again. The light seemed to be hurting his eyes, and Charlotte switched off the big central light and put on a tall standard lamp instead.
“What — happened?” Tremarth wanted to know, blinking bewilderedly up at the ceiling.
“You came to grief in your car. I’m afraid it’s a complete write-off.”
The eyes of the man on the couch turned almost appealingly to Charlotte. “Car?” he queried. And then a glimmering of intelligence showed between the thick black eyelashes. “Oh, of course, I — I’d
stayed out rather late, and I was hoping to get back in time for dinner... ”
“According to these young ladies you were travelling at about sixty miles an hour.” Richard’s white teeth gleamed.
“That must be an exaggeration,” he said huskily. “It was on the cliff top, and I’d hardly be breaking records in a confounded sea mist at that elevation. I remember the mist was particularly irritating...”
“Nevertheless, you’ve smashed up your car, and I’m afraid you’re not going to feel too good yourself for some time. Miss Woodford has a room you can occupy, but I’m not sure you ought to make the effort to get upstairs tonight. I’m not even sure it wouldn’t be best if I packed you off to the hospital straight away. You’ll have to have some X-rays, and you’ll probably need efficient nursing. But I don’t like the thought of jolting you again to-night—” “Of course not,” Charlotte protested, and was amazed because she felt so strongly about it. “It wouldn’t do at all, and in any case Hannah knows a lot about nursing, and Richard
— Mr. Tremarth,” she corrected herself — “can stay here on the couch to-night, and to-morrow we can see about moving him. We’ve lots of empty bedrooms, and hospitals are always overcrowded. ...”
Her voice died away, and she found the doctor smiling at her a little.
“You can say that again, Miss Woodford,” he observed. “I doubt very much whether I could get a bed for Mr. Tremarth tonight, but tomorrow is an entirely different matter. Tomorrow we’ll have to have a thorough examination.” His eyes swung round to Hannah, standing very slim and shapely in her smart black dress beneath the flattering rays of the standard lamp, and he cocked an eyebrow at her. “What’s this about you knowing something about nursing?” he asked. “You certainly behaved very admirably to-night... and I noticed you seemed to wear a detached air that didn’t interfere with your usefulness when dealing with our friend on the couch here.”
Hannah explained.
“I trained for two years in London, and I was actually entering upon my third year when I decided I’d rather not go on. I’m not sure now that I did the right thing in giving it up as a profession, but at least I know enough to do emergency duty to-night if you feel you can trust Mr. Tremarth to me.”
The doctor studied her appreciatively for a moment, and then nodded.
“Of course. In any case, I haven’t got very much alternative.” He bent over the patient. “I shall leave you in good hands, Mr. Tremarth, but to-morrow I’ll have to get you moved. You should be quite comfortable on this couch — ” he glanced at Charlotte — ” with some blankets and pillows and things. And now, if you feel up to it, I’ll have a go at that arm.”
Charlotte withdrew hurriedly in response to a meaningful look from Hannah, and while the mistress of the house rushed round collecting blankets and an eiderdown from the spare room that had luckily been given a thorough airing and spring-cleaning that day Hannah lent her assistance to the local practitioner, whose name was James Mackay.
The fact that he had red hair and one or two freckles indicated that he was very Scottish; and by the time the minor operation on the arm was over Hannah was of the opinion that he was also a very good doctor.
Charlotte set milk boiling on the kitchen stove for no reason that she could think of — except that they
“What — happened?” Tremarth wanted to know, blinking bewilderedly up at the ceiling.
“You came to grief in your car. I’m afraid it’s a complete write-off.”
The eyes of the man on the couch turned almost appealingly to Charlotte. “Car?” he queried. And then a glimmering of intelligence showed between the thick black eyelashes. “Oh, of course, I — I’d
stayed out rather late, and I was hoping to get back in time for dinner... ”
“According to these young ladies you were travelling at about sixty miles an hour.” Richard’s white teeth gleamed.
“That must be an exaggeration,” he said huskily. “It was on the cliff top, and I’d hardly be breaking records in a confounded sea mist at that elevation. I remember the mist was particularly irritating...”
“Nevertheless, you’ve smashed up your car, and I’m afraid you’re not going to feel too good yourself for some time. Miss Woodford has a room you can occupy, but I’m not sure you ought to make the effort to get upstairs tonight. I’m not even sure it wouldn’t be best if I packed you off to the hospital straight away. You’ll have to have some X-rays, and you’ll probably need efficient nursing. But I don’t like the thought of jolting you again to-night—” “Of course not,” Charlotte protested, and was amazed because she felt so strongly about it. “It wouldn’t do at all, and in any case Hannah knows a lot about nursing, and Richard
— Mr. Tremarth,” she corrected herself — “can stay here on the couch to-night, and to-morrow we can see about moving him. We’ve lots of empty bedrooms, and hospitals are always overcrowded. ...”
Her voice died away, and she found the doctor smiling at her a little.
“You can say that again, Miss Woodford,” he observed. “I doubt very much whether I could get a bed for Mr. Tremarth tonight, but tomorrow is an entirely different matter. Tomorrow we’ll have to have a thorough examination.” His eyes swung round to Hannah, standing very slim and shapely in her smart black dress beneath the flattering rays of the standard lamp, and he cocked an eyebrow at her. “What’s this about you knowing something about nursing?” he asked. “You certainly behaved very admirably to-night... and I noticed you seemed to wear a detached air that didn’t interfere with your usefulness when dealing with our friend on the couch here.”
Hannah explained.
“I trained for two years in London, and I was actually entering upon my third year when I decided I’d rather not go on. I’m not sure now that I did the right thing in giving it up as a profession, but at least I know enough to do emergency duty to-night if you feel you can trust Mr. Tremarth to me.”
The doctor studied her appreciatively for a moment, and then nodded.
“Of course. In any case, I haven’t got very much alternative.” He bent over the patient. “I shall leave you in good hands, Mr. Tremarth, but to-morrow I’ll have to get you moved. You should be quite comfortable on this couch — ” he glanced at Charlotte — ” with some blankets and pillows and things. And now, if you feel up to it, I’ll have a go at that arm.”
Charlotte withdrew hurriedly in response to a meaningful look from Hannah, and while the mistress of the house rushed round collecting blankets and an eiderdown from the spare room that had luckily been given a thorough airing and spring-cleaning that day Hannah lent her assistance to the local practitioner, whose name was James Mackay.
The fact that he had red hair and one or two freckles indicated that he was very Scottish; and by the time the minor operation on the arm was over Hannah was of the opinion that he was also a very good doctor.
Charlotte set milk boiling on the kitchen stove for no reason that she could think of — except that they
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