John’s eyelids fluttered. He felt they were gummed. He looked at this man, this dear friend, but said nothing. Matters were not registering properly in his mind. Vaguely he recalled someone telling him that she had burned the house down and that she had died with it. But he hadn’t seemed to be able to take it in, because there she was, as she had been since he had come round, standing at the top of the stairs staring at him, and he could still feel her foot in his back. As long as he lived, which wouldn’t be very long, he would feel that foot in his back. But now Dr Cornwallis had been saying that she was dead, and the house was dead, and he was free. But what was he free for? Not to live like this, a cripple, at best in a wheelchair and a burden on Helen. Oh no. She’d had one sick man and she wasn’t going to have another through him. Dr Cornwallis had just been saying it was up to him: he could either stay or go. Well, he had made his choice.
Thirteen
Daisy looked across the hospital bed towards Helen and asked, ‘Did you know that they can cure ingrowing toenails with cigar bands?’
Helen closed her eyes and bit on her lip, lowered her head and as she did so she squeezed John’s hand. And it was he who replied, ‘No; I’ve never heard that one, Daisy.’
‘Well, nor had I until I was sitting on the upper deck of one of those new-fangled electric trams. There were two women sitting in front of me and one was telling the other about the cigar band.’
‘Yes,’ said John, with a tremble to his voice, ‘and what happened to the cigar band? What about the cigar band, Daisy?’
‘Well, I’ll give you it word for word, it’s true, honestly. One said to the other, “Eeh! that ingrowing big toenail of mine’s nearly driven me mad,” and the other one said, “Well, I told you, you should go and see one of those foot men about it.” “And pay them half a crown?” said the first one; “not on your life. But I’m going to try May Thorpe’s remedy. She says it works. All you’ve got to do is to cut the toenail straight across – not fancy round, you know – just straight across. Then, you take a piece of cigar band, just a little piece, and it must be a cigar band, because there must be something in it that helps, like nicotine or something. You cut a tiny bit of that and you wedge it under the edge of the nail, where you’ve cut it square across like.” Listen. Listen,’ Daisy broke in now; ‘it’s true, I’m telling you. Listen, as she said, you cut the nail right across, then you take a small bit of a cigar band and press it under the nail between that and the flesh. And then, quite candidly, I nearly burst out laughing meself, because the other one said, “Then you set light to your big toe.”’
As the bed shook, John pleaded, ‘Daisy! Daisy! Please!’
‘I’m not making it up. Believe me that’s what happened.’
It was Helen now, tears running down her face, who said, ‘But how do all these funny things always happen to you, Daisy? They never happen to me or anyone else I know.’
‘Well, you don’t listen. That’s the point, you must listen.’
John laid his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes. For all the side-blessings in this world, Daisy was one. It was she who had, over the painful months, brought some lightness into the situation. And strangely, too, some days when the pain had been excruciating, the touch of her hand had brought him some relief; in fact, this dear individual, besides being a laugh-maker, possessed, in some strange way, the power of a healer.
‘I must be off. There’s a lot to be seen to. I’m attending a wedding tomorrow.’
‘A wedding? Do I know them?’
Daisy paused, then screwed up her eyes before saying, ‘Well, not really. No, not really;’ and looking across at Helen, she said, ‘I’ll be back for you in half an hour. And mind, I’m not coming in here again; just be at the gate. He takes up too much of your time’ – she nodded towards the bed without looking at John – ‘and you’ve got other things to do.’
At this Helen smiled, saying, ‘Yes, dear, I’ve other things to do, especially today.’
As Daisy went out laughing, John looked at Helen and asked, ‘What do you have to do especially today?’ His eyes were soft on her.
She did not return his gaze, but looked down at the hand she was holding; then, bringing it to her chest and pressing it there, she said quietly, ‘Prepare for the wedding.’
‘The wedding? The one Daisy was talking about?’
‘Yes, the same one.’
‘D’you know the couple?’
‘Yes. Yes, I know the couple.’
As she continued to avert her gaze, he said, ‘What is it? Something fishy here. Oh, don’t tell me’ – he drew his chin in – ‘Don’t tell me old Cornwallis has proposed to Mrs Newton.’
She lifted her head quickly, ‘Doctor Cornwallis and Mrs Newton? No; no. I didn’t know they were even friendly.’
‘Oh, they’ve been friendly for years; at least, they meet once a week for cards and wine. She can put it back as much as he can.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes, really.’
‘Well, if it isn’t him, who is it?’
Now looking him straight in the face, Helen said, ‘No, John, not Doctor Cornwallis, but another doctor. You.’
‘M . . . m . . . me? What on earth are you talking about, Helen?’
