since and was anxious to find out what had happened.
But one look at his grim, unsmiling face when he arrived on the ward and Dora felt her stomach sink. She sent him a questioning look but he just gave the slightest shake of his head before disappearing into the sluice.
Dora quickly checked the coast was clear before slipping in after him.
‘I can’t be too long,’ she whispered. ‘Sister is with a patient behind the screens, but she could appear at any moment . . .’ She stared into Nick’s face. ‘It isn’t good news, is it?’ He shook his head. ‘Why? Don’t tell me Ruby’s changed her mind?’ That would be just like her friend, raising their hopes only to dash them again.
‘Oh, no, she still wants a divorce. This new man of hers is mad keen to wed, she reckons.’
‘Then what’s stopping us?’
‘Divorces cost money.’
‘How much money?’
‘Fifty pounds.’
Dora gulped at the figure. It was far more than she’d expected. ‘Well, we knew it wouldn’t be cheap, didn’t we? We talked about how we’d manage. We wouldn’t need a lot to live on. I could try and find some shift work, we could pay it off in instalments—’
Nick shook his head. ‘It ain’t going to work like that. The solicitor wants it all up front.’ He looked grim. ‘It ain’t like buying a new couch, Dor. You can’t do it on HP.’
She reeled. ‘But who has that sort of money?’
He shrugged. ‘Rich people. Why do you think the likes of us never get divorced?’
Dora gripped the cold hard edge of the steel sink for support. She’d been so sure she and Nick would be together soon, but now her dream had been snatched away again.
‘I’m sorry, Dora.’ Nick’s voice was gruff. ‘It’s a kick in the teeth, ain’t it?’
‘Well, it ain’t the best news I’ve heard all day, that’s for sure.’
‘And the worst of it is I had that much saved up, until Ruby got her hands on it.’
For as long as Dora had known him, Nick had been saving his money for the chance to go to America. He’d had big plans to make it as a champion boxer over there, and had also hoped that the doctors in America might have the treatment that would make his brother Danny better.
But marriage to Ruby had put paid to his dreams. She had got into trouble running up debts all over town, and Nick had had to pay them off. It had taken every penny he had ever saved.
Dora looked at his downcast expression. ‘Don’t get too fed up about it,’ she said bracingly. ‘We saved the money before, we can do it again. And once I’ve passed my State Finals, I’ll be earning a bit more.’
His expression darkened. ‘It’s not fair you should have to help pay for my mistake.’
She put out her hand to cover his. ‘It’s our future I’m saving for, Nick Riley.’
‘I suppose you’re right.’ He gave a reluctant smile. ‘Tell you what, I’ll go and see Jimmy my old trainer. He should be able to fix me up with a few fights.’
Dora frowned. ‘Are you sure that’s a good idea? You haven’t been in the ring for months. Not since you fractured your pelvis—’
She suppressed a shudder at the memory. Nick had almost been killed last October, and it still terrified her to think how close she had come to losing him. His injuries had healed well, but she wasn’t sure how he would fare in the ring.
‘We’ll find out, won’t we?’ He shrugged his broad shoulders. ‘What else can I do?’
‘I don’t want you hurt.’
He grinned. ‘You know me, love. I haven’t met the bloke yet who can lay a glove on me!’
Chapter Ten
‘ WHAT DO YOU MEAN, he’s disappeared?’ Lucy demanded once she was face to face with her mother.
‘I told you, he’s vanished into thin air.’ Lady Clarissa curled up in a leather-covered wing armchair, as small and fragile-looking as a child. ‘I telephoned his office but he hasn’t been seen for three days.’ She lifted a glass shakily to her lips.
‘Have you tried his club?’ Lucy
But one look at his grim, unsmiling face when he arrived on the ward and Dora felt her stomach sink. She sent him a questioning look but he just gave the slightest shake of his head before disappearing into the sluice.
Dora quickly checked the coast was clear before slipping in after him.
‘I can’t be too long,’ she whispered. ‘Sister is with a patient behind the screens, but she could appear at any moment . . .’ She stared into Nick’s face. ‘It isn’t good news, is it?’ He shook his head. ‘Why? Don’t tell me Ruby’s changed her mind?’ That would be just like her friend, raising their hopes only to dash them again.
‘Oh, no, she still wants a divorce. This new man of hers is mad keen to wed, she reckons.’
‘Then what’s stopping us?’
‘Divorces cost money.’
‘How much money?’
‘Fifty pounds.’
Dora gulped at the figure. It was far more than she’d expected. ‘Well, we knew it wouldn’t be cheap, didn’t we? We talked about how we’d manage. We wouldn’t need a lot to live on. I could try and find some shift work, we could pay it off in instalments—’
Nick shook his head. ‘It ain’t going to work like that. The solicitor wants it all up front.’ He looked grim. ‘It ain’t like buying a new couch, Dor. You can’t do it on HP.’
She reeled. ‘But who has that sort of money?’
He shrugged. ‘Rich people. Why do you think the likes of us never get divorced?’
Dora gripped the cold hard edge of the steel sink for support. She’d been so sure she and Nick would be together soon, but now her dream had been snatched away again.
‘I’m sorry, Dora.’ Nick’s voice was gruff. ‘It’s a kick in the teeth, ain’t it?’
‘Well, it ain’t the best news I’ve heard all day, that’s for sure.’
‘And the worst of it is I had that much saved up, until Ruby got her hands on it.’
For as long as Dora had known him, Nick had been saving his money for the chance to go to America. He’d had big plans to make it as a champion boxer over there, and had also hoped that the doctors in America might have the treatment that would make his brother Danny better.
But marriage to Ruby had put paid to his dreams. She had got into trouble running up debts all over town, and Nick had had to pay them off. It had taken every penny he had ever saved.
Dora looked at his downcast expression. ‘Don’t get too fed up about it,’ she said bracingly. ‘We saved the money before, we can do it again. And once I’ve passed my State Finals, I’ll be earning a bit more.’
His expression darkened. ‘It’s not fair you should have to help pay for my mistake.’
She put out her hand to cover his. ‘It’s our future I’m saving for, Nick Riley.’
‘I suppose you’re right.’ He gave a reluctant smile. ‘Tell you what, I’ll go and see Jimmy my old trainer. He should be able to fix me up with a few fights.’
Dora frowned. ‘Are you sure that’s a good idea? You haven’t been in the ring for months. Not since you fractured your pelvis—’
She suppressed a shudder at the memory. Nick had almost been killed last October, and it still terrified her to think how close she had come to losing him. His injuries had healed well, but she wasn’t sure how he would fare in the ring.
‘We’ll find out, won’t we?’ He shrugged his broad shoulders. ‘What else can I do?’
‘I don’t want you hurt.’
He grinned. ‘You know me, love. I haven’t met the bloke yet who can lay a glove on me!’
Chapter Ten
‘ WHAT DO YOU MEAN, he’s disappeared?’ Lucy demanded once she was face to face with her mother.
‘I told you, he’s vanished into thin air.’ Lady Clarissa curled up in a leather-covered wing armchair, as small and fragile-looking as a child. ‘I telephoned his office but he hasn’t been seen for three days.’ She lifted a glass shakily to her lips.
‘Have you tried his club?’ Lucy
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