yRing for the Nurse(33)

           



       

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."