fact that the beds were double-tiered, Leonie could almost have thought herself in one of the smaller wards of St. Catherine’s. Everywhere was the same scrupulous, bright cleanliness, the same clear, cheerful light, even the same color scheme of fresh white and turquoise paint.
“It makes me feel homesick,” Leonie said, half laughing, half serious. “Even the color scheme is the same.”
“Yes. I had it that way, because I, too, liked to be reminded of St. Catherine’s,” he told her.
She would have liked very much to ask at that point why he had given up the wider field which had been at his command. She might even have found the courage to do so, but at that moment he said,
“So now you’re a business girl?”
“I’m a secretary,” Leonie agreed. “Nothing very grand or important.”
“Secretary to Miss Elstone’s father?”
“No. To the secretary of Miss Elstone’s father.”
He raised his eyebrows and whistled slightly.
“He’s as distinguished as that?”
“Oh, yes. He is Elstone’s Electrical Enterprises, you know, and must be one of the biggest men in industry.”
“And Miss Elstone is the only daughter?”
“The only child.”
“I see.” He rubbed his chin meditatively, and she thought he was considering something more complicated than Claire’s actual identity. “How long has she known Stour?”
“I don’t know,” Leonie said, quite truthfully, for she was not going to tell tales out of school, whatever her own private misgivings might be. “How long have you known him, Mr. Pembridge?”
“I met him for the first time when he signed on for this trip,” Mr. Pembridge said. And, from his tone, he, too, was not going to tell tales out of school, so she changed her line of talk and asked how long he himself had been a ship’s surgeon.
“About a year. This is my fourth trip. Possibly my last one,” he told her.
“Then you—you’ve had enough of it?”
“I wouldn’t say that. In many ways, I like the life. But I want to get back to my own line, which is the operating theatre. Naturally, except for an occasional emergency, one doesn’t get much real surgical work here.”
“That’s what I thought—” She stopped, afraid of sounding inquisitive. But then her curiosity got the better of her discretion, and she went on: “That’s really why I was surprised to find you on board, Mr. Pembridge. You were considered such a brilliant surgeon at St. Catherine’s. We all thought you had a big future in front of you. What made you change over to what amounts to a sort of general practice—however varied?”
“Partly,” he said slowly, “because I wanted that varied experience, in circumstances which would teach me to handle almost any emergency.” He paused, and she thought for a moment that he was not going to mention any other reason. Then she saw him set his handsome mouth rather grimly, and he added,
“And partly because of something which happened
in my life, and which made me feel I wanted to get away from all the familiar surroundings.”
“I see,” said Leonie, who did not see at all, and wished she did. For she thought she would very much like to know what circumstances or person could turn Mr. Pembridge from his chosen path.
There was the very slightest silence. Then he said, quite pleasantly. “Do you want to see my consulting-room?” And he showed her into a light, well-furnished cabin which might have been the consulting-room of any successful doctor on land.
“And that, I think, completes the tour,” he told her.
“Thank you very much,” Leonie said sincerely, as they mounted the stairs once more to the promenade deck. “I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it, or how thrilled I am to find there is such provision for sick people on board. It makes me feel I almost wish I were travelling as a nurse, instead of a passenger.”
“Don’t you believe it!” He laughed at that. “My two nurses have a very busy time of it. And
“It makes me feel homesick,” Leonie said, half laughing, half serious. “Even the color scheme is the same.”
“Yes. I had it that way, because I, too, liked to be reminded of St. Catherine’s,” he told her.
She would have liked very much to ask at that point why he had given up the wider field which had been at his command. She might even have found the courage to do so, but at that moment he said,
“So now you’re a business girl?”
“I’m a secretary,” Leonie agreed. “Nothing very grand or important.”
“Secretary to Miss Elstone’s father?”
“No. To the secretary of Miss Elstone’s father.”
He raised his eyebrows and whistled slightly.
“He’s as distinguished as that?”
“Oh, yes. He is Elstone’s Electrical Enterprises, you know, and must be one of the biggest men in industry.”
“And Miss Elstone is the only daughter?”
“The only child.”
“I see.” He rubbed his chin meditatively, and she thought he was considering something more complicated than Claire’s actual identity. “How long has she known Stour?”
“I don’t know,” Leonie said, quite truthfully, for she was not going to tell tales out of school, whatever her own private misgivings might be. “How long have you known him, Mr. Pembridge?”
“I met him for the first time when he signed on for this trip,” Mr. Pembridge said. And, from his tone, he, too, was not going to tell tales out of school, so she changed her line of talk and asked how long he himself had been a ship’s surgeon.
“About a year. This is my fourth trip. Possibly my last one,” he told her.
“Then you—you’ve had enough of it?”
“I wouldn’t say that. In many ways, I like the life. But I want to get back to my own line, which is the operating theatre. Naturally, except for an occasional emergency, one doesn’t get much real surgical work here.”
“That’s what I thought—” She stopped, afraid of sounding inquisitive. But then her curiosity got the better of her discretion, and she went on: “That’s really why I was surprised to find you on board, Mr. Pembridge. You were considered such a brilliant surgeon at St. Catherine’s. We all thought you had a big future in front of you. What made you change over to what amounts to a sort of general practice—however varied?”
“Partly,” he said slowly, “because I wanted that varied experience, in circumstances which would teach me to handle almost any emergency.” He paused, and she thought for a moment that he was not going to mention any other reason. Then she saw him set his handsome mouth rather grimly, and he added,
“And partly because of something which happened
in my life, and which made me feel I wanted to get away from all the familiar surroundings.”
“I see,” said Leonie, who did not see at all, and wished she did. For she thought she would very much like to know what circumstances or person could turn Mr. Pembridge from his chosen path.
There was the very slightest silence. Then he said, quite pleasantly. “Do you want to see my consulting-room?” And he showed her into a light, well-furnished cabin which might have been the consulting-room of any successful doctor on land.
“And that, I think, completes the tour,” he told her.
“Thank you very much,” Leonie said sincerely, as they mounted the stairs once more to the promenade deck. “I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it, or how thrilled I am to find there is such provision for sick people on board. It makes me feel I almost wish I were travelling as a nurse, instead of a passenger.”
“Don’t you believe it!” He laughed at that. “My two nurses have a very busy time of it. And
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