Christmas for the Halfpenny Orphans. Cathy Sharp

My niece’s youngest daughter had that – it burst and she died. They couldn’t do nothin’ for her – pray God, Sister don’t go the same. Whatever shall we do without her?’

      ‘We shall have to manage as best we can until she comes back,’ Angela said calmly. ‘We have good nurses in Michelle and Wendy, and Paula too. I’m sure we shall manage.’

      ‘But Sister is always here,’ Muriel said. ‘We all turn to her when we need her. Does Nan know? She’ll be dreadfully upset. She’s very fond of Sister – as am I.’

      ‘Yes, I’m sure everyone is,’ Angela said. ‘But if we all continue to do our jobs as normal we shall manage. Hopefully it won’t be for too long.’ Angela believed this, though she knew there would be no time for any extras, like the party to celebrate the opening of the new wing; that would have to be cancelled now.

      ‘It might be for the best,’ Cook said dolefully, dabbing at her eyes with her white apron that was smeared with some kind of sauce. ‘I don’t like the sound of it, though – emergency operation isn’t good, Angela. It isn’t good at all …’

      ‘No, it’s very upsetting,’ Angela said. ‘But I assure you, I can manage the office work as usual and the nurses will all do their duty.’

      ‘But Sister tells me what to cook for the children – some of them have special diets and she’s always the one that works out what’s right for them. I’ll do my best, but I’m not sure I can manage without her guidance …’

      ‘I will consult with Michelle or Wendy and tell you what’s needed.’ Angela sighed inwardly. Sister Beatrice had no doubt been a tower of strength, but there was no reason things should collapse because she’d been taken ill. ‘I dare say Sister has a record of things like that in her office.’

      ‘Yes, perhaps,’ Cook said. ‘But it won’t be the same. We discuss all the menus over a cup of tea and a slice of my best fatless sponge and … oh well, I suppose we’ll manage somehow.’ She sighed heavily. ‘But if anything should happen …’

      Angela suppressed a feeling of irritation. She’d thought Muriel was her friend, but it seemed that old loyalties were the strongest. She would simply have to show them all that she was perfectly capable of managing at St Saviour’s without Sister’s help.

      ‘We must pray Sister returns to us soon,’ she said. ‘I’d better go and find Nan – she’ll be terribly upset if she learns of Sister’s illness from somewhere else …’

      ‘I knew something was wrong with her,’ Nan said after Angela had persuaded her to sit down and have a cup of tea with her in the staff room. ‘I sensed it and she looked so tired – but I thought that she might not have been sleeping because of what happened with Terry. She still blames herself, even now …’

      ‘Sister has been tired and anxious of late,’ agreed Angela. ‘I suspect she’s been suffering nagging pains for a while but carried on working regardless when she ought to have gone to the doctor.’

      ‘Beatrice is like that,’ Nan said. ‘She holds things inside, won’t give in to whatever is upsetting her. She went through a terrible time as a young woman, before she joined the nuns, and I imagine she got used to hiding pain. I didn’t know her back then, but she’s told me a few things over the years … I do know she was married for a time, and I believe there was a child, but I can’t say more than that.’

      Angela didn’t press her for details, even though the news that Sister had been married came as a considerable surprise. Occasionally she had wondered what Sister’s life had been like before she became a nun, but it had never occurred to her that Beatrice might have been married. Though she told herself it was none of her business what terrible sorrow had driven Beatrice to give up all worldly things and enter a convent, she couldn’t help wishing she knew more – perhaps if she understood more of why Sister was so passionate about her work at St Saviour’s and why she felt that Angela was trying to undermine her role when all she wanted was to help, then she would know how to reassure her that was not the case.

      ‘Let’s hope that holding back won’t have cost her her life,’ Angela said.

      ‘I don’t know what we would do without her,’ Nan said in a mournful tone. ‘I know you do a lot of the office work now, Angela, but … everyone respects Sister Beatrice: the nurses and carers, children – and the locals too. So many people stop her when she goes out, asking for her help. And every month she goes into the slums to visit families and check their health and give advice, making sure mothers know how to sterilise the babies’ bottles – lots of small but significant things like that.’