yRing for the Nurse(35)

       
           



       

"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.