‘I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have let you sleep. But I’ve only just woken up myself when Mrs Church arrived.’

‘Like a right pair of Sleeping Beauties, you were.’ Ida Church beamed. ‘I hardly liked to disturb you. Mind, I’m sure it did you both the world of good.’

Anna looked at her mother. At least she looked more rested now. Some of the grey pallor had gone from her face.

‘It’s no good for you, coming here to work as well as your nursing.’ Ida Church shook her head. ‘I dunno how you do it, I really don’t.’

‘It’s got to be done, Mrs Church.’ Anna shrugged on her coat. Even after a night in the warm kitchen, the damp cold seeped through to her skin.

‘I wonder why you’re bothering.’

Anna turned on her. ‘Because it’s Papa’s business, and we need to keep it going for him.’

‘Yes, but surely—’

‘You’d best be going, hadn’t you, Anna?’ Dorothy cut in before Ida Church could finish her sentence. ‘Don’t want you to be late, do we?’

‘I’ll see you tonight.’ Anna planted a quick kiss on her mother’s cheek.

At least Mrs Church was right about one thing: the rain had finally stopped. But it was bitterly cold, and the sun was still shrouded behind cloud, the pale sky reflected in ice-laced puddles.

Anna hurried up the alley into Chambord Street. Mrs Hudson was opening up the shop next door, her husband nowhere to be seen. She waved at Anna as she swept bloody sawdust from the doorway into the street.

Anna looked up at the sign above her father’s shop. Beck’s Bakery, it said, the curling gold letters cracked and faded with age. She remembered her father telling her how proud he was as he had stood on that very same spot as a young man, watching the sign writer painting those letters.

I wonder why you’re bothering. Mrs Church’s words came back to her.

Anna shook her head. Oh, Papa, she thought. Ida Church would never understand.

Dorothy Beck stood at the shop window, her teacup in her hand, and watched her daughter going up the street. Anna was so like her father, small and slight, with her dark colouring and lively face.

‘I dunno where she gets her energy from,’ Mrs Church commented, coming to stand behind Dorothy.

‘She’s determined, like her father.’ They were so similar, it made Dorothy’s heart ache.

Mrs Church was silent for a moment. Then in a quiet voice she said, ‘She doesn’t know, does she?’

Dorothy shook her head. ‘No.’

‘When are you going to tell her?’

‘I don’t know. Soon, I suppose.’

‘She’ll have to find out sometime.’

‘I know.’ Dorothy dragged her gaze from the window.

But she also knew it would break Anna’s heart.

CHAPTER FIVE

They had barely finished making up the last bed before the new convoy of war wounded began to arrive.

They knew they were on their way because crowds started to form beyond the hospital gates. They pressed against the railings, watching as the string of ambulances made their way up the gravel drive and circled around the main hospital building to the Casualty block.