Part 16 (1/2)

Am I in the way?

' Alethea had gone a little pale, but she finished pouring the tea and handed Sarre's cup to him. She didn't want to be left alone with Nick, and a second later she realised that she need not have worried about that.

He had no reasonable excuse to speak to her alone; Sarre was very much his senior and besides, he was no stranger to the ward. For the moment he was working with Sir Walter and was as concerned with the patients as Nick.

All the same she let out a small relieved breath when Nick said sulkily: ”It wasn't anything important, sir, only some notes.

I'll come back later.

' He had barely closed the door behind him when Sarre asked: ”Are you

off duty this evening, Alethea?

' She nodded.

”But I'll be late.

Staff's on, but we're a bit behind with the work and I'll have to

stay.

' ”You went to see about leaving this morning?

' ”Yes--that's settled, I'm to leave in two weeks' time.

' She raised her lovely eyes to his.

”Is that OK?

' ”Indeed it is.

Would you be too tired to come out this evening?

Would eight o'clock be too early?

' ”T'd like to, thank you,” she said rather formally, 'that should give me plenty of time.

' He went away soon afterwards and she plunged back into the round of ch.o.r.es waiting to be done in the ward.

They were always so short of staff, she thought worriedly as she added another weight to yet another leg extended on its Balkan Beam.

The Princ.i.p.al Nursing Officer hadn't been too pleased with her that morning.

”When the ward is so busy.

Sister,” she had complained, 'surely you could wait a few months-after all, you haven't known Mr van Diederijk very long, have you?

' It hardly seemed worth while pointing out to Miss Gibbs, fifty if she was a day and a born spinster, that it made very little difference whether you knew someone a long time or not-she and Nick had fallen in love within a few minutes of meeting each other.

”Mr van Diederijk's work has to be considered,” she pointed out with becoming meekness, and Miss Gibbs had to concede the point.

But grudgingly.

Just as grudgingly she had wished Alethea a happy future, her tone implying that the possibility was an unlikely one.

The day wore on.

A motorbike accident came in followed by an elderly man who had fallen off a ladder. Alethea counted herself lucky to get away by seven o'clock, and by then she was so tired she wanted nothing but a strong cup of tea and her bed, something which Mr van Diederijk must have guessed at because no sooner had she reached the Home than she was called to the telephone.

”You're tired,” said Sarre's quiet voice in her ear.

”Put on a pretty dress as quickly as you can; I know of a little restaurant where you can doze off between the courses if you want to.

' And when she laughed: ”That's better.

I'll be outside in half an hour.

' ”How did you know I'd just come off duty?

' she wanted to know.

”T have my spies.

Tot ziens.

'1 The evening was one of unexpected pleasure.