One Sunday she decided to visit Covent Garden market. She always loved the atmosphere there and enjoyed wondering amongst the flower stalls enjoying all the different scents. There were blooms in all the colours of the rainbow and many flowers that she had never even seen before. So early in the morning, she put on her warmest coat and a thick scarf and gloves and set off, walking briskly to try to keep warm. On the outskirts of the market were a number of stalls selling every sort of vegetable you could think of. She was just passing one such stall when someone caught her eye. The young woman was wearing a shabby coat and hat but when she turned after paying for a cabbage she realised with a little shock that it was Ivy. Her lip was split and swollen and when she saw Holly she blushed, quickly raising her hand to try and cover her lip.

‘Whatever have you done now?’ Holly gasped without even saying hello as she raced across to her.

‘I tripped goin’ up the stairs an’ smashed me mouth up the banister,’ Ivy muttered, looking uncomfortable.

‘You must be getting accident-prone,’ Holly teased, hoping to lighten the mood, but inwardly she felt sick to the core. Ivy looked upset and very down-at-heel. ‘Come on, we’ll find a café and go and get a cup of tea. That is if Jeremy isn’t waiting for you at home?’

‘No, he, er … he’s out on a job.’

Holly steered her through the market stalls and when they found a little café they hurried inside out of the cold.

As they sat down Holly thought that Ivy had lost weight, but surely if she was having a baby she should be putting it on?

She ordered sandwiches and a pot of tea and when she put the food in front of her, Ivy ate it as if she was afraid someone might snatch it away, which worried Holly even more. Something was clearly not right here and one way or another she was determined to find out what it was.

‘So how are the wedding plans coming along?’

Ivy almost choked on the food in her mouth and after hastily swallowing it she shrugged. ‘We ain’t really got round to plannin’ it yet, what wi’ Jeremy bein’ so busy all the time.’

‘Hmm, well, you’d best get a move on,’ Holly urged. ‘It’s only six months until the baby is due now, isn’t it?’

Ivy nodded, attacking the sandwich again. ‘Yes. The end of April to the beginnin’ o’ May it’s due to my reckonin’.’

‘And where is your warm coat?’ Holly asked and once again Ivy lowered her eyes.

‘Oh, I like to keep that fer best.’

Holly didn’t believe her for a minute. Since coming to live in London Ivy had started to take a pride in her appearance and her confidence had grown. But now she seemed to be going backwards and it troubled her. She was jumpy and there were dark shadows beneath her eyes. But what can I do to help her if she won’t admit something’s wrong? Holly thought desperately.