The Fair Wind: A moving 1950s hospital romance (The Anniversary Collection Book 6)

by Lucilla Andrews

  ‘Yes, Sister.’ I was thankful for Tom’s presence of mind. Sister Catherine would have been anything but pleased to discover me chatting with students tonight. I told her about the ceiling. ‘Mr. Jonathan just came back with the information.’

  Sister said grimly she was much relieved too. ‘I hope you will let this be a lesson that you will long remember, Nurse. I do not care to refer my nurses to Matron. Had that ceiling been damaged I would have had no option.’ She dismissed me with the words, ‘I will say no more about this matter, Nurse Fraser, providing your future behaviour warrants such forbearance. I only hope you will never let me down in this manner again.’

  Sister kept her word about not referring to the matter again, and officially it was considered over. Unofficially I heard a great deal about it. Chalmers never missed an opportunity to remind me of it. Where an opportunity did not exist, she invented one. ‘What happened to the hot water in the Home last night, Sims? I had an almost cold bath. Was Fraser busy with the taps again? Funny. I saw no traces of an overflow. I suppose she called out half a dozen students to help her again!’

  Chalmers these days spoke to Jill much more frequently, although she never addressed an unnecessary word to me. Jill said she was sure Chalmers had only unbent to her to underline my being out in the cold. ‘And also she knows I’ll tell you what she has said, and this is her way of letting you know how furious she is that those two men should have helped you.’ She grinned. ‘Poor Chalmers. I almost feel sorry for her.’

  I looked up from the apron I was mending and smiled. ‘Why? Are you learning to love her?’

  ‘Not exactly! But I’m sorry for her because she is running her head up against a brick wall. Anyone could see that you and Mark Jonathan would click at sight. He’s fair, you’re dark, you’re both very chatty, and he sounds just as daft as you are, Sue!’

  ‘We haven’t clicked. We just get on well at sight; as you do with some people who are really total strangers, and then five minutes’ conversation makes you feel as if you’ve known them all their lives. Mark does that, I will agree.’

  ‘You do, too. Look at how you’re bosom pals with all our patients. Which reminds me, have you managed to get Jean MacCrombie to tell you what’s worrying her so?’

  I shook my head. This problem was still very much on my mind. ‘I haven’t really had much chance as she feeds herself now. It isn’t the sort of thing you can fire at a person while you are dusting a locker.’

  Next day, however, Jean’s stitches were removed and Sister told me to help her with her evening wash. ‘After tonight I expect Miss MacCrombie will be able to manage on her own,’ she added with the cool tone she always used to me these days. Tom had been right when he said Sister would not be able to forget in a hurry, and I was very much aware of her constant disapproval of my work.

  Jean’s warm welcome when I drew her curtains encouraged me in every way.

  ‘How do you feel without stitches?’

  ‘Och, grand! Just grand!’ Her wistful expression belied her words. ‘And what have you been doing today? More anatomy lectures?’

  ‘Yes. Mr. Brown gave us our last lecture and one of the students put a white mouse in one of the desks. It was a sweet little mouse and, of course, no one was scared of it. It must have been a very old-fashioned student not to know that most girls today have grown up with all sorts and sizes of pets.’

  Jean admitted she and her sisters had as well.

  ‘How many sisters have you, Jean?’

  ‘Four. And two brothers.’

  ‘Seven of you! What a lovely big family!’

  She said gravely, ‘Aye. Being an only child you would think that. And you’re right. No doubt of it. Only ‒’

  ‘Only what?’

  She sighed. ‘Nothing. I was just being foolish and weak. Tell me more about your mouse.’

  I said softly, ‘I will. First, I want to ask you a question you may not like.’

  ‘I’ll not mind what you ask.’

  I smiled slightly. ‘I’m not so sure of that Jean, what’s up?’

  Her expression stiffened. ‘What do you mean by that Nurse?’

  I decided not to hedge or probe, but to be honest. ‘What’s on your mind and causing you to look so worried? Talking often helps. Which is it? A man? Or money?’

  Her eyes opened wide. ‘How could you guess that?’

  ‘My father’s a doctor. A G.P. He has told me quite a lot about the things that worry his patients.’

