by Betty Neels
"That's settled," he observed placidly as they got into the car. "We'll have dinner, shall we?" He gave her a sideways glance. "Cold feet?"
"Certainly not," said Araminta, who had.
Not for long, however; the evening was as comfortable as the previous ones had been. Curled up in her bed later that night, she thought sleepily that the future was everything she could wish for.
She hadn't expected flowers in the church when she arrived with her father, but there they were: glowing bunches on either side of the altar and a wrought-iron stand of roses and lilies and carnations near the pulpit, and there was a little posy of lilies of the valley and rosebuds for her-the vicar's wife had handed it to her in the porch, and then followed them into the church. Jason was there; for one dreadful moment she had imagined that he hadn't come, but there he was, enormous and calm, his best man, his registrar, beside him. She tucked her hand in her father's arm and walked steadily down the aisle.
CHAPTER SEVEN
As any girl would, Araminta had dreamed of bridal veils and white satin and bridesmaids, but now none of these mattered. Mr. Thorn had a splendid voice; the words of the service rolled off his tongue in all their splendour and she listened to every one of them, standing beside .lason, small and straight in her new suit, making her responses in a steady voice.
The service was quite short; they went out of the church arm in arm and her father and the best man came behind them with the vicar and his wife, and in the porch they stood for a few minutes, being congratulated. The professor was quite at his ease, his hand holding Araminta's in a secure clasp. He didn't let it go when her father said, "Well, I'll be off. I'm taking Alice out to lunch-mustn't be late." He pecked Araminta on the cheek and went away with a brief word to Jason, who wished him goodbye with a bland face which gave away nothing of his feelings.
"You'll come back for half an hour and drin k to our health?" he asked Mr. Thorn. "Peter will wait while you take off your cassock, Vicar, and bring you and Mrs. Thorn to our house." He smiled down at Araminta. "We'll go on ahead, my dear."
He popped her into the car and drove away, beginning at once on a casual rambling conversation so that Araminta, who had suddenly found herself tongue-tied, began to feel normal again.
"I like the outfit," said Jason. "You look very nice, Araminta. You have good taste in clothes. Next week you shall go shopping and, if I can spare the time, I'll come with you."
"I'd like that, for I've no idea what to buy."
"I find that remark, coming from a woman, very hard to swallow." He gave her a brief smile. "I can see that I'll have to lend a hand."
The Bullers were waiting in the hall, beaming their congratulations, while the dogs pranced around getting in everyone's way.
"I should have carried you over the threshold," observed the professor. "I quite forgot. Remind me to do so at some time."
They had gone into the drawing-room and there was no time to talk, for a moment later the others arrived and Buller came in with champagne and a tray of tiny smoked salmon sandwiches. The talk was cheerful and of nothing much, and Araminta, drinking her second glass of champagne, thought how delightful it was among these friendly people who seemed to like her. The future, considerably enhanced by the champagne, bade fair to be rosy, and presently, when everyone had gone, they would spend a pleasant day together; there was a great deal she had to learn about Jason-his likes and dislikes, his work, what he liked to eat, how he spent his leisure…
Their guests went and they had lunch together, a festive meal at which Mrs. Buller had excelled herself. They talked comfortably about the wedding, and he told her about Peter, his registrar, and a little-a very little-of his work at the hospital. Not just one hospital: he went wherever he was needed, frequently abroad.
Araminta sat quietly, not interrupting, listening carefully, storing away odds and ends of in formation. Later, she hoped, he would tell her about his family. After lunch, perhaps, since they had the rest of the day together.
She was to be disappointed; over their coffee he suggested that she might like to see her room and go with Mrs. Buller round the house. "I've some phoning I must do I'll be in my study."
