Ian was, as Edna said, waiting for them. Edna had acted under his orders and brought out all that was necessary and there was no reason why he should not begin work at once. He settled Garth comfortably in a chair and then turned to Julie.
‘I don’t need you for the moment, Nurse,’ he said in his most professional manner, ‘and I think you may like to have this at once.’ He produced from his pocket a thin air-mail envelope and held it out to her. ‘I rather suspect something more than ordinarily exciting has been happening to your brother,’ he went on. ‘This was addressed to the hospital—he must have been too excited to remember you were here—and I promised to bring it out with me to save the time lapse of it being sent on. If you care to read it now, go ahead. I’ll call you if I need you.’
‘Thank you.’ Julie took the letter, all sorts of mixed feelings racing through her mind. What if Ian’s prophecy had come true and Roger had found a girl he could love—perhaps by this time did love, and wouldn’t want his sister to come out to Mexico and join him after all? ‘Excuse me, please,’ she added, and retreated to read her letter in peace.
She had not read very far before her fears were laid to rest, and unconscious that Mrs. Andy had entered the room with an armful of the flowers she delighted to arrange, the girl gave a loud, thankful sigh of relief.
‘What’s the matter, Julie?’ Mrs. Andy wasn’t inquisitive, she was simply very interested in people, and she grew more and more interested in Julie and her welfare with each succeeding day. ‘Not bad news, I hope?’
‘Wonderful news.’ Julie lifted her head, her dark blue eyes shining with delight. ‘Roger’s coming home ... just for a week. He has been invited to a consultation with his publishers in London and he’s flying over. We’ll be able to spend the week together—most of it, anyway—if Matron will give me leave...’ she ended on a suddenly doubtful note.
‘I’ve a better idea.’ Mrs. Andy laid down her flowers and looked thoughtfully at the girl. ‘I was very interested in what I read of your brother and his wonderful book,’ she confessed. ‘I too have always been fascinated by Old Mexico, ever since I read a book about it when I was a girl. I should like to meet your brother and have a nice long talk with him about it.’ She eyed Julie closely for a moment, then added: ‘I don’t want you to leave Garth ... not just yet, anyway. It would be most disrupting to his peace of mind to have a stranger giving him the wax baths, the massage, bolstering up his morale and his belief that his hands will once again be as useful to him as they were before. And,’ her eyes twinkled, ‘I must say also that I don’t want you to leave just yet, either. What about having your brother here, at Woodlands, for his week at home? London is easily reached by road or rail, and it would save a great deal of work and worry for you both if you stayed here and were looked after instead of opening up the flat for such a short time. How about it, dear?’
She broke off as the telephone shrilled, startling them both. Mrs. Andy picked up the extension, listened a moment, then, covering the mouthpiece, she handed the instrument to Julie.
‘It’s Tansy Maitland,’ she whispered. ‘She wants to speak to Garth, but I’m not going to disturb him right now, even if it is possible. You talk to her, settle whatever it is she wants to know, but don’t let her come down here before the weekend. As it is it takes from one weekend to the next to recover from the effects of any one visit. Here you are, dear. We’ll finish our little talk later.’
Julie took the receiver in her hand and apologized to Tansy for the delay.
‘Mrs. Crossman thought you’d better speak to me at the moment,’ she explained. ‘I don’t think it’s wise to disturb Garth just now, and I’m not certain I could. Can you give me a message for him?’
‘What’s the matter?’ Tansy’s voice came quickly over the line, vibrant with anxiety. ‘He’s not ill again, is he? He hasn’t had a relapse or whatever you call it? Or’—her tone dropped anxiously—‘has he ... remembered?’
‘No,’ Julie announced reassuringly, ‘nothing like that has happened. Everything is just as it was, except that just now Mr. Greensmith is freeing his left hand from the plaster cast. We’re to start the wax baths and massage this evening.’
‘And then the right hand,’ Tansy was joyful now, ‘and so back to normal! That’s splendid. I thought for a moment he might have remembered—what happened that night.’
She was silent for a few minutes, and Julie was just about to ask if there was any message she could give to Garth when Tansy spoke again.
