by Anna Jacobs
‘Wouldn’t have made any difference if she had. She don’t know me from Adam. I only knew her because you pointed her out in the street once.’
Frank smiled, not a nice smile. ‘I’ll have her married and out of that damned uniform within the month. I don’t want my wife wiping the arses of injured soldiers.’
Cyril took another slurp of beer. What did you say to a remark like that? Frank was a bit strange sometimes, but he got things done, and people said he was making good money with this and that. ‘I knew you’d be pleased, Frank.’
‘I am. Very pleased. I’ll send her out to my parents’ farm as soon as we’re married, then they can keep an eye on her when I’m busy.’
He went on talking, more to himself than his companion, so in the end Cyril went across to join some other friends. No woman was worth all that fuss, as Frank would find out after he got married.
Phoebe was sent to the stores to get some more bandages. The stores were located at the rear of the hospital, in a building that had been the stables at one time.
As the orderly in charge gathered together the things Matron wanted, Phoebe loaded them on her trolley. He was a dour fellow with a badly scarred face, and never offered you more than a word or two, but he knew his job and always seemed to have what was needed.
She pushed the trolley along the corridor, and since it was a fine day, took the outside way back. It was nice to get a breath of fresh air. Some of the smells in the wards were unpleasant, however hard the nurses tried to keep things clean.
She didn’t think anything of it when she saw a figure in the distance. People were always coming and going. A small box bounced off the trolley just then, and she bent to pick it up. As she put it back more securely, she glanced across the garden again, and saw the man moving towards her.
Her heart began to pound in shock. It looked like. It was … Frank!
She abandoned the trolley and began to run, but he got to the turn off to the stores before she did.
She stopped a few paces away and so did he. He’d chosen his place well, was blocking the nearest entrance to the hospital buildings.
‘I want to talk to you,’ he said.
‘I don’t want to talk to you.’
‘You’d better. I told you I’d find you and I did. What the hell are you doing in a place like this? You could be married to me and living in comfort.’
‘I haven’t changed my mind and I never will. I won’t marry you, Frank. Go and find someone else if you need a wife so desperately.’
‘I don’t want someone else. I want you, Phoebe, and only you.’
The way he said that made her shudder, he sounded so implacably determined.
As she was trying to work out how to get away from him, he suddenly lunged towards her. She was stronger after the hard physical work of the last few months and managed to run away from him.
But she could hear his feet pounding after her, and he was still between her and the house.
This path led only to the gardens and the further away she got from the house, the less likely she was to find help.
What was she to do? Would anyone even hear if she yelled for help?
Only one way to find out. She began shouting for help at the top of her voice.
Nothing happened and she could hear Frank panting. She glanced over her shoulder to check on him and that was her undoing. She tripped over a tree root and felt herself falling, landing with a thump.
She screamed as loudly as she could, and when he grabbed her, she managed to stop him covering her mouth for a few more seconds. Then that big hand clamped down on her and struggle as she might, he held her beneath him on the damp ground, pressing his body against hers.
‘I told you you’d not get away from me. You’re mine, Phoebe Sinclair, mine and no one else’s.’
She bit him hard and he slackened his hold, so she screamed again at the top of her voice.
She had given up hope of finding help when she heard someone shout, ‘What’s that?’
Someone else yelled, ‘It came from over there.’
Frank still had her mouth covered but he was cursing under his breath.
Two of the patients came into view. One realised immediately what was happening and shouted, ‘Get off her, you brute!’
But Frank was already doing that. ‘I’ll find you again!’ he told her in a low voice, then set off at a shambling run through the gardens.
Since the patients weren’t able to move fast, he got away, but Phoebe was safe. For the moment.
Shuddering with relief, she began to get up. One of the men held out his hand to her and she took it gratefully, letting him steady her once she was upright.
‘Thank you.’
‘He … er, didn’t manage to do anything to you, did he?’
