to her in the first instance if he hadn ’ t thought she was the right person for him. ’
He was making an argument to convince himself, Julie realized, but she did not feel very inclined at that moment to give voice to her own thoughts on the matter. For one thing, she was by no means certain of her own feelings after all. She thought of what Tansy had said ... that Garth had not been comfortable at the party, that the people there were not ‘ his sort of people ’ , and, as Ian waited for her reply, for some assurance that she shared his doubts, she knew she could not voice her own opinion, because Ian would immediately read into what she said an entirely different reason for her words. He would say she did not want Tansy to have her ring back because she was interested in Garth herself, and, somewhat shaken, Julie knew now that this was the truth.
But if it ’ s Tansy he wants ... needs ... her mind reasoned, I ’ ve got to remember she was his choice ...
‘ Give it to her. ’ Ian ’ s voice cut in on her thoughts so unexpectedly that she was startled. ‘ After all, they can always break it up later if that ’ s what they really want, but most couples go through a stage of wondering if they have made the right choice, usually at the beginning of their engagements and so on. When he gets really well it will be time enough for them to sort out that angle of things, and ’ —he looked into her eyes and his own twinkled suddenly so that she knew this thought had been at the back of his mind all the time— ‘ you ’ ll be back here, where I can keep an eye on you, not over at Woodlands, with Mrs. Crossman ’ s romantic garden and beautiful house to blind you to realities !’
‘ I hope superficialities don ’ t mean as much as all that to me, Mr. Greensmith, ’ Julie was stung into replying, but he only smiled.
‘ I ’ ll keep an eye on Mr. Holroyd, ’ he announced, avoiding further discussion. ‘ You nip along and give Miss Maitland her ring before she comes up while—if he ’ s awake—I warn him that it ’ s his fiancée who is coming to see him. ’
There was nothing else for it. Julie turned and went down the corridor, but her own doubts had been crystallized by Ian ’ s words, ‘ I wonder if we ’ re doing the right thing ? ’ Who could know? They could only wait now and see what happened, see how he reacted to the news that Tansy was not only the girl who had been with him in the car that fateful night but also the girl whom he must have asked to be his wife.
She met Tansy already on her way to Emergency Three. There was no mistaking the other girl ’ s eagerness as she greeted Julie.
‘ Have you got it? ’ she demanded, as soon as Julie was within earshot. ‘ Did Mr. Greensmith get my ring? ’
‘ Here it is. ’ Julie held out the engagement ring on the flat of her hand and watched as Tansy, with a sigh of relief, slipped it on to the third finger of her left hand.
‘ Thank goodness, ’ she said, asking quickly: ‘ Does he ... remember any more? Does he know about me? ’
‘ Mr. Greensmith is with him now, ’ Julie said quietly. ‘ He said he would tell him that the young lady who was with him in the car, who has already visited him once and is coming today, is his fiancée . You must tread carefully until you see what effect that knowledge has on him now his mind is beginning to pick up the threads of everyday living again. ’
‘ I hope he never remembers about that party and the quarrel, ’ Tansy said passionately. ‘ I hope that ’ s blotted out for ever. I want my engagement to go on now ... there ’ s so much I can help h i m to do ... if he ’ ll do it. ’ She glanced up at Julie through her thickly fringed lashes. ‘ I ’ m not just commercially minded, you know, ’ she said unexpectedly. ‘ It ’ s just that we ’ re different kinds of people. Garth needs someone to help him see just what he can make of this job, besides being the man who draws
He was making an argument to convince himself, Julie realized, but she did not feel very inclined at that moment to give voice to her own thoughts on the matter. For one thing, she was by no means certain of her own feelings after all. She thought of what Tansy had said ... that Garth had not been comfortable at the party, that the people there were not ‘ his sort of people ’ , and, as Ian waited for her reply, for some assurance that she shared his doubts, she knew she could not voice her own opinion, because Ian would immediately read into what she said an entirely different reason for her words. He would say she did not want Tansy to have her ring back because she was interested in Garth herself, and, somewhat shaken, Julie knew now that this was the truth.
But if it ’ s Tansy he wants ... needs ... her mind reasoned, I ’ ve got to remember she was his choice ...
‘ Give it to her. ’ Ian ’ s voice cut in on her thoughts so unexpectedly that she was startled. ‘ After all, they can always break it up later if that ’ s what they really want, but most couples go through a stage of wondering if they have made the right choice, usually at the beginning of their engagements and so on. When he gets really well it will be time enough for them to sort out that angle of things, and ’ —he looked into her eyes and his own twinkled suddenly so that she knew this thought had been at the back of his mind all the time— ‘ you ’ ll be back here, where I can keep an eye on you, not over at Woodlands, with Mrs. Crossman ’ s romantic garden and beautiful house to blind you to realities !’
‘ I hope superficialities don ’ t mean as much as all that to me, Mr. Greensmith, ’ Julie was stung into replying, but he only smiled.
‘ I ’ ll keep an eye on Mr. Holroyd, ’ he announced, avoiding further discussion. ‘ You nip along and give Miss Maitland her ring before she comes up while—if he ’ s awake—I warn him that it ’ s his fiancée who is coming to see him. ’
There was nothing else for it. Julie turned and went down the corridor, but her own doubts had been crystallized by Ian ’ s words, ‘ I wonder if we ’ re doing the right thing ? ’ Who could know? They could only wait now and see what happened, see how he reacted to the news that Tansy was not only the girl who had been with him in the car that fateful night but also the girl whom he must have asked to be his wife.
She met Tansy already on her way to Emergency Three. There was no mistaking the other girl ’ s eagerness as she greeted Julie.
‘ Have you got it? ’ she demanded, as soon as Julie was within earshot. ‘ Did Mr. Greensmith get my ring? ’
‘ Here it is. ’ Julie held out the engagement ring on the flat of her hand and watched as Tansy, with a sigh of relief, slipped it on to the third finger of her left hand.
‘ Thank goodness, ’ she said, asking quickly: ‘ Does he ... remember any more? Does he know about me? ’
‘ Mr. Greensmith is with him now, ’ Julie said quietly. ‘ He said he would tell him that the young lady who was with him in the car, who has already visited him once and is coming today, is his fiancée . You must tread carefully until you see what effect that knowledge has on him now his mind is beginning to pick up the threads of everyday living again. ’
‘ I hope he never remembers about that party and the quarrel, ’ Tansy said passionately. ‘ I hope that ’ s blotted out for ever. I want my engagement to go on now ... there ’ s so much I can help h i m to do ... if he ’ ll do it. ’ She glanced up at Julie through her thickly fringed lashes. ‘ I ’ m not just commercially minded, you know, ’ she said unexpectedly. ‘ It ’ s just that we ’ re different kinds of people. Garth needs someone to help him see just what he can make of this job, besides being the man who draws
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