languages. It would be simply super if I went back to hospital and could
tell everyone that I could speak Dutch."
Cor was looking interested, and she sighed with relief when he said with a
quite wild enthusiasm, "I say, how wizard.
What an idea--I shall enjoy that. "
"So shall I," she said promptly.
"Can you play chess?"
"No," then, inevitably, "Cousin Julius can."
"Shall I teach you in secret? and then one day you can invite him to play
and he'll have the surprise of his life."
"Oh, I say," said Cor, 'won't it be fun--what else shall we do? "
Before she could reply, Beatrix interrupted in a gloomy little voice:
"What about me?"
"I've got plans for you too, poppet. Christmas is coming, had you forgotten?
We'll make all the decorations, and quite a lot of the Christmas presents
too. You can sit and do that while I'm teaching Cor to play chess--I thought
we might paint our own cards too..." She produced two more little books.
"Here's a book for each of you. Write down all the things we shall need, and
I'll get them--very secretly--on my day off."
The morning passed swiftly after that, and when luncheon was over, she left
Cor sucking his pencil and looking important, while Dimphena, armed with a
pile of glossy magazines, kept him company once more.
Georgina had said nothing about Beatrix accompanying her on her walk, but she
wasn't surprised when she was joined at the front door by the little girl.
"You don't mind, George, do you? You said you didn't yesterday."
For answer, Georgina tucked the small hand into hers.
"Where shall we go?" she asked.
She didn't have to ask for tea to be taken up to
Cor's room when they got back. Stephens was in the hall waiting for them.
"I took the liberty of arranging for tea to be taken up to Master Cor's room.
Nurse, and I trust that is what you would wish."
His little black eyes twinkled at her, and she smiled delightedly.
"How thoughtful of you, Stephens. If it's not too much bother..."
"Nothing's a bother if it helps Master Cornelis, miss."
They ate an enormous tea. Franz joined them earlier than he had done the day
before, and between huge bits of buttered toast, contributed rather noisily
to the conversation. Georgina wasn't quite sure how it was that she
presently found herself sitting by Cor's bed, reading out loud from Thackeray
The Rose and the Ring. Georgina liked The Rose and the Ring, and was reading
it with pleasure and verve. She was in the middle of one of Countess
Gruffinuff's most telling speeches when she became aware of a curious
sensation. There was no time to analyse it as she looked up. Everyone was
looking at the door at her back;
so she looked too. Professor Eyffert was leaning against it, his hands in
his pockets watching her. She had no idea how long he had been there. She
closed the book, and started to get up, then, remembering what he had said,
sat down again and was glad to do so because her legs were giving her the
impression that they didn't intend to support her. She quelled a desire to
smile at him, because that was what she wanted to do, with the sheer delight
of seeing him there. In any case, he might still be angry. Instead, she sat
primly, with her hands still clutching the book, folded stiffly in her
spotless white lap, and didn't smile at all not even when he suddenly smiled
at her, giving her a peculiar light-headed feeling, rather as though she was
filled with bubbles.
"Do I interrupt," he asked, 'and am I too late for tea? "
Everyone in the room, with the exception of Georgina, hastened to deny this.
Within seconds he was sitting by the fire, with Beatrix on his knee, while
Dimphena poured out the fresh tea Milly had brought.
"This is a splendid idea," he said.
"Who thought of it?"
A babble of voices answered.
"George did--it's called a picnic bedroom tea, and Cor likes it, don't you.
Cor? It's to save him suffering from ennui."
He gave a little splutter of laughter and looked across at Georgina, who was
carefully not looking at him.
"I can't imagine anyone suffering from ennui while Nurse Rodman is around."
She had to glance across the room then not sure if he was joking. He wasn't.
She went a bright, becoming pink and dropped. The Rose and the Ring. It
fell with a thud and he said lightly, "Will you not go on with your reading?
I have partiality for the dreadful Countess Gruffinuff Georgina shook her
head so violently that her cap tilted little to one side and several wisps of
hair escaped.
"No, oh, no, I think not. It was only to pass the time, you know.. indeed,
I'm sure you all want to talk, and I intended to see Mrs. Stephens about
Cor's surprise supper."
She got herself up at last, and out of the room before anyone had time to
reply, but once outside, she slowed her speed to a loiter while she examined
her thoughts. They were chaotiG; she had on several previous occasions
imagined herself to be in love, but she realised now that this was not so.
