Nurse Trudie is Engaged (19 page)

For a moment Trudie looked doubtful, but Dora nodded cheerfully and gave her a little push.

“
Nurse will bring her up to me,
”
she announced.
“
Not to worry, I want to persuade her to sing at a charity
fe
te
,”
and went on her way, her tuneless humming, a sign of her inner satisfaction, accompanying her on her way to the elevator.

It was not a new idea on Dora
’
s part. Ever since the night of the celebration she had cast about in her mind for something to interest Veronica; and now, it seemed, she had found it. One of the committee had suggested a summer
f
e
te,
and Dora had entered fully into the spirit of the thing. Veronica had made one film. She was a singer. She was also the daughter-in-law of Dr. Stephen Hislop, himself a very respected citizen, and Dora was certain she could convince the woman she would be an added attraction if she consented to open the festivities. By the time Veronica had been conducted to the consultants
’
room, Dora had her campaign plan ready.

“
I
’
m glad to have this opportunity of talking to you alone, dear,
”
she began as she poured their tea, after explaining that Trudie was busy at the moment.
“
It
’
s so difficult to discuss these things in someone else
’
s house, and I never see you at any other time. I happen to be chairman of a committee that helps handicapped children,
”
she went on. In a few words she had explained the idea and objective of the
f
e
te.

“
It
’
s to be held on the 21st of July,
”
she went on,
“
and is an annual charity effort. Last year it was opened by the Honorable Mrs. Dearby. This year I would like it to be opened by Mrs. Veronica Hislop
... and it would make the day if you would consent to give us one or two of your songs,
”
she added coaxingly.

For a moment she thought the offer would be refused, then a slow smile curved the corners of Veronica
’
s mouth. This would show them all; Philip, Trudie and Malcolm, what she was like on her own ground. True, there would not be the lights or the stage background, but she was not an actress for nothing. Veronica knew she could make the day into a personal triumph as well as help Dora possibly boost the funds for her pet charity.

“
I
’
ll do it,
”
she promised, her eyes sparkling.
“
But I must have real music
... not a tape recorder or a record player or anything like that. And I
’
ll not be Veronica Hislop. Show people don
’
t know me by that name, nor anyone who has seen me in a film or has my record. I
’
m Veronica Fleet,
”
she announced proudly.
“
Yo
u
may put that on your posters, if you wish.
”

For Trudie, who had dreaded Malcolm
’
s departure more than she would admit, the days passed quickly enough after all. For one thing, the Fellfield airport had been reopened, and two interesting cases had been flown in to the extension hospital from outlying districts. There was a further intake of patients from St. Catherines
’
s. On top of all this Dora had roped her in to help with the arrangements for her summer
fete,
and altogether Trudie was finding life more than full. In one way she was glad to be so busy; it left little time for worrying about her private affairs, but as the days slipped by one thing was becoming more and more apparent to Trudie. That was the realization that this supposed fascination Veronica had for people was no myth. Reluctantly Trudie found herself drawn more and more to the vital personality of the other girl, but at the same time part of her inner self held back. By the time the great day dawned and she was helping Veronica decide which of three extremely attractive outfits she should wear, she was not certain of her reactions. She was horrif
i
ed to discover her sister-in-law inspired within her heart both fascination and a strange repulsion.

Trudie and
Philip
had been invited as guests of honor, to be members of the party on the head platform. When they arrived there was a good crowd already present, and as they made their way to the platform Trudie
’
s heart lifted as she caught sight of Malcolm among the officials already gathered. She left Philip
’
s side for a moment, delighted to see her brother present although he had vowed repeatedly that on no account would he be present at
“
this junketing, even if it is in a good cause.
”

“
Glad you decided to come,
”
she said quietly in his ear.
“
Veronica will be delighted
... she
’
s said many times how much she wished you could be present.
”

“
I
’
m not delighted,
”
Malcolm almost snapped.
“
Frank Chambers was to do this, but he slipped this morning, and he
’
s somewhere in St. Catherine
’
s, Casualty, I suppose, having broken bones in his ankle set or whatever.
”

“
It
’
s an ill wind,
”
Trudie whispered mischievously, then, seeing Philip frown as he looked around for her, she moved away to her appointed place and rejoined him at the other side of the little group.

