Read Online Doctor Raoul's Romance by Penelope Butler - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Penelope Butler
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them, his face twisted and strange.
“Geoffrey," he said curtly, “you must learn not to listen to gossip. Go to bed at once!”
The child gave him a startled look and disappeared. They heard his little bare feet scampering, like mice, up the stairs.
Nicholas and Adrien stood in the kitchen, under the garish glare of the unshaded electric bulb. They stared at each other, as though there had been a sudden revelation; as though a curtain had been lifted between them.
“Adrien,” said Nicholas, “I . .. ”
Adrien turned away. Somehow she forced herself to speak in a calm, matter-of-fact voice. As though nothing had happened, nothing at all.
“I was going to get myself a glass of milk, Nicholas. Will you join me? We’re all on edge tonight, and milk should be soothing.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Nicholas, jerked violently from his absorption in his own worry, was aware that they had just passed through a dangerous and difficult situation. Adrien had covered it with her tact. But she could never cover in his mind the look on her face just now. The look of love he had never dreamed he would see there. Not for him.
How blind he had been!
Adrien loved him. Adrien, his kid sister. It was incredible. Why had he never suspected it? How long had she loved him? For years? Since the old days by the sea? Was that why she had not married?
She loved him. And he had never guessed it. And he had asked her to come here to nurse his wife.
Why had she come?
Why submit herself to suffering, for surely the situation must be very painful for her? Had she come for his sake?
Or had she come for other reasons? Selfish reasons of her own. Or perhaps one should not call them selfish. Did she believe that “all was fair in love and war?”
No, it was impossible, he thought with swift revulsion. Adrien wasn’t like that.
But what had made Blanche say that incredible thing? Surely something must have suggested it to her. There was no smoke without fire. He would have said the younger girl was just trying to make mischief if he had not seen that revealing look on Adrien’s face.
Could it be that Adrien had confided in Blanche? Did she — Could it be possible that she had been laying her plans carefully, that she hoped to marry him if Gillian died? Did she hope to make herself indispensable to him, to the children? Could he trust her any more as Gillian’s nurse?
If he could not trust her, could he trust anyone?
But what was he thinking of?
This girl standing beside him was Adrien, always steady and calm, always to be relied on. Adrien, his friend. How could he think these things of her? He must be mad. This was only another nightmare come to join those from which he had been suffering so long.
His brain whirled. He put a hand to his head. By the kitchen clock, only a minute had passed. But, in that time, the world had changed for both of them. Could it ever be the same again?
Adrien said gently, “Nicholas, you’re exhausted. I’m going to give you something to make you sleep.”
“No, I don’t want anything, thank you, I—”
“You’re going to have it,” she said, suddenly very much the nurse despite the formality of her flowered kimono. She had wrapped herself in a dignity that held her apart from him, which reassured him.
She put the milk and little white pills on the table before him.
“Drink it up, like a good boy!” she ordered.
Her manner slackened his tension so much that he actually managed a faint grin.
“How old do you think I am, Nanny? I happen to be grown up, you know.”
“All men are little boys sometimes. And little boys have funny ideas, don’t they, Nicholas?”
“I suppose big boys do too.”
He drawled out the words, comfortable, relaxed, now that the sedative in the pills was beginning to take effect. Suddenly he didn’t give a damn about anything. He just wanted to sit here and talk to Adrien, be soothed by her voice.
His eyes closed.
“Nicholas, you should go to bed.”
“In a
“Geoffrey," he said curtly, “you must learn not to listen to gossip. Go to bed at once!”
The child gave him a startled look and disappeared. They heard his little bare feet scampering, like mice, up the stairs.
Nicholas and Adrien stood in the kitchen, under the garish glare of the unshaded electric bulb. They stared at each other, as though there had been a sudden revelation; as though a curtain had been lifted between them.
“Adrien,” said Nicholas, “I . .. ”
Adrien turned away. Somehow she forced herself to speak in a calm, matter-of-fact voice. As though nothing had happened, nothing at all.
“I was going to get myself a glass of milk, Nicholas. Will you join me? We’re all on edge tonight, and milk should be soothing.”
CHAPTER FIVE
Nicholas, jerked violently from his absorption in his own worry, was aware that they had just passed through a dangerous and difficult situation. Adrien had covered it with her tact. But she could never cover in his mind the look on her face just now. The look of love he had never dreamed he would see there. Not for him.
How blind he had been!
Adrien loved him. Adrien, his kid sister. It was incredible. Why had he never suspected it? How long had she loved him? For years? Since the old days by the sea? Was that why she had not married?
She loved him. And he had never guessed it. And he had asked her to come here to nurse his wife.
Why had she come?
Why submit herself to suffering, for surely the situation must be very painful for her? Had she come for his sake?
Or had she come for other reasons? Selfish reasons of her own. Or perhaps one should not call them selfish. Did she believe that “all was fair in love and war?”
No, it was impossible, he thought with swift revulsion. Adrien wasn’t like that.
But what had made Blanche say that incredible thing? Surely something must have suggested it to her. There was no smoke without fire. He would have said the younger girl was just trying to make mischief if he had not seen that revealing look on Adrien’s face.
Could it be that Adrien had confided in Blanche? Did she — Could it be possible that she had been laying her plans carefully, that she hoped to marry him if Gillian died? Did she hope to make herself indispensable to him, to the children? Could he trust her any more as Gillian’s nurse?
If he could not trust her, could he trust anyone?
But what was he thinking of?
This girl standing beside him was Adrien, always steady and calm, always to be relied on. Adrien, his friend. How could he think these things of her? He must be mad. This was only another nightmare come to join those from which he had been suffering so long.
His brain whirled. He put a hand to his head. By the kitchen clock, only a minute had passed. But, in that time, the world had changed for both of them. Could it ever be the same again?
Adrien said gently, “Nicholas, you’re exhausted. I’m going to give you something to make you sleep.”
“No, I don’t want anything, thank you, I—”
“You’re going to have it,” she said, suddenly very much the nurse despite the formality of her flowered kimono. She had wrapped herself in a dignity that held her apart from him, which reassured him.
She put the milk and little white pills on the table before him.
“Drink it up, like a good boy!” she ordered.
Her manner slackened his tension so much that he actually managed a faint grin.
“How old do you think I am, Nanny? I happen to be grown up, you know.”
“All men are little boys sometimes. And little boys have funny ideas, don’t they, Nicholas?”
“I suppose big boys do too.”
He drawled out the words, comfortable, relaxed, now that the sedative in the pills was beginning to take effect. Suddenly he didn’t give a damn about anything. He just wanted to sit here and talk to Adrien, be soothed by her voice.
His eyes closed.
“Nicholas, you should go to bed.”
“In a
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