"Isn't she the…? You know…Her with the Doctor?"

How many times Shelagh had heard that in the past week she had lost count and she so wished she had the words and courage to respond. Catching Trixie's eye across the small side room in the Parish Hall she smiled ruefully.

"Ignore it" Trixie murmured. She had heard the whispers too and the scandalous, bordering on salacious gossip that was working its way around the community about their local Doctor and a Nun but, unlike her friend, Trixie had not been afraid to respond in kind.

Shelagh closed her ears and turned her attentions to the freshly printed leaflets in front of her ready for the vaccination programme that was due to commence soon, ready to rustle up her team of 'volunteers' to start the deliveries this afternoon.

"I'm going to take these back to Nonnatus now they are all in order" she told Trixie who had started to fold nappies beside her.

"I am so glad I escaped that task!" Trixie commented, eyes wandering over the piles of paper. "Trudging through the streets for hours on end!"

Shelagh smiled. "I've have managed to rope Fred in! Peter and Patrick were my next targets but they were otherwise engaged!"

"Peter could slip a few under his tunic and post them on his beat. Save us the leg work." Trixie responded to a fit of the giggles from them both that induced head turning amongst the waiting mothers. "And Dr Turner has his car, which would be useful too to save us carrying them! You should have worked harder on them!" Trixie teased.

Trixie smiled as she noticed Shelagh go to put on her coat ready to take the box back to Nonnatus.

"We were going to have a game of Monopoly tonight" Trixie said. "Would you like to join us? It can be like the old times!"

Shelagh was touched.

"I would love to".

Later than evening whilst the girls had congregated in Jenny's room Chummy sat cross legged, Freddie nestled in the wealth of her skirt acting as his temporary hammock.

"He looks oddly comfortable" Cynthia remarked taking the small hand that was hovering, relaxed by the side of the Monopoly board. She smiled that even in sleep, small fingers flexed to grab hold of her.

"You know him" she said, straightening his cardigan. "I am sure if he tried it, he could sleep upside down. One really does not want to think that one gave birth to a bat!" Laughter permeated around the room as Jenny handed around bundles of money; her turn to be bank.

"Just think" Trixie ruminated, taking a bundle of notes, "this might be the last chance we have to do this together at Nonnatus"

"Don't say that!" Cynthia responded. "There's no reason why we can't do this in the future, just in a different place".

"Is there any news on where we are all going?" Shelagh asked, taking a sip of Advocaat; something she was gaining a taste for in this new life.

"You don't know?" Jenny asked, not able to keep the surprise out of her voice.

"No. Nobody has said anything".

"I would have thought Sister Julienne might have said something to you" Jenny continued, knowing how close Shelagh and the Sister had been wondering if perhaps there had been secrets that she had been party to.

"No. Not word" she replied, eyes peeking over the edge of her glass as she took another sip.

"We all could be going to ends of the earth then". For Trixie it was oddly melancholy.

"He will find a way for us all Trixie" Shelagh said, squeezing her friend's arm. "I am positive about it".

Before they could question her any further there was there was a knock on the door and it opened a crack.

"Hello?" came a male voice.

"Peter? You're not meant to be here" Chummy said, realising that it sounded almost accusatory.

"I know" he replied, deciding not to step too far into the room. "Too many bodies for the shift. The Inspector mixed the rotas up for next week so I was sent home. Have you eaten yet?"

"No".

"Good because I was thinking of you, me and him in the café at the end of the Dock Road".

Chummy smiled at him. "You see girls - this is what married life is. A dribbling baby and occasional supper out in a café round the corner! The romance of it."

Peter just smiled at her and walked away.

"Do you all mind if I go?"

She heard a round of 'not at all' and quite used now to undertaking most tasks one handed she scooped up the baby and stood up ready to follow him.

"Enjoy yourselves!" she said, seeing Shelagh also stand up.

"Before we start I must go to the bathroom!" she announced before following Chummy out of the room.

Some minutes later Peter, Chummy and Fred left Nonnatus for their dinner destination, Chummy picking up her letters from the hallway table that she had been meaning to collect all day. She found a note tucked inside another envelope.

"Can we have another conversation in the chapel when you get back? S"