Nurse Saxon's Patient (7 page)

CHAPTER V

Another week slipped by before Ian pronounced Garth fit to make the journey to his aunt
’
s home at Woodlands and to begin his convalescence there. The bandages still covered his hands and the plaster had not been removed, but the bandage had gone from his head and apart from a certain pallor and look of strain about his eyes he was more as Julie remembered him at the time of the last Hospital Ball.

To Ian
’
s obvious relief he had accepted the surgeon
’
s word that his
‘
fiancée
, Miss Maitland
’
, was coming to see him, and although he had expressed no surprise at the title thus given to Tan
s
y, there was a puzzled look in his eyes as he greeted her and as his glance rested on the ring on her finger, it was as if, Julie decided thoughtfully, watching him, he sensed that all was not as it should be, but as yet he could not pinpoint exactly what was wrong or why. She was a little worried in case he should question her, but as day followed day and he made no comment she relaxed a little, only the remaining look of bewilderment which she saw in his eyes from time to time worried her and made her a little uneasy.

Tansy, once the first visit was over and she realized that Garth had apparently accepted Ian
’
s definition of her status and reasons for visiting him, relaxed more in his company, but once, when she began to chatter about her work, Julie saw the bewilderment in his glance increase and she frowned at the other girl, warning her to be silent. It seemed that Tansy was not adverse to taking a hint, for she quickly changed the subject, but obviously found it difficult to think of anything which would prove of interest to them both.

‘
Am I having special privileges, Nurse?
’
Garth asked one afternoon as Tansy had left them.
‘
I mean
...
surely it isn
’
t visitors
’
day
every
day, is it?
’

‘
Not normally,
’
Julie told him
.
‘
We just thought that as you are rather a special case, and as
Mrs.
Andy
—
Mrs.
Crossman—is so interested in your welfare, it might be pleasant to have your
fiancée
call each day
...
help you to pass the time.
’

‘
That was very kind,
’
Garth said slowly,
‘
a kind thought, whose ever it was, but it doesn
’
t seem
fair
.
There must be other people in the hospital just as ill as I am and longing to see their dear ones more often than whatever short time is allowed. I ought not to be allowed extra things simply because of Aunt Lavinia
...’
Julie looked at him, and somehow, without his putting it into words, she knew he was trying to say he did not
want
Tansy coming to see him eve
r
y afternoon. Watching him closely these past days Julie had seen how tired he was after the girl
’
s visits, and knew that had she been in his place Tansy
’
s endless chatter would have driven her mad, but she could say none of these things.

‘
You
’
re going to Woodlands on Wednesday, all being well,
’
she told him instead.
‘
Miss
Maitlan
d
will no doubt come to see you there, but she won
’
t be able to visit you so often. It
’
s quite a drive out of town, and I understand she has to be within reach of her phone unless she is actually working.
’

‘
Must be a queer sort of job she has,
’
Garth murmured half to himself, so that Julie did not dare to answer, uncertain whether he remembered exactly what Tansy did or was simply trying to find out without asking the direct question.

When Tansy had visited him on Tuesday it came as a surprise to both Julie and to her patient to learn that
Mrs.
Andy had already been in touch with the girl and told her she would be welcome to spend the weekend at Woodlands if she cared to go. Tansy did not seem particularly excited as she passed on the information.

‘
I shall come down on Friday evening,
’
she told Garth,
‘
but I shall have to leave early Sunday as I
’
ve a recording session early on Monday morning and I don
’
t want to be late.
’

Garth, Julie noted, made polite noises, but it was obvious he was not quite certain what Tansy was talking about. Wondering how she might mention this to the other girl without upsetting her, Julie accompanied Tansy from the room, but before she had an opportunity to say anything Tansy began to speak, her words tumbling over one another in her haste to say all she wanted to say before Julie had to return to her patient.

‘
You
’
ll be there, won
’
t you, Nurse?
’
she asked quickly.
‘
At Woodlands, I mean. I understand you are to go with him?
’

‘
Yes, I
’
ll be there,
’
Julie assured her.
‘
As his nurse, of course.
’

‘
The main thing is you will be there,
’
Tansy said in evident relief.
‘
You
’
ve no idea what it was like the last time. His Aunt Lavinia is a wonderful woman, and I know she does some wonderful work for the town, helps a lot of people and all that sort of thing, but she makes me feel so
...
inadequate. I just don
’
t belong when she
’
s around. I
’
d like to feel you
’
re there, someone who knows me and who doesn
’
t look at me as though I
’
m something left over fr
o
m last night
’
s buffet meal
!’

