left the coal pits of South-West Durham to manage an iron mine at Eston.
Of course, his real reason for being there was so he could be near Katie for Billy was in love with her; couldn’t remember a time when he was not. She knew that, but now that Katie had achieved her ambition of being accepted for nursing training, she was not about to give it all up to become a housewife. Maybe in three years’ time when she had finished her training. Or better still, five years when she would be a qualified midwife with a bit of luck. Or even something higher? A ward sister? But usually her imagination gave up when she thought of that, a ward sister was altogether too exalted a position for a lass from Winton Colliery.
Katie exchanged her white nurse’s cap for the outdoor regulation one and wrapped her cloak close around her before closing the door of her tiny room in the Nurses’ Home and leaving the building. She hurried along the side path to the imposing iron gates at the entrance.
‘Evening nurse,’ the porter’s voice came from inside the lodge where he sat muffled against the cold. ‘Merry Christmas.’
‘Merry Christmas,’ Katie echoed, ‘I’m just popping out for a breath of air.’ She hurried along the damp pavement to the corner for it was strictly forbidden to have followers hanging round the hospital gates. Around her, mist from the river rose and curled as the tide ran in from Teesport. In the distance a ship’s fog horn blew eerily.
Billy was there, stamping his feet against the cold and rubbing his hands together. Katie hurried up to him.
‘I’m not very late, am I? Only Sister keeps finding something else for me to do—’
‘Merry Christmas, Katie Benfield.’ He interrupted her explanation by taking hold of her by both arms and kissing her quickly on the lips.
‘Oh! Merry Christmas,’ said Katie, rather breathlessly. She could still feel the soft but firm touch of his lips against her own and they tingled, confusing her. ‘I – I can’t stay long mind.’
‘I thought we could go into the Station Hotel and have a drink though,’ said Billy.
‘I’m in uniform, I can’t go for a drink.’
‘Well, we can have a cup of coffee in the lounge, there’s nothing to take exception to in that, is there?’
‘No, I suppose not.’
So long as no one saw her, she thought. That was the trouble with meeting him so late in the evening. There were no tea shops open. Sitting in a deep, plush armchair in a corner of the lounge, half-hidden from the few other customers by an enormous Christmas tree, she felt a little safer. It was warm, and the coffee hot and milky though it still tasted bitter to Katie. She felt she would never get used to drinking coffee.
Billy felt in his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, square package and gave it to her. Katie looked at it, her heart sinking a little.
‘What is it?’
‘Why don’t you open it and see?’
Slowly, Katie undid the wrapping and looked at the jewel-box. It was a deep blue and bore the inscription, ‘ Northern Goldsmiths’. Inside there was an engagement ring, three diamonds set in gold.
‘I—’
‘Don’t say anything for a minute, please,’ said Billy. ‘I want you to know how much I love you. I’m a surveyor now, I’m doing well, Katie. We could be married, I’d get an official’s house, they have bathrooms and everything. We could even buy our own house—’
‘Billy, it’s a lovely ring. But I have to finish my training. You know that’s what I want. I can’t marry you for years and years and it’s not fair keeping you waiting.’ She held the ring out to him.
‘Katie, don’t turn me down. I will wait, I don’t want to but I will. Look, keep the ring, I’ll get you a gold chain so that you can wear it around your neck, under your uniform. Please, Katie.’
Katie looked at him. By, she thought he was such a lovely lad. He deserved a nice girl, one who would be happy to stay at home and have bairns. His
Of course, his real reason for being there was so he could be near Katie for Billy was in love with her; couldn’t remember a time when he was not. She knew that, but now that Katie had achieved her ambition of being accepted for nursing training, she was not about to give it all up to become a housewife. Maybe in three years’ time when she had finished her training. Or better still, five years when she would be a qualified midwife with a bit of luck. Or even something higher? A ward sister? But usually her imagination gave up when she thought of that, a ward sister was altogether too exalted a position for a lass from Winton Colliery.
Katie exchanged her white nurse’s cap for the outdoor regulation one and wrapped her cloak close around her before closing the door of her tiny room in the Nurses’ Home and leaving the building. She hurried along the side path to the imposing iron gates at the entrance.
‘Evening nurse,’ the porter’s voice came from inside the lodge where he sat muffled against the cold. ‘Merry Christmas.’
‘Merry Christmas,’ Katie echoed, ‘I’m just popping out for a breath of air.’ She hurried along the damp pavement to the corner for it was strictly forbidden to have followers hanging round the hospital gates. Around her, mist from the river rose and curled as the tide ran in from Teesport. In the distance a ship’s fog horn blew eerily.
Billy was there, stamping his feet against the cold and rubbing his hands together. Katie hurried up to him.
‘I’m not very late, am I? Only Sister keeps finding something else for me to do—’
‘Merry Christmas, Katie Benfield.’ He interrupted her explanation by taking hold of her by both arms and kissing her quickly on the lips.
‘Oh! Merry Christmas,’ said Katie, rather breathlessly. She could still feel the soft but firm touch of his lips against her own and they tingled, confusing her. ‘I – I can’t stay long mind.’
‘I thought we could go into the Station Hotel and have a drink though,’ said Billy.
‘I’m in uniform, I can’t go for a drink.’
‘Well, we can have a cup of coffee in the lounge, there’s nothing to take exception to in that, is there?’
‘No, I suppose not.’
So long as no one saw her, she thought. That was the trouble with meeting him so late in the evening. There were no tea shops open. Sitting in a deep, plush armchair in a corner of the lounge, half-hidden from the few other customers by an enormous Christmas tree, she felt a little safer. It was warm, and the coffee hot and milky though it still tasted bitter to Katie. She felt she would never get used to drinking coffee.
Billy felt in his jacket pocket and pulled out a small, square package and gave it to her. Katie looked at it, her heart sinking a little.
‘What is it?’
‘Why don’t you open it and see?’
Slowly, Katie undid the wrapping and looked at the jewel-box. It was a deep blue and bore the inscription, ‘ Northern Goldsmiths’. Inside there was an engagement ring, three diamonds set in gold.
‘I—’
‘Don’t say anything for a minute, please,’ said Billy. ‘I want you to know how much I love you. I’m a surveyor now, I’m doing well, Katie. We could be married, I’d get an official’s house, they have bathrooms and everything. We could even buy our own house—’
‘Billy, it’s a lovely ring. But I have to finish my training. You know that’s what I want. I can’t marry you for years and years and it’s not fair keeping you waiting.’ She held the ring out to him.
‘Katie, don’t turn me down. I will wait, I don’t want to but I will. Look, keep the ring, I’ll get you a gold chain so that you can wear it around your neck, under your uniform. Please, Katie.’
Katie looked at him. By, she thought he was such a lovely lad. He deserved a nice girl, one who would be happy to stay at home and have bairns. His
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