Felicity halted her steps. "Now you've reminded me, I'd nearly forgotten. I haven't even been in to Mr. Brenton, I wonder if he wants any help." A flush mounted her cheeks. "It just shows you how fancy clothes takes one's mind off one's job," she added with a rueful laugh.
"I know the vicar is coming to dinner, and one or two other 'locals'. They are all awful bores, still it means that Guy will have to change so maybe he will want a hand with his tie, unless Mackerley's helped him."
Felicity felt almost diffident about entering Guy's room. It must be because she wasn't in uniform, she told herself defensively, it couldn't be anything else-couldn't be that she daren't face him alone! Unwilling, almost frightened to seek the solution, Felicity turned to Alaine. "Come along with me, I never could make a bow tie." She knew her words to be utterly unconvincing but it was obvious that Alaine, who was obediently retracing her steps beside Felicity, had detected nothing unusual in the request.
Felicity was grateful for Alaine's supporting presence when, following her tap on the door, Guy bade her enter. Alaine's guess had been remarkably near the truth. The bow tie having been too much of a problem, had been left dangling at the neck and he was now struggling ineffectively with a refractory pearl stud. "So my nurse has at least deigned to make an appearance." A hint of amusement took the sting from his words, particularly when, desisting from his struggle with the stud, he turned an appraising eye on Felicity. "I don't wonder, you must have been so busy dressing yourself that you couldn't spare a thought for your one-armed patient."
"Stop goggling at Felicity, what about my dress; like it?" Alaine pirouetted round to display the wide swing of her taffeta cocktail frock which billowed in rich folds to her ankles. "I know it's an eye-opener to see Felicity out of her starched atrocity, but that doesn't mean you can ignore me." She pouted charmingly as she threw back her head, displaying the long column of her neck emerging from the folds of the low-cut bodice.
"How about this tie?"
Felicity, as she stood before him, was suddenly overcome with confusion, her fingers felt like thumbs and she knew herself to be fumbling in the most irritating manner. Alaine's sudden departure to collect her handbag didn't help matters, and Felicity was uncomfortably aware that she had but to lift her head a bare inch to brush Guy's chin as he leaned above her.
"Not doing too well, are you?"
"Hold your head, I might do better then." With a last desperate effort she obtained some kind of result, then with a sigh of relief stood back. "Will that do?"
"I suppose it will have to." With his free hand Guy pulled it into shape.
If only her hands had been more steady! Felicity compressed her lips as she struggled for composure. "Now your jacket? Shall I tuck the sleeve in the pocket?" While she swung the jacket over his shoulder and added the few final adjustments she went on talking; she rarely spoke just for the sake of making conversation, yet at that particular moment she dreaded silence. "It will be much more comfortable for you tomorrow when you get this wretched plaster off. I hope you'll start, using your hand more too, you know you've slacked off again, you really should try to persevere."
"You'd better wait until you are in uniform if you want to start lecturing, it ill becomes you in that most alluring frock; quite out of place!" He smiled at her, then added, "Loosen this sling a bit, will you, it seems to be strangling me."
As he stooped for her to make the adjustment she was again conscious of his nearness. Her fingers seemed more awkward than ever as they struggled ineffectively with the taut knot of the sling, then with a sudden shock she felt his hand close firmly over hers, stilling their movement "What on earth's the matter with you? You seem to have become extraordinarily inefficient."
Despite the warm colour which had mounted her cheeks, Felicity felt her gaze drawn upwards towards his. Their faces were so close that she could feel his breath on her cheek, she felt held by those brown eyes, unable to move and utterly defenceless. His hand tightened over hers, imprisoning them in his grip, but when he spoke his voice held a note of unusual gentleness. "What is the matter? You aren't still dwelling on that nonsensical action of mine this morning, are you? You know it was nonsense, probably delayed delirium!" He forced a laugh, then added with quiet intensity, "Remember, I told you that it was only an expression of gratitude!"
It was Felicity's pride which came to her aid; she pulled her hands free and tilting up her chin, confronted her companion with a gaze as steady as his own. "You don't have to remind me, and please don't harbour any illusions that I misinterpreted your action."
"I see." As if by mutual consent they again lengthened the distance which separated them and now his tone was harsh. "I apologize if I misunderstood your nervousness-I believe we have guests, shall we go down?"
Alaine had been right, it was certainly a tedious dinner party, but to Felicity, recalling hundreds of such dinners which had been part of her life at home, it was no hardship. Alaine did little to hide her boredom and Felicity couldn't help wondering how she would ever cope with the social demands which would naturally fall upon her as Guy Brenton's wife. Whether here or in town she didn't see how Alaine could ever escape those obligations.
By ten o'clock Alaine was barely troubling to stifle her yawns, no doubt she was dwelling on her own ideas of a party, comparing this dull gathering with her own crowd of friends. Felicity intercepted one or two of the appealing glances she sent in Guv's direction, but if he saw them, he ignored them. It was obvious that he was again in no mood to give either sympathy or understanding.
"Telephone-for Nurse Dene." Mackerley's announcement interrupted a tedious discourse on the comparative merits of modern tractors. Felicity, although surprised by the unexpected call, was relieved at the diversion. Closing the library door behind her she crossed to the instrument. She had hardly lifted the receiver when she found Alaine at her elbow.
"I had to escape, I just had to-you didn't mind me following you, did you? I pretended that Mackerley had probably made a mistake, that I was waiting for a call and that it might be for me."
"It probably is! I certainly didn't expect to hear from any one." Felicity laughed, then spoke into the receiver. "Nurse Dene here, who is it? Oh, Diana, you! How lovely to hear your voice, how nice of you to ring-what?-what did you say?" She listened carefully, her expression betraying her excitement. "What on earth shall I do? How can I meet him? MacFarlayne comes down tomorrow afternoon to remove the plaster, I've got to be here, I've just got to!" There was a note of distress in her voice which could not fail to arouse Alaine's curiosity. Leaning towards Felicity she touched her arm to attract attention.
"What's up? What's the matter?"
"Hold on, Diana-just a moment. Felicity cradled the receiver in her hands and turned to Alaine. "A cable arrived at hospital for me. My friend, Nurse Weste, thought she'd better open it-it's from my brother, he is flying over and is due to land at London Airfield at eleven tomorrow! I'm supposed to meet him there, how can I?" There was a note of distress in her voice as she asked the question.
"I don't see why you can't-the airports not so far from here, I'll run you over in the car, it will be quite easy," Alaine suggested eagerly.
"You really think you could? That would be marvellous!" Felicity spoke again into the receiver, excitedly repeating Alaine's proposal. "I could spend a short time with him, then return here in time for MacFarlayne's arrival. I'll see Tony in town again on Monday. Yes-yes-" she responded to some remark of Diana's. "I expect I'll leave here Monday or Tuesday at the latest, once the plaster is off I'm sure Mr. Brenton will be able to manage."
After a short exchange of trivialities, Felicity replaced the receiver. A flush of excitement still stained her cheeks and her azure blue eyes reflected her inward happiness. Eagerly she turned to Alaine. "I'm so thrilled, I can't tell you, I'm just longing to see him again-I expected him, of course, but not just yet. I thought it would be next month some time, at least that's what I gathered from his last letter. It would be awful to have no one to meet him, you are a dear to offer to take me, I can't tell you what a relief that is; once we've met I don't mind him travelling to town alone, you see it won't be long before I go back myself."