yRing for the Nurse(34)

       
           



       



"You won't see much of him if you are working." Alaine took a cigarette  from a silver box and fitted it carefully into her amber holder. "It's  going to be a bit difficult, isn't it?"

"Yes," Felicity agreed. "But he'll have plenty to do, heaps of old  friends to look up and I've no doubt he'll run down to Somerset to spend  a few days there." Although she so rarely smoked Felicity took a  cigarette from the box which Alaine offered, and with almost mechanical  action and still deep in thought, applied a match. "Tony made me give  provisional notice at St. Edwin's a few months ago, now it really means  leaving. You see, he wants me to return to America with him."

"What a thrill! Aren't you glad?"

"I don't know," Felicity admitted slowly. "I love England-America is rather frightening, I don't know if I'll like it."

Of course you will-I know I should, they know how to live out there,  they enjoy themselves, lots of entertaining and fun"-she pulled a  face-"not ghastly dinner parties like tonight."

"Poor Alaine, how bored you are!" Felicity teased. "Never mind, you'll  get used to it, it's all in the day's work and you can have fun as  well."

"I'm beginning to wonder whether I like Guy's friends any better than he  likes mine. The only time this place takes on any semblance of life is  when I invite some of my own crowd down. I didn't dare this weekend. I  thought Guy might resent it until he is fit again."

"I think you were wise." Felicity rose to her feet. "It will all work  out when you are married, I'm sure it will," she reassured Alaine. "And  now we'd better get back to the lounge, they'll begin to wonder what's  happened to us."

"They seem more interested in 'Fat Stock'," Alaine murmured under her breath as they joined the group round the lounge fire.

At least their reappearance seemed to arouse the company to the time and  in a few moments 'good nights' had been exchanged and Alaine made no  secret of the fact that she was thankful to see them go. "Has Felicity  told you her exciting news?" she began as soon as the door had closed  behind the last guest. Glad of the diversion she was causing she told  them the purport of the telephone call, then turned to Guy. "I can  borrow your car for Felicity, can't I, darling?"

"Of course you can have the car." Guy Brenton turned to Felicity. "You will meet your brother-then what are your plans?"

"I shall come back in time for Mr. MacFarlayne's visit in the afternoon. Naturally I must be here to assist him."

"And let your brother go back to town alone?" You can't do that,"  Colonel Brenton protested. "Bring him back with you, I won't hear of  anything else, he is welcome to stay just as long as he wants.  Frampton's boy ..." he murmured reminiscently. "I wonder, is he like his  father?"

"It's very kind of you-" Felicity began to protest but Guy broke in on her words.

"I think Father is right, it is the obvious thing to do. We shall, as my  father says, be delighted to welcome your brother. It will give you a  little time together before you return to St. Edwin's."

"I don't know how to thank you both and I know that Tony will appreciate  the invitation-" She broke off, at a loss for words, but her glowing  expression of gratitude gave all the necessary thanks.

Throughout her ministrations that evening, Guy remained moody and  taciturn, almost in silence she re-dressed his arm and settled him  comfortably for the night; then, closing his door gently behind her, she  made her way to her own room. Her heart was filled with pleasurable  anticipation of the morrow and even Guy's aloof attitude left her  entirely unmoved. And so it always would be in future, she told herself  firmly. His suggestion that she might possibly have misunderstood his  feelings had touched the very depth of her pride, had steeled her  forever against any show of weakness: from now on she would keep herself  well in hand, and without the slightest misgivings as to the future,  Felicity fell into a sound and untroubled sleep.                       
       
           



       





CHAPTER FIFTEEN



The best laid plans are apt to go astray and when a telephone call to  the airport the following morning elicited the fact that, owing to fog,  the trans-Atlantic plane would not land until the afternoon, it  completely upset all Alaine's and Felicity's arrangements.



"But you must come," Alaine insisted. "I don't see how you can do  otherwise, you ought to be there to meet your brother and as for this  Mr. MacDuff, or whatever his name is, well, he must manage without you,  that's all," she ended with finality.

"I've just got to be here this afternoon-you don't understand," Felicity  argued miserably. "I'm on duty here and it's my job-it's not even like  hospital, no one can take over for me-it can't be helped, I must stay."  She pushed back her coffee cup, she had no longer any appetite for  breakfast and the toast lay on her plate untouched.

"It does seem a pity, my dear," Colonel Brenton interposed. He was so  obviously distressed at her disappointment and eager to help, but, no  doubt recognizing the truth of Felicity's words, better than Alaine,  wisely refrained from argument.

Felicity was at least glad that Guy, breakfasting in his room, was as  yet ignorant of the controversy which had arisen. She had no idea what  his reaction would have been or what advice he would have given. Somehow  she preferred not to know and was determined that, by the time he did  know, her arrangement to remain on hand for Mr. MacFarlayne's visit  would have become an accomplished fact. "It can't be helped, it's just  unfortunate." Felicity forced a smile then, turned to Alaine. "I've got  to get a message to the airport somehow, I must let Tony know what's  happened, tell him where I am and get him to come straight on here." She  forced a note of lightness into her voice. "After all, I've waited four  years, it's only a matter of an extra hour or so."

"How would it be if I went without you-supposing I meet him and bring  him back?" Alaine's suggested a trifle diffidently. Even if it wasn't  her habit to put herself out for others, she had managed to make her  offer sound spontaneous and perhaps, with the prospect of a dreary  afternoon ahead while Guy would be closeted with the surgeon and  Felicity, even a run to the airport to meet an unknown young man offered  some kind of diversion. "I really would not mind a bit," she added,  warming to the suggestion. "You'll have to tell me what he looks like,  I'd hate to accost the wrong man!"

"Would you really go? Oh, Alaine, that's sweet of you!" Felicity  brightened visibly at the suggestion. "Your meeting him would be so much  more welcoming, so much less impersonal than a message. You'd take a  load off my mind. Of course I'll tell you what he's like-he may have  changed, I might not even recognize him myself," she exclaimed with the  first note of genuine relief she had shown since she had heard of her  disappointment.

It was not until his dressing was completed and Felicity was packing  away the lint and neatly folding a bandage that Guy mentioned the  subject of Tony's delayed arrival. "I am awfully sorry about this  afternoon, would you like me to try and defer Mr. MacFarlayne's visit?"

Felicity was not only surprised but strangely moved at the offer. No  doubt it was merely conventional but at least it showed some  consideration. "No, of course not-in any case Mr. MacFarlayne could  never get down here on a weekday, besides you must be aching to get that  heavy plaster off."

"I shan't be sorry," he admitted, then went on talking. "I suppose it  would be difficult to put him off now-I understand that you've got it  all fixed up with Alaine and she is going for you."

For a few moments the matter was amicably discussed between them and it  appeared to be as propitious a moment as she was likely to find so she  took advantage to question him. "What are your future plans?" Have you  any idea how long you will require me here?"

"I'm certain now that I shan't be able to stand more than a week of this  inactivity," he admitted. "I expect I'll stay a few more days then I  propose to return to town I can't do much at hospital except my  lecturing; I might pick up a few threads of my private work, but anyway I  feel I must get started again soon. I imagine you could get back  tomorrow or Tuesday-why not make it Tuesday, it will give you an extra  day here with your brother. I'll discuss the thing with MacFarlayne.  Once I'm back in town I can get my dressings done at hospital, and with  the plaster off I imagine I'll be able to manage quite a good bit more  myself."