ll give it, ” Trudie promised, “ willingly enough, if you think it of any value. ”
For the first time since he began this somewhat lengthy explanation as to what was worrying him, Philip turned and looked directly at her. There was no guile in the violet-blue eyes that regarded him now so gravely, nothing of the flirt ’ s provocative smile on her generous mouth. There was sympathy, friendly understanding and a genuine desire to help, or so Philip felt. Again that feeling of reassurance swept over him so that he felt more confident in what he had to say next.
“ Dora Stacey pointed out that as I am ... unattached and free of entanglements, I ’ m what she termed ‘ fair game ’ for anyone. She suggested that my best form of protection would be a ‘ nice, safe engagement to someone as dedicated to her own work as I am to mine. ’ I didn ’ t know where I ’ d find someone like that until today, ” he said quietly. “ I ’ m speaking of yourself, Tr u die. You love your work. You excel at it, your family background abounds in the kind of work we both do and want to do. You haven ’ t any false ideas about the glamor of working in a hospital as so many people have, and you know that the district nurses and midwives, the local doctor like your father and many others like him, are as important a part of the medical profession as the higher-ups whose names are household words at times. ”
“ I ... I agree with all you say, of c ourse. ” Trudie was not at all sure where this conversation was leading to, or if he was really intending to mean what she suspected. But if she were wrong she would look a fool, and he would at once class her as one of the people who thought him “ fair game. ” She must know more of what was in his mind before she committed herself further. “ But I ’ m not at all sure I understand what you ’ re trying to say. ”
“ I ’ m not surprised! ” Suddenly, and to her relief, Philip laughed with genuine amusement. “ I ’ m putting this very badly, ” he apologized. “ Do you mind if I smoke? I ’ m a little out of my depths myself. ”
“ By all means, ” Trudie nodded and surprised him by accepting a cigarette. She had refused to smoke all afternoon and evening. “ I do indulge occasionally, ” she told him, noting his surprise. “ And this is one of the occasions. ”
Philip resumed, looking directly at her as if compelling her to be truthful and to hide nothing from him.
“ Tell me, Trudie, ” he began, “ and please don ’ t hesitate to say what you mean, not what you think I want to know. Have you anyone in whom you ’ re especially interested? Any ... boyfriend or whatever the current phrase is nowadays? ”
“ No, ” Trudie said instantly and truthfully. “ I don ’ t really have very much time. ” She sounded as though she were excusing herself. “ I ’ ve really only just finished all my exams and things, you know. ”
“ That ’ s true of Nurse Anderson—she ’ s your special friend, isn ’ t she? ” Philip said. “ But she manages to have plenty of men friends around most of the time. ”
“ I ’ m not like that. ” Trudie blushed again and was annoyed with herself. “ I ’ m not a prude ... it ’ s just— ” she made a small, hesitant gesture “ —I don ’ t know how to explain it ... but there ’ s always so much else. I suppose one day ...”
“ That ’ s exactly what Dora said to me. ” Philip burst out excitedly. “ ‘ One day, ’ she said, ‘ you will find one who really matters. In the meantime you need a nice safe engagement to someone who doesn ’ t want to rush off to the altar in a blaze of white satin. ’ You wouldn ’ t want to do that, would you, Trudie? ”
“ Only if I was deeply in love with someone who loved me as much, ” Trudie said honestly. “ I ’ m all right as I am. ”
“ Then will you? ” Philip was not choosing his words now. He could hear Dr. Hislop approaching from his
For the first time since he began this somewhat lengthy explanation as to what was worrying him, Philip turned and looked directly at her. There was no guile in the violet-blue eyes that regarded him now so gravely, nothing of the flirt ’ s provocative smile on her generous mouth. There was sympathy, friendly understanding and a genuine desire to help, or so Philip felt. Again that feeling of reassurance swept over him so that he felt more confident in what he had to say next.
“ Dora Stacey pointed out that as I am ... unattached and free of entanglements, I ’ m what she termed ‘ fair game ’ for anyone. She suggested that my best form of protection would be a ‘ nice, safe engagement to someone as dedicated to her own work as I am to mine. ’ I didn ’ t know where I ’ d find someone like that until today, ” he said quietly. “ I ’ m speaking of yourself, Tr u die. You love your work. You excel at it, your family background abounds in the kind of work we both do and want to do. You haven ’ t any false ideas about the glamor of working in a hospital as so many people have, and you know that the district nurses and midwives, the local doctor like your father and many others like him, are as important a part of the medical profession as the higher-ups whose names are household words at times. ”
“ I ... I agree with all you say, of c ourse. ” Trudie was not at all sure where this conversation was leading to, or if he was really intending to mean what she suspected. But if she were wrong she would look a fool, and he would at once class her as one of the people who thought him “ fair game. ” She must know more of what was in his mind before she committed herself further. “ But I ’ m not at all sure I understand what you ’ re trying to say. ”
“ I ’ m not surprised! ” Suddenly, and to her relief, Philip laughed with genuine amusement. “ I ’ m putting this very badly, ” he apologized. “ Do you mind if I smoke? I ’ m a little out of my depths myself. ”
“ By all means, ” Trudie nodded and surprised him by accepting a cigarette. She had refused to smoke all afternoon and evening. “ I do indulge occasionally, ” she told him, noting his surprise. “ And this is one of the occasions. ”
Philip resumed, looking directly at her as if compelling her to be truthful and to hide nothing from him.
“ Tell me, Trudie, ” he began, “ and please don ’ t hesitate to say what you mean, not what you think I want to know. Have you anyone in whom you ’ re especially interested? Any ... boyfriend or whatever the current phrase is nowadays? ”
“ No, ” Trudie said instantly and truthfully. “ I don ’ t really have very much time. ” She sounded as though she were excusing herself. “ I ’ ve really only just finished all my exams and things, you know. ”
“ That ’ s true of Nurse Anderson—she ’ s your special friend, isn ’ t she? ” Philip said. “ But she manages to have plenty of men friends around most of the time. ”
“ I ’ m not like that. ” Trudie blushed again and was annoyed with herself. “ I ’ m not a prude ... it ’ s just— ” she made a small, hesitant gesture “ —I don ’ t know how to explain it ... but there ’ s always so much else. I suppose one day ...”
“ That ’ s exactly what Dora said to me. ” Philip burst out excitedly. “ ‘ One day, ’ she said, ‘ you will find one who really matters. In the meantime you need a nice safe engagement to someone who doesn ’ t want to rush off to the altar in a blaze of white satin. ’ You wouldn ’ t want to do that, would you, Trudie? ”
“ Only if I was deeply in love with someone who loved me as much, ” Trudie said honestly. “ I ’ m all right as I am. ”
“ Then will you? ” Philip was not choosing his words now. He could hear Dr. Hislop approaching from his
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