has swallowed,’ Dona Beatriz said distinctly. ‘Perhaps Miss Waring was too busy with her friend to notice that Gia was in difficulties, and if the child has been taught to swim almost certainly she was in difficulties! Children of that age don’t lie!’
C H A P T E R S I X
They returned to the villa, and for the remainder of that day Lisa knew that she wasn’t merely under a cloud, she was highly suspect, and strongly disapproved of.
Dona Beatriz didn’t attempt to conceal that she considered that Lisa had been put upon trial, and had ingloriously failed to justify any further belief in her, and that the sensible thing would be to replace her immediately. It didn’t matter that, once having been put to bed and treated by her father for an ordinary upset stomach, Gia recovered rapidly, and admitted that she had never at any time been in difficulties in the water, and on the contrary had been thoroughly enjoying herself until something inside her turned queasy. It didn’t matter that, just before he somewhat awkwardly dissociated himself from the group, and walked off towards his own cottage, Peter Hamilton-Tracey attempted to put in a good word for Lisa, and assured Dr. Fernandez that there had been no neglect whatsoever on her part, and that she was completely wonderful with children, as he had reason to know since she had looked after his brother’s — although since he hadn’t remembered her when they met again Lisa herself would have
doubted this recommendation! — and looked concerned at what had occurred.
Nothing, apparently, mattered apart from the fact that a father had been caused justifiable vexation, if nothing worse, and Dona Beatriz was in a position to offer advice, which she obviously did very freely.
Once she had discarded her wet swim-suit, and donned a more suitable cotton frock, Lisa had hurried to her charge’s room, and assisted her employer in everything that he did for his daughter She had received curt instructions not to leave the child for an instant while he fetched a case (without which, apparently, he never travelled from his car), and dosed the invalid; and when, feeling slightly more like herself, Gia managed a wan smile, and attempted to snuggle for comfort into Lisa’s arms, an even curter instruction to allow her to lie flat was issued immediately. Gia looked as if she might dissolve into tears, Lisa colored, and the child protested: ‘ But I want Lisa to hold my hand! And I like to feel her close. And I’m better now.’
‘You will be better if you behave yourself, and do exactly as I tell you you must do,’ the doctor returned, so shortly that, for an instant, Lisa experienced a flaring of anger against him because he could adopt such a tone to a small sufferer. But he gave her no opportunity to say anything herself, for he went on: ‘It is wiser that she should be quite undisturbed for a time now, and not fussed over in any way. And if I can trust
you to sit with her --------- ‘
Lisa’s color burned in her cheeks as if it would bum holes in them.
‘I think you can trust me to do that,’ she replied quietly.
‘ And I shall do nothing to upset her. ’
He sent her an odd, considering look.
‘Well, it wasn’t a particularly severe upset, so she should be all right in a few hours. And I shall be here now! ’
The way he said, ‘ And I shall be here now! ’ suggested that he was interposing a rampart between his only child and someone who might carelessly — perhaps with reprehensible carelessness! — do her harm.
When he had left the room Lisa sat expecting a visitation from Dona Beatriz, but the hours wore away and the lovely Spanish woman did not once come to make inquiries in the sick-room. Perhaps, Lisa decided, she had no great liking for sickrooms, as such; and having arrived, and created a certain amount of consternation as a result of her arrival, she was satisfied with the results so far. For naturally the English girl would be feeling
C H A P T E R S I X
They returned to the villa, and for the remainder of that day Lisa knew that she wasn’t merely under a cloud, she was highly suspect, and strongly disapproved of.
Dona Beatriz didn’t attempt to conceal that she considered that Lisa had been put upon trial, and had ingloriously failed to justify any further belief in her, and that the sensible thing would be to replace her immediately. It didn’t matter that, once having been put to bed and treated by her father for an ordinary upset stomach, Gia recovered rapidly, and admitted that she had never at any time been in difficulties in the water, and on the contrary had been thoroughly enjoying herself until something inside her turned queasy. It didn’t matter that, just before he somewhat awkwardly dissociated himself from the group, and walked off towards his own cottage, Peter Hamilton-Tracey attempted to put in a good word for Lisa, and assured Dr. Fernandez that there had been no neglect whatsoever on her part, and that she was completely wonderful with children, as he had reason to know since she had looked after his brother’s — although since he hadn’t remembered her when they met again Lisa herself would have
doubted this recommendation! — and looked concerned at what had occurred.
Nothing, apparently, mattered apart from the fact that a father had been caused justifiable vexation, if nothing worse, and Dona Beatriz was in a position to offer advice, which she obviously did very freely.
Once she had discarded her wet swim-suit, and donned a more suitable cotton frock, Lisa had hurried to her charge’s room, and assisted her employer in everything that he did for his daughter She had received curt instructions not to leave the child for an instant while he fetched a case (without which, apparently, he never travelled from his car), and dosed the invalid; and when, feeling slightly more like herself, Gia managed a wan smile, and attempted to snuggle for comfort into Lisa’s arms, an even curter instruction to allow her to lie flat was issued immediately. Gia looked as if she might dissolve into tears, Lisa colored, and the child protested: ‘ But I want Lisa to hold my hand! And I like to feel her close. And I’m better now.’
‘You will be better if you behave yourself, and do exactly as I tell you you must do,’ the doctor returned, so shortly that, for an instant, Lisa experienced a flaring of anger against him because he could adopt such a tone to a small sufferer. But he gave her no opportunity to say anything herself, for he went on: ‘It is wiser that she should be quite undisturbed for a time now, and not fussed over in any way. And if I can trust
you to sit with her --------- ‘
Lisa’s color burned in her cheeks as if it would bum holes in them.
‘I think you can trust me to do that,’ she replied quietly.
‘ And I shall do nothing to upset her. ’
He sent her an odd, considering look.
‘Well, it wasn’t a particularly severe upset, so she should be all right in a few hours. And I shall be here now! ’
The way he said, ‘ And I shall be here now! ’ suggested that he was interposing a rampart between his only child and someone who might carelessly — perhaps with reprehensible carelessness! — do her harm.
When he had left the room Lisa sat expecting a visitation from Dona Beatriz, but the hours wore away and the lovely Spanish woman did not once come to make inquiries in the sick-room. Perhaps, Lisa decided, she had no great liking for sickrooms, as such; and having arrived, and created a certain amount of consternation as a result of her arrival, she was satisfied with the results so far. For naturally the English girl would be feeling
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