expect there will be reports somewhere which you will be able to see when you ’ re better. ’
‘ It ’ s not my line at all, ’ Garth reflected ruefully, ‘ either assessing the damage or knowing about the insurance, but Aunt Lavinia says her solicitor will look into it all for me, so I don ’ t have to worry—only about whether or not I ’ ll have a car fit to drive by the time I ’ m capable of taking it out again. ’ He gave a woebegone glance at his hands. ‘ When will they take these plaster thing s off, Nurse? ’
‘ That I don ’ t know either, ’ Julie smiled at him, ‘ but I do know you ’ re not to worry, not about the car or your hands or anything else. Mr. Greensmith will be in to see you very shortly. He is a keen motorist himself, and something of an amateur mechanic as well, I believe. I ’ m sure that if you asked him he would go along and look at the car for you when he has a free period. He would give you a truthful and near-accurate account of exactly what the damage is, I ’ m sure. Just as he is the one who ’ ll be able to tell you when the plastic surgeon is likely to take the plaster casts from your hands. ’
His meal ended, Garth relaxed against the pillows watching Julie at her work. He felt strangely contented, and as he watched her deft movements he wondered what it was about this girl which was at once so much a stimulant, so that he wanted to be up and doing, working at his drawing-board, and at the same time so soothing that he could content hims elf lying there simply because that was what she had said he must do. At the back of his mind there still lay the memory of this same girl as he had remembered seeing her when consciousness had first returned and he had wakened to find her bending over him. Then, despite the nurse ’ s uniform, his imaginat ion had held a picture of her in a dress of some filmy blue material, with a high neckline and a huge pink rose at her throat. What was it she had told him ? ‘ That was six months ago, at the New Year Hospital Ball ... I wasn ’ t with you last night ... there was a girl with you ...’
‘ Nurse !’ The change in his tone made Julie spin round, but apart from the sudden fear in his eyes he looked exactly the same, and she came quietly to the bedside, aware that it was something in his subconscious, something connected with this queer, half-returned memory of his which was bothering him now.
‘ What is it? ’ she asked quietly. ‘ Is there something I can get for you? ’
‘ Only whatever bit of my memory I ’ ve lost. ’ He made an attempt to joke about it, but the attempt was not very successful. His face sobered as he continued: ‘ You said there was a girl with me. I believe she came in the other day, but she didn ’ t say very much and I couldn ’ t think of anything to say to her either. Who was she? Does she know any more about this than I do? ’
‘ Her name is Tansy Maitland. ’ Julie watched him closely, but apart from repeating the name like a child repeating a lesson there was no change in his expression.
‘ She didn ’ t say very much, ’ Julie told him, ‘ because she had been warned not to excite you. I thin k she ’ ll be in to see you this afternoon. Maybe you ’ ll be feeling a little better by then and be able to talk to her a little, but you ’ re not to wo rr y about it at all, remember. That blow on your head will take some days to wear off, and you ’ ll find things will grow easier day by day if you don ’ t attempt to force them. ’
‘ I ’ ll be good, ’ he smiled at her. ‘ Don ’ t thin k me ungrateful, but Aunt Lavinia says I ’ m to go to Woodlands as soon as the doctors say I may, and I love Woodlands. I used to stay there often when I was a child. It ’ s just the right sort of place to recover quickly from anything. ’ From under the bandage his dark eyes studied her. ‘ You ’ ll love it there too, ’ he went on. ‘ My aunt says you ’ re to go with
‘ It ’ s not my line at all, ’ Garth reflected ruefully, ‘ either assessing the damage or knowing about the insurance, but Aunt Lavinia says her solicitor will look into it all for me, so I don ’ t have to worry—only about whether or not I ’ ll have a car fit to drive by the time I ’ m capable of taking it out again. ’ He gave a woebegone glance at his hands. ‘ When will they take these plaster thing s off, Nurse? ’
‘ That I don ’ t know either, ’ Julie smiled at him, ‘ but I do know you ’ re not to worry, not about the car or your hands or anything else. Mr. Greensmith will be in to see you very shortly. He is a keen motorist himself, and something of an amateur mechanic as well, I believe. I ’ m sure that if you asked him he would go along and look at the car for you when he has a free period. He would give you a truthful and near-accurate account of exactly what the damage is, I ’ m sure. Just as he is the one who ’ ll be able to tell you when the plastic surgeon is likely to take the plaster casts from your hands. ’
His meal ended, Garth relaxed against the pillows watching Julie at her work. He felt strangely contented, and as he watched her deft movements he wondered what it was about this girl which was at once so much a stimulant, so that he wanted to be up and doing, working at his drawing-board, and at the same time so soothing that he could content hims elf lying there simply because that was what she had said he must do. At the back of his mind there still lay the memory of this same girl as he had remembered seeing her when consciousness had first returned and he had wakened to find her bending over him. Then, despite the nurse ’ s uniform, his imaginat ion had held a picture of her in a dress of some filmy blue material, with a high neckline and a huge pink rose at her throat. What was it she had told him ? ‘ That was six months ago, at the New Year Hospital Ball ... I wasn ’ t with you last night ... there was a girl with you ...’
‘ Nurse !’ The change in his tone made Julie spin round, but apart from the sudden fear in his eyes he looked exactly the same, and she came quietly to the bedside, aware that it was something in his subconscious, something connected with this queer, half-returned memory of his which was bothering him now.
‘ What is it? ’ she asked quietly. ‘ Is there something I can get for you? ’
‘ Only whatever bit of my memory I ’ ve lost. ’ He made an attempt to joke about it, but the attempt was not very successful. His face sobered as he continued: ‘ You said there was a girl with me. I believe she came in the other day, but she didn ’ t say very much and I couldn ’ t think of anything to say to her either. Who was she? Does she know any more about this than I do? ’
‘ Her name is Tansy Maitland. ’ Julie watched him closely, but apart from repeating the name like a child repeating a lesson there was no change in his expression.
‘ She didn ’ t say very much, ’ Julie told him, ‘ because she had been warned not to excite you. I thin k she ’ ll be in to see you this afternoon. Maybe you ’ ll be feeling a little better by then and be able to talk to her a little, but you ’ re not to wo rr y about it at all, remember. That blow on your head will take some days to wear off, and you ’ ll find things will grow easier day by day if you don ’ t attempt to force them. ’
‘ I ’ ll be good, ’ he smiled at her. ‘ Don ’ t thin k me ungrateful, but Aunt Lavinia says I ’ m to go to Woodlands as soon as the doctors say I may, and I love Woodlands. I used to stay there often when I was a child. It ’ s just the right sort of place to recover quickly from anything. ’ From under the bandage his dark eyes studied her. ‘ You ’ ll love it there too, ’ he went on. ‘ My aunt says you ’ re to go with
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