Read Online The Furies by Irving McCabe - Free Book Online Page A

eyes that vanished into the folds of her face whenever she smiled.
    â€˜Cleaning the doorstep on a Sunday, Mrs Evans?’ Elspeth asked. ‘You dear woman, don’t you ever have a day off?’
    Mrs Evans stopped her scrubbing and sat back on her haunches; then she wiped a trickle of sweat from her brow with the back of a forearm. It had always been obvious to Elspeth that Mrs Evans loved having her as a lodger, probably because she was the first female doctor to ever board with her. She smiled up at Elspeth.
    â€˜I dropped a bottle of milk on the step just after you went out, Dr Stewart, and if I don’t clean it up now it’ll be stinking to high heaven by this evening.’
    â€˜Och well, just be careful. Don’t overdo it in this heat.’
    â€˜I’m almost finished. By the way, you have a couple of visitors: Sister Calthorpe and one other lady I don’t rightly know.’
    One
other lady?
That was odd, thought Elspeth: Vera and Anya should have arrived together.
    â€˜I let them both up to your rooms,’ Mrs Evans continued. ‘Sister Calthorpe said you wouldn’t mind?’
    â€˜No, of course not.’ Elspeth glanced up at her open bedroom window and caught a glimpse of a rosy-cheeked face surrounded by curly brown hair. ‘And that’ll be Vera, Mrs Evans. She a friend of Sister Calthorpe’s and mine. There’ll probably be another lady joining us shortly.’
    Mrs Evans shuffled to one side and Elspeth stepped past her into the cool, dark interior of the hallway, into a lingering smell of floor polish and boiled cabbage. As Elspeth reached the bottom of the stairs, Mrs Evans called up after her.
    â€˜I could do some iced lemonade for you ladies, if you’d like?’
    â€˜That’s very kind, but there’s no need to go to any trouble,’ Elspeth called back as she began to climb the steps. She reached the top of the landing, then walked towards her bedroom door and turned the handle.
    â€˜Ah, the wanderer returns,’ Sylvia said as Elspeth entered the room. She was sitting on the edge of the bed and had changed out of her nursing uniform into a white summer blouse and red skirt.
    â€˜Hullo, Ellie,’ said Vera, standing by the open window, as if she had been looking out for something, or someone. Her hair was – as usual – uncombed, but her tall figure looked unusually smart in a matching grey traveller’s jacket and skirt. ‘We wondered where you’d got to.’
    â€˜Just enjoying the sunshine in Hyde Park, Vee.’
    Sylvia had already risen, and now gave Elspeth a hug of greeting. ‘And anything of interest taking place today?’ she asked.
    â€˜Nothing,’ Elspeth said as she returned the hug. ‘No water carnivals, no demonstrations, nothing like last Sunday,’ she said sweetly, and Sylvia laughed in response. They pulled apart and Elspeth turned to face Vera.
    It was the first time they had met since the Abbey bombing. But there was no mistaking the pride on Vera’s face as she came forwards and placed her hands on Elspeth’s shoulders, then leant forward to kiss her on both cheeks; almost, Elspeth thought, as if she was some Amazonian warrior princess returning from battle. For a moment Elspeth felt awkwardly self-conscious at this display of melodrama, but then could not help grinning as Vera encircled her in her arms and lifted her off the floor, spinning her around in a hug.
    â€˜Very well done, Ellie,’ Vera said, and Elspeth laughed at the sheer spontaneity of Vera’s embrace. Lowered to the floor again, Elspeth smoothed her ruffled skirt, then sat back on the edge of the bed and looked up at her two comrades.
    She had always been intrigued about Sylvia and Vera’s relationship because – on the face of it – they seemed such polar opposites.
    Lady Sylvia Calthorpe was the epitome of elegance and good breeding. Having initially come out as an