‘I almost forgot why I telephoned,’ she began with a high-pitched laugh. ‘This news put it right out of my head. Will you let Garth know I shan’t be at Woodlands until Saturday, please? I’m going to London to make a new record and I won’t be back until Saturday morning.’ She paused a moment, then said slowly: ‘There’s something else, too. The band have an offer of a three-months’ engagement in the States. They want me to go with them, of course. I wonder ... I don’t suppose Garth would go with me? A sort of holiday to recuperate ... I was thinking of the trip as a ... well, a honeymoon trip, if you like to call it that.’
Julie had the strangest feeling that her ears had been deceiving her. For a moment she could only stare at the instrument in her hand and wonder how best to answer. Before she could think of the right words Tansy spoke again.
‘Are you there. Nurse?’ and on being assured that Julie was still listening, she rushed on: ‘If he hasn’t remembered what happened by this time it’s obvious he isn’t going to remember, unless it’s years ahead. I think we ought to fix our wedding day now, before he gets to work on this site or scheme or whatever it is, because from all Mrs. Crossman says he won’t have time to bother with a little thing like getting married once he’s started work on her new scheme,’ she ended with unexpected waspishness.
‘I ... I don’t know what to say,’ Julie spoke truthfully. ‘I shall have to consult Mr. Greensmith. He may not think it wise. There is a great deal of treatment to be done before Mr. Holroyd’s hands have anything like the flexibility they used to have. They will be as flexible as ever in due course, we all feel that, but until then there’s treatment of all sorts, wax baths and massage, finger and wrist exercises...’
‘The tour isn’t until October.’ Tansy sounded sulky now. ‘Surely someone else could take over from you by that time? Or,’ her tone brightened suddenly, ‘perhaps Mrs. Crossman could come to some arrangement with the hospital or pay you to come with us and carry on until whatever it is your treatment is supposed to be doing is done. She can afford it.’
‘I really can’t discuss this any further at the moment or at this stage,’ Julie said at length in sheer exasperation. ‘For one thing, it’s not my place to give decisions regarding my patient. That’s Mr. Greensmith’s department. For another, I’m not sure Mr. Holroyd will want to spend three months in the States, or anywhere else but here for that matter, he has too much at stake with this new Development Scheme. It means as much to him as it does to Mrs. Crossman; in a way it’s his brain-child coming to life, and he’s eager to get working on it as soon as possible. For another thing, I’m not at all sure that I’ll be available to go to the States myself. I may be returning to Mexico with my brother and letting someone else take over this case in my place.’
‘Returning? He’s there already, isn’t he?’ Tansy demanded. ‘He is the Roger Saxon who’s written a book on Mexico, that’s being made into a film, isn’t he?’
‘Yes, that’s my brother.’ Julie could not keep the note of pride from her voice. ‘He’ll be home this weekend, for a week’s talk with his publishers and to see me. Mrs. Crossman has invited him here, and I’m seriously thinking of going back with him if it can possibly be arranged.’
‘Will he be there—at Woodlands, I mean, when I arrive on Saturday evening?’ came Tansy’s next question. ‘I’m dying to meet him. I read all about him in the paper. I don’t wonder you want to join him. It must be an exciting country, and all the thrills of moviemaking as we
ll ... you must be thrilled to bits,’ she ended childishly.
‘I am,’ Julie laughed suddenly, a great deal of her tension unexpectedly leaving her. ‘Yes, he’ll be here on Saturday—that is if he accepts Mrs. Crossman’s kind invitation, and I think he will.’
‘Goody!’ Tansy’s mood had changed too. ‘I like meeting people like your brother, people who do things, people who aren’t afraid to pull up their roots and take a chance. I’m looking forward to this,’ she ended in a sudden little rush. ‘I have to go now, I’ve an appointment. Tell Mr. Greensmith about the tour and what I’ve already suggested, will you? I’m not going to attempt to press you to come with us. Garth could get used to someone else, I suppose. If I had the chance to go to Mexico I’d be off like a shot, even with my brother, if I had one, but I haven’t. See you Saturday, Nurse Julie. Give Garth my love.’ And before Julie could make any further comment she had rung off.