None of the young gentlemen concerned had caused her to have the peculiar
feelings she was now experiencing. She reached the head of the staircase and
sat down on the top step, her chin on her doubled fists, the better to think.
She didn't hear the door close, nor did she hear the Professor's gentle
tread in the deep pile of the corridor carpet.
He sat himself down beside her and said in a placid voice, "You see how I
have taken your criticism to heart?"
Her heart leapt into her throat; she swallowed it back and turned a shocked
gaze on him.
"I never meant to criticise...1 wouldn't dream of doing so.. at least I..
my wretched tongue, it says things I don't always mean it to say."
He studied his well-polished shoes.
"I must remember that," the murmured, and when she gave him an enquiring look
said blandly, "I was expecting you to accuse me of being an autocrat in my
own home--I take it my fears were groundless?"
She wished she could get up and go away-anywhere, so long as it was as far as
possible from the silky voice of the man sitting so quietly beside her. She
steadied her voice.
"I have apologised once. Professor Eyffert. Of course you're not an
autocrat--the children adore you--it must be very difficult for you without
a..." she stopped and he finished smoothly, "Wife? Is that what you were
going to say? Yes, it is. But I have at last made up my mind to marry, so
the question need not arise."
He stood up and she couldn't see his face; only if she craned her neck as
though she were peering at Nelson on his column. She got up too and he said,
"Tell me about this surprise supper for Cor."
It was nice to be on safe ground again.
"Well," she explained, 'every other evening Cor chooses his own supper, and
on the others, Mrs. Stephens and I have agreed to put our heads together and
plan something special. It help to keep him from getting bored," she added,
to make it quite clear.
They started down the staircase together.
"I
s Comelis bored?" he asked.
"Not yet," she slid her hand down the patina of the oak stair rail, 'and I'll
see that he doesn't get the chance. "
"I rather gathered that," said the Professor gravely.
"There was a great deal of hush-hush talk about plans and secrets from
Beatrix and Cor. You went out this afternoon, I hope. Nurse?"
He had caught her by surprise. She went pink and lifted her determined chin.
"Yes, thank you."
"With Beatrix?" again the silky voice.
They had reached the hall. She turned to face him.
"Yes," she said, and waited to do battle, only to have her guns spiked when
he replied:
"She's a delightful companion, isn't she?" He raised his brows.
"You look surprised. Miss Rodman. I thought that I had made it plain that I
am a reformed character--I wouldn't dream or interfering with your schemes."
Georgina frowned darkly.
"I haven't any schemes, and it's absurd to say so," she said crossly.
"The children need to be occupied and I have plenty of time; and that reminds
me--could they not have lessons for an hour or so each day-the Rector or
someone?" she added vaguely.
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth; his voice was apologetic.
"I hate to steal your thunder; I had already arranged for that--to start in a
few days' time. I--er--haven't had the time to tell you."
His smile was gently mocking.
"I think, my dear Miss Rodman, that between us, Comelis and Beatrix will be
fully occupied." He turned away towards his study.
"Indeed!" he concluded over one shoulder, 'if all your schemes bear fruit,
it may not be necessary for me to take a wife after all. And what would you
think of that. "
She drew a steadying breath.
"I hardly think that your private life is any concern of mine. Professor,"
she replied as distantly as possible.
He shrugged wide shoulders.
"We shall see," he said cheerfully, and disappeared into his study.
K-arel arrived from Cambridge the following day--Saturday. He greeted
Georgina with an undisguised pleasure which she found gratifying, although it
served to show up the Professor's coolly distant friendliness towards her at
lunch, when he politely included her in the conversation. But as he
addressed her either as Nurse or Miss Rodman, and everyone else called her
George, or in Karel's case, Georgina; his attentions merely emphasised the
fact that he was being polite to the nurse because he was far too
well-mannered to be otherwise.
She went for a lonely walk that afternoon too, for the Professor announced
that he was taking everyone with him to visit friends in Saffron Walden, and
when she had offered to stay with Cor during the afternoon, he had merely
thanked her courteously, and assured her that he had already made
arrangements with Milly.
"We agreed, did we not.
Nurse," he wanted to know,
"that you should have your afternoons free and one day in each week to
yourself? I prefer to abide by that agreement."
