The gifts were laid out and there was a good deal of enthusiasm in the ward. I was sure the idea was going to be a success.

And then Dr. Charles Fenwick arrived.

Henrietta’s premonition proved to be correct. If he was not exactly handsome, he was good-looking and certainly charming; he must have been about thirty and there was an earnestness about him which implied that he was dedicated to his work. When Henrietta and I received him, he was delighted to find two Englishwomen installed in the place, and our common nationality meant that friendship sprang up immediately.

Henrietta said it was blissful to have someone to talk to in English, and when I raised my eyebrows she added: “I mean of the masculine gender.”

He asked a great many questions about everything and he thought our Christmas plan was an excellent one. He spent a lot of time with Dr. Bruckner and Dr. Kratz, and each day went round the ward with them. He wanted to know the details of every case and the doctors compared notes; it was clear that Dr. Fenwick had a great respect for the methods employed at Kaiserwald.

He did walk with us once or twice in the forest. He thought the scenery enchanting and said he was sorry his visit would not be of long duration. He might stay six weeks at the most.

He smiled at us both as though to imply that we should be one of the reasons perhaps the main one for his regrets.

But I told him that we ourselves would be leaving in a month or so. We had been allowed to come for three months and that time was drawing to a close. It was only due to Henrietta’s connection with Miss Nightingale that we had been given permission to come at all.

“I see,” said Dr. Fenwick, ‘that they would not have expected ladies like you two to be of much use. How wrong they were! But I suppose neither of you had had any experience of nursing before. “

“None at all,” I told him.

“But Anna has a feel for the work,” said Henrietta.

“Even H.D. has noticed it and given grudging approval.”

“I realized that at once.”

He talked about the appalling conditions of hospitals throughout the world and to our shame our own country was no exception but fortunately there were places like Kaiserswerth and its subsidiaries and attempts were being made there to improve matters. He spoke of the patients, discussing their symptoms with us as Dr. Bruckner and Dr. Kratz never had, and when he went on to speak of home, I could see that he was anxious about the way events were moving.

“Is Russia still at war with Turkey?” I asked.

“We heard of it just before we left England.”

“It is rather alarming,” he said.

“When that sort of thing starts, one never knows where it will spread to. For a long time Russia has coveted the riches of Constantinople and the Sultan.”

“Thank Heaven it is all happening far from home,” said Henrietta.

Dr. Fenwick looked at her seriously.

“Wars have a habit of involving those who are far away.”

“You don’t think we shall be involved in all this nonsense?”

“I wish I could say no with conviction, but we cannot allow Russia to become too powerful. Besides, we are under obligation to the Turks.

The Prime Minister is against war. “

“Do you mean that we … in England … could be at war?”

“If the situation develops, yes. Palmerston is all for war, and the people are behind him. I don’t really like the look of things. People glorify war. To the man in the street, safely at home, it is all flag-waving and patriotic songs. It is a little different for the poor soldier. The sights I have seen … wounded … dead …”

“This is a very sombre conversation with Christmas just round the corner,” said Henrietta.

“Forgive me. I get carried away.”

He laughed, and we talked about the Christmas revelries and whether I was going to make H. D. agree that I was right.

But I felt uneasy.

However, that was all far away and here we were . Christmas time in the heart of the forest and mountains. It would be a Christmas quite different from anything we had known before.

I woke on the day with a tingling sense of excitement. There was no time to luxuriate in bed. It was five o’clock time to rise.

I looked across at Henrietta; she was fast asleep. I got out of bed and went to her. She looked very pretty with her curling hair in disarray so innocent, childlike almost. A wave of tenderness swept over me when I thought of all the hardships she had endured and how different her life was now from what it would have been had she married Lord Carlton. Yet she appeared to have no regrets. She talked a great deal about freedom. I understood, of course. I myself had the same respect for it.

“Wake up,” I said.

“And happy Christmas.”

