yRing for the Nurse(28)

       
           



       

Unconsciously Felicity tilted her chin a trifle higher as she turned to face him.

"Then I suppose, sir-with your permission-I might as well leave in the  morning. There appears to be no reason whatever for me to prolong my  stay-it would, in fact, be unfair to Matron." She found herself taking a  deep breath as she went on. "You told me you were afraid of placing any  added responsibility on the Mackerleys-you were quite right, I realize  that with the staff difficulties that exist today, they have as much as  they can manage already, but then I did not know Miss Jason would be  here-as she said, she can easily give, you what help you need." Although  Guy Brenton made to interrupt, Felicity, ignoring him, went on. "I'm  sure Miss Jason could learn to do your dressings and apart from the help  which you'll need until your arm is out of plaster-which no doubt  Mackerley could give you-there remains only the question of guarding  against any after effects of concussion. Mr. MacFarlayne didn't want  you, for the first few days, to take any strenuous exercise on your  own." She paused for a moment, then added, "I am sure Miss Jason won't  mind accompanying you."

"But it was arranged, you were to-"

Deliberately she forestalled Guy Brenton's argument. "Well, good-night. I  shall not be leaving until the afternoon, that will give me an  opportunity of showing Miss Jason what to do-there are one or two other  details too, but don't let that bother you, I'll see that everything Is  left in order."





CHAPTER THIRTEEN



With that perversity which is inexplicable, Felicity found herself not  only willing, but anxious to get up long before anyone else at Weir  Court appeared to be stirring. The sound of a cock crowing had been the  first thing to penetrate her consciousness; to some it might be an  annoyance but to her, as she lay in her four-poster bed, it was  pleasing, that shrill note symbolic of the English countryside, nature's  call waking the world to another day. She had watched the rosy tints of  dawn filter gradually into her room, bathing the dark furnishing with a  soft radiance until suddenly the first rays of the sun swept away the  lingering shadows and patches of bright light dappled the painted walls  and danced on the satin eiderdown.



Sounds of movement now echoed through the house and, unable any longer  to restrain her impatience, Felicity slipped from her bed and began to  dress; her familiar uniform was her obvious choice and since she would  be returning to hospital that day, clothes now seemed of slight  importance. It was still barely eight o'clock and uncertain whether to  make her appearance so early, she crossed to her window and throwing it  wide, leaned out, her two hands gripping the sill. As she breathed in  the sweet morning air and her eyes rested on the dew-drenched lawns and  flower beds, she was overwhelmed by a deep sense-of nostalgia, a longing  for her own home, for Somerset-for anything which would take her away  from the closed-in atmosphere of London. If only she could have stayed  here for a few more days, enjoyed a brief spell of all this  loveliness-she stifled a sigh ... yet one day soon she'd hear from Tony  and then a new life in a new world would stretch before her. But the  thought was not unmixed with doubt, he'd arranged now to come home to  fetch her, yet to leave England ... Felicity crossed deliberately to the  door, there must surely be someone about now and anyway, it was time  she attended to her patient's breakfast.

"Good morning!"

Felicity looked up in surprise as through the opened door of the  dining-room she saw Colonel Brenton already seated at the breakfast  table. Entering the room she returned his greeting.

"I had no idea you would be breakfasting so early, I was frightened to  come down too soon," she explained with an apologetic smile.

"We are early risers here-but that doesn't mean we expect our guests to  be early too." He stood up to pull out a chair for her, then with that  genial courtesy which marked his personality, waited for her to be  seated.

"If you don't mind-I think I should get Mr. Brenton's tray first," Felicity demurred.                       
       
           



       

"Sit down and have your breakfast, my dear. Guy finished his some time ago, he is round at the stables now."

A warm flush mounted Felicity's cheeks. "Oh-surely not!" she protested,  unable to keep the note of concern from her voice. "I-I had no idea, he  shouldn't have done that- he ought to have sent for me-"

"Now don't worry, sit down and eat your breakfast, he has got to  accustom himself to managing alone so I suppose he felt, since you were  leaving today, the sooner he made a start the better."

"He has told you I'm leaving?" Felicity had now no alternative but to  take the proffered chair, but the colour still stained her cheeks and  there was an air of appeal in the glance she threw her companion.

"Yes, he told me at breakfast this morning," Colonel Brenton admitted  briefly, then, apparently unwilling to pursue the subject, busied  himself passing her the dishes set out on the hot-plate.

"No-no, nothing, thank you, just coffee-and toast." After a brief  uncomfortable silence, she queried, "You do understand about me leaving,  don't you? I mean you do agree that it's useless for me to stay?"

"My dear girl, why ask me?" He spoke gently and for a second rested his  hand on Felicity's. "I am sure you would only do what you felt to be  right. Guy managed quite well this morning, at least with Mackerley's  help-still I am rather concerned as to what will happen after the  plaster is removed, I understand that the original operation was fairly  extensive and that dressings may be required at first," he admitted with  a note of doubt.

"I don't think any definite time has yet been decided for the removal of  the plaster-Mr. Brenton was X-rayed yesterday morning before we left, I  wasn't on duty, I didn't hear the result, but I don't imagine there  will be any question of removal for another week or so."

"My son tells me that the X-ray result was excellent. Bones uniting  well-I don't know if that is the medical jargon-but didn't he tell you?  Mr. MacFarlayne is coming down tomorrow afternoon to remove the plaster.  That was arranged before Guy left yesterday."

"No, I didn't know," Felicity admitted shortly. Guy Brenton had not told  her, he had hardly spoken to her since living hospital and not even  troubled to volunteer that important information, although she was  entitled to know of such a decisive step. "He will certainly require a  nurse here to assist Mr. MacFarlayne. As he made no demur when I  suggested leaving, I imagine he is making other arrangements." No longer  able to hide her deep resentment, she rose to her feet. "Please excuse  me, I ought to-"

Colonel Brenton laid a restraining hand on Felicity's arm. "Come on to  the terrace, it's a lovely morning and far more pleasant out of doors."

Felicity had no option but to be led through the wide french windows  which gave access to the garden. At the back of the house the ground  sloped away and stone steps, bordered with trim box hedges, led down to a  circular rose garden where the closely pruned trees already showed a  profusion of buds.

"Nurse, do an old man a favour and let me show you round the grounds. I expect Guy has told you that flowers are my hobby."

Felicity felt that it would be ungracious to refuse and for the next  half-hour she gave herself up to the full enjoyment engendered by their  stroll through the gardens and orchard. Colonel Brenton took pleasure in  extolling the flavour of the velvet skinned peaches in the hothouse and  with justifiable pride pointed out the size of the magnificent  grape-vines, and it was only as they retraced their steps that his words  recalled her to the present. "There are things I should like to discuss  with you, will you be warm enough on the terrace?" As Felicity nodded  assent, he continued. "You see, I know my son very well, I realize how  difficult he can be, won't you try to bear with his trying ways?" he  asked, with a quizzical lift of his shaggy brows.

"I've good reason to know how difficult he can be, I worked for him long  before I nursed him," she explained with a wry smile. "Besides, I came  here with every intention of staying on for a few days if necessary."  Conscious of her companion's sympathetic understanding, Felicity could  no longer deny herself the relief of pouring out her troubles. "He  seemed to change yesterday ... from the moment we left hospital, he  allowed Miss Jason to have her way about everything and entirely ignored  any remonstrance I might make. I wasn't fussing either," she interposed  quickly, fearful that Colonel Brenton might put the wrong  interpretation on her story. "And when I told him last night I was going  back, he didn't even protest." Although now she came to consider the  matter, she wasn't sure she had given him any chance to demur.