‘No. You got here just in time. Frank’s very strong. I couldn’t fight him off.’
‘Do you know him, then?’
‘Yes. He’s my uncle’s stepson. He wants to marry me and I won’t agree. I’ve been hiding from him for months.’
‘Sods like him should be castrated,’ the smaller man said suddenly. ‘Excuse my language, miss, but they should.’
‘I agree.’ She gave a shaky laugh. ‘Shall we get back to the hospital? I shan’t feel safe till I’m inside it. And I’ve lost the trolley of bandages and supplies.’
‘Someone else will go back for it. Here. Hold my arm. You’re still trembling.’
Matron gaped at her dishevelled appearance, listened to her faltered explanation and sat her down in the office with a strong cup of sweet tea. ‘Shock. That’ll help.’
It helped very little. This was the second time Frank had manhandled her and Phoebe still had nightmares about the first attack.
Matron called in Major Burroughs, the officer in charge, and he listened to the tale, asking a couple of questions, telling her to take care not to be alone from now on.
When she and Matron left his office, Phoebe let out a shuddering sigh. ‘What am I going to do? Wherever I go, I’ll be looking over my shoulder, worrying about Frank.’
‘If you stay indoors, you’ll be safe enough till you leave, at least.’
‘I won’t feel safe, though. He’s a very determined man. And there are a lot of entrances into this hospital.’ If Frank had found her once, he would probably find her again.
‘Well, this will probably speed up your transfer.’
She heard the restrained impatience behind Matron’s words, so went back to work with a quick, ‘Thank you. I’m feeling better now.’ But she didn’t even sleep inside the hospital and she knew she’d continue to worry every time she crossed the yard to the dormitory.
The other VADs were full of the incident and kept asking her about it and how she’d felt when he grabbed her till she yelled at them. ‘Leave me alone! I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to get away from here.’ Her voice broke on a sob.
Penny came to put an arm round her shoulders in a gesture meant to comfort.
Phoebe didn’t want touching. She just wanted to be left alone. No, she didn’t. She’d be terrified unless she was with other people.
As if reading her thoughts, Penny added, ‘We’ve got orders to make sure you’re never on your own ever. It’s time for tea now. If you’re ready, we’ll walk across together, shall we?’
Phoebe pulled herself together and tried to look as if she was listening to what they were chatting about. Only it was going in one ear and out of the other, because she still couldn’t pull her thoughts together, couldn’t decide what to do.
After the evening meal there were further duties, but she asked Matron if she could make one phone call before she began.
‘Whom do you wish to call?’
‘Beaty. I mean Lady Potherington. I stay with her when I’m in London.’
Matron’s voice grew warmer. ‘Of course you can phone her. Use my office. I’ll help you.’
But she stayed there after she’d got the call put through
, so even then Phoebe couldn’t say what she really wanted to. But she did ask Beaty for help in arranging an immediate transfer.
She had no shame in begging for such help. If she didn’t get away, Frank would come after her again, she knew he would.
Beaty put the phone down, upset for Phoebe. She’d heard her young friend’s voice wobble a couple of times as she was explaining what had happened. That Hapton fellow must be a lunatic, to be so obsessed by a woman who didn’t want him.
She picked up the phone again. This needed more rapid action than she or her friend Rosemary could arrange, and it must be done very carefully, so that there was no easy way for him to follow poor Phoebe.
‘Corin. I’m so glad I’ve caught you in. Listen, Phoebe’s in trouble and I think you can help her better than anyone.’
He listened, asked questions, the answers to some of which she didn’t know, then there was silence.
‘Right. I’ll see Brookes first thing in the morning, and in the meantime I’ll work out a plan to get Phoebe away without being seen. We’ll have her out of there by nightfall tomorrow, I promise you.’
‘I knew you were the one to ask. The official wheels grind so slowly. Shall I phone and tell her?’
‘No. The fewer people who know the better. I’ll phone them tomorrow, once I’ve worked out the details.’
