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Authors: Sara Seale
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check-up in the morning.
“ Not on your nelly! ” he said. “ We ’ ve a long drive ahead of us yet, and I don ’ t fancy spending the first night of my honeymoon in a hospital ward—besides, where could you put my wife? ”
“ Your honeymoon? ” frowned the young doctor, probably used to any excuse that would break hospital rules. No one had thought to mention Lou, sitting in the empty waiting room.
“ I was married only today. You quite rightly refrain from reading the gossip columns of your daily paper, I must infer, but a bell is beginning to ring for the nurse here, I think, ” Piers said. The young nurse ’ s eyes had certainly begun to widen in puzzled speculation, but the doctor, who despised the gossip columns and had no intention of being put in his place by a chance casualty, inclined to give himself airs, merely replied coldly:
“ You ’ re talking too much as it is, and you ’ re certainly not fit to drive any distance, even if you find your car in running order. How far have you got to go? ”
“ Cornwall. To a little island called Rune, ” Piers said with a quick glance at the nurse, who obliged this time with an excited little squeak of recognition.
“ You ’ re the Mr. Merrick, then! ” she exclaimed. “ The one all the fuss has been about. It was on the six o ’ clock news—the wedding, I mean, and how you married the bride ’ s cousin when everyone thought— ”
“ Nurse! ” The doctor sharply interrupted such unprofessional behaviour in a subordinate, but his eyes travelled over his patient with fresh interest. Despite his contempt for the gossip writers and their usually willing victims, the name of Merrick cropping up from time to time had held a pa ss ing interest for him, but for different reasons. A chap who spent mints on yachts, fine cars, financing expeditions, an island on which guests were seldom bidden, rather than on night clubs and vulgarly lavish parties, at least got a kick out of living. It was said, too, though never by the gossip writers, that Piers Merrick did a great amount of charitable good with his money and never claimed notoriety for it.
“ Well, Mr. Merrick, ” he said more pleasantly, “ I can ’ t force you to remain here, but I must insist that you stay in Lexiter at least for the night. There may be some delayed concussion, though I personally don ’ t think that will arise, but one can ’ t be too careful, and I would like you to come back here in the morning for a final check-up. ”
“ And where would you suggest I start my honeymoon? ” Piers asked with his little twisted smile. He had realized before this that he was in no fit state to drive on , that his head was beginning to ache abominably, and the thought of bed—any bed—was becoming an increasing desire, but he could not resist the temptation to needle this efficient but rather pompous young man.
“ Lexiter is a big town. There are several good hotels, ” the doctor replied stiffly, and Piers gave him one of his unexpected and totally disarming grins.
“ Of course there are—and thank you for all your trouble, I ’ ll be back in the morning, ” he said, and young Doctor Evans found himself shaking hands with an unaccustomed warmth, aware that the young nurse had already disappeared in a hurry, presumably to get a look at the bride.
Lou sat stiffly on one of the straight-backed chairs that lined the walls of the waiting room. People had offered her cups of tea and proffered magazines, but she just sat there staring at the blank wall ahead with eyes that no longer seemed to focus very well.
It was, she thought, trying to co-ordinate the day ’ s happenings into some sort of order, all part of the dream. Nothing had been real since yesterday, nothing, perhaps, would ever be real again. She had been calm when the accident happened because that also had seemed part of the dream, and because she was used to dealing with the misfortunes of daily life; leaking gas taps,
“ Not on your nelly! ” he said. “ We ’ ve a long drive ahead of us yet, and I don ’ t fancy spending the first night of my honeymoon in a hospital ward—besides, where could you put my wife? ”
“ Your honeymoon? ” frowned the young doctor, probably used to any excuse that would break hospital rules. No one had thought to mention Lou, sitting in the empty waiting room.
“ I was married only today. You quite rightly refrain from reading the gossip columns of your daily paper, I must infer, but a bell is beginning to ring for the nurse here, I think, ” Piers said. The young nurse ’ s eyes had certainly begun to widen in puzzled speculation, but the doctor, who despised the gossip columns and had no intention of being put in his place by a chance casualty, inclined to give himself airs, merely replied coldly:
“ You ’ re talking too much as it is, and you ’ re certainly not fit to drive any distance, even if you find your car in running order. How far have you got to go? ”
“ Cornwall. To a little island called Rune, ” Piers said with a quick glance at the nurse, who obliged this time with an excited little squeak of recognition.
“ You ’ re the Mr. Merrick, then! ” she exclaimed. “ The one all the fuss has been about. It was on the six o ’ clock news—the wedding, I mean, and how you married the bride ’ s cousin when everyone thought— ”
“ Nurse! ” The doctor sharply interrupted such unprofessional behaviour in a subordinate, but his eyes travelled over his patient with fresh interest. Despite his contempt for the gossip writers and their usually willing victims, the name of Merrick cropping up from time to time had held a pa ss ing interest for him, but for different reasons. A chap who spent mints on yachts, fine cars, financing expeditions, an island on which guests were seldom bidden, rather than on night clubs and vulgarly lavish parties, at least got a kick out of living. It was said, too, though never by the gossip writers, that Piers Merrick did a great amount of charitable good with his money and never claimed notoriety for it.
“ Well, Mr. Merrick, ” he said more pleasantly, “ I can ’ t force you to remain here, but I must insist that you stay in Lexiter at least for the night. There may be some delayed concussion, though I personally don ’ t think that will arise, but one can ’ t be too careful, and I would like you to come back here in the morning for a final check-up. ”
“ And where would you suggest I start my honeymoon? ” Piers asked with his little twisted smile. He had realized before this that he was in no fit state to drive on , that his head was beginning to ache abominably, and the thought of bed—any bed—was becoming an increasing desire, but he could not resist the temptation to needle this efficient but rather pompous young man.
“ Lexiter is a big town. There are several good hotels, ” the doctor replied stiffly, and Piers gave him one of his unexpected and totally disarming grins.
“ Of course there are—and thank you for all your trouble, I ’ ll be back in the morning, ” he said, and young Doctor Evans found himself shaking hands with an unaccustomed warmth, aware that the young nurse had already disappeared in a hurry, presumably to get a look at the bride.
Lou sat stiffly on one of the straight-backed chairs that lined the walls of the waiting room. People had offered her cups of tea and proffered magazines, but she just sat there staring at the blank wall ahead with eyes that no longer seemed to focus very well.
It was, she thought, trying to co-ordinate the day ’ s happenings into some sort of order, all part of the dream. Nothing had been real since yesterday, nothing, perhaps, would ever be real again. She had been calm when the accident happened because that also had seemed part of the dream, and because she was used to dealing with the misfortunes of daily life; leaking gas taps,
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