  Haltingly, as I helped her wash, it all came out. Jean was the oldest in her family by five years; her mother was a widow, and Jean’s pay was the main family support. ‘I came to work in London because of the extra money. My mother has a little pension and her allowances for the bairns, but the money soon goes with healthy children to feed. My mother could not manage at all without my help.’

  ‘I can believe that. Now where does the man come in?’

  She sighed wearily. ‘He does not come in any more, Nurse. I sent him away.’

  ‘Does he know you are ill?’ I knew she had had few visitors.

  ‘He could have no way of knowing. He has gone back to his firm in Edinburgh. He came south to see me.’

  ‘Did he ask you to marry him? Was that why he came south?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘You said “No”, and sent him away?’

  ‘That’s right, Nurse.’

  I did not ask if she wanted to marry this man. Her expression told me that. ‘You said “No” because of your job and the money you send your mother?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘But couldn’t you have taken another job up in Scotland, married him and gone on working?’

  She shook her head. ‘It is not so simple, Nurse. Bill has a job that takes him travelling a great deal. He would be allowed to take his wife, but we would be on the move most of the time and I would not be able to get regular work. My mother cannot do without my help.’

  ‘Doesn’t your Bill understand this?’

  ‘Och, Nurse, he says so, but he has no great pay himself. And he has his own people. How can I ask him to add to his burdens or give what he simply has not got to give? My mother will need me for years: the bairns are only young. Angus, the baby, is only five. That was why I had to send Bill away.’ Her eyes were appealing. ‘Do you think I have not sent my brain spinning round in circles thinking of a solution? I have. There is none for the time being.’

  ‘I wish I could be sure of that.’ I looked at her. ‘I’m not. My father says there is generally an answer to people with problems like yours, if only one knows the right way to go about finding it. I just don’t. But Sister might Jean, would you let me tell her all this, please?’

  She hesitated for several seconds. ‘You’ve been a grand friend to me, Nurse. I don’t mind talking about this to you. I would prefer not to talk about it to anyone else, but if you’ve a mind to tell Sister, I give you my leave to say what you wish. Not that there’ll be anything she can do,’ she added dejectedly. ‘There is nothing to be done. But I can tell you, Nurse Fraser, there have been times I’ve felt torn in half. I love my mother and the bairns, and I love Bill ‒ and I have to hurt him.’

  When I had finished my list of washings, I went up to Sister’s desk. ‘Please, Sister, could I speak to you?’ I saw her brows draw together, and added, ‘It’s about Miss MacCrombie.’

  She stood up calmly. ‘Come into the duty-room, Nurse.’ She listened to me in silence. When I had finished, she took the admission book from the duty-room cupboard and looked up Jean’s home address. ‘I will speak to the in-patient Almoner tonight, Nurse Fraser. Tell me, do you know the full name and address of her young man?’

  ‘No, Sister. I expect I can get it from her.’

  A very small smile played round her mouth. ‘I expect you can. Will you let me have it tonight if possible?’ Sister’s face softened. ‘Poor child! No wonder she looks so habitually concerned. I will speak to the Lady Almoner first thing in the morning.
She has solved many apparently insoluble problems in the past, so I will see what she can do. If there is an answer she will have it.’ She looked at me. ‘Miss MacCrombie knows that you have confided in me?’

  ‘Yes, Sister. I asked her permission to tell you.’

  ‘Good! Then I will have a word with her after Prayers. Now you had better hurry on with your routine, Nurse Fraser.’ Her dismissal was neither approving nor disapproving.

  My friend Jill was off duty that evening, so I strolled to supper on my own. The corridor leading to the dining-room was lined with impressive marble busts of former physicians and surgeons. I was so preoccupied with my thoughts that it was not until I had walked past one of the busts that I realised it had legs. I glanced round and saw Mark Jonathan was standing with folded arms between one of the rows, smiling at me.

  ‘Hallo, there!’ He stepped forward. ‘You looked straight through me. I’ve been waiting to catch you. I want to take you up on your promise to have a chat. When have you a free evening?’

  ‘I’ve got one the day after tomorrow,’ I told him.

  ‘That’s a blow.’ He looked concerned. ‘I’m supposed to be helping Tom with his papers that night.’