“
It
’
s a perfect day,
”
Philip whispered as she came to sit beside him on the hard chairs provided.
“
Look at the crowds! I think most of them would have come even if we
’
d had to hold the thing in the
marquee.
Veronica must be a bigger attraction than we thought.
”

“
I wouldn
’
t know,
”
Trudie murmured, adding because it was true and because her generous heart prompted her to say it,
“
Doesn
’
t she look lovely? Really like a film actress.
”

Veronica had indeed more than justified Dora
’
s belief in her as an
“
attraction.
”
She was wearing a slim-fitting dress of almost dazzling white, with a scarlet belt exactly matching the stones in her long earrings and bracelet, scarlet and white shoes, and an off-the-face white lace hat surmounting the swinging curtain of gloriously black hair. She stood erect and completely mistress of herself, the sun shining down on her, her lips laughing. Her whole person said how delighted she was to be there and what a success she hoped to make of the day. Overhead a plane winged its way to Fellfield airport, but no one in the crowds listening to Veronica
’
s brief speech, carefully vetted previously by Dora and Dr. Hislop, noticed. They listened while she outlined the work of the charity on whose behalf the
f
e
te
was being held, and while she appealed, in her attractive, husky tones, for them to loosen their purse-strings and to give generously for such a good cause. At last, with a pretty, graceful air Veronica concluded her speech and declared the event open. She was just rece
i
ving the official bouquet of scarlet and white carnations from a bashful little girl, when the telephone rang in Marley House, where the
f
e
te
was being held.

The crowd were seething around the various stalls. A number of people had pressed close to the platform, anxious to experience a little closer contact with the famous Veronica Fleet. Malcolm, from his position at the back of the platform, watched with a cynical smile on his face. This was what she wanted life to be, he reflected: crowds, adulation, the limelight. Beside him, pushing to try and reach Philip, one of the household staff asked anxiously for help in clearing a passage to the surgeon.

“
Telephone call from the police,
”
he told Malcolm.
“
A plane
’
s just crashed, coming in to Fellfield airport. Chap piloting it is hurt and they need Dr. Malham
... seems he
’
s some important chap from the States, over here on holiday.
”

Malcolm went ahead, clearing the way in his customary brisk and official fashion, until he reached Philip
’
s side. Trudie was with him, but this was another of those occasions when Philip had no glance to spare for the girl who wore his ring. In common with so many others crowding around the platform, he was watching Veronica. She, Malcolm noted with a scowl, was aware of Philip
’
s admiring glance.

“
Sorry to drag you away, Malham,
”
he said brusquely,
“
but there
’
s an urgent message for you,
”
and he pushed the man forward, automatically listening as he repeated his words.

“
Name of Barry Vetch or something like that,
”
the man said.
“
Seems he
’
s some sort of bigwig on a holiday spree.
”

“
Where have they taken him?
”
Philip interrupted.
“
I
’
d like him at the extension. The equipment
’
s more up-to-date; the distance from the airport is about the same either to there or to St. Catherine
’
s.

“
I think that
’
s where they said, sir,
”
the man told him,
“
but I can check. They
’
re still on the line. They wanted to make certain I
’
d contacted you.
”

“
Yes, yes, do that, please,
”
Philip said urgently. Then he turned to Trudie.
“
I
’
m sorry,
”
he said quietly,
“
but I
’
d like you with me. Do you mind leaving all this?
”

“
Of course not.
”
Trudie could hardly tell him that his words more than made up for any disappointment in having to leave so soon. All the same she could not control a sharp pang of disappointment as she saw that Philip first intended to have a
word with Veronica. Nor could she help the small sense of satisfaction as she saw him turn away disappointed, for Veronica had apparently been swallowed up by a crowd of eager autograph-hunters and could not be seen anywhere.

