tell me a little of what ’ s been going on, to get you in this state. ’
Gwenny sighed, and tried to think. ‘ Oh, well, I get tired, and peculiar pains in my joints. ’
‘ Yet you went for long walks and cycle rides? ’
‘ That was between the bad times. I ’ m not always feeling ghastly. More so lately, though. ’
‘ I see. And are you not happy at home ?’
Gwenny looked alarmed, so he said gently, ‘ It wouldn ’ t be disloyal to your family if you were to tell me of something concerning them which worried you. It would help me get you well, and I ’ m sure your family would want that. ’
She looked so frustrated at that. ‘ Now what ’ s upsetting you ?’ he asked, half smiling. ‘ I expected you to say that someone in your family quarrelled with you — it happens, and it can make a person feel more ill if they have this sort of bug. ’
She closed her eyes. ‘ You can ’ t possibly have a family of your own, or you wouldn ’ t talk like that. You just don ’ t know what it ’ s like. ’
‘ How do you know? ’ he countered, and when she snapped open her eyes she found he was smiling in a rather amused fashion. She couldn ’ t see his mouth, only his eyes, all crinkled up and filled with amusement, and she couldn ’ t stop looking at them. For a man, they were the most expressive eyes she had ever seen.
‘ Oh, well, the fact is, we all love each other, but it ’ s a sort of angry loving that makes us hurt each other, I suppose, and sometimes I get a sort of cold hard lump here, ’ she said, tapping her chest, ‘ and I can ’ t think how anyone in a family all living for each other can feel so unhappy. ’
He sat nodding. ‘ What else? ’ he asked her.
‘ I think my father feels wretched because he doesn ’ t make much money, ’ she offered.
‘ What ’ s money? ’ Mark Bayfield asked ruefully.
Quick as a flash, she snapped back, ‘ Something to buy a panacea with, to chase away all the things that make us unhappy. ’
He looked rather taken aback at that. After giving it some thought, he offered: ‘ I know quite a lot of rich people who haven ’ t managed to buy happiness with their money. ’
‘ I didn ’ t say that, ’ she said. ‘ You twisted what I said. I meant that people who haven ’ t got it could do things with it if they had; that rich people wouldn ’ t know about because they ’ d always had it. Oh, now you ’ re laughing at me. ’
‘ It sounded rather funny, ’ he admitted. ‘ Tell me some more about it next time I come. ’
‘ When will that be ?’ she asked anxiously.
‘ When would you like it to be ?’ he asked curiously.
She flushed and closed her eyes, remembering belatedly that this was the man her family disliked so much, the man who had apparently blocked every avenue of escape and endeavour for them. The man who had hurt and embarrassed her sister Priscilla so that Priscilla hated him; the man who had prevented Laurence from getting this job he had wanted so badly, indeed this man had taken the job himself, and surely he couldn ’ t need it? This man had everything, including the wealth which Gwenny felt in her heart could free them from the tangle of their problems. Even her mother, who amiably grumbled about people but rarely felt so strongly about them, seemed to hate the hospital ’ s new R.M.O. And her kind, tired, overworked father ... Gwenny felt her throat ache with unshed tears as she thought of him. Daddy had been kind, a long time ago, before he had become too overworked to remember to choose his words or to conceal his impatience.
‘ It isn ’ t for me to say, Dr. Bayfield, ’ she said at last, in a frosty little voice. ‘ I ’ m just a patient, aren ’ t I?’
He left her with a very wry smile. He thought he could guess at what made this change of front. There was nothing more he could do today. It was a matter of tests, tests and more tests—and endless patience.
Later that day old Mrs. Yeedon
Gwenny sighed, and tried to think. ‘ Oh, well, I get tired, and peculiar pains in my joints. ’
‘ Yet you went for long walks and cycle rides? ’
‘ That was between the bad times. I ’ m not always feeling ghastly. More so lately, though. ’
‘ I see. And are you not happy at home ?’
Gwenny looked alarmed, so he said gently, ‘ It wouldn ’ t be disloyal to your family if you were to tell me of something concerning them which worried you. It would help me get you well, and I ’ m sure your family would want that. ’
She looked so frustrated at that. ‘ Now what ’ s upsetting you ?’ he asked, half smiling. ‘ I expected you to say that someone in your family quarrelled with you — it happens, and it can make a person feel more ill if they have this sort of bug. ’
She closed her eyes. ‘ You can ’ t possibly have a family of your own, or you wouldn ’ t talk like that. You just don ’ t know what it ’ s like. ’
‘ How do you know? ’ he countered, and when she snapped open her eyes she found he was smiling in a rather amused fashion. She couldn ’ t see his mouth, only his eyes, all crinkled up and filled with amusement, and she couldn ’ t stop looking at them. For a man, they were the most expressive eyes she had ever seen.
‘ Oh, well, the fact is, we all love each other, but it ’ s a sort of angry loving that makes us hurt each other, I suppose, and sometimes I get a sort of cold hard lump here, ’ she said, tapping her chest, ‘ and I can ’ t think how anyone in a family all living for each other can feel so unhappy. ’
He sat nodding. ‘ What else? ’ he asked her.
‘ I think my father feels wretched because he doesn ’ t make much money, ’ she offered.
‘ What ’ s money? ’ Mark Bayfield asked ruefully.
Quick as a flash, she snapped back, ‘ Something to buy a panacea with, to chase away all the things that make us unhappy. ’
He looked rather taken aback at that. After giving it some thought, he offered: ‘ I know quite a lot of rich people who haven ’ t managed to buy happiness with their money. ’
‘ I didn ’ t say that, ’ she said. ‘ You twisted what I said. I meant that people who haven ’ t got it could do things with it if they had; that rich people wouldn ’ t know about because they ’ d always had it. Oh, now you ’ re laughing at me. ’
‘ It sounded rather funny, ’ he admitted. ‘ Tell me some more about it next time I come. ’
‘ When will that be ?’ she asked anxiously.
‘ When would you like it to be ?’ he asked curiously.
She flushed and closed her eyes, remembering belatedly that this was the man her family disliked so much, the man who had apparently blocked every avenue of escape and endeavour for them. The man who had hurt and embarrassed her sister Priscilla so that Priscilla hated him; the man who had prevented Laurence from getting this job he had wanted so badly, indeed this man had taken the job himself, and surely he couldn ’ t need it? This man had everything, including the wealth which Gwenny felt in her heart could free them from the tangle of their problems. Even her mother, who amiably grumbled about people but rarely felt so strongly about them, seemed to hate the hospital ’ s new R.M.O. And her kind, tired, overworked father ... Gwenny felt her throat ache with unshed tears as she thought of him. Daddy had been kind, a long time ago, before he had become too overworked to remember to choose his words or to conceal his impatience.
‘ It isn ’ t for me to say, Dr. Bayfield, ’ she said at last, in a frosty little voice. ‘ I ’ m just a patient, aren ’ t I?’
He left her with a very wry smile. He thought he could guess at what made this change of front. There was nothing more he could do today. It was a matter of tests, tests and more tests—and endless patience.
Later that day old Mrs. Yeedon
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