So she went with Mrs. Buller up the stairs and into a large room, furnished in a cunning mixture of pastel colours which showed the beautiful mahogany bed and dressing-table to the best advantage. There were little easy chairs and a chaise-longue, delicate bedside tables with porcelain lamp-stands and a vast tallboy. The clothes-cupboard along one wall was vast too; she could never fill it, she reflected, peering into the bathroom, and then, with Mrs. Buller sailing in front of her, through another door into another bedroom, smaller, and furnished without any of the delicate colours and lovely fabrics of her own room.
"The professor's room," said Mrs. Buller. "Well, his dressing-room, as one might say, ma'am."
Araminta, momentarily diverted at being called "ma'am', wasn't really listening.
They toured the house right up to the top floor, where the Bullers had their small flat, and it was all quite perfect. "Would you wish to unpack now, ma'am, or shall I show you downstairs?"
"Oh, downstairs, please, Mrs. Buller. I haven't much to unpack."
The small sitting-room behind the dining-room was not grand like the drawing-room but very comfortable, with small Regency furniture rind two high-backed armchairs, one each side of the fireplace. It would be nice to have tea there, thought Araminta, one each side of the fireplace like the married couple they now were, while Jason told her about his day…
There was another room too, a small library, with shelves of books and leather chairs beside the centre table. Araminta drew a blissful sigh and went back to the drawing-room.
There was no one there, but presently Buller brought in the tea-tray. "Shall I let the professor know, ma'am?" he asked.
She jumped up. "I'll go, thank you, Buller." She tapped on the study door and was answered by a grunt. When she went in, Jason looked at her over his spectacles as though he had never seen her before. She faltered for a moment, then asked, "Would you like your tea here?"
"Is it already that time? No, no, I'll join you." His smile reassured her; she must have imagined that look of complete indifference…
They had their tea, making comfortable con versation the while, and later they had dinner together and it seemed to Araminta as though they had known each other for ever, talking at their ease, lapsing into silence without the feeling that there was need to talk.
It was while they were drinking their coffee that the phone rang. Buller answered it. "The hospital, sir," he said from the door, "in your study."
The professor went unhurriedly and didn't come back for several minutes, and when he did it was to tell her that he was needed urgently. "I expect to be gone for some time, he told her. "I'll say goodnight now and see you at breakfast. Sleep well!"
Araminta reminded herself that she was a surgeon's wife now, and that this was the way it would be for the rest of her life: she would be shut out of the greater part of his life. She wasn't even sure if he wanted her to know ahout it. He had said that he wished for someone to be at home when he got there at the end of the day, but he had told her to go to bed. The pleasant picture she had had in her head of waiting up for him with a hot drink and a sympathetic ear she now dismissed as sentimental nonsense. She finished her coffee and, with Goldie and Neptune keeping her company, she embarked on a slow tour of the portraits and pictures on the drawing-room walls. Family, she supposed, and ancestors, some delightful miniatures, and a group of pencil sketches of a child's head. She wondered if they were of Jason, and fell to wondering about him as a small boy. Perhaps, when she got to know his sisters, she would be able to find out.
Since by eleven o'clock there was no sign of Jason, she went to bed. She fell asleep at once, waking in the small hours, her head very clear as it so often was at that time. Jason had married her for companionship, for someone to come home to. He had been honest about that love wasn't goi
ng to enter into it, although later perhaps his liking might develop into affection. So she would be a good companion. She went back to sleep.
He was reading some papers when she got down in the morning, but put them down as she went into the dining-room, asked if she had slept well and if she had all she wanted.
"Like a log," she told him cheerfully. "How about you? Were you kept at the hospital?" An unnecessary question-she could see he was tired. "It was something urgent? I do hope you were able to sort it out."
They had sat down at the table and Araminta poured his coffee as Buller came in with several covered dishes. The professor got up, asked her if she would like eggs and bacon, scrambled eggs or boiled, served her and then himself, and sat down again. "Yes, I hope the man will recover," he told her, "but shall I not put you off your breakfast if I talk about it?"