CHAPTER TEN

“
Barry Vetch
...”
Trudie spoke the name aloud, watching Philip
’
s hands on the wheel and thinking of the young man to whose aid they were speeding.
“I’
ve read something about him somewhere, I
’
m certain of that.
”

“
Rings a bell.
”
Philip was concentrating on the traffic and did not sound really interested.
“
I think he was connected with the Vetch ventures into show business a few years ago. They
’
re really oil. Struck a marvellous well or whatever a generation or so back. I imagine this is the younger son; the one whose hobby seems to be spending the millions of dollars from the apparently unending gush of oil.
”

“
That
’
s right,
”
Trudie remembered suddenly.
“
I think Veronica was appearing in one of these shows that flopped—that was the word Garth used in his letter—when they met. I knew I
’
d heard or read the name somewhere.
”

“
I don
’
t suppose she would see much of him.
”
Philip speeded up now they were on the highway and the new extension drew nearer every second.
“
I imagine chaps like that concentrate on the stars of their shows. She may have met him, of course.
”

“
Of course,
”
Trudie agreed, and they both lapsed into silence until the gates of the extension were in sight. Just inside the drive Philip slowed down and turned to look fully at the person beside him.

“
I
’
ve wanted to thank you,
”
he began carefully,
“
for being so very understanding about Veronica. I think,
”
he spoke slowly, choosing his words deliberately,
“
I
’
m getting o
v
er it now. An event like today
’
s opening ceremony shows one how far removed from our kind of life is the one she must have led.
”

There was a half-unconscious wistful note of pleading in his voice, but what he was pleading for Trudie couldn
’
t imagine; unless it was for her further understanding and support. Stifling her own feelings, she answered quietly,
“
Yes, she must find life rather dull at present,
”
and at once wished she had chosen other words. It might have sounded to Philip that Veronica was using his, Malcolm
’
s and any other male
’
s interest as an antidote to an otherwise boring existence much as a child might pick up first one toy and then another.

“
I think she does,
”
was all Philip said, then he let in the clutch and they began to move forward again.
“
Who knows, perhaps today
’
s event will take her back into her own kind of life once more. I believe things move like that in the entertainment field, and if that
’
s what she wants.
..
”

He did not speak again until he had halted the car at the extension doors, then as Trudie turned to leave him he laid one hand on her arm, delaying her a second.

“
I meant what I said,
”
he told her.
“
I really am grateful. You
’
ve prevented me from possibly making a fool of myself.
”
Then he was out of the car and she was following him into the building.

“
Excuse me, Sister.
”
Trudie found herself halted in the entrance by the uniformed figure of the porter.
“
Your brother is waiting to speak with you on the telephone. Said he
’
d hang on as you wouldn
’
t be more than a few minutes, but it
’
s urgent
... that
’
s why I was looking out for you.
”

“
Thank you.
”
Trudie hurried along to the telephone, talking over her shoulder, and reflecting she would have to be very quick as she had to change and be ready to help Philip scrub up.
“
Have they brought the patient in from the airport?
”
she asked.

“
About three minutes ago,
”
the man told her. Trudie nodded and picked up the telephone, wondering if this were Malcolm or Geoff and what either of them could possibly want with her at this moment, especially if it were something
“
urgent.
”

“
Trudie here,
”
she said clearly.
“
Be quick, please.
”

‘
Trudie, this is Malcolm.
”
She could scarcely recognize her brother
’
s customary calm, precise tone in these agitated words that reached her over the wires.
“
I don
’
t know what this is all about, but Veronica is on her way down River Bank Lane. There
’
s nothing down there, as you know, but the road to the river, and there
’
s no side road or anything like that. She has Dad
’
s car. He
’
s still at th
e
f
e
te
as far as I know. If anyone needs him in a hurry there
’
s going to be the dickens to pay. I just wanted to let you know and to ask you to follow as soon as you can. I don
’
t know what she
’
s up to, but she looks very odd as though she
’
s had something of a shock.
”

“
Thanks for letting me know.
”
Trudie
’
s mind was racing, and recalling her recent conversation in the car with Philip, it was only natural to conclude that whatever shock Veronica had experienced had come after the opening ceremony.

