yRing for the Nurse(36)

           



       

It was not until after dinner that evening that Felicity found herself,  really alone with her brother. Alaine had dragged Guy off to the library  and Colonel Brenton, no doubt with deliberate intention, had found he  had several matters to attend to in his own room. There was so much to  talk about that Felicity scarcely knew where to start, she was glad when  Tony made the first opening. "I bet my cable surprised you-but I had  given you some warning, hadn't I? I timed things well. What luck finding  you here. I had visions of meetings in noisy hotel lounge or  alternatively sneaking a few moments with you at the back entrance of  St. Edwin's."

"It certainly' is lucky," Felicity agreed. "We'll have at least two or  three days together here and I've really so little to do now that I'm  free almost all the time. It won't be nearly so easy when I get back."

"You know that Brenton has offered to put me up at his flat in town?"  Tony went on. "Awfully decent of him, isn't it? I must say I didn't care  much for the idea of a hotel, but of course I won't be in town all the  time. I want to run down home for a bit and I've one or two friends I've  got to look up here and there."

"How long will you be in England altogether?"

"I want to get back as soon as I can, I reckoned about six weeks, can you be ready by then?"

The question had come! The question that Felicity knew now she had been  dreading for so long, but thrusting aside her misgivings she turned a  smiling face to her brother. "I gave provisional notice as you told me, I  can leave in less than a month from now. It's just as well as I'll need  a week or two free to see Mother before we sail, collect a few things  ... say good-byes and all that sort of thing," she ended vaguely, then  went on with more animation, "you haven't told me anything about  America, what to expect there, whether I'll like it, whether I'll fit  in."

"It's fine!" Tony told her complacently. "At least it is now I've made  good, but believe me, it wasn't easy at first. I've got a grand place,  you'll just adore it, a low white two-floored house, modern as only the  Americans understand the word I tell you it's a gem. The position, too,  is stupendous, blue-grey hills in the distance and orange groves sloping  down the hillside. It gives you a feeling of isolation and yet all  around I've friends; it's gay too, I'm going to see that you make up for  these past years, lots of fun and dancing, parties galore, picnics in  unbelievably beautiful surroundings and bathing from golden stretches of  sand into a blue, blue sea!"

"It certainly sounds wonderful-" Felicity began, but her brother warming to the subject so near his heart, interrupted.

"They are grand people too, all kinds, you can take your choice, grave  or gay! You are going to love it, I just know you are!" His tone became  more serious as he went on. "You'll be glad to get away from here, won't  you? I mean nursing has been O.K., it's served its purpose, it got you  over a difficult time, but you must have had enough by now?" His words  were more in the form of a statement than a question although he was  obviously anxiously awaiting her confirmation.

"Oh yes, of course." Felicity hoped she sounded convincing. She supposed  that, in a way, she was ready for a long test, but to leave  England-forever-there was a lump in her throat which seemed to blur her  words as she added, "I have been quite happy, you know."

"And you've managed to get over Peter's death?" Tony's voice was  infinitely gentle and there was a touch of deep concern as he asked the  question.

Felicity nodded mutely then instilled a note of lightness into her voice. "Of course I have! Now tell me some more about you."

Tony was readily beguiled away from the subject and was soon telling her  more details of his early struggles and his ultimate success until Guy  and Alaine rejoined them and with a shock of surprise that Felicity  realized the lateness of the hour.

"You must be tired-after that long journey too," she exclaimed contritely.                       
       
           



       

"Not a bit of it," Tony disclaimed, jumping to his feet and pulling  forward a chair for Alaine. "The night is yet young!" He turned  questioningly in Guy's direction. "Are you early people, am I keeping  you up?"

It was Alaine who answered. "I should say not, I loathe early nights.  Give me another Camel cigarette, I just adore them, then tell me  something more about your home. Is it anywhere near Hollywood, have you  ever been there?"

Since it transpired that Tony's farm was within a short run of that  magic world. Felicity and Guy soon found themselves outside the  conversation. While Tony talked Alaine listened with rapt attention,  only breaking it to ask an occasional question, a quiet and entranced  listener, a role which Felicity had never seen her play. How lovely she  was-the firelight shone on the creamy pallor of her skin and enhanced  the nightblack waves of hair, sweeping back from her forehead. It was  rarely that Felicity had ever known Alaine so rapt and calm. It seemed  to lend her an air of serenity which Felicity had not believed her to  possess. Unconsciously Felicity's gaze turned to Guy. His eyes, too,  were fixed on Alaine and there was something strange, inscrutable in his  expression as if he too, were seeing something in Alaine he had never  seen before.





CHAPTER SIXTEEN



The three following days which Felicity spent at Weir Court were the  gayest she had known for a long time. There had been little for her to  do for Guy and there was no doubt that he had only prolonged her stay  that she might benefit by the leisure it gave her to spend with Tony  Sometimes her conscience had smitten her when she had thought of St.  Edwin's and the extra work which would naturally devolve on Sister  Robinson, but then, recalling the long separation from her brother and  the fact that, in any case her nursing career was all but ended, she had  thrust her doubts aside and taken full advantage of those halcyon hours  for which she knew she had Guy to thank.



There had been long rides, usually in a foursome, but sometimes with  Tony alone and now that Alaine had Tony to back her up and readily  second any suggestion she made she no longer appeared to be bored. In  fact the evenings never seemed long enough, there had been gramophone  records to try out, the latest tunes which Tony had brought with him  from the States, a new dance step to be practised, and with Tony's  backing Alaine had even managed to cajole Guy into an evening trip to a  neighboring road-house where they had eaten an indifferent meal, danced  to an even more indifferent band but managed to have a thoroughly  enjoyable time.

Back once more in her own room at St. Edwin's, Felicity unpacked her  suit-case and recalled many happy incidents of that brief interlude.  Alaine had intended returning to town on the Monday and Felicity was  glad that she had remained on so they could return together. Guy had, as  promised, offered Tony the hospitality of his flat, Alaine had returned  to her own flatlet in Kensington and Felicity to Hospital. She found  herself choking back a sigh as she slipped her now empty suit-case out  of sight under the bed. She'd always returned to duty quite happily  after her holidays but this time it was different, somehow even her  small room which she had grown to love seemed to have shrunk-it lacked  the welcome it had always previously offered and even the tulips which  Diana had thoughtfully placed on her table drooped over on their long  stems as if they shared her own inexplicable sense of despondency.

Diana's appearance at that moment was certainly a welcome sight after an  exuberant greeting, she stood back to appraise her friend. "How well  you look! Private nursing seems to agree with you, I've never seen you  look prettier!"

"Nursing!" Felicity echoed scoffingly. "It's been a positive picnic  after ward work, there has been hardly anything to do-anyway, not since  the plaster was removed on Sunday. I could really have left the next  day, I'm sure Mr. Brenton only kept me on so that I'd have a day or so  with Tony."

"Sounds a bit too quixotic for him!" Diana laughed, then went on  eagerly, "Have you been back long? I hurried off duty as fast as I  could, but I always seem to be held up when I want to be early. How  about rushing round to the 'Kettle' for a snack, there is so much I want  to ask you, I want to hear everything and we just can't talk in the  dining, room."