“Steady,” he counselled, but his eyes were twinkling, “don’t eat it! You’re not a heavy smoker normally. Relax now and take it easy. You mustn’t meet her with your nerves strung tightly to begin with.”
“It’s because of Garth, you see.” Trudie tried to explain but the words would not come. “We are ... were so much alike. We disagreed on only a few things and when we did we were at really violently opposed points, always. If he ... liked Veronica enough to marry her; if he loved her, as he said he did, wrote he did, then I must like her too. It’s important. I want to know if she made him happy. I want to know so much, and I don’t know where to begin...”
“Let her talk first,” Philip advised. “I’m no psychiatrist, but I imagine that’s the way they work. Let her tell you about ... Garth. About their life together. You pick up the threads from there, but don’t forget,” he reminded her as the announcement came that the plane was arriving, “it must have been quite a blow for her as well as for you and the family. After all, she was his wife ... so let her down lightly at first, however much you want to know details.”
“I will,” Trudie promised, realizing the sense of his advice. “But it’s so important ... for Dad,” she ended lamely and knew she had failed to make him understand that she was half-afraid of meeting Veronica. As she had just tried to explain, when she and her twin had not seen eye to eye, it was because they were suddenly at opposite poles. She knew, therefore, that if she did not like Veronica then there would be no half measures; she would dislike her as much as, it seemed, her twin had loved her. That would be fatal so far as the peace of the family was concerned if Veronica was to be with them for any length of time.
Trudie’s first glimpse of Veronica as she left the plane was quite enough for her to recognize the woman. “She’s so lovely,” Garth had written, “you have to see her to believe it’s all true.” She did not need the identification of hair and suit, or the addition of the two lively children with whom Veronica appeared to be fast losing patience.
Trudie watched the tall, slender form in the expensive-looking black suit approach. There were “touches of white” on the suit, touches so cleverly placed by a skilled hand that they emphasized Veronica’s every possible good point, and, watching her, Trudie had to admit that at first sight the girl did not appear to have any bad ones.
Her jet black hair was indeed shoulder-length and framed an oval face, attractive itself in its creamy pallor; its red, strangely tempting mouth, even at a distance, seemed to be saying “kiss me.” Once Veronica was through customs and they were face to face, Trudie found herself looking into the most unusual eyes she had ever encountered: a lovely shade of green, with unexpected little flecks of gold in their depths, and framed by the long, heavy black lashes that looked too wonderful to be real ... but Trudie knew they were. Garth had written about them more than once.
“And so you are Trudie?” Before she was really aware of what was about to happen Trudie was enveloped in a quick, warm, yet light embrace. A cool, scented cheek was laid on hers for a moment, and the red lips touched her face with a kiss as light as that of a butterfly, then Veronica was turning to Philip, a smile curving her lips.
“And you are ... let me guess!” she began. “You don’t look like a research biochemist, nor a lawyer...”
“This is Dr. Malham,” Trudie said hastily, “Philip.”
“And Trudie’s fiancé,” Philip put in, extending his hand and greeting the newcomer. “I came as part of the reception committee as I had a free day,” he explained.
“How very kind,” Veronica murmured in low, husky tones but with every syllable so clearly enunciated that each word was distinct. “And do you live at The Cedars, too?” she queried, but there was no time to reply. The less stolid-looking of the two children was off on what was apparently to be a tour of investigation, and Veronica turned a helpless and bewildered glance upon Philip, appealing for his help.
“I don’t know what to do with them,” she complained. “I almost wish I’d never said I would bring them over, but it did give me an opportunity to be with... the family, and so I came.”
Before Philip had time to reply Trudie had darted forward, unmindful of the last time she had dashed out to save a child from serious accident or worse, and had collected the children, holding one firmly by each hand.
“What happens to them now?” she demanded of Veronica. “Isn’t there anyone to meet them?”
“I’m to take a taxi and deliver them to this address.” Veronica opened her capacious purse and removed a small card. “Their mother said it would be about 20 minutes by taxi from the airport.”