"I'll tell you when to stop," she suggested, and began on her scrambled eggs.
She listened intelligently, although she didn't understand all that he was saying, and she did not interrupt; it was obvious to her that he was mulling over his night's work-thinking out loud, getting it off his chest. When he finished she said, "It must be very satisfying to be a surgeon, to be able to do something when everyone else just has to stand around feeling helpless."
"I quite often feel helpless, Araminta."
"Well, yes, I can understand that, but you still go on doing your best, don't you? Will you be able to go to bed now for a few hours?"
She passed the toast-rack and poured him more coffee.
"No, I'm afraid not. I must go back to the hospital, but I should be home by six o'clock. I'll give myself a morning off in a few days and we'll go shopping." He smiled. "At least, you will shop. I shall sit on one of those uncomfortable little gilt chairs and admire what you buy."
He got up, gathering his papers. "And before you argue about it, I wish my wife to have everything she wants, within reason. We can't possibly buy all you need in one morning, but we can make a start."
He dropped a friendly hand on her shoulder as he passed her chair.
"Shall I walk Neptune and Goldie in the park?" she asked.
"Would you? Buller will tell you where hc usually goes. We might take them again this evening before dinner."
He had gone, leaving her to sit at the table, wondering what to do with the greater part of her day.
The problem was solved for her within a few minutes. Buller, coming in to clear, enquired of her in a fatherly manner if she would care to step into the kitchen and have a little tall: with Mrs. Buller. "You'll be wanting to know how the house is run, ma'am-the shopping and so on-and you'll wish to inspect the household linen."
So Araminta went along to the kitchen and sat down at the scrubbed table and paid attention to Mrs. Buller's motherly titbits of information. She would, it appeared, be expected to see Mrs. Buller each morning to discuss the day's meals with her. As to shopping, Fortnum & Mason delivered a weekly order, which she would make out, but there were, naturally, items needed from time to time which she might care to purchase for herself. The household expenses were handed to the professor at the end of each month, but no doubt he would be glad if those could be dealt with by ma'am.
Mrs. Buller beamed across the table. "If you've the time to spare, ma'am, we might take a look at the cupboards, and if you want anything altered I'd be happy to oblige."
"Mrs. Buller," said Araminta earnestly, "please don't alter anything. I'm sure the professor likes the way his home is run by you and Buller. I know very little about running a house such as this one; I've always done the housework and cooking and my home was small. I'll have to learn a great deal from you and I hope you will help me."
"Don't you worry, ma'am, me and Buller will do all we can to make things easy for you. You'll soon find your feet-such a nice young lady as you are, you can't fail to get into the way of it. Now, shall we check the linen-cupboards first? You'll be wanting to take the dogs out presently-we might go through the china and the silver in the pantry when you come back before lunch."
"That sounds fine." Araminta got to her feet and they went upstairs to a vast cupboard at the end of a passage leading from the landing, and spent the next hour examining damask tablecloths, napkins by the dozen, piles of linen sheets and pillow-cases, blankets as soft and light as thistledown, and satin-covered quilts.
Mrs. Buller answered her unspoken thought. "The professor's parents lived here; his mother bought only the best." She chuckled. "I doubt if he knows the half of what's here. It's a pleasure to check everything with you, ma'am. Men just don't want to know."
When they got back downstairs Buller had coffee waiting, and stayed a moment to offer advice as to the best way to get to the park. "And I was to remind you to keep to the main paths, ma'am. The dogs are obedient, they'll come when you call them. They like a good run."
It was a blustery day. Araminta found her way easily enough and, once in the park, let the dogs loose for half an hour. They rushed around happily, coming back to her every so often and racing away again. They came at once when she called, to her secret relief, and they walked briskly back home to find Buller waiting to dry paws and lead the dogs away for the biscuit they were allowed before settling down in front of the drawing-room fire.
