Unexpected Correspondence

Chapter 6

"When this war is over, I am never ever going to wash a piece of cloth ever again." Flora complained to Kitty. The two of them were busy recycling bandages, Flora was washing them while Kitty passed the freshly cleaned pieces of cloth through the rollers of the mangle in order to press out the water. The work was almost unbearably dull, particularly for Kitty as she was usually quicker to dry the bandages than Flora was at washing them, so between batches of cloth she had to wait for Flora to finish.

"I suspect there will be a lot of things we won't ever do again once the war is over." Kitty replied.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do when the war is over?"

"A little. I have a lot of family problems to sort out when I get home. How about you?"

"I've been thinking about training to be a nurse." Flora admitted. "I know it will be really different to what we have been doing here, but it's been really good to be useful here. I finally feel like I've got something important to do."

"If you feel that way then you should definitely try it." Kitty told her supportively. "Just don't let Sister Quayle know, she's terrified that we will want to become nurses after being here."

Flora looked like she was about to say something disparaging of Sister Quayle but bit back whatever she was going to say as they both noticed Matron Carter approaching.

"Miss Marshall, I trust you can handle this task by yourself?" Flora nodded. "Miss Trevelyan, if you could follow me." Matron made to leave but paused and turned back around, she looked Flora up and down disparagingly. "Your uniform is incorrect, Marshall." Flora hastily adjusted herself as Kitty followed Matron to her office.

At the office, Matron gestured towards a seat as she sat down behind her desk. Taking the proffered seat, Kitty mentally ran through what she had been doing recently, wondering if any of her past actions was worthy of a reprimand, which she assumed was the purpose of this meeting. She panicked a little as she started to wonder if Matron had discovered her and Thomas's relationship.

"I have received orders that you are to meet Mr Elliott Vincent again in town." Matron stated. Kitty half relaxed as she first noticed that she was not being sent home before she tensed at the realisation that she would once again have to face her husband. "The orders state that the matter is of some importance." Matron continued, Kitty wondered what more Elliott could possibly have to say to her, she had given him everything he needed for the divorce, what else did he need from her?

"When?" Kitty asked quietly.

"Tomorrow afternoon, the meeting is scheduled for two o'clock." Matron replied. Kitty nodded absently, still deep in thought as to what she would do. "I don't mean to pry," Matron said, "but who is he?"

"My ex-husband." Grace looked stunned, clearly that had not been the answer she had been expecting.

"And your daughter?"

"He won't let me see her." They were both silent for a while, Kitty silently mourning the separation between her and Sylvia while Grace remained deep in thought. Eventually Grace broke the silence.

"It is difficult for a mother to be separated from her child." Grace hesitated, as if unsure whether or not to continue. "I understand that feeling more than you might expect." Kitty stared at her blankly for a moment, not comprehending what Grace had just disclosed before realisation suddenly dawned.

"What happened?"

"I had a son." Grace paused. "A long time ago." They did not speak again, both thinking about their own situations as well as each others. Grace silently dismissed Kitty and Kitty left with a much greater understanding of the stern Matron.

Kitty spent the rest of the day worrying about what would happen when she met Elliott. Before their last meeting, she had hoped that the separation meant he would have at least treated her civilly and not have attempted anything untoward, however she had been proven wrong so she did not know what to expect. She could not even hope that his new marriage/engagement would prevent him from trying anything as she had her suspicions that during their marriage he had been unfaithful, at the time she had just been grateful to be given a reprieve for the night.

Kitty did not even have her work to distract her from her worries as she was currently supervising two sleeping patients to ensure that they didn't tear at the stitches beneath their bandages. While her task was important, it did mean that she had a lot of time to think instead of focussing on bandaging or any other of the tasks she was usually assigned to.

From her seated position by the beds she heard the flap of the ward tent open and shut, glancing over she saw Thomas talking quietly to an amputee patient. Once finished he made a few notes on the clipboard at the bottom of the bed and then walked over to her. At his questioning look she gestured at the two patients.

"I'm supervising." He nodded understandingly. "Do you have a pass for tomorrow?" Kitty asked.

"No. Miles does."

"Oh." Kitty was somewhat disappointed.

"Why?"

"I have to go to town tomorrow, Elliott has demanded a meeting." She shook her head. "Last time that happened it didn't go so well, if it hadn't been for Miles, it could have gone a lot worse."

"I can get the pass off Miles if you would prefer me to be there." Thomas suggested. "He owes me a pass."

"I thought you were going to spend your free time working on a new paper?" Thomas shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'll bring my typewriter and get some work done, and we could get dinner afterwards to cheer you up."

"Are you sure?" Kitty asked uncertainly.

"Of course. Besides, I might get the opportunity to punch him. I couldn't pass up on that chance." Kitty smiled weakly at his attempt at humour, if they had been alone she would have hugged him.

She couldn't help but wonder at how her luck had changed, after her reputation had been ruined she had never dreamt that she would ever be given a second chance, let alone a second chance with someone who seemed determined to make her happy and calmly accepted a past many others would have turned their nose up at.

AN: So finally got around to updating this! This chapter we got some Kitty-Flora bonding as well as some Kitty-Grace bonding. I know there was a fan theory about Grace having a child she gave up so I've incorporated that into this chapter to give her and Kitty something in common although I'm unlikely to mention it again, but I thought some of you might like that little mention.

I know a few of you have already read 'Unexpected Revelations' but for those who haven't, I promised a few chapters back to write a confrontation between Miles and Thomas over Miles seeing Kitty and Thomas meeting in the woods, that confrontation (which takes place before this chapter of 'Unexpected Correspondence') is now up so if you're interested check it out.

Thanks to Lauretta92, Laura Argent, through-the-eye-of-a-needle and Margje for reviewing last chapter!