‘I reckon it’s better I move in wi’ him now,’ she answered quietly. ‘He’s a bit of a slippery bugger, as yer know, always standin’ me up, so I just wanna be where I can keep a check on him.’

Holly certainly didn’t think this boded well for Ivy’s future but she kept silent. Ivy clearly loved him with all his faults and he was her choice, so what could she do?

‘Right, I reckon that’s it,’ Ivy said eventually as she reached for her coat. The moment to leave had come and it suddenly hit her just how much she was going to miss living there. She and Holly had made it into a cosy little home and were as close as sisters.

They walked down the stairs together and after a final hug Ivy set off down the street clutching her bag. Holly watched her go with a sinking feeling in her heart. For the first time since coming to the big city she was truly alone and it was a frightening thought.

Chapter Seventeen

Miss May returned to the shop three days later to find everything running smoothly, which made what she had to say to Holly all the harder.

‘How is your sister?’ Holly enquired and Miss May fidgeted nervously with her glove.

‘As you would expect. Very upset, of course. We have decided that as soon as the funeral is over early next week, Martha will come to live with myself and my husband. She is packing up all the belongings she wishes to bring with her even as we speak. And that leads me to something that I have to talk to you about, my dear.’

‘Oh yes?’ Holly cocked a curious eyebrow wondering what it might be. Miss May seemed to be all of a fluster about something.

‘The thing is …’ Miss May paused to clear her throat. ‘Now that my brother-in-law has passed away my sister has no income. She has some savings, of course, but unfortunately they won’t last forever so I thought that perhaps she could come and work with me in the shop … The trouble is I can’t run to another wage so—’

‘So you thought she could have my job?’ Holly finished for her. She plastered on a smile, but inside her stomach was churning. She had loved working in the shop and now she was going to have to adapt to yet another change in her life. ‘It won’t be a problem at all,’ she assured the woman. ‘If I’m not working in the shop I can work at the hospital full-time. I know Matron would love it but … what about the flat?’ Holly was terrified that she was about to lose her home as well as her job.

Miss May was so relieved that Holly didn’t appear to be upset about losing the job that she rushed to reassure her. ‘Oh, things can stay just as they are. And please don’t think this is happening because I haven’t been pleased with your work. It’s quite the contrary, you’ve been a true help and can run the place now as well as I can. I don’t mind admitting I shall miss you terribly. But you and Ivy can stay on upstairs for just as long as you want.’