“Then we’ll deliver them before we set off to Thrackwaite,” Philip announced. “Let’s get them in the car.”
Trudie was never quite certain how it happened. One moment Philip was holding the front door open for her and asking her to “be careful you don’t knock your leg again,” the next moment, by some quick and unanticipated movement, Veronica was in that particular seat, apparently unaware of having made a wrong move as she settled herself comfortably. Over the children’s heads, Philip exchanged a rueful smile with Trudie and hesitated for a second or so, then said cheerfully, “Perhaps it would be better if you took charge of them for the remainder of the journey, Trudie? They do appear to be excited and rather a handful,” so she found herself in the back seat with an excited child on either side of her. Philip then slid behind the wheel and they began the journey home.
If Trudie had entertained any idea that Veronica would change places with her when they deposited the children, she was quickly disillusioned. As Philip halted the car outside an imposing-looking house, Veronica handed him the address card.
“Mrs. Reubens,” she said simply. “Mrs. Simon Reubens. She’s their aunt.”
“I’ll see them to the door,” Philip promised, adding to Trudie, “Don’t bother to get out, dear,” and taking a child’s hand in each of his he escorted them to the door and rang the bell, beating a hurried retreat before the summons was answered to ask if there was “anything to report?”
“Not a thing,” Veronica told him laconically. “She’ll give you an envelope for me, that’s all. They were both sick, but nothing to worry about. I wouldn’t mention it; they’re all right now, and it may worry her.”
A smart, uniformed maid Was waiting at the open door, and Philip nodded briefly to Veronica before marching his charges back again. A tall, well-built woman appeared at the maid’s side and handed Philip an envelope before ignoring him completely to stoop and take the children into her open arms. There was nothing more to be said or done. Philip said “Good evening,” turned on his heel and returned to the car. But if he, like Trudie, was surprised to find Veronica still sitting beside him he gave no sign.
All the way home Trudie sat alone in the back seat listening to the other two exchanging small talk, of which Veronica appeared to have an endless and amusing fund; she watched, in the gathering dusk, the provocative tilt of that lovely face, listened to the husky attractive voice, pitched now too low for her to catch more than an occasional word. What she heard seemed innocent enough, but apparently Philip found the conversation stimulating and amusing, for his laughter rang out more than once, and he appeared to find no difficulty at all in carrying on a conversation with this complete stranger.
“And he says he’s afraid of women,” Trudie reflected grimly. “Maybe because he hasn’t met one like Veronica before!”
By the time they reached The Cedars Trudie’s pleasure from the day had completely vanished. Even the feel of the new ring on her finger was strange and unreal, not reassuring as it had seemed all afternoon. Her father must have been watching for the car, for he appeared at the open door almost before Philip had braked to a halt and was halfway down the steps to greet Veronica as she stepped from the car.
“Welcome, my dear.” Dr. Hislop’s deep voice boomed his greeting into the darkened yard, as he held out his arms to the slender girl who did not h
esitate to enter their shelter. “Garth,” he said, and now, Trudie noticed, he had not hesitated over the name but said it as naturally as he said “Malcolm” and “Geoff,” “wrote us that you had no family of your own. You must let us be your family from now on and remember you’ve come home.”
His voice was gruff with sentiment, and for a moment Trudie stood by the car, hesitating, realizing Philip’s gaze was fixed on the newcomer. Then Malcolm ran down the steps and took her arm.
“Tired, love?” he asked solicitously. “Had a good day?”
“Lovely.” Trudie spoke the truth. The day had been lovely; it was early evening when the atmosphere had changed. Malcolm put his hand under her arm and assisted her up the steps, Philip following at their heels. As they entered the house Malcolm asked abruptly, as though the thought had just occurred to him, “Did you get your ring?”
“Yes.” Trudie held up her hand and pulled off her glove, moving into the light so that he could see better.