“
It must have something to do with this Barry Vetch,
”
Trudie told herself,
“
but what?
”
Aloud she answered her brother,
“
I
’
ll be along as soon as possible. Stay with her, if you can. Does she know you
’
re there?
”

“
I don
’
t think so,
”
Malcolm answered.
“
I
’
m in the booth at the end of River Bank Lane. I watched her turn down there and then stopped to call you, but there isn
’
t anywhere else she could turn off down there, so I won
’
t lose her.
”

“
See you later, then,
”
Trudie said, suddenly oppressed by a feeling of real urgency.
“
Get after her, Malcolm. We don
’
t really understand her very well, not any of us.
”

And that was the truth, at any rate, Malcolm reflected as he too hung up and turned to leave the stuffy little booth. He had tried to understand Veronica, he told himself soberly, but he knew very well that lie was apt to consider matters only from a factual and logical angle and take very little account of possible emotional crises.

“
I may have approached this in entirely the wrong way,
”
he thought, starting off after his father
’
s car that was almost out of sight now, somewhere toward the end of the River Bank Road.
“
But there must be a logical reason why she left all those autograph-hunters when she was obviously enjoying being in the center of things and revelling in the admiration.
”

Carefully he went over his own observations following the opening of
the
f
e
te.
Veronica had been the center of a group of people all enthusiastically proffering programs, autograph
books, even pieces of paper for her signature. He had watched her laughing, chatting, scintillating with happiness; her amazing, vital zest for living was so obvious that it seemed to stand out like a radiance about her, a radiance nothing could quench.

But something had quenched that vital spark, and that something had been the name of the man whose plane had crashed. Barry Vetch. Unlike Trudie and Philip, Malcolm had no need to search his mind to think of any connection with that name. He remembered only too well that Garth mentioned this name once in his letters. He had recalled the name on later occasions when he had seen it in various papers, recording some new activity of this apparently free-spending young man.

“
I wonder where the connection lies?
”
Malcolm mused, then he stopped wondering as he saw Veronica turn his father
’
s car into the side of the road and knew she had switched off the engine.

He slowed down, halted, then slid into reverse gear and quietly went back around a slight bend he had just negotiated. When he was certain his car could not be seen from where Veronica was parked he pulled into the side of the road, and walked quietly but purposefully in the direction the girl had taken.

It was doubtful there was any real necessity for such caution. Malcolm realized, before he had taken more than a few paces,
‘
that Veronica
’
s mind was obviously on something miles away. She walked as though in a dream, looking neither to the right nor the left, walking steadily on to where the narrow footbridge crossed the river Fell that swirled and tumbled on its way to the sea.

“
I wonder how she knew the way down here?
”
Malcolm asked himself inconsequently, then remembered. Trudie had wanted some special water-weed for the goldfish pond at the bottom of the yard. When they were children, she and Garth used to come down here for that very purpose, and he recalled now that she had brought Veronica with her one day, trying to interest the other woman in something to prevent that constant cry of boredom.

He paused then as Veronica stood for a moment surveying the bridge. There were two stone posts at either end, supporting the
guard-fence to the bridge itself: a shoulder-high affair with a wide top, wide enough for a tall person to place his arms there to stand looking down the river. For a moment she stood there, then began to walk slowly but purposely forward.

Malcolm thought afterward he must have been particularly slow-witted that afternoon. Not until he had seen her carefully place her purse, the white lace handkerchief, and her long gloves in a neat pile at the end of the bridge and then take hold of the rough stonework to pull herself up, did he realize what she was about to do.

As soon as he realized her intention was to hurl herself into the swirling water he began to run, calling her name as he went. All the time he was praying soundlessly as he had not prayed for years that Trudie was on her way to him, that she would soon be there. This was one crisis in which he felt he could not stand entirely alone.