‘Nurse Duffield?’

I am not going to miss that voice, Grace thought as she turned around, pinning a smile to her face.

‘Yes, Sister?’ Even the carping ward sister could not destroy her sunny mood.

‘Where have you been all this time?’

‘One of the patients on Wilson needed cleaning up, Sister.’

Miss Sutton’s mouth pursed. ‘Dr Carlyle has informed me you’re moving,’ she snapped. ‘I can’t say I’ll be sorry to see you go.’

I can’t say I will, either, Grace thought.

‘But you’re still here now, and there is work to be done.’ The ward sister’s beady eyes were narrowed under the doughy folds of her face. ‘There is a new patient on their way up from Admissions. See to him, please, and put him in Private Gordon’s old bed.’

‘Yes, Sister.’

‘And do stop smiling, Nurse. It’s one thing for a nurse to look cheerful, but you seem positively manic.’

I don’t care, Grace thought, as Miss Sutton plodded away. Dr Carlyle’s warm praise still glowed inside her, and not even Sister could take that away from her.

The double doors swung open and two orderlies appeared, bearing a stretcher with a hunched shape covered in a blanket. Grace went over to them.

‘He’s to go over there, bed three,’ she instructed. She picked up his notes. ‘It’s all right, we’ll soon have you nice and comfortable, Private—’ She saw the name on the notes, and the words died on her lips.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Dear Tom,

Thank you for your letter. As you can see, my knitting has not improved since the last pair of socks I sent you! But they will help keep your feet nice and dry, and that is the main thing. It has barely stopped raining here, and every time I see it, I think about you and Edward and all the poor men out there in your trenches. I do hope the weather will improve for you soon.

It was so nice of you to remember Papa, and to include a letter for him. I’m sure he will appreciate it. As it happens, I received a letter from Mother only this morning, giving their new address. She says she and Papa are settling in well in Germany. They are staying with some distant cousins, but are hoping to find a place of their own soon. Mother says everyone has been very kind to them, but I fear she’s putting on a brave face for my sake. As she says, we must make the best of the situation. But I do miss her and Papa dreadfully, even though it has only been a couple of weeks since they left. I can still scarcely allow myself to think that I might never see them again …

A tear splashed on to the paper, and Anna blotted it carefully to stop it smudging the writing. She wished she could stop crying. Sister had commented on her red-rimmed eyes that morning.

‘Really, Nurse Beck, don’t you think the men have enough problems of their own without seeing your long face?’ she had scolded. ‘Cheerfulness is what they need.’