‘
I
’
m sure
Mrs.
Andy would be dreadfully distressed if she ever dreamed she made you feel that way,
’
Julie said, half laughing.
‘
She wouldn
’
t upset anyone if she could help it. She goes out of her way to put people at their ease. You must have caught her in an off moment the last time you were there.
’

‘
It was what I said about the polished table.
’
Tansy grinned suddenly.
‘
It
’
s a massive
thin
g, acres and acres of it, and it shines so much you can see your face in it from a distance, no kidding. I said something about it being ideal to dance on. I was joking, of course, but the old lady took me seriously and I was off on the wrong foot from the word go. The same thing applied over a number of incidents—I can
’
t remember them all now, except one was that she asked me to sing and nobody got the jokes in the songs I sang. Guess they just weren
’
t their cup of tea, more for a
modern
, sophisticated party group, but I
’
d had no warning, I didn
’
t know what to expect or I
’
d have looked out something sweet and sugary.
’

‘
Somehow I don
’
t think that would have been right either,
’
Julie assured her gravely.
‘
I only know
Mrs.
Andy from what I
’
ve seen of her here at the hospital and what I
’
ve read in the papers, but I should imagine an old ballad, or a light,
modern
song with happy words and a gay tune would have filled the bill
...
or,
’
she frowned, trying to put herself in
Mrs.
Andy
’
s place,
‘
a folk song
...
they go down very well with people of all ages these days, and
Mrs.
Andy would like anything like that.
’

‘
I
’
ll have to mug one or two up for the weekend, then, just in case she asks me again,
’
Tansy commented,
‘
but somehow I don
’
t think she will. Her expression said that one such experience was more than enough for her.
Anyhow, I
’
m glad you
’
ll be there. I won
’
t feel so lost and bereft this time
!’

‘
You ought not to feel that way with
Mr.
Holroyd with you,
’
Julie chided her, but even without trying too hard she could sense exactly what Tansy meant.

Wednesday was a lovely day in late June. The sky was blue and the sun hot, but there was a cool little breeze coming through the sunshine roof of the huge limousine as Bailey,
Mrs.
Andy
’
s chauffeur, drove them through the lush country lanes to Woodlands.

Watching her patient, Julie saw how his face lifted gratefully to the breeze, how his eyes drank in the beauty of the countryside through which they passed, but his fingers, tips protruding from their bandages, curled and uncurled in tension until at last she could be silent no longer.

‘
What
’
s the matter?
’
she asked gently.
‘
Shall I ask him not to drive so quickly?
’

Garth looked at her in surprise and she realized she had made a mistake. He was not worrying about the speed at which they were travelling, a speed, she realized, which was reasonable enough, considering their vehicle, nor the competence of Bailey
’
s driving. In fact, it was obvious that his thoughts had been very much elsewhere.

‘
No,
’
he answered her with a quick smile.
‘
It isn
’
t that. I
’
m loving every second of this, I always do. If you
’
re thinking the accident has unnerved me, please forget it, Nurse. What is worrying me is how long are my hands going to be like this?
’
He moved his head, indicating the bandaged hands lying on his knees.
‘
Useless, helpless
...’

‘
Not for much longer,
’
Julie assured him.
‘
You
’
re making splendid progress, but these things won
’
t be hurried, you know. One simply can
’
t hurry them, or the whole effect is spoiled and all the effort has to be
ma
d
e
a second time
...
and you wouldn
’
t want to start right back at the beginning, would you?
’

‘
I want these,
’
he moved the bandaged limbs restlessly,
‘
free again as soon as possible. I want a pencil between my fingers again. I have a great deal of work to do
...
there
’
s so much extra yet necessary detail I
’
ve thought of ... if only there were someone with whom I could discuss all this, someone who
’
d be interested enough to make notes for me so that I
shan
’
t
forget by the time I call use my hands again.
’

‘
Perhaps I could do that,
’
Julie offered.
‘
I
’
d like to, if you could tell me exactly what you wanted and then read it over to make sure I
’
d done exactly as you asked.
’

‘
Would you?
’
There was no mistaking his glad acceptance.
‘
If you would I
’
d be everlastingly grateful,
’
he told her.
‘
When can we begin? Tomorrow? This afternoon, when we
’
ve seen Aunt Lavinia and Uncle Andrew?
’

‘
As soon as you like,
’
Julie assured him,
‘
once you
’
re settled in at Woodlands and recovered a little from the journey. We must make certain there are no bad effects, you see.
’

‘
There won
’
t be,
’
Garth said gaily.
‘
Everything
’
s going to be fine now we
’
re at Woodlands. I always got better from childish illnesses here more quickly than anywhere else, and this isn
’
t an illness, only a nuisance.
’
He looked out of the window as the big car swung round a curve in the road.
‘
Here we are,
’
he announced.
‘
Woodlands
’
gates
...
now the drive. You
’
ll see the house in a moment.
’

Julie looked about her in obedience to his gesture. To either side of the wide drive green, velvety lawns lay, carefully tended, bordered by brilliant flowers. The house came into view, long and low, white-painted and with green shutters set back against the white walls, the roof a pretty rose-coloured tile.

Mrs.
Crossman came out on to the flagged ter
ra
ce to greet them, and only afterwards did Julie learn she had been sitting at the long window for half an hour or more, watching for their arrival. Only the nurse could guess what an effort it cost the old lady not to reach out a helping hand to this boy she loved as if he were her own, but she watched with pride as, accepting Julie
’
s hand to help his injured ones, he descended from the car and went up the steps to meet his aunt and to press a kiss on the delicately tinted cheek.