They were sitting over luncheon, and Georgina forbore from making the
rejoinder which trembled on her tongue, contenting herself with a look of
annoyance in the Professor's direction before turning to Karel to resume
their conversation about Cambridge. It was when they were crossing the hall,
on the way to the drawing-room for their coffee, that she found the Professor
beside her.
"No doubt you feel that my--er--despotism should not include you. Miss
Rodman, but I am afraid that black looks from you will not alter my wishes
once my mind is made up. You will have to bear with me, I'm afraid." He
grinned suddenly and wickedly.
"Provided I am not crossed, I am the most amiable of men."
Georgina stood stiffly, careful not to frown, but powerless to stop the hot
colour rushing to her face. Black looks indeed she had only been in the
house three days, and he was already talking to her as though she was one of
his cousins. She opened her mouth, intent on saying so, caught his expectant
eye, and thought better of it. She would be in his house for three
months--even if he found fault with her on every single one of the days
ahead, it would be better than never seeing him again. She said meekly, "I'm
sorry, sir, I'll carry out your wishes to the best of my ability," and longed
to recall the words when he gave a shout of laughter and said, "Good lord,
girl, you are talking out of character!"
She didn't see him again that day--everyone else came back from Saffron
Walden, but apparently the Professor was staying on there to dine with
friends. She heard his car long after she had gone to bed, where she had
been lying awake, her ears stretched for the sound of his tyres.
She spent her day off with Great-Aunt Polly-she had got up early and done
what had to be done for Comelis before she left the house in the Mini which
she had been told to use. The morning was cold, still struggling to allow
the daylight to break through the clouds; even so, the cottage looked cosy
and warm--as warm as the welcome she received as she went in, but it did
nothing to mitigate the vague feeling of unhappiness she had been struggling
to ignore. This feeling grew with the day, inexplicably aggravated by
Great-Aunt Polly's gentle questions, which somehow always held a reference to
Professor Eyffert.
Georgina answered them with a casual air, and wondered about the subject of
them. He had come home very late the night before; she wondered where he had
been, and what was much more important, with whom. She started guiltily when
her aunt said, apropos of nothing at all, "He must have a great many
friends--what was the name of the people they all went to see at Saffron
Walden, dear?"
Georgina poked the fire with a testy hand.
"Oh, someone called Sinden or Sinding.. -I'm not sure."
Aunt Polly gave a little crow of delight.
"The Sindings," he said, 'they were friends of your dear Aunt Clara before
she died. He's a company director, I believe. They have several
children--they would be about your age. The eldest girl married a few months
ago--a beauty.
There are two more girls just as lovely. I daresay your Professor has an eye
on one of them. "
Georgina threw down the poker.
"He's not my
Professor," she said hotly.
"He employs me to look after Cor, that's all."
She looked at the little gilt clock on the mantel shelf and saw with relief
that it was time to get the tea. She was cutting the paper-thin bread and
butter her aunt considered an essential part of that meal, when she was
struck by the thought that she wished with all her heart that the Professor
was hers.
It was after eight o'clock when she arrived back at Dalmers Place. She went
in through the garden door and crossed the hall, trying to shut her ears to
the cheerful masculine voices coming from the drawing-room--there were
feminine voices too. She tore upstairs, two at a time, looking like a
thunder-cloud. Professor Eyffert would be sitting in his enormous chair by
the fire, she supposed, with the beautiful Sinding sisters doing their
glamorous best to catch his eye.
She ground her nice white teeth at the thought, and opened Cor's door
quietly. He would be asleep, but she would have a quick look at him before
telling Stephens that she was back. There was only one lamp burning, and
that on a small table drawn up to an easy chair by the fire. The Professor
sat in it, with a clutter of papers on his knee and scattered on the floor
around him. She saw at a glance that Cor was asleep, and then stopped dead
in much the same manner as someone in a fairy-tale who had had a magic wand
waved at them. The Professor got up, shedding papers as he did so.
"You look absolutely furious," he remarked genially.
"Even in this poor light I could swear your eyes are flashing--1 can
certainly hear you breathing loudly; I'll wager you're grinding your teeth as
well."
He eyed her with interest, for all the world, she thought, as though he was
observing interesting symptoms.
"Your bosom is heaving too--so many girls don't have bosoms these days. I
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