She opened her eyes slowly and looked at me.

“Oh, leave me alone,” she wailed.

“I was having such a beautiful dream. I was in the forest and a wicked old troll came running after me. A handsome knight came riding by and was just about to rescue me. Guess who?”

“Could it possibly have been Dr. Charles Fenwick?”

She shook her head.

“Nothing so predictable … and really far more exciting. He wore a mask over his face and when he took it off, there he was black-haired, black-eyed, entirely wicked . our Demon Doctor. It was so maddening to be awakened just at that moment. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. You know, Anna, we have been rather forgetful of The Project all these weeks. I don’t think you have given any thought to anything but that Christmas tree. “

“It has taken a certain amount of planning, and then we have our other more arduous duties.”

“Oh, why didn’t you let me stay there in the forest with our Demon?”

“Come on. We’ll be late for breakfast.”

What a day it was! It stands out in my memory for ever. I was amazed what a transformation those Christmas trees made to the ward. Those who were well enough talked excitedly to each other and for days there had been a buzz of anticipation.

And now . Christmas Day! I thought of the festive season in India when the English community there were so anxious to make what they called an English Christmas. But how could they do that? It never seemed to be right somehow. The traditional Christmases I had known had been at the rectory, with the children’s party in the church hall and the carol singers coming round, standing at the gates, bearing lanterns, singing the carols we knew, out of tune perhaps, but that did not matter; and the services in church with the choir boys proclaiming in innocent, impersonal voices the glory of Christ’s birth, but in a way which betrayed that their thoughts were far away, and they were all the more moving because of that. Goose . and Christmas pudding brought to the table in a coating of brandy flames.

And Grace’s homemade wine and the services in church. These were the Christmases I remembered; the Christmases at the Minster, with the knowledge that Aubrey and I were growing farther and farther apart; Christmases with Julian the crib I had put in the nursery and the little baby Jesus who was to be slipped into it on Christmas Day, as I told myself that the next year he would understand what it was all about. But there was not to be a next year for him.

Christmas was a time for remembrance, and I had a feeling that this was going to be one which I should remember forever.

The excitement of the present-giving was all I had anticipated. Dr. Fenwick picked the numbers; Henrietta picked the names; and I found the present and took it to the patient for whom it was intended.

It was amazing how much pleasure these little gifts gave. It was not so much the handkerchief or the fan or the little jars and boxes; it was the spirit of Christmas; the fact that there was a day set apart from the others.

The presentation had taken place after the midday meal, and we gave a little concert if that was not too grand a name to put to it. One of the nurses played the recorder, and Dr. Kratz gave a performance on the violin. Henrietta, who had quite a pretty voice, sang.

I was deeply moved to watch her. She sang a variety of songs the old English ones which the patients could not have understood, but they loved them. It was all spontaneous and her choice was wide. We had The Vicar of Bray followed by Annie Laurie, Come, Lasses and Lads, followed by Early One Morning. She conveyed the exuberance of the country people so vividly that although they could not understand the words, they were aware of the sentiments expressed. With her fair curly hair looser about her face than she normally wore it for working the wards, she looked beautiful.

I noticed Dr. Fenwick watching her as she sang and I thought:

I believe he is falling in love with her.

It seemed to me so very natural that a man should fall in love with Henrietta.

The Christmas venture was as no one could deny an outstanding success, and with the honesty of the strong, the Head Deaconess did not attempt to do so. Others might have carped a little. It could have been said that some of the patients were overtired or that it had been disturbing for those who were very ill; but it was not. The advantages had far outweighed the disadvantages.

The Head Deaconess called Henrietta and me to her study and said: “It was very commendable. The doctors have nothing but praise. You both worked very hard, and did not neglect your other duties. “

“Who could believe it!” said Henrietta as we left her.

“Do you know, I think she almost smiled. She could not quite achieve such a tremendous undertaking, but I could see it was beginning to break out.”