“It’s beautiful,” Malcolm said gently. “A lovely symbol ... I repeat my congratulations to you both.”
At his words Dr. Hislop turned too, and in a few moments they were all crowding around Trudie and Philip in the hall, admiring the ring, and offering more laughing congratulations. When Mrs. Emma joined them and had added her own quota of admiration, Dr. Hislop felt they were neglecting their duties as hosts.
“Would you like a drink first, my dear, or come straight in for a meal when you’ve washed?” he asked Veronica kindly. “Just as you wish. We want you to make yourself at home.”
“A drink first, then, please, if I may.” Veronica’s husky voice seemed tinged with utter weariness. “It’s been rather a strain...”
“Of course, of course, but that’s all over now.” Dr. Hislop patted her arm gently and led her to a chair beside his own. “You must make a new life for yourself here,” he decided, “when you’ve rested a little and know what you wish most to do. Right now we must all help you recover from what must have been as big a shock to you as it was to us, perhaps even greater...?”
“It was ... dreadful.” Abruptly Veronica covered her face with her long, slim hands and a sudden shudder ran over her whole body. Trudie thought for a moment that she was about to burst into tears, but she did nothing of the kind. Veronica appeared to recover herself after a moment or two and as Dr. Hislop put a drink into her hand she sat up, looking pathetically beautiful and defenseless. “I’d rather not talk about it, if you don’t mind,” she said softly. “I ... can’t somehow, not yet.”
“That’s all right, my dear.” He patted her reassuringly. “We understand. When you know us better, when you’ve been with us a little time, you’ll be better able to talk about... what happened. Right now the thing to do is to put it out of your mind.”
Trudie could scarcely believe her ears. Her father was telling this girl who, presumably, had been closer to Garth in the last year of his life than anyone else could possibly have been, to put the mystery and circumstances of his death “out of her mind.” He himself, by reason of his own persistence had kept it in the forefront of every member of his family ever since the news first reached them.
She toyed with her own drink, looking carefully around the circle of faces. With Veronica’s arrival it seemed that some strange influence had entered the familiar group. It was not just that she was a stranger. Philip Malham had been a stranger to all of them but herself last night, and she had known him as only a colleague, but there had been none of this constraint, none of these glances and pregnant silences. Philip had “fitted in,” he had blended with the family as one of themselves, but despite her father’s affectionate words of welcome and assurance, Trudie could by no stretch of imagination picture Veronica as part of their family group.
She stole a glance at Philip. He was looking at Veronica as though he could never tear his gaze from her, as though he had never before seen a woman ... and certainly, Trudie reflected with a flash of amusement, he could never have seen anyone likelier new sister-in-law! During the afternoon, over tea, and as they waited at the airport, she had allowed herself to indulge in delicate dreams that one day all this might come true, that they would be together. But when she had first seen him looking at Veronica, she had known it was hopeless and the little dreams had died almost as they were born.
Her confidence and happiness of the afternoon were gone; in their place was a feeling of apprehension such as she had never known in her life before. She looked at Veronica, wondering what the other girl’s reactions had been to Philip, but she could tell nothing from the beautiful, inscrutable mask. Just at that moment Veronica lifted her gaze from the contemplation of the wine glass she had been twirling and directed it instead in Philip’s direction. From where she sat Trudie could not interpret that look, but of one thing she was certain. Whatever it meant she was sure it boded no good for herself or for whatever concerned herself and Philip. As she rose to accompany the others into the dining room a shiver ran over her, and it took all her self-control not to cry aloud in protest against this alien influence that appeared to have entered the surroundings and people she loved more than anything in the world.
CHAPTER FIVE
It was late when Philip drove away from the Cedars. Trudie, doing her best to follow his suggestion and do her part toward representing them as a typical engaged couple, escorted him out to his car, but his most vivid memory as he drove away was not of Trudie’s heart-shaped face and violet eyes but of a creamy oval face with tempting red lips and eyes that flashed disturbing messages.