Corin sat next to the phone even after the conversation with his aunt had ended. Apart from being upset for Phoebe, he was conscious of a burning desire to beat Frank Hapton to a pulp. Which was a highly uncivilised thing to desire.
How could you not feel that way, though, when the woman you loved had been attacked for a second time? He smiled wryly. If he’d been uncertain how much he loved Phoebe before, he wasn’t now. He wished he could drive through the night and take her away from Bellbourne, look after her, care for her.
If he was lucky and survived this hell of a war, he’d ask Phoebe to marry him – he smiled, fairly certain she’d say yes – then he’d care for her with every fibre of his being.
The following morning, he was in the office before anyone else, impatient to see David and get things moving.
When his boss did arrive, he was humming cheerfully, but stopped to ask, ‘What’s wrong? You look like a man who didn’t sleep very well.’
‘You’re right. I didn’t.’
‘Worrying about Miss Sinclair, were you?’
‘How did you know about Phoebe?’
‘I ran into Beaty yesterday evening and she told me. We’d better get your young woman out of Bellbourne, so that you can concentrate on departmental matters. There are too many doors into and out of a hospital, anyway. It’s not a good place to keep someone safe. Have you any ideas how to get her away without anyone seeing?’
‘Yes. This is what I thought we could do … I’d welcome your advice, though.’
After incorporating a couple of additional suggestions made by his boss, Corin nodded. ‘I think that’ll do it. You’re sure the matron and commandant will help me?’
‘Oh yes. I know them both. Good sorts to have helping you in an emergency.’
After they’d finished discussing the details of how to get Phoebe away, Brookes gave Corin an assessing look. ‘Your plan was impressive. The more I think about it, the more I realise you’re definitely the best person to set up the new so-called convalescent home at Greyladies. You can spend, say, two months doing that, then we’ll move you to another project. Though I may call you up to London now and then for help with the army wallahs. I like how you think. We need clever, devious chaps in our group.’
He brought in his adjutant, dictated a brief note and said to Corin, ‘All right. Take it from there.’
‘Don’t you have any specific things you want doing at Greyladies?’
‘It’s an unusual situation. No precedent. If I think of anything else apart from my basic briefing, I’ll let you know.’ He grinned. ‘Otherwise, use your initiative.’
Corin walked out feeling rather shocked. After several years in the regular army, he wasn’t used to being set free to work as he chose.
Then he thought of Phoebe and forgot his doubts. The first thing was to rescue her and get her somewhere safe, then he’d turn his attention to those enemy aliens.
He went into his office and picked up his phone …
Rain was falling steadily as the delivery van turned into the drive of Bellbourne.
‘Just what we need,’ the driver said with satisfaction. ‘Anyone keeping watch on this place will be soaked, cold and thinking more about staying dry than who’s going in and out.’
‘We won’t even know whether Hapton is watching the hospital, let alone from where. We passed any number of houses in the lane leading to the gates, and there are sheds, too. He could be hiding in one of those.’
As the van stopped at the rear of the hospital, he tugged at his workman’s overalls, which were a bit short for a man of his height but were the best he’d been able to find on the spur of the moment, then got out. Picking up the smallest box from the rear, he carried it towards the kitchen door. It was opened just before he got there by an orderly.
‘Special delivery.’
‘We’re not expecting anything else today.’
‘Well, they sent me down from London with this, so someone must be expecting it. It’s supposed to go straight to Major Burroughs.’
‘Well, you’ve got the name right, at least. Shall I take it up to him?’
‘No, I’ve got orders to see it into his hands. Tell him it’s from a certain gentleman of his acquaintance.’
‘Who?’
‘How the hell should I know? It’s some sort of officers’ joke.’
‘I’ll check whether he’s free. I wonder what it’s all about?’ The orderly gave him a questioning look.
‘Haven’t the faintest idea, pal. I just do my job. What do I know about medical supplies?’