She was now pressing him back into the pillows, her hand on his shoulder, saying, ‘Don’t excite yourself, please. Listen to me. I’ve waited long enough, and let’s face facts, you could be in here another three months or more before you’re on your feet and able to walk down an aisle. So it has been arranged.’ She now smacked his shoulder, saying, ‘Be quiet and let me speak. I’ve listened to your protests on this matter long enough. It has been arranged that we’re to be married tomorrow in the hospital chapel. Haven’t you noticed there’s an air of excitement among the nurses? It’s been going on all week. They’ve been petting you and pampering you; they even got you the barber twice yesterday because you were grumbling about your growth.’ She now tapped his chin.
‘No! Helen. No way. Seriously, this business, Helen, no way am I having it. You’ve already seen to one invalid in your home; I’m determined you’re not having another. I’ll take you to the altar – oh, so gladly! – but only when I can walk out of here in some fashion.’
She suddenly sat down, then demanded, ‘Why not?’ And he answered, ‘You don’t need me to go into why not. First of all, I know I’m stronger, and I know it might sound ungrateful, but sometimes I’m sorry they kept me alive.’
‘Oh John! That’s an awful thing to say, and to me, knowing how I feel.’
‘I’m sorry, dear.’ He took hold of her hand now. ‘But look at me’ – he motioned down the bed – ‘let’s face it, dear, I’ll never walk straight again. That leg was so fractured, it’s the biggest mystery to me how they saved it. But having saved it, it’s not going to be much use. I’ll never be able to put much pressure on it. I’ll have to use crutches at first, and then hopefully, sticks. And sticks will be with me for the rest of my life. Beatrice did a good job on me. I can imagine she enjoyed it.’
Helen pulled her hand away from his, saying, ‘Oh, I hate to hear you feeling sorry for yourself.’
‘I’m not feeling sorry for myself; although, I seem to be stressing I have enough to be sorry for. But I am not feeling sorry for myself; I am simply stating facts.’
‘And you’re not going to marry me tomorrow?’
He closed his eyes tightly and his voice sounded like a whimper as he said, ‘Oh, Helen. Helen.’
There was silence between them for some moments before she said, ‘Everyone’s looking forward to it, particularly your mother, and, of course, Daisy. Robbie’s agreed to be your best man, and Doctor Cornwallis is going to give me away. It’s all been arranged. And the Reverend Cuthbert from Saint Giles is going to take the ceremony. Everybody’s worked so hard.�
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He had his head down as he muttered, ‘I loved you before. I feel I’ve always loved you, but I never thought I could love you as much as I do at this moment.’ When he lifted his head his eyes were moist, but his hands were firm as he gripped hers, saying, ‘Oh, Helen. Helen.’
When she bent over him he held her tightly, and their kiss was long and hard. Then, pushing her aside, he said, ‘How on earth am I going to get into a church like this?’
‘That’s all been seen to, sir. Every last detail. You’ll be in a long basket-chair.’
‘Good Lord! Going to our wedding in a basket-chair.’ He was biting tightly on his lip now, his head shaking from side to side, and then he said softly, ‘You know something? You’re the most wonderful woman in the world. No, not a woman, a girl, a girl who sat by my side on the top of Craig’s Tor and let me sleep, then drank warm beer with me before suddenly walking out of my life, leaving me devastated.’
Again there was silence between them because neither of them, at this moment, wanted to dwell on Leonard.
Presently, Helen said brightly, ‘And there’ll be another surprise for somebody tomorrow.’
‘Who?’
‘Rosie and Robbie.’
‘Surprise for them? What do you mean?’
‘The land. Well, it didn’t legally pass on to you. Doctor Cornwallis had already started proceedings, before the fire, to have the marriage annulled, so the property did not pass legally on to you, but came to us three girls; and Marion was agreeable to my suggestion that we legally pass it all over to Robbie. He’ll have nearly fifty acres now. Rosie’s in her seventh heaven.’
‘No!’
‘Yes.’ She was nodding at him.
‘Oh, Helen, that’s a wonderful thing to do. He always wanted a farm. He’ll make a wonderful farmer.’ And when his arms came out again to her, she said, ‘You’re more excited about that than you are about marrying me.’
And to this he replied flatly, ‘Yes. Yes, you’re quite right, I’m much more excited about that.’
They were holding each other again. Then, taking her face between his hands, he said, ‘D’you know what I’m realising now?’ and at this she shook her head, and he went on softly, ‘Well, I know now that until this moment I’ve never been really happy in my life. My work has given me what they call satisfaction, and yet at the same time, boredom and frustration. But now I know that come what may we shall spend our lives together. Tomorrow will seal it, but it is already accomplished in my mind. Thank you, my dearest, dearest Helen.’
She cupped his face with her hands, and looking into his eyes she said, ‘Do you know something? You’re a lovely man.’
At this, there was a joy in him that surpassed even the feeling of love he had for her, for he was recalling the night when he had left Henry with the thought that he doubted if anyone would say of him, after his death, what Henry had implied about Leonard.
But here he was; he wasn’t dead; and he was to be married tomorrow, and she had called him a lovely man.
The End
The Obsession Page 30