Julie turned from the telephone to find Mrs. Andy regarding her with a strange glance, half amused, half incredulous.
‘Whatever was all that about?’ the old lady asked quietly. ‘She sounded in quite a state, but then Tansy usually does,’ she ended with a little tolerant laugh.
‘She has something to be in a state about this time.’ Julie took the chair Mrs. Andy indicated by her side. ‘She has an offer to accompany the band she works with to the States for a three-months’ tour. They go in October. Tansy wondered if they might make this a—honeymoon trip.’
‘A what?’ Mrs. Andy sat upright. ‘Utter nonsense!’ she said indignantly. ‘It’s August in a week or so’s time. Garth will have weeks of massage and treatment. It will be September before he can hope to get working on the Development Scheme, and he must be with it from beginning to end. I never heard of such selfishness ... and has Garth said anything at all about a wedding as yet?’ she demanded.
‘Not to me,’ Julie said truthfully, wishing her colour would not betray her and that her heart would not thump quite so wildly at this discussion of a possible marriage between Garth and Tansy Maitland.
‘And I heard you say you may not be able to go to the States yourself,’ the old lady pressed on. ‘Why should you? Leaving out your remarks about accompanying your brother back to Mexico.’
‘Tansy thought I may—it might be possible to arrange—that I could go with them to carry on the massage and so on,’ Julie said.
‘Nonsense!’ Mrs. Andy rose to her feet. ‘I shall have to have a word with Mr. Greensmith about this,’ she decided. ‘I don’t want Garth to leave here until he can go back ... to his office. And I don’t want you to leave him to someone else’s ministrations, no matter how capable they may be. Mental attitudes have a great deal more to do with recovery in any illness than most people realize,’ she said firmly. ‘I have no doubt Matron will back me up in what I’m saying.’
In the doorway Edna appeared with a message that Mr. Greensmith requested Nurse Saxon’s presence, and with a murmured excuse to her hostess Julie left the room, but she had the uncomfortable feeling that the weekend ahead was to be fraught with tension, and no one, she reflected, could foretell the outcome after Tansy’s unexpected news and ideas.
Julie had no need to wait for Ian’s words to tell her that, so far, the treatment had proved all they had hoped for and more. Garth had spun round in the low chair in which he was seated to greet her as she entered the room, and one glance at his face told her how pleased he was with the work done for him towards recovery.
‘Look, Julie,’ he began before Ian had time to speak, ‘my hand looks just the same, but much thinner... and white. We’ll soon cure that, once I’m back in the office.’
‘Not to run before we can walk, Garth,’ Ian cautioned him, smiling. ‘I’m delighted with the results so far’ —he turned to Julie—‘but you must impress on this young man that there’s still a long way to go. We must persevere with the wax baths each day, at any rate for a time, with the massage and the exercises until the stiffness has gone. You have the exercises I wrote out for you?’ he asked.
‘Upstairs,’ Julie told him. ‘I think I’ll be able to follow your instructions all right.’
‘Then that’s splendid.’ Ian smiled at them both. ‘I’m very pleased indeed about the whole business,’ he said firmly. ‘You have a good nurse, Garth, and I’m certain she has had a good patient so far...’
‘If only’—Garth’s face clouded suddenly and Julie felt the dull fingers of apprehension clutch her heart—‘I could remember more about that evening,’ he frowned. ‘I’ve a feeling somehow that all wasn’t well. I had a letter from the insurance company of the lorry this morning,’ he confided to Ian, ‘offering quite a fantastic sum in damages—compensation or something they call it. But if I could remember more about that evening I’d feel it was right to take it. As it is I keep wondering if I could have done anything to avoid what happened. Was I paying proper attention to my driving? Was I talking, acting a little bit foolishly, maybe?’
‘I don’t think so.’ Ian spoke, noting Julie’s hesitation. ‘You don’t strike me as that kind of person. In any event, it would be extremely difficult to avoid a trailer which had broken loose ... in the circumstances, that is, ahead of you on a very steep hill. I can’t think what I’d have done myself, faced with such an emergency.’
