"You should feel far less handicapped," Felicity agreed as with everything satisfactorily tidied, she went on, "Are you riding with Alaine this morning? Shall I put out your things?"
"Yes, I believe I am-but don't you bother, Mackerley will be along to help me dress."
Felicity couldn't avoid the little stab of envy which she suffered as she watched Alaine and Guy mount their horses; true Alaine had thrown her a casual invitation to join them, but even her love of riding could not persuade Felicity to accept. It didn't really matter, she told herself when half an hour later a brisk walk had taken her across the meadows and into a shaded coppice; she had enough happiness as it was, the glorious feel of the open country around her and the blue sky above her head and the joyous anticipation of her coming reunion with her brother.
The morning flew by on wings and she was still giving Alaine a few last-minute instructions when Mr. MacFarlayne's car drew up at the door. "I've got to go now," she hurriedly told Alaine. "Must be there to receive him-you'll find Tony all right, don't forget, hair my colour, bit darker perhaps through constant application of hair oil! Blue eyes with a kind of twinkle-looks as though he is laughing even when he isn't!"
"A most adequate description," Alaine laughed, but Felicity hardly heard, she was already smoothing out her apron as she went forward to greet the surgeon.
Felicity was sure that Mr. MacFarlayne was even slower and more drearily fussy in his actions today than he had ever been, she was convinced that he wouldn't have finished by the time Alaine returned from the airport and found herself glancing anxiously and surreptitiously at the clock beside Guy's bed. The wretched man would talk so much too, if only he would get on with the job; during all her years of nursing Felicity had never felt more impatient and never more like shaking the surgeon! It was only when the plaster was eventually discarded and Mr. MacFarlayne began with meticulous care to test the reflexes of each finger that, to do Felicity justice, even Tony's imminent arrival was forgotten and her whole mind was absorbed, to the exclusion of all else, in her patient's welfare. She found herself tensed, scarcely daring to breathe as the examination progressed, and when Mr. MacFarlayne straightened up his rotund figure she found herself waiting breathlessly for the verdict.
"I see no reason, Brenton, why you shouldn't be operating again before very long," he stated with obvious satisfaction. "It's a matter of time and perseverance-I'm sure you'll get back complete movement. I admit that at one time I wasn't so sure, I know that medical men are reputedly bad patients but you didn't seem to make the slightest effort to use your hand and I don't mind admitting I began to wonder-still, lately you've certainly cooperated and I think you'll find it's been well worth while."
"I think we have to put something down to good nursing-" Guy began, then perhaps feeling he had paid sufficient tribute and unwilling to enlarge on the matter, turned again to MacFarlayne and began to discuss his future arrangements and his intention of returning to town.
"That's all right," MacFarlayne agreed. "If Nurse can be spared then I suggest she remain a bit, then you can get up to St. Edwin's for regular dressings-another X-ray too."
Although the surgeon lingered for a cup of tea and long discussions with Guy about recent hospital happenings, he had left Weir Court long before there was any sign of Alaine's return. Felicity was clearing away the last traces of the powdered plaster, glad of anything to occupy her mind when Guy, no doubt sensing her impatience, mentioned the subject.
"You know planes aren't always punctual, particularly as you were warned last night that there was already delay," he reminded her, aware of her air of despondency added, "Besides, you know Alaine by now, she had probably insisted on stopping for a cup of tea!"
Felicity was glad of the relief of laughter. "I'd forgotten that," she admitted. "Of course it may have been just around tea time when the plane landed. I expect that's exactly what Alaine is doing."
"Then they'll be at least another half-hour. Why don't you go and change, get into something pretty, you don't want to greet your brother in a starched apron." There was a teasing quality in his voice which swept away the last threads of Felicity's despondency and she found herself eagerly reacting to his mood.
"I think I will-I hadn't thought about it, of course it's silly to meet him like this, he has never even seen me as a nurse, probably wouldn't recognize me."
"Put on that pinkish thing you wore last night, I liked it."
It was only while she was changing that Felicity recalled Guy's words and a smile curved her lips and dimpled her cheeks. It seemed so funny that he had even noticed what she wore, she imagined that Guy Brenton was the last person to be concerned with women's clothes! She was just about to leave her room to join Guy and his father in the lounge when she heard the sound of car tyres on the gravel. Not even pausing for a last glance in the mirror she tore down the stairs and was already standing in the steps when the car drew to a standstill and Tony alighted.
She had scarcely formed even a first impression of her brother, hardly knew whether he had changed or not before she found herself clasped in his arms, her feet almost lifted from the ground with the exuberance of his embrace. It was quite a few moments before she was able to tear herself free to stand back and appraise him, "Goodness, you have changed! Why, I do believe you've grown, you seem inches taller-and much broader too! You are so tanned it makes you look different, makes you look fairer, why, your hair is almost white!" She chatted excitedly as, still clinging to his arm, she led him up the steps and into the house.
Introductions were soon effected and after attending to the suit-cases Mackerley appeared with a well-loaded cocktail trolley which he set before the small circle round the fire. Guy's guess had been right and it soon transpired that Alaine, longing for tea after a tedious wait at the airfield, and Tony declaring that, after an absence of three years, he couldn't wait one moment longer before partaking of a cup of English tea, they had by mutual consent lingered at a wayside tea-house. While they toasted Tony's arrival over a glass of sherry the conversation became general; in a matter of moments Tony had made himself entirely at ease, he was obviously a good mixer and was already holding the small group enthralled with his anecdotes of the journey, his fellow travellers and incidents of his long train journey across the American continent before joining the plane. While Tony was engrossed in answering some question which Colonel Brenton had put to him, Felicity found a moment to whisper to Alaine. "You knew him easily, my description was all right? Although somehow he seems to have changed so much."
"Know him?" Alaine whispered back with a stifled laugh, "I knew him well enough but only because he was the only male who disembarked under the age of sixty or not sporting a beard! Your description was entirely inadequate-why didn't you tell me he was just heart-throb number one, that's all I needed to know!"
Felicity laughed with obvious pleasure, then stole a sidelong glance at her brother. She .supposed he was rather handsome, she'd never really thought about it before, but then she was certain that he must have improved tremendously, or perhaps during their childhood years together she'd grown too used to him to notice. His shoulders had certainly broadened and the tan of his skin enhanced the deep blue of his eyes with their twinkle of hidden laughter, his face too had lost those boyish curves, the jaw firmer and more set.
"Getting to know me again, darling?" Aware of her scrutiny Tony had suddenly turned to question his sister. "I told one of the fellows on the plane that my sister was meeting me; you ought to have seen his expression when he saw me with Alaine!"
The remark provoked general amusement and when Felicity glanced from Tony to Alaine seated at his side, she could well see the cause of merriment. Never were two people less alike, Alaine so dark with that strange, almost exotic beauty and Tony so fair, each in their own way so attractive, yet a complete foil to one another.