  ‘What papers?’

  ‘My dear girl, the former examination papers. Old Tom’s going through the lot these nights because his Finals are so near. He’s taking them three weeks from now, poor chap.’ He shook his head sadly as if Tom was about to contract a serious illness. ‘Shocking state of affairs. That’s what comes of having brains. Good thing I haven’t any. I don’t have to get down to flogging the books hard until next spring. Still, hang on ‒ I think I can cry off that night. He and I can get our heads together tomorrow.’

  ‘Won’t some other evening do?’ I did not like the thought of disturbing Tom’s work at such an important time. ‘There’s no great urgency, is there?’

  ‘Is there not!’ He looked genuinely perturbed. ‘There’s all the urgency in the world, or I would not be waylaying you in this fashion. I am not in the habit of leaping out on unwary nurses and making dates.’ He nodded rather curtly at someone walking behind me. I was too surprised at his reaction to my remark to pay much attention to whom it might be.

  ‘Then what has made you do it now?’ I asked.

  ‘Tom Dillon and I are pals. We’ve roomed together since we entered med school. That was a long time ago, and we know each other pretty well by now. Tom has often helped me out in the past. I’ve always been able to rely on him in any crisis. He doesn’t say much, he just gets cracking and acts. I’ve never been able to repay the compliment because he hasn’t been the type of chap to need much of a helping hand in the past. Tom manages pretty well on his own.’

  I said I could imagine that.

  He smiled slightly. ‘I don’t really know why I’m unburdening all this to you ‒’ He hesitated and watched me through narrowed eyes as if making up his mind about something. Then he said more slowly, ‘Yes, I do. I can tell that you’re a sensible girl for all that you may leave the occasional bath-tap running, and I want your help for Tom.’

  I asked rather carefully, ‘How can I help Tom Dillon?’

  ‘It’s like this.’ He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. ‘Tom is in a dither. He hasn’t told me, but I’ve got eyes and have been in the same state too many times myself to fail to recognise the symptoms. But this is the first time Tom has ever been in a dither about a girl since I’ve known him, and being new to it, it’s hit him bad. Let me tell you, my dear, sweet, sensible Nurse Fraser, that nothing puts a man off his Finals more than thinking about a girl. It can have a devastating effect. The poor chap has been working like fury for months to prepare for the exams; he hasn’t got much spare cash and if he fails it’ll be a calamity for him in more ways than one. So I am determined to get him undithered before he faces the Examiners. And this is where I need your help. I can’t bring him and the damsel together because I don’t even know her name, and I can see she’s a shy little soul. But I know she’s a friend of yours ‒ and I’m sure that if you and I can get our heads working we’ll be able to think out some sort of crafty scheme to bring them together accidentally on purpose. What do you say?’

  Chapter Five

  For a couple of seconds I could say nothing at all. I felt like a person who has just relaxed after recovering from one blow, to be dealt another unawares. All the breath seemed to have been knocked out of me. Then I recovered myself superficially. ‘I’ll help in any way I can. But who is the girl?’

  ‘I told you, I don’t know her name,’ Mark Jonathan said. ‘She is that pretty, fair little soul who works with you in Catherine. The shyish type with lovely eyes.’

  I was no longer surprised now. ‘Jill Sims; yes, she has got lovely eyes, although I’m ashamed to say I had never realised it before.’

  He chuckled. ‘You aren’t the only one. Tom put me wise about her eyes. Just think of that! I’ve never heard him so much as notice any girl’s eyes before, much less tell me they were beautiful.’ He beamed at me. ‘Good girl. I can see you’re going to be a tower of strength in this. Mind, we’ll have to go very carefully. If Tom tumbles to what we’re up to, that’ll upset him no end.’

  ‘It will upset Jill, too. She is as easy to scare off as a gazelle.’

  ‘That’s quite a fair description of her,’ he answered thoughtfully. ‘But as you are her friend you’ll know how to handle it. This is going to take a lot of tact. We’ll thrash it all out on your evening off. Care to dine with me ‒ fish-and-chips, or a steak, maybe?’

  ‘Thank you. That will be fine. But how long have we got before Tom’s Finals? Only three weeks? That isn’t long.’