‘Perhaps you’re right.’ Garth gave a sigh. ‘I’d like to show Aunt Lavinia how well I can use my fingers,’ he suggested. ‘I expect you want to talk to Julie and won’t require me any more just now. Do you mind if I pop along and find someone to show off to?’
‘By all means,’ Ian smiled, ‘but remember—not too much of the freelance usage of the limb! Exercises, graded and controlled to give the maximum benefit, are the next thing.’
‘I’ll remember,’ Garth promised, and left them. They could hear him calling to Mrs. Crossman as he went into the other room.
‘I’m glad he’s gone, Julie.’ Ian was suddenly grave, and for a moment she wondered if he were about to tell her all was not well with Garth after all, but his first words dispelled that idea. ‘I haven’t seen you alone—except for the odd moment or two—since you came to Woodlands.’
‘I came here to nurse Garth Holroyd,’ Julie said primly and, she felt suddenly, a little unfairly. ‘But —is there anything special you wanted to tell me, ask me, about the case?’
‘Not about the case, Julie,’ Ian said gravely. ‘About ... us. Now you’ve been with Garth all this time there’s a definite change in your manner towards me, whether you’re aware of it or not ... and I honestly don’t believe that you are. I’ve always found you an extremely truthful person. That was one of the things which first attracted me to you, your reports were so meticulous, so detailed and accurate in every way. Will you answer me one question truthfully ... now, please?’
‘I will if I can,’ Julie assured him, but she was suddenly aware that her throat had gone dry and that she was trembling slightly. She linked her fingers together in her lap so that Ian would not notice.
‘Can you honestly sit there and tell me, as a woman now, not as a nurse, that you feel the same about Garth Holroyd now as you did on the day you accompanied him to Woodlands?’ Ian asked gently. ‘Don’t be afraid of hurting my feelings, Julie. I think I know what your answer must be.’
‘I...’ Julie began, but Ian was right, she could not lie to him. ‘I don’t...’ she said lamely, ‘feel the same about him, I mean. But ... there’s Tansy—Miss Maitland—he’s an engaged man, remember.’
‘I do remember,’ Ian’s tone was grave, ‘and I also remember the truth about that engagement. When his memory returns in full—and it may do so at any time, or it may never return—if it does, how is he going to feel then if he finds himself engaged to the girl who had already handed him back her ring?’
‘Or married to her,’ Julie said, so softly that Ian was not certain he had heard correctly. ‘Tansy wants an early wedding,’ she went on in the face of his bewildered glance. ‘She rang up today to
say she won’t be here until Saturday, she’s gone to London to make a recording. She told me then that the band has accepted an engagement to tour in the States for three months. The tour begins in October, and Tansy thought it would make a pleasant honeymoon trip. When I said Garth may still be having exercises and so on she suggested I went along too.’
‘The devil she did!’ Ian exploded with one of his rare outbursts of anger. ‘Who does she think she is? First of all she drives everybody mad, wanting to see him, speak to him ... anything to make herself a nuisance the night of the accident and the days and nights that immediately followed, then she pours out all her worries to you until she gets you almost in the same state she is in herself, then we discover why. Not because she’s madly in love with him or he with her, but because he’s won the Borough prize and, as his fiancée, or better still as his wife, she can share in the glory and the importance and what-have-you. I never heard such a thing in my life! She knows she’s really getting him under false pretences—if she does get him, that is, and I rather think that’s up to you, Julie—and yet she’s not content to wait until he asks her to name the day. She wants to make certain of having her cake as well as eating it, or so it appears to me. She wants the trip to the States, but she’s afraid that once she’s away either he’ll grow tired of being alone or else his memory will return, and she’ll have lost him in either event.’
‘I don’t know,’ Julie confessed miserably. ‘I just don’t know what’s the best thing to do. I fully intended asking you to try and get Matron to send someone else in my place. I was going to ask to be taken off the case. Roger is coming home for a week—he’s flying and he’ll be here early Saturday morning, and I thought it would be wonderful to go back with him, away from all this...’
‘Running away, Julie?’ Ian asked softly. ‘That isn’t like you. You can’t escape things—anything—by running away. Things which matter—things of the heart and mind—are always with you, and running away doesn’t solve that problem, as I am sure you know.’
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