Stepping out of the pantry from where they had just picked up the daily supply of milk for the nursery, Sister Ann and Dora exchanged a smile: they knew how the young postulant and the old nun regularly got into a flat spin over Ada’s health and well-being. Approaching the large kitchen table, Sister Ann, the Home’s Matron, said soothingly, ‘It’s inevitable that Ada will be upset after parting from her husband.’

‘It’s hard to keep smiling and putting on a brave face after saying goodbye to somebody you love,’ Dora added, with a catch in her voice. ‘It might break your heart into a thousand pieces, but it’s not you that’s going off to fight the enemy. The least you can do is send your loved one away with a smile on his face.’

‘Aye, you’re probably right,’ Sister Mary Paul sighed.

Knowing how the old nun liked to fuss, Sister Ann suggested that she might make Ada a hot cup of tea. ‘She’s busy doing some paperwork in her office.’

‘Good idea,’ Mary Paul immediately agreed. ‘I’ll pop along there right away.’

Ada was grateful for the cup of tea that Sister Mary Paul delivered to her, along with thin slices of warm home-made bread spread generously with butter from Mary Vale’s own farm.

‘Thank you, Sister.’ Ada smiled, then sipped the strong hot tea and nibbled the bread. ‘I need to build up my strength before Matron and I select the interviewees for my maternity-leave cover,’ she joked.

‘There’ll be none as good as you,’ Sister Mary Paul answered staunchly.

‘You never know,’ Ada teased. ‘They might be even better.’

Matron, known as Sister Ann in the convent, had initially rejected Ada’s offer of help.

‘You’ve got more than enough to do; I can handle the shortlist myself,’ she had insisted but Ada had remained firm.

‘When I leave Mary Vale to have my baby, I want to go secure in the knowledge that I can trust the person who will replace me.’

Seeing the steely determination in Ada’s steady gaze, Sister Ann conceded. ‘If you put it like that, I have no choice,’ Matron smiled. ‘We’ve had quite a number of applicants,’ she went on to explain. ‘Mostly nurses with little obstetrics experience; I’ve whittled the list down to three candidates.’ She laid three application forms on her desk. ‘They’re all skilled midwives with considerable experience but …’

‘But what?’ Ada enquired.

‘One’s nearing retirement age; another I really liked the sound of, but she has a history of back injuries.’

‘An occupational hazard with midwives,’ Ada pointed out. ‘Who’s the third applicant?’

‘A Sister Edith Mann from Harrogate,’ Matron replied. ‘She has excellent references and is available to start work immediately.’