Doctor. I’m sure me
and Waters know what we’re doing. We’ve delivered more babies into the world than you’ve got patients.’
‘I’m sure you have, Miss Pendleton.’ The young doctor smiled placatingly. ‘I’m sure you have, but—’
‘We’ll send for you if we need you, Doctor,’ the matron said and though she was still smiling there was a firmness to her tone that forbade him to overstep his authority.
Within these walls her brother and she were in supreme charge.
‘Quite so, Matron,’ Mr Finch, who had been listening to the exchange, put in. ‘We don’t want the bill for your services here getting any longer than it has to be,
Doctor.’
‘I wouldn’t dream of charging anything in this case,’ Dr Collins said mildly. ‘But as you wish, Matron, as you wish.’ So saying, he walked back to his seat behind
the table.
As the matron and Waters helped Sarah towards the door, Meg and Bobbie, holding hands, fell into step behind them.
‘You, girl. Kirkland –’ Meg turned to see the master pointing at her – ‘take your brother and go back to the classroom.’
‘Oh, but I want to go with Mam—’ Meg began.
Dr Collins sprang to his feet again and beamed at Meg. ‘Now, Meg, your mother is in good hands, so how about I come with you and say hello to all the children, eh?’ He turned and
smiled charmingly at the chairman. ‘And no, Mr Finch, there will be no charge.’
He moved towards Meg and Bobbie and, stepping between them, put an arm around each of their shoulders. As he ushered them towards the double doors at the end of the room leading into the school
room, he whispered in Meg’s ear, ‘Don’t worry, my dear, I’ll hang around here for a while and make sure your mother’s all right before I leave. Now, here we are,
I’m sure the lovely Miss Daley will be delighted to see you back.’
He removed his arms from around them and threw open the doors with a flourish. There was a scraping of stools as all the children stood up. Meg saw Louisa look up, dread on her face, but when
the young schoolmistress saw who was standing there, a pretty, pink blush tinged her cheeks.
The doctor moved between the rows of desks, not even glancing down at the children as he passed between their ranks. His gaze was all for Louisa Daley.
Meg’s mind was hardly on her job during the rest of the morning. She longed for lunchtime so that she could run across to the infirmary and see how her mother was. Dr Collins, after a
long, whispered conversation with Louisa, still did not leave the classroom. He pretended to be interested in the children’s work, but his glance strayed every few seconds back to the
schoolmistress. The blush on Louisa’s face deepened.
A few minutes before twelve, the door flew open and a flustered Waters, cap awry and hair falling from its prim bun, appeared.
‘Doctor – thank goodness I’ve found you. Please come at once. The baby – it’s not breathing. Matron’s tried everything, but—’
He stayed to hear no more but was through the door and gone before anyone else could move. Meg dropped the slate she had been holding and, picking up her skirts, fled after him, almost knocking
Waters over in her haste.
‘Meg! Kirkland!’ Louisa began, but the girl had no intention of heeding her. ‘What is it?’ Louisa asked Ursula. ‘What’s happening?’
‘Kirkland’s mother’s had her baby.’
‘And?’
Waters glanced round the room at the twenty pairs of staring eyes. Her gaze came back to meet Louisa’s. She said no more but lifted her shoulders in a helpless shrug.
Louisa closed her eyes and gave a groan. She opened them to find Bobbie tugging at her skirt. ‘Mammy? I want my mammy. Where’s Meg gone?’
Louisa knelt on the rough wooden floor and drew the little boy into her arms.
Meg heard her mother’s wailing as she raced up the stairs to the infirmary which was situated across the men’s backyard and above the bake house.
How many times
and Waters know what we’re doing. We’ve delivered more babies into the world than you’ve got patients.’
‘I’m sure you have, Miss Pendleton.’ The young doctor smiled placatingly. ‘I’m sure you have, but—’
‘We’ll send for you if we need you, Doctor,’ the matron said and though she was still smiling there was a firmness to her tone that forbade him to overstep his authority.
Within these walls her brother and she were in supreme charge.
‘Quite so, Matron,’ Mr Finch, who had been listening to the exchange, put in. ‘We don’t want the bill for your services here getting any longer than it has to be,
Doctor.’
‘I wouldn’t dream of charging anything in this case,’ Dr Collins said mildly. ‘But as you wish, Matron, as you wish.’ So saying, he walked back to his seat behind
the table.
As the matron and Waters helped Sarah towards the door, Meg and Bobbie, holding hands, fell into step behind them.
‘You, girl. Kirkland –’ Meg turned to see the master pointing at her – ‘take your brother and go back to the classroom.’
‘Oh, but I want to go with Mam—’ Meg began.
Dr Collins sprang to his feet again and beamed at Meg. ‘Now, Meg, your mother is in good hands, so how about I come with you and say hello to all the children, eh?’ He turned and
smiled charmingly at the chairman. ‘And no, Mr Finch, there will be no charge.’
He moved towards Meg and Bobbie and, stepping between them, put an arm around each of their shoulders. As he ushered them towards the double doors at the end of the room leading into the school
room, he whispered in Meg’s ear, ‘Don’t worry, my dear, I’ll hang around here for a while and make sure your mother’s all right before I leave. Now, here we are,
I’m sure the lovely Miss Daley will be delighted to see you back.’
He removed his arms from around them and threw open the doors with a flourish. There was a scraping of stools as all the children stood up. Meg saw Louisa look up, dread on her face, but when
the young schoolmistress saw who was standing there, a pretty, pink blush tinged her cheeks.
The doctor moved between the rows of desks, not even glancing down at the children as he passed between their ranks. His gaze was all for Louisa Daley.
Meg’s mind was hardly on her job during the rest of the morning. She longed for lunchtime so that she could run across to the infirmary and see how her mother was. Dr Collins, after a
long, whispered conversation with Louisa, still did not leave the classroom. He pretended to be interested in the children’s work, but his glance strayed every few seconds back to the
schoolmistress. The blush on Louisa’s face deepened.
A few minutes before twelve, the door flew open and a flustered Waters, cap awry and hair falling from its prim bun, appeared.
‘Doctor – thank goodness I’ve found you. Please come at once. The baby – it’s not breathing. Matron’s tried everything, but—’
He stayed to hear no more but was through the door and gone before anyone else could move. Meg dropped the slate she had been holding and, picking up her skirts, fled after him, almost knocking
Waters over in her haste.
‘Meg! Kirkland!’ Louisa began, but the girl had no intention of heeding her. ‘What is it?’ Louisa asked Ursula. ‘What’s happening?’
‘Kirkland’s mother’s had her baby.’
‘And?’
Waters glanced round the room at the twenty pairs of staring eyes. Her gaze came back to meet Louisa’s. She said no more but lifted her shoulders in a helpless shrug.
Louisa closed her eyes and gave a groan. She opened them to find Bobbie tugging at her skirt. ‘Mammy? I want my mammy. Where’s Meg gone?’
Louisa knelt on the rough wooden floor and drew the little boy into her arms.
Meg heard her mother’s wailing as she raced up the stairs to the infirmary which was situated across the men’s backyard and above the bake house.
How many times
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