me an’ Jeremy are gettin’ wed.’

Holly’s eyes almost popped out of her head. ‘But this is a bit sudden, isn’t it?’ As Ivy dropped her eyes guiltily, realisation dawned and Holly gasped. ‘Y-you’re going to have a baby?’

‘Yes.’ Ivy looked so miserable that Holly raced across and put her arms around her.

‘Well at least he’s doing the right thing by you, and it’s not the end of the world,’ she said comfortingly. ‘You’re not the first and I’m sure you won’t be the last. But when is the wedding to be?’

‘We ain’t set a date yet but it’ll be very soon,’ Ivy answered. ‘An’ of course I’ll want you there.’

‘Wild horses wouldn’t keep me away,’ Holly assured her with a smile. ‘We could perhaps get one of the seamstresses to run you up a wedding dress.’

‘Oh no, it ain’t goin’ to be a posh affair,’ Ivy told her quickly. ‘We’ll probably just go to the registry office.’

‘And will Jeremy’s family be attending?’ It was all starting to sound rather vague to Holly now and she was concerned. Jeremy certainly hadn’t been the most reliable of men up to now so she could only hope that he was going to do the right thing by Ivy.

Ivy shrugged. ‘I don’t know yet. But … well, will you manage here all right on yer own, wi’ the bills I mean?’

‘I shall be fine, don’t you get worrying about me,’ her friend assured her. ‘If needs be I’m sure one of the nurses at the hospital will want to move in. Some of them live a way away and they’re always looking for lodgings closer to the hospital. But I-I’ll miss you,’ she said softly, suddenly getting tearful herself.

‘Don’t worry, you’ll still see plenty o’ me.’ Ivy squeezed her hand.

‘So couldn’t you wait till the day of the wedding before you move out?’ Holly suggested then but Ivy shook her head and turned back to her bag, ramming the rest of her things in.