Free Come the Hour by Peggy Savage

was true. They were beautiful. She felt an ache in her heart and in her throat; she felt as if she were mother to them all. She felt their joy and their freedom and their hopes and plans for the future.
    The dark shadow touched her again. Was it true? Was the danger past? Or were these young people travelling into a future that they could never have imagined, or ever wanted.
    They all began to climb aboard, doors slammed. The guard blew his whistle. At least, she thought, Tessa and Charlie were away, out of London, out of that possible danger.
     
    The train arrived in Cambridge and unloaded, a scramble for bicycles from the guard’s van, a queue for taxis. Tessa and Charlie shared a taxi and Charlie arrived at his college first. ‘I don’t suppose I’ll see you till the weekend,’ he said. ‘I’ll leave you a note. We could have tea somewhere.’
    Tessa arrived at her college and stood in the hall with the other new arrivals, waiting to be told what to do.
    They were assigned to their rooms. Tessa’s was small, and looked rather bare. There was an iron bedstead with the bed already made up, a small table, a hard chair and a small easy chair, a chest of drawers and a wardrobe. A fire was laid in the fireplace and a scuttle of coal and some firelighters stood beside it. My home, she thought, for a year at least. They were to meet Miss Pritchard, their hall tutor, at five o’clock in her room.
    She unpacked and hung up her clothes, then went out into the corridor to find the bathrooms and lavatory. Another girl was wandering about, looking lost.
    Tessa smiled at her. ‘Do you know where the bathrooms are?’
    The girl shook her head. ‘I’ve just arrived; just finding my way.’
    Tessa held out her hand. ‘I’m Tessa Fielding.’
    The girl took her hand. ‘Rita Lane.’
    ‘I’m reading medicine,’ Tessa said. ‘What about you?’
    Rita’s face lit up. ‘Medicine too. That’s great. We can find our way about together.’
    They found the bathrooms. ‘There’s tea in the dining hall at four o’clock,’ Rita said. ‘I’ll come and get you. Which is your room?’
    They found the dining hall and had a cup of tea. The room was busy with young women chatting, reading, drinking tea and eating cake.
    ‘They all look very intelligent,’ Rita whispered. ‘I hope I can keep up.’
    ‘Me too, Tessa said.
    After tea they explored a little. They found the common room, furnished here and there, Tessa saw, with the kind of faded chintz that they had at home. She smiled. Very comfortable, very English. They walked a little in the garden, beginning to look wintry now, but still pretty, a nice place to study in the summer.
    ‘We’d better go in,’ Rita said. ‘We mustn’t be late for Miss Pritchard.’
    They assembled with the other newcomers in Miss Pritchard’s room. She was small and round, with grey hair pulled back into a bun. She was smiling and welcoming, but still managed to appear intimidating.
    She gave them a list of college rules and went through them one by one. They were to sign out if they went out in the evening and were to be back in college by ten o’clock. They were not to leave the university boundaries without special permission. All male visitors were to be out of college by six o’clock. They were allowed to dine out of Hall twice a week; any more often than that would need special permission. Behaviour was to be ladylike and decorous at all times.
    ‘Do remember,’ Miss Pritchard said, ’that there are at least ten male students for every woman at Cambridge, and consequently you may be overwhelmed with invitations.’ This produced a few giggles. ‘As if we’re going to have time,’ Rita whispered.
    They had dinner in Hall that evening, among all the older, confident-looking girls, then signed out and went for a little walk along the Backs, a walk that took them along the river behind Queens’ and King’s.
    ‘What a plethora of rules,’ Rita said. ‘All men to be out by six