continued softly. ‘That is why mothers don’t go out to work unless they absolutely have to.’
She looked back at Julie. ‘You’re very young, Sister Harris, and although you’re highly qualified as a midwife, you have no experience of the sheer effort and commitment it takes to raise a child. It would be impossible for you to care for William and fulfil your duties as a nurse without a family to support and guide you.’ She eyed her sternly. ‘I assume this Bill has a family – give the baby to them.’
Julie reddened and couldn’t look Matron in the eye. ‘They live in Yorkshire,’ she murmured, ‘and although Franny wrote to them about the baby, she never received a reply. I don’t think—’
‘I suspected that might be the case,’ said Matron with a sigh. ‘It’s always very difficult for families to accept a child born out of wedlock – even if it is purported to be their son’s.’
Julie didn’t like the inference that Franny’s baby might not have been Bill’s, but she kept silent, not wishing to antagonise the woman further.
Matron stood deep in thought for a long moment. ‘Do you have any other family who might help you?’
‘There’s me older sister, Eileen,’ Julie saiddoubtfully. ‘But she moved down to Cliffehaven on the south coast years ago and we’ve lost touch.’
‘Then I suggest you try and reach her. She could be your only hope.’
Julie doubted it very much. Eileen had made it pretty clear she wanted nothing to do with the family once she’d left. There had been no letters, no visits, not even a passed-on message, and Julie had no idea of whether she was married or not – or even still in Cliffehaven. ‘I’ll write to her and tell her what’s happened,’ Julie murmured. ‘But it’s an old address, and she might have moved on.’
Matron took a deep breath, her expression stern. ‘Let us hope she is willing to take on the child,’ she said, ‘because if she isn’t, and you decide to go ahead with this foolish plan to raise him yourself, you will have to resign.’
Julie’s heart was hammering, her thoughts in a whirl. ‘William won’t be out of hospital for a few weeks yet,’ she said in a rush, ‘and I’ll need time to try and make proper arrangements for us both. May I stay until then?’
‘Of course,’ Matron replied. ‘We are short-staffed and your work here is invaluable. Perhaps those few weeks will give you time to rethink this wild plan of yours and help you to see that fostering, or adoption, is really the only answer.’
Julie watched her leave the kitchen with her tea tray. Her back was ramrod straight, her head erect, each step purposeful and unhurried. Matron Starkey’sadvice was valid, her common sense practical and wise, but Julie could not – would not – break her promise to Franny.
And yet, keeping William posed a legion of problems which hadn’t occurred to her in that rush of grief and love. Now, in the cold reality of Matron’s concise assessment of the situation, they appeared to be insurmountable.
Chapter Five
JULIE HADN’T THOUGHT she would sleep after that conversation with Matron, but once she’d bathed and climbed into bed she knew nothing more until the lights were switched on at six the next morning.
‘Hello, sleepyhead,’ murmured Lily. She perched on Julie’s bed in her brother’s striped pyjamas, which swamped her tiny frame. ‘Matron told us all what ’appened, so there’s no need to go through it all again,’ she said softly. ‘How’re you feeling?’
‘Like I’ve been run over by a bus,’ Julie groaned as she struggled to sit up. ‘I ache in places I never knew I had.’ She drew the rough blanket to her chin, shivering in the cold that had iced the inside of the windows and whistled under the door. ‘I’m sorry you got lumbered with extra work yesterday,’ she said, taking her friend’s hand.
‘You’d’ve done the same for me,’ Lily replied lightly. Her wide blue eyes
She looked back at Julie. ‘You’re very young, Sister Harris, and although you’re highly qualified as a midwife, you have no experience of the sheer effort and commitment it takes to raise a child. It would be impossible for you to care for William and fulfil your duties as a nurse without a family to support and guide you.’ She eyed her sternly. ‘I assume this Bill has a family – give the baby to them.’
Julie reddened and couldn’t look Matron in the eye. ‘They live in Yorkshire,’ she murmured, ‘and although Franny wrote to them about the baby, she never received a reply. I don’t think—’
‘I suspected that might be the case,’ said Matron with a sigh. ‘It’s always very difficult for families to accept a child born out of wedlock – even if it is purported to be their son’s.’
Julie didn’t like the inference that Franny’s baby might not have been Bill’s, but she kept silent, not wishing to antagonise the woman further.
Matron stood deep in thought for a long moment. ‘Do you have any other family who might help you?’
‘There’s me older sister, Eileen,’ Julie saiddoubtfully. ‘But she moved down to Cliffehaven on the south coast years ago and we’ve lost touch.’
‘Then I suggest you try and reach her. She could be your only hope.’
Julie doubted it very much. Eileen had made it pretty clear she wanted nothing to do with the family once she’d left. There had been no letters, no visits, not even a passed-on message, and Julie had no idea of whether she was married or not – or even still in Cliffehaven. ‘I’ll write to her and tell her what’s happened,’ Julie murmured. ‘But it’s an old address, and she might have moved on.’
Matron took a deep breath, her expression stern. ‘Let us hope she is willing to take on the child,’ she said, ‘because if she isn’t, and you decide to go ahead with this foolish plan to raise him yourself, you will have to resign.’
Julie’s heart was hammering, her thoughts in a whirl. ‘William won’t be out of hospital for a few weeks yet,’ she said in a rush, ‘and I’ll need time to try and make proper arrangements for us both. May I stay until then?’
‘Of course,’ Matron replied. ‘We are short-staffed and your work here is invaluable. Perhaps those few weeks will give you time to rethink this wild plan of yours and help you to see that fostering, or adoption, is really the only answer.’
Julie watched her leave the kitchen with her tea tray. Her back was ramrod straight, her head erect, each step purposeful and unhurried. Matron Starkey’sadvice was valid, her common sense practical and wise, but Julie could not – would not – break her promise to Franny.
And yet, keeping William posed a legion of problems which hadn’t occurred to her in that rush of grief and love. Now, in the cold reality of Matron’s concise assessment of the situation, they appeared to be insurmountable.
Chapter Five
JULIE HADN’T THOUGHT she would sleep after that conversation with Matron, but once she’d bathed and climbed into bed she knew nothing more until the lights were switched on at six the next morning.
‘Hello, sleepyhead,’ murmured Lily. She perched on Julie’s bed in her brother’s striped pyjamas, which swamped her tiny frame. ‘Matron told us all what ’appened, so there’s no need to go through it all again,’ she said softly. ‘How’re you feeling?’
‘Like I’ve been run over by a bus,’ Julie groaned as she struggled to sit up. ‘I ache in places I never knew I had.’ She drew the rough blanket to her chin, shivering in the cold that had iced the inside of the windows and whistled under the door. ‘I’m sorry you got lumbered with extra work yesterday,’ she said, taking her friend’s hand.
‘You’d’ve done the same for me,’ Lily replied lightly. Her wide blue eyes
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