‘If you hadn’t untied her she would have perished along with the others, that’s for sure.’

‘Others? Do you mean some were … some didn’t get away?’

‘Twenty-two children dead. It’s a tragedy.’

‘Oh no!’ May felt a sudden surge of panic. ‘The boys’ dormitory – my brother Gus …’

‘Don’t worry. The fire didn’t spread to that floor. Your brother will be fine. But you could have escaped easily, from what I hear. You were near the door. But you went back. You’re a brave girl.’

May looked down at her hands, wondering why they hurt so much. They were swathed in bandages. ‘My hands!’

‘You got burnt undoing those knots. But the doctor says they will heal. You will still be able to use them.’

May gazed at the bandages. Suppose the doctor was wrong. How would she survive if she could not use her hands? Suddenly another memory surfaced.

‘Angel? Is Angel all right?’

‘The little girl you had with you? Back in the nursery, safe and sound. No need to worry about her. Now lie back and try to sleep. You need to rest.’

May was woken from a doze by a hoarse voice calling her name. ‘May? May! Are you all right?’

She looked round and saw Jeannie leaning towards her from the next bed. Under the bandage her face was patched with red and black and her eyes were swollen. ‘I’m all right,’ she assured her. ‘How about you?’

‘I’ll be all right soon, I expect. But I wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for you. You saved my life.’

‘Oh well.’ May dropped her eyes. ‘I couldn’t just leave you there, could I?’

‘The others did,’ Jeannie said. ‘I kept yelling to them to untie me but they just ran.’

‘What happened to Nurse Baker and Margery? Why didn’t they untie you?’

Jeannie shrugged. ‘Don’t know. I didn’t see them.’

Dora came in with bowls of soup.

‘Well, now. I’ll have to feed you both, till you get the bandages off your hands. Who’s first?’

‘Feed May. I can wait.’

Dora sat May up and put a pillow behind her, then she perched on the bed and began to spoon soup into her mouth.

‘This is good!’ May said.

‘Special broth for our two wounded heroes.’

When May had finished, and Dora was feeding Jeannie, she asked, ‘How did the fire start?’

‘No one knows for sure. But they think the two nurses had a candle lit. Maybe they fell asleep without putting it out.’

‘So they’re to blame?’

‘Well, if they are, they’re well punished.’

‘How do you mean?’

‘It seems they died along with the children.’

‘That’s terrible.’

‘I don’t think so,’ Jeannie said. ‘If it was their fault they deserved it.’