The orderly shrugged and walked out.
‘Do you and the driver want a cup of tea?’ the cook called across the kitchen. ‘Nasty sort of day, isn’t it?’
‘That’d be lovely, but not till I’ve delivered this box. I’m not supposed to let it out of my hands, and there are two bigger boxes out in the van as well. The driver’s keeping an eye on those. We won’t bring them in till the major decides where he wants them.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘Such a fuss they make sometimes over medical deliveries.’
She smiled. ‘Well, we all want to save lives. I’ll keep the pot warm for you.’
He wondered what she’d say if she knew he was an officer on a rescue mission. He hoped his plan was good enough. No one except Burroughs and people he felt were safe must find out. They didn’t want word getting back to Frank about who had turned up unexpectedly the day Phoebe dropped out of sight.
The orderly returned. ‘You’re to take the box up to him. This way.’
Corin winked at the cook and followed him out.
Not until the office door closed behind the orderly, did Major Burroughs gesture to a chair. ‘How can I help?’
‘I’m here to spirit Miss Sinclair away.’
‘Good. How are you planning to do it?’
‘We’re delivering two larger boxes containing supplies. They’re big enough for her to hide in, so we’ll just carry her out in one. Can you arrange for someone reliable to empty them? They really do contain useful supplies.’
Major Burroughs smiled. ‘The orderly in charge of the stores will be the perfect person to help hide her. I’d trust him with my life, and as he speaks mainly in grunts and doesn’t hold with what he calls “this modern gibble-gabbling about nothing”, he’ll not reveal anything about the escape. I’ll send Matron to fetch Phoebe. Matron’s a stout old bird and we can rely on her too. What about your lass’s clothes and so on?’
‘If we can’t get them packed quickly without anyone realising, she’ll have to do without.’
He grinned. ‘Matron will find a way. She doesn’t believe in waste.’
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Chapter Fifteen
Matron came into the area where Phoebe was setting out the trays for the patients’ meals. She was followed by another VAD. ‘I need your help with something, Sinclair. Amy will take over here.’ She led the way out immediately without further explanation.
Phoebe followed her, puzzled.
Matron led the way to her office. ‘Someone’s arrived to take you away from Bellbourne. We need to pack your things immediately and sneak you out of here without anyone realising what’s going on. I’ve got you a nurse’s uniform and if you tuck your hair out of sight under the cap and keep your eyes down, no one should give you a second glance. Hurry up and change.’ She gestured to a pile of clothing and turned to look out of the window.
After one surprised glance, Phoebe put on the other clothes as ordered, then Matron bundled the discarded VAD uniform into a towel as if it was dirty washing, and handed it to her to carry.
As they set out for the stables, Matron complained loudly about not putting up with untidiness, and Phoebe hung her head as if in trouble.
Once in the dormitory, Matron stopped scolding. ‘There’s no time to waste, so pack your things into your suitcase as quickly as you can. Leave something out to change into, so that you’re no longer in uniform when you leave.’
‘How am I going to leave without anyone finding out?’
‘In a box.’
Phoebe paused, open-mouthed. ‘You mean … in a coffin?’
‘Sorry. I forgot some people call coffins that. No, this box is a big packing case. Supplies have just been delivered. They sometimes take the empty wooden boxes away again for reuse, but this time the box won’t be empty.’
‘Right.’ She began piling things into her suitcase any old how, thankful she didn’t have as many possessions as Penny and the other VADs from more wealthy backgrounds. She checked her drawers and wardrobe one last time. ‘That’s everything.’
‘Right. We’ll leave now. I’ll carry that suitcase, you carry the bundle.’
Frank didn’t go far. As soon as he was sure he wasn’t being pursued, he slowed down to a walk, gasping for breath. He’d never enjoyed running, which always gave him a strange feeling, as if his knees were made of lead and he couldn’t breathe properly.