  ‘Hang it, Sue, it doesn’t take three weeks to fall in love. Three minutes can be enough on occasions; three days, ample. Point is, do you think your friend Jill has noticed Tom?’

  I had to smile. ‘Could anyone not notice him? He is pretty large.’

  He dismissed my remark. ‘I mean, does she like him ‒ or shouldn’t I ask that?’

  ‘I don’t see why not. Yes, she does like him. I’m fairly certain about that.’ I chose my words carefully. ‘He is not the sort of person you could dislike.’

  ‘Splendid! Then you must boost Tom to her tactfully; say you think he’s a good bloke, and so on. And I’ll do the same with Tom. Not that I think he needs any encouragement. Look at his habit of hanging round Catherine. That first drew my attention to what was going on.’

  ‘Look, I really must go to supper. I’m terribly late as it is. I only hope Sister Dining-room is having an evening off.’

  ‘You go ahead. Sorry if I’ve held you up. Will it be all right if I collect you at seven on Thursday evening to deal with the fish-and-chips and old Tom’s love-life?’

  I nodded. I felt quite numb now. ‘Yes. Seven will be fine. Thank you very much.’

  I walked on to the dining-room and took my place at the junior table without realising what I was doing. If I had not been so rapt up in my own thoughts I would not have chosen that particular spot, because of my next door neighbour. Her name was Agatha Vance and I generally avoided sitting by her. Agatha was one of the oldest members of our set; she was a sturdy, tallish young woman of twenty-six, with a face that would have been pretty had she not worn a perpetually severe expression. The severity deepened when she saw me, and she greeted my absent ‘Hallo!’ with a stern, ‘Good evening, Susan.’ She alone called me by my full name.

  ‘Susan, I don’t like to say this, but I feel I must,’ she said now. ‘Just because Sister Dining-room has an evening off, that does not give you an excuse to loiter on your way to supper. I saw you talking to that student when I came in ages ago. I do think you should have hurried. It’s very bad form to be late, simply because Sister is off.’

  I helped myself to some water. ‘I didn’t know Sister Dining-room was off.’

  Sally Ash, the girl on my other side, leant across me. ‘And you ought to know, Agatha, that Sue is always late,
Sister or no Sister.’

  I smiled at Sally. ‘Thanks, pal.’ I liked Sally very much. She was a cheerful girl, never given to moods, always in a happy frame of mind. In Training School she had been a great friend of Jill’s and mine, but now we worked in different wards we saw rather less of each other.

  Agatha said that was no excuse. ‘You don’t seem to realise, Susan, that each time you make a misdemeanour, you let the whole set down.’

  I saw Sally open her mouth to retort. I did not want to get involved in an argument, so I nudged her and shook my head quickly. ‘Sorry about that, Agatha.’

  Agatha bristled. ‘I suppose you think you just have to say sorry and that settles everything? Why can’t you try to behave like a proper nurse, Susan?’

  ‘I try,’ I said shortly.

  ‘If you think giggling in corridors with students is trying, I don’t! And let me tell you I wasn’t the only person who saw you. Nurse Chalmers was walking just ahead of me, and I saw how horrified she was to see your behaviour.’

  ‘I was not giggling. I was just chatting to Mark Jonathan. There’s no law that says I may not exchange the time of day with a student in any corridor. I wasn’t on duty, and nor was he.’

  After supper Sally and I went back to the Home together. Sally told me not to fret about Agatha. ‘The girl is impossible. She is obviously out to get a medal, and good luck to her. What is Mark Jonathan like, Sue?’

  ‘I don’t know him very well. I should say, great fun. All the same, I wish I had noticed Chalmers and got away before she spotted us. I did not see her at all, worse luck.’

  Sally said she had good news for me. ‘I didn’t mention this at supper as it’s not yet official, just something I overheard Sister Margaret telling our Senior Probationer. We’re all going to move on Friday, Sue. The new set arrive tomorrow, and the new juniors will be in the wards on Thursday. I expect Sister Tutor will put up the change-list in the morning and then we shall all know where we are going. So you really don’t have to fret about Chalmers as you’ll only have a couple more days in Catherine.’