to do something to make sure her friend stayed safe.
And so she did the only thing she could. She told her mother. Peggy was diagnosed with a nervous breakdown and taken away for treatment.
She had been careful to keep William’s name out of it to protect him. No one else at the Nightingale ever guessed he was part of the reason Peggy had gone.
And now he had chosen to tell Millie about her. Helen had never known him confide in anyone else before. It made her wonder if perhaps Millie meant more to him than either of them realised.
Chapter Thirty-Five
ON A SATURDAY afternoon a week later, the three of them caught the bus into The Strand. While Dora and Millie chatted on the seat in front, Helen sat behind looking around her apprehensively. She half expected her mother to appear at any moment and send her back to the hospital.
As they passed St Paul’s Cathedral, they saw workmen busy building stands along Ludgate Hill ready for the King’s Jubilee. Two days later His Majesty would travel by carriage from Buckingham Palace for a thanksgiving service in St Paul’s, and the whole city was in a state of high excitement. Especially Millie, who was going to watch the parade with some of her friends.
‘I do hope the sun shines,’ she said, looking up at the gloomy grey sky. ‘It will be so much nicer if the weather’s fine.’
‘I know what you mean,’ Dora said. ‘We’re planning a street party and we don’t want it to be a wash out.’
‘A street party?’ Millie looked intrigued. ‘What is that, exactly? I don’t think I’ve ever been to one.’
‘Never been to a street party? Then you haven’t lived!’ Dora laughed. ‘We’re always having them down our way. Any excuse to get the flags out!’
‘It sounds wonderful,’ Millie sighed. ‘I think I’d much rather come to your street party than watch the procession.’
‘What, and miss the chance to see the King?’ Dora looked astonished.
‘But I’ve seen the King, remember?’ Millie reminded her. ‘When I was presented at court.’
‘So you were. I’d forgotten you were practically royalty!’ Dora laughed.
Millie twisted round in her seat to face Helen. ‘What are you doing for the Jubilee?’ she asked.
‘Working, as usual.’
‘You mean you didn’t manage to get the day off? How awful for you.’ Helen listened to Millie sympathise. She didn’t like to tell her she didn’t have any plans anyway. Everyone else in the country seemed to be having a party, or going into town with friends to celebrate, except Helen.
She felt like such dull company as she listened to them chatting away. She hoped they didn’t regret bringing her along.
They got off the bus in The Strand and walked down to Lyons’ Corner House. As it was a busy Saturday afternoon there was quite a queue waiting outside but Dora and Millie didn’t seem to mind as they joined the end. Helen looked nervously at her watch.
‘Are you sure we’re going to have time?’ she said. ‘We’ve got to be back in our uniforms and on the wards by five, and it’s nearly half-past three now.’
‘Stop fretting, we have ages,’ Millie reassured her breezily. ‘Honestly, this queue will move in no time, and the service is so quick in here. They don’t call the waitresses Nippies for nothing, you know!’
Helen tried to smile and to join in with their chatter and laughter, but she was beginning to feel anxious about the idea of going out. She didn’t usually venture far from the hospital on her break, just in case she couldn’t get back on time. Mostly she stayed in her room, studying or else writing to her mother. She had no idea when she was going to finish today’s letter. Her mother would be most upset if a day went by without hearing from her.
‘Here we are,’ Millie said, as they approached the plate-glass doors. ‘You see? I told you we wouldn’t have to wait long.’
The seater showed them into the cheerful, brightly lit restaurant and guided them to a vacant table.
Helen had visited the local Corner House with her mother, but Dora had never been inside such a place before. Helen could see her trying to keep her excitement under control as she gawped around at the glowing lights overhead, and the walls which were richly decorated with pictures. Heavy draped curtains hung at the windows. A band played softly over in the corner.
‘It’s like a palace,’ she breathed.
‘Wait until you try the food.’ Millie picked