paramount, after all. But Matron insisted the funds must go instead on providing some kind of – entertainment – for the nursing staff.’
‘What kind of entertainment?’
‘The Christmas dance. I made my feelings very clear at the time, warned her that funds were low and questioned the wisdom of frittering money away on such a frivolous activity. But Matron would have her way. Which is why we find ourselves in such a perilous financial situation now.’ She looked up at Miss Hanley, her face full of regret. ‘We mustn’t blame Miss Fox,’ she said with every appearance of sincerity. ‘She is new and inexperienced. She has no idea of our values, the way we do things at the Nightingale. If she chooses to spend hospital funds on allowing the nurses to get tipsy and cavort with the junior doctors, while vital stocks run low, well . . . what can we do?’
What indeed? Miss Hanley thought.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
‘DON’T LOOK NOW, duchess, but your young man’s got his eye on you again.’
Millie looked over her shoulder to where William stood hovering by the end of a patient’s bed at the far end of the ward, pretending to check their notes. He had taken to turning up at different times of the day, ostensibly checking on patients, taking an unusual interest in their welfare.
‘He’s persistent, I’ll say that for him,’ Blanche commented. ‘That’s the third time today he’s been to see Mrs Ruddock. The poor woman will start thinking she’s for the high jump if he keeps frowning at her notes like that.’
‘I do wish he’d go away,’ Millie sighed.
‘Go on, you must have a soft spot for him? He’s a handsome lad. I wouldn’t kick him out of bed, that’s for sure. Mind you,’ added Blanche, ‘I wouldn’t kick anyone out of bed, would I? I’d be skint otherwise!’
She cackled with laughter, and Millie joined in. In the six weeks she’d been on Wren she had learnt a lot from the women on the ward. And not just medical knowledge, either. Her grandmother would be shocked by some of the ideas she’d picked up.
William turned at the sound of their laughter, and smiled. Millie hurriedly went back to her polishing, in case the ward maid reported her again. The ward maids were the eyes and ears of the sisters, and Sister Wren’s maid Lettie Pike was especially vigilant.
‘Poor Dr Tremayne,’ Blanche said. ‘I s’pose you’ll be after marrying a lord or summat, won’t you, love?’
Blanche had been fascinated to find out about Millie’s family background. She’d laughed out loud at the idea of having methylated spirit rubbed into her backside by an Earl’s daughter.
Millie kept her entertained with stories about the balls and parties she had been to, and the grand families she mixed with. She was worried it might seem like bragging, but Blanche reckoned that listening to her was better than the films.
‘I’m not sure I want to marry anyone just yet,’ Millie said, rubbing hard at a tarnished spot on the brass plate beside Blanche’s bed. If only the local dignitaries who donated to the hospital knew how long the poor pros spent polishing their blessed name plaques, she thought, they might think twice about handing over the money.
‘Quite right, too,’ Blanche said, checking her lipstick in her mirror compact. ‘You should play hard to get. Don’t make the same mistakes I did, love. Not that there’s much chance of that, you being a real lady and everything.’ She smiled wryly.
‘You’re a real lady too, Blanche,’ Millie said.
‘Bless you, lovey.’ Blanche blushed pink with pleasure. ‘Ain’t nobody called me that in a long time. But that’s all going to change, see? Once Mr Cooper’s fixed me up and I’m out of this place, things are going to be different. I’m going to make a new start.’
‘On your sister’s farm?’ Millie had heard the story several times, but she knew Blanche never tired of talking about it. Her sister’s husband had just died, leaving her with five children and a rundown farm in Essex to look after. She’d asked Blanche if she would move down there and help her.
Millie could hardly imagine Blanche tottering around a farmyard in her high heels and red lipstick, but the idea seemed to cheer her up so much she didn’t want to dampen her spirits.
‘I can’t wait to get out of this place,’ Blanche said firmly. ‘This will be a new lease of life for me, with Elsie and the kids.’
‘It sounds wonderful,’ Millie agreed.
‘You