Unfortunately Holly didn’t see Ivy again for almost two weeks. There had been a sudden influx of patients at the hospital which meant that Holly had to work longer shifts and it was far too late to visit by the time she was finished each night. One cold evening in late November, she was just warming up some soup after another long shift – she was far too tired to cook – when there was a tap on the door. When she saw who it was, her face lit up.

‘Why, Ivy, this is a nice surprise. Why didn’t you just let yourself in with your key?’ Although Ivy no longer lived there she had insisted that she should keep her key in case she ever wished to pop round.

‘I didn’t like to,’ Ivy answered in a small voice and as Holly drew her into the light she gasped. The whole of one side of her poor face was covered in a purple bruise and her eye was closed again.

Something in Holly snapped. ‘Who did this to you?’ she growled. ‘And don’t tell me that you tripped into a door or fell over this time because I’m not an idiot!’

Ivy stared at her and suddenly burst into tears. ‘Me an’ Jeremy had a big fight,’ she admitted in a wobbly voice. ‘It were about the weddin’ an’ he lost his temper. He didn’t mean it though an’ he’s ever so sorry now. It were my fault for keepin’ on about it.’

‘Your fault!’ Holly was appalled. ‘But there is nothing in the world that should make a man hit a woman! One of the reasons you left home was because you couldn’t bear to see your father hitting your mother. And why shouldn’t you ask him about the wedding? You have a baby due in a few months’ time for goodness’ sake and it’s only natural that you should want a ring on your finger!’

‘Ah, but Jeremy’s so busy, you see.’

Holly couldn’t believe her friend was still rushing to his defence and sighed. She was clearly upset enough without her going on at her so gently she asked, ‘Where is he now?’

‘H-he’s away for a few days, followin’ a story.’

‘Hmm, and do you ever get to glimpse these stories in his notes or see his name in the newspaper?’

Ivy frowned. Now that she came to think of it, Holly had a point. She had never found any paperwork in their rooms but then perhaps he kept them at the newspaper office?

She swayed and Holly quickly pressed her into the nearest fireside chair. ‘Have you eaten?’

When Ivy shook her head she hurried across to the pan on the stove and ladled some of the soup into a dish then sawed off a thick wedge of bread from the loaf in the bread bin and placed them on a tray, which she carried over to Ivy.

She then went and fetched a bowl for herself but by the time she sat down Ivy had wolfed everything on the tray. Holly handed her her own portion and when Ivy went to protest she smiled. ‘Please eat it, I’m really not that hungry and I can have some bread and cheese.’ Within seconds that dish was empty too, so Holly cut her a large wedge of fruit cake. Ivy then swallowed two cups of steaming hot tea one after the other and when she had finished she rubbed her stomach and leaned back in the chair contentedly.