What in the name of goodness had entered into him? He asked himself the question as he headed for home. He had driven back to Conrey House in such a different mood the previous evening. Then he had felt that, safely “engaged” to Trudie Hislop, he would have no further worries regarding his private life and the discussions that he knew it evoked along the hospital grapevine. He had felt that with the announcement of his engagement he would have at least one major problem out of the way and behind him, and this very afternoon, enjoying Trudie’s company in a way he had never believed could be possible for him he had felt happy and at peace with the world.
Now the situation was suddenly different. From the moment Veronica’s glance had met his own he had been aware of the pull of some physical magnetism that he could not comprehend. He had not, he scoffed at himself, fallen in love with her. This was something entirely different, but equally powerful, and he did not know in the least how to deal with the situation.
“I don’t even like that type of woman,” he told himself, fiercely braking as he rounded the bend of his own drive. “She couldn’t be a companion even if she tried, and she would have no understanding whatsoever of the work I do ... or the circles in which I move.”
He wondered suddenly why Garth Hislop had married Veronica in the first place. She was so obviously out of his sphere; her attitude toward people and life was so very different, as she had demonstrated in her attitude toward the children she had escorted over the sea.
“Perhaps he too felt this ... attraction,” Philip thought and with difficulty repressed a shudder. It was not a pleasant thought that he could be so easily susceptible to an attractive face and a provocative figure! Yet it was not only those things, he knew that. There was something else. There was something indefinable about Veronica that was vibrant and alive, and ... magnetic.
“I suppose it’s simply what’s known as good old sex appeal,” Philip thought, indignant with himself. Then suddenly his thoughts switched to Trudie and he made a mental resolve to be more attentive, more demonstrative on the morrow. She would know it was part of their mutual pretense. What she would not know was that it would also be a part of his own self-defense against this “something,” even while it drew him to Veronica.
Trudie, too, was thinking over the events of the day and evening. She could tell the exact moment when her newly won feeling of self-confidence and happiness had dropped from her, and that occurred when sh
e had brought back the mischievous child and saw the look exchanged between Philip and her sister-in-law. She had dismissed it at the time, just as she had dismissed Veronica’s assumption that her place in the car as their guest was to be beside Philip, just as she had dismissed her father’s welcome, which had been no warmer than she had expected him to give; but she could not dismiss the looks she had seen exchanged between the two of them throughout the evening, or the strange, deeply penetrating gaze Veronica had directed after Philip when he said good night.
“It’s probably all because she’s strange,” Trudie reminded herself, “and because we all, except Philip, think of Garth when we see her. And anyway, our engagement isn’t real; it really has nothing to do with me.” But as she lay in bed, waiting for sleep that would not come, she was still uneasy. It was to guard against this kind of thing, she assured herself, that Philip had suggested the engagement in the first instance, but even as sleep claimed her she was wondering if this could, after all, be the real thing for him.
“I’ll wait and see what happens in the next few days,” she decided, turning over and willing herself to sleep. “We’ll see what happens when we have the dinner party.”
But the week sped by and the day of the party drew nearer and nearer, and to Trudie’s watchful eyes the strange, wordless communication between Philip and Veronica continued. She was worried because she sensed that Philip was unhappy, and yet Veronica in her own way seemed suddenly contended and relaxed. Mrs. Emma, from the very first evening, had made no secret of her dislike for the other woman.
“Mr. Garth’s gone, rest his soul,” she remarked piously one afternoon, vigorously rolling pastry as though seeking emotional relief, “but if he could come here right now I’d ask him what in the name of creation made him take up with a young woman like that, for goodness’ sake.” She glanced at Trudie for confirmation of her opinion, but seeing the girl’s white face at the mere mention of her twin, she curbed her own feelings enough to add only, “We’ll say no more about it, but mark my words, Miss Trudie, you’ll have to watch that one and no mistake about it. I don’t know what she’s after, but right now she looks like the cat who stole the cream and then the canary for dessert!”
Nurse Trudie is Engaged Page 8