As for Araminta, she was served a delicious lunch in the cosy room at the back of the hall and, still feeling like a guest in the house, she Joined Goldie and Neptune by the fire to read the newspapers and then, wishing to know something of Jason's world, to search the bookshelves for something which might give her an insight into it.
She was struggling to understand a heavy tome on haematology when Buller brought in the tea, and she still had her nose buried in it when Jason came home.
He greeted her cheerfully, refused tea, and took a look at the book. She answered his raised eyebrows rather tartly. "Well, I have to begin somewhere…"
He sat down in his chair and the dogs fell on his feet. "Of course you do," he agreed placidly. "I'm delighted that you're interested. Will you allow me to choose the books which will teach you quickly and easily?"
She nodded, and he asked, "What exactly do you want to know?"
"I want to be able to understand when you tell me things-the names of operations and illnesses, what goes on in hospitals, what sort of anaesthetics are used, the different treatments…"
"Supposing you start with the hospital? The different departments, the operating theatres, the intensive care unit, Casualty. I'll bring some books with me tomorrow, and when you have read them I'll take you round so that you can see everything for yourself. Then you can work your way through the basics."
"Thank you. It's so that I can understand a bit… You don't mind?"
"Of course not. I'm delighted. Now tell me, what have you done with your day?"
She told him, and then asked him about his.
He told her briefly and added, "What about that walk? I could do with some fresh air."
She got her coat and, with the dogs on their leads, went with him up to the park. It was a chilly evening and the wind was still blustery. They walked briskly, Araminta skipping a few steps now and then in order to keep up, and as they walked they talked-about nothing much and with comfortable silences from time to time. They might have been an old married couple, thought Araminta, peeping at his calm face. This must be how it would be when one had been married for half a lifetime or more, walking companionably together, not having to make conversation, at ease with each other. Was that being in love? she wondered. In that case, was she in love with Jason? If so, it wasn't in the least as she had imagined it would be. Where were the excitement and the thrill, the galloping pulse, the caught breaths? But she liked him; she liked him very much.
They went back presently and, after a pleasant dinner, Jason excused himself and went away to his study, taking the dogs with him. Araminta, struggling once more with haematology, decided to find the nearest woolshop in the morning and buy wool and knitting-needles and the mo
st complicated pattern she could find.
She gave up her reading presently and sat thinking about her father and Alice. They knew where she lived now and she had given them her phone number, and she had half expected to hear from her father. She would wait a few days, she decided, and then go and see them. Jason had told her that she was to have an allowance; she could give some of it to Alice…
There was no sign of Jason, so presently she went to bed, not sure if he would expect her still to be there when he eventually came back into the drawing-room.
It was past midnight when he came into the room, opened the doors for the dogs, and stood looking out at the quiet garden. He was still mulling over the lecture he was to give on the following day and, to tell the truth, he had forgotten Araminta.
However, he felt pleasure at the sight of her at the breakfast-table in the morning, smiling and cheerful and as neat as a new pin. "I've rather a busy day," he told her, "a lecture this afternoon to first-year students and one or two things to clear up afterwards. I'll probably be home rather later than usual."
"I'll ask Mrs. Buller to get dinner-when? Eight o'clock? We'll have something that won't spoil, so it won't matter when you come home."
"Will you do that? I'll phone if I get held up." He got up to go. "I've given myself the morning off tomorrow; we'll do that shopping."
She conferred with Mrs. Buller after he had gone. "He'll be tired," said that lady. "A nice fricassee of chicken and one of my cheese snuffles-he'll need to sit a while with a drink-and what about a nice queen of puddings to follow?"
"That sounds ideal, Mrs. Buller. Do you want me to do any shopping? I'll take the dogs first, but there will be plenty of time after that."
"There's a few good shops ten minutes' walk away, ma'am. Buller will show you where. I could do with some fresh thyme and marjoram and basil, if there is any. There's a good greengrocer there-sells good fresh stuff."