Connie’s Courage. Annie Groves

to see growing in you,’ Matron concluded ominously. ‘Virtues which, I fear, are currently lacking in you.

      ‘The only reason you are not now facing dismissal and disgrace is because of those members of my staff who have expressed their faith in you. I trust you will not let them down!’

      ‘Connie, are you all right?’

      ‘What did she say?’

      Connie looked from Mavis’s concerned face to Josie’s anxious one. There was no sign of Vera, and somehow Connie was not surprised. She could well understand that Vera would feel uncomfortable having to face her so soon after having laid the blame for what had happened entirely on her shoulders.

      ‘She said I am to have another chance,’ Connie told them shakily. ‘Oh Connie!’

      As they both hugged her tightly, Connie could feel the tears rolling down her face. ‘Oh, I was so frightened I would be sent away,’ she admitted.

      ‘Vera’s been let off as well,’ Josie informed her. ‘Haven’t you, Vera?’ she added, as the other girl came into the room.

      Although Connie looked immediately toward her, Vera refused to meet her gaze, her face turning a guilty red, before she turned it away and tossed her head defensively, sniffing unconvincingly, ‘Pooh, I don’t know what all the fuss was about!’

      ‘Vera, there’s something I wanted to ask you about …’ Connie began quietly.

      But before she could finish what she had been about to say, Vera broke in quickly, ‘I can’t stay, I’ve got to get back on me ward.’

      Silently Connie watched her leave. One of the links in their friendship had been broken by the lie Vera had told to protect herself, and Connie knew that things would never be quite the same between them.

      And Connie was right. Whilst on the surface the four of them remained firm friends, a subtle shift in their loyalties began to develop over the months that followed. Connie emerged as the leader of what, essentially, was a trio of herself, Mavis and Josie, whilst Vera began to distance herself from them.

      They still went out together on their rare evenings off, the music hall remaining a favourite venue, especially when George Lashwood was appearing. But whilst she retained her mischievous sense of fun, Connie was becoming increasingly involved in her work.

      And then, out of the blue, Vera, announced that she was walking out with a young man she had met at the music hall.

      ‘If I’m going to be skivvying, then I might as well be doing it in me own home and not this bloody Infirmary,’ she told them sharply. ‘Bert’s dad has a little bit of a business that Bert is going to take over from him, and I reckon, if I play me cards right, I could be married to him within the year, and mistress of me own house.’

      ‘But I thought you wanted to be a nurse,’ Mavis protested.

      They were in their room, drinking the sweet, hot cocoa Connie had made in the kitchen and brought up for them all.

      ‘Maybe I did, but I’ve changed me mind,’ Vera told her tossing her head. ‘I’ll give it ‘til Christmas and then I’m off!’

      None of them said anything but Connie was not surprised. She had suspected from certain comments that Vera had made to her that she would leave.

      To her own relief she was not as upset by this as she had thought she would be. She and Vera had been close friends, and two of a kind, or so Connie had thought, but increasingly recently she had begun to grow impatient of Vera’s constant complaints and time-wasting tricks.

      Only this morning Sister had praised Connie’s bandaging, and told her approvingly that she had done a very professional job. The glow of satisfaction that praise had given her, had felt much better than the pleasure Connie had once got from being rebellious.

      It was Mavis with whom she felt she had the most in common now, as they discussed what they were learning, and how much they enjoyed their work. And although neither of them ever said, there was a shared awareness between them that they had both come from homes and backgrounds a little higher up the social scale than either Josie or Vera.

      Where, originally, she had found Mavis’s similarity to her sister Ellie got her back up, now Connie found it strengthened her affection for Mavis, and made her feel closer to her.

      ‘I’m going Christmas shopping today, Mavis,’ Connie announced, as she sat down with her breakfast opposite the other girl, she stifled a yawn. There had been an emergency on the ward the previous night, a patient suffering from delirium, and Connie had quick-wittedly noticed that something was wrong, and hurried to tell Sister.

      ‘You and me have the same half-day, we could go together if you fancied it? Josie was saying that they’ve got all the Christmas decorations up now in the shops on Bold Street, and in George Henry Lee’s.’

      ‘Connie, what a good idea,’ Mavis replied enthusiastically. ‘I haven’t done my Christmas shopping, yet. I want to get something special for everyone, my mother, my sister, and, of course, Harry, my brother.’

      Connie had heard a great deal about Mavis’s family since they had become more friendly, and, every now and again, when Mavis was talking about them, a sharp spear of pain pierced Connie’s heart, and she felt very envious. Mavis’s closeness to her family brought home her separation from hers. She missed them so much. Especially Ellie, even though once she had thought she would hate her elder sister for ever. She was an older and a wiser Connie now than that girlish Connie had been.

      Unlike Connie, Mavis’s brother was older than her, and her sister, younger, but when she talked about her family and the happiness of her life before the death of her father, Connie couldn’t help recalling, again, how happy her own life had been before her mother had died.

      ‘I do feel for you, dear Connie, in not having the comfort of a brother or sister!’ Mavis said gently, now.

      Connie bit her lip. ‘I do have a sister, Mavis, and … and two brothers, but after our mother died we were split up. Then my father remarried and …’

      ‘Oh, Connie how dreadful for you!’

      ‘Yes, it was,’ Connie agreed bleakly, tears pricking her eyes. ‘If you don’t mind, Mavis. I prefer not to talk about it …’

      ‘No, of course. I understand!’ Mavis assured her sympathetically, squeezing her hand gently.

      She couldn’t say too much about her family, Connie acknowledged, because after all she could hardly tell Mavis the full truth. She could just imagine how Mavis would turn away from her in shock and disgust, if she knew what she had done. And Connie knew how much she would hate that. There was a bond growing between her and Mavis which Connie deeply valued.

      For once, there was no mischievousness or teasing in Connie’s eyes as she looked at her friend, and said truthfully, ‘You have become as dear to me as a sister, Mavis.’

      ‘Oh, Connie!’ Tears in her eyes, Mavis flung her arms around Connie and hugged her tightly. ‘That is exactly how I feel about you!’

      ‘Do Josie and Vera want to come shopping with us?’ Mavis asked, when they had released one another with pleased and shamefaced, emotional smiles.

      Connie shook her head. ‘Josie is going to see her aunt, and Vera doesn’t want to come.’ Connie gave a small sigh. ‘She’s changed since she met Bert. You know she says that she isn’t going to continue with her training.’

      ‘Well, to be honest, I don’t think she would have made a very good nurse. Not like you, Connie!’ Mavis responded.

      ‘Me?’ Connie gave her an astonished look. ‘You are the Miss Goody Two Shoes,’ she reminded Mavis, teasingly. ‘I’m always getting into trouble.’

      ‘I don’t suppose I should tell you this, but I heard Sister saying that you are a natural.’

      Connie tried to look nonchalant, but her