Sophia went to one or two parties with her new friends, but they reminded her of David and she did not want to talk to other men and left almost at once. Living at home became less easy. Her mother began to depend on her to keep the servants happy and fetch library books and mix her medicines. Her father was quieter than ever.
She decided to return to nursing. The people in the Red Cross office questioned her at some length. Finally they asked if she was engaged, and she burst into tears, furious with herself. They gave her a cup of tea, though as she admitted to herself (but not to them), what she would have liked was a strong drink.
In March 1918 she was back in France, in time for the great German assault. She was kept busy. Amid so much suffering, her own sadness seemed less important.