I have never experienced such incredible luxury. I just took a long, hot bath, complete with a thick blanket of fragrant soap bubbles. Hot water, as much as I wanted! Then I dried off with a warm, fluffy towel, feeling like the very Queen herself. The pillows on my bed are fat with feathers, and my mattress is as soft as a cloud. Mrs Carstairs is in the room next door, getting what she described to me as “beauty sleep”. I can only imagine that anyone who slept on one of these delightful beds would wake up looking beautiful. Before I left this morning, everyone gave me good wishes at breakfast. For once, I had no appetite at all, and merely sipped some tea. Then, I went back to the dormitory and checked my carpetbag one last time. Sister Judith brought Nora in, and the two of us sat together on her bunk for a time. I gave her Mummy’s china cat, and did my best to soothe her tears. “You goin’ down the big ship now?” she asked finally.
