Seaside Hospital (7 page)

“I—I left the children, Sister. Not near the pond, but still, I ought not to have left them.”

“Alone? Why did you leave them, Nurse?”

“I—I couldn’t very well take them with me,” Lisa said lamely, but with perfect truth.

“Then surely you should have asked someone to watch them. It isn’t like you to behave like this.”

Lisa had no answer to that, and at last she was allowed to go. She had no idea what would happen. At St. Mildred’s it depended on the people concerned; perpetrators of heavier offences had been known to be given a second chance while lighter offences had been known before now to be taken to Matron’s office.

Not long afterward Mary burst in, full of the day at the garden party, and was startled to find Lisa flat on her back on her b
e
d.

“Lisa!” she exclaimed, shocked at her white face. “Is it true then, that those children who were nearly drowned were our children? Everyone was talking about it!”

“They weren’t nearly drowned,” Lisa said, sitting up. “The girl fell in. I arrived on the scene just after Randall Carson pulled her out. She was only trying to get a goldfish.”

“Randall Carson pulled her out! He would!” Mary exploded. “Why does that man always smell trouble and get there first? I’m sorry, Lisa, if you’re in hot water because of me, but honestly, we gave them ices and turned our backs for just a minute, and if they’d stayed where they were told to—but the minute we took our eyes off them, they must have bolted.”

“Never mind,” Lisa said. “Randall Carson would have made trouble for me, no matter what had happened,” and she recounted the way he had brought them back to the hospital and taken her to Sister’s office.

“He’s just mean,” Mary said. “I hate him. Just let me put on my uniform and I’ll go down and clear it all up.”

“No, don’t, Mary—I haven’t mentioned your name, and there really isn’t any need to say anything. It was no more your fault than mine. It’ll all blow over, I expect.”

“Don’t be silly. Don’t I always own up?” Mary said, patting her arm. “Besides, it’ll just show that Randall Carson up nicely, won’t it, when I say it wasn’t your fault at all? Then Sister will see he’s spoiling for getting you in a row all the time,” she insisted, overriding Lisa’s protests.

Lisa went down dispiritedly to supper and was stopped by the porter with a note. “Bloke from the stage door of the Coronet brought it, Nurse, and it’s marked urgent.”

Lisa’s heart missed a beat, but before she could open it she was again called to Sister’s office. Mary, already there, treated Lisa to an elaborate wink while Sister explained that in view of what Nurse Thorley had to say, the whole situation was changed.

“It was all very unfortunate, Nurse Bryant, and much to your credit that you took the blame yourself, rather than involve another nurse. I hope such a thing won’t happen again, but the matter is at an end. Off you go to supper, both of you.”

“You see?” the jubilant Mary said, as they hurried down to the dining hall. “How did you get on, apart from the children’s ducking?”

“Actually, that was about the extent of my day there,” Lisa said; then she remembered Derek’s talk, and the way she had followed Jacky, which reminded her of the note. “Oh, look, you go on ahead to supper, Mary,” she said, “and I’ll follow.” She needed privacy to read that message.

“Just a second,” Mary said. “Before you go, I forgot to tell you—they were trying to hush up another row just before we left. Lady Frenton has been robbed again.”

“Robbed?” Lisa whispered, white to the lips.

“Well, there’s a valuable clip missing—rubies, diamonds and emeralds,” Mary said. “It was left on her dressing table—Lady Frenton is always doing that—but it’ll probably turn up, like the
last time. It had better turn up—they say it’s the most valuable piece of the lot.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Lisa walked on, telling herself she mustn’t listen to that nagging warning voice inside her.

What if there had been a loss of a valuable clip? Why should it concern her personally? And yet she could not rid herself of the conviction that it somehow concerned Jacky.

She recalled again that special look in Jacky’s face as she had gone toward the house. She asked herself what Jacky had been doing in the house, all by herself, when obviously she had no right to be there.

Mary Thorley had gone to the dining room. Now was her chance to read Jacky’s note in peace Lisa thought, but at that moment Randall Carson came striding around a corner into the corridor, and on seeing her, raised his hand for her to wait for him.

Lisa stood there, her heart sinking. He always meant trouble, especially when he looked so purposeful.

His first words surprised her. “Oh, there you are, Nurse Bryant. I was going to look for you. There’s something I want to get off my chest. Do you have a moment?”

She nodded dumbly, wondering what was going to happen now. She was not prepared for his next words.

“I’ve just seen Sister Rudolph, who tells me that Nurse Thorley has cleared up the business of the children this afternoon. It seems I’ve mistakenly blamed you for negligence. Now, whatever else I may be accused of, I don’t think anyone can say I’m unjust!”

“Oh no, sir,” Lisa said dutifully.

“So I want you to know how sorry I am. I understand that you have a very good record, and I’m glad the whole thing’s cleared up.”

“Please don’t think another word about it, Mr. Carson,” Lisa pleaded, with scarlet cheeks.

“Oh, but I want to do something to show how sorry I am!” he insisted. “In fact, on thinking seriously about it, I think I have quite a lot to make up to you,” and she saw his face begin to break up into a rare smile. “For some time past, you’ve been going through it at my hands!”

Lisa was acutely embarrassed.

“Please, Mr. Carson,” she pleaded. “It doesn’t matter. I mean, I expect I deserved—well, that is, everyone knows you need a holiday—”

The more she said, the more unfortunate her choice of words sounded, so she gave it up.

It seemed to amuse him, for he was now smiling broadly. “So that’s what they’re saying, is it? Well, well, perhaps I
have
been overworking. Perhaps I do need a holiday, but that’s no reason for me to take it out on someone else, especially when that person can’t hit back. Now, what can I do to show you I really mean what I say? Yes, I insist. Let’s make a date together, shall we?”

The idea of the senior surgeon at St. Mildred’s making a date with one of the nurses (or even using that way of putting it!) was such an unheard-of thing that Lisa decided he must be trying to be jocular, and as he rarely made jokes, it accounted for his making a very bad job of it.

“Oh, I don’t mean dancing or a show,” he said, rather impatiently, as she hesitated. “What I had in mind was something far more interesting. Look here, Sister tells me how good you are with children. I understand that child nursing has a deep interest for you. Well now, how would it be if we took a trip out to my new clinic?”

In spite of herself, Lisa’s face lit with pleasure. They all knew how Randall Carson had been trying to get a place suitable for rehabilitating children with leg and spinal injuries.

“Do you really mean that, Mr. Carson? I’d love it.”

“Right, then that’s settled. Let me know when your next break is, and we’ll make a day of it,” and with a brief nod, he strode off, the tails of his long white coat flying, leaving Lisa completely bewildered.

He had called a truce and he had gone off smiling, a singularly sweet, heartwarming smile!

The rustling of the note in her apron pocket brought her thoughts back to Jacky. As soon as she had assured herself that no one was in sight, she whipped it out and read it.

YOU MUST COME, LISA. I’M IN AWFUL TROUBLE.

REALLY BAD TROUBLE THIS TIME.-J.

That was all, but Lisa had no need to be told any more.

She looked at the time. She and Mary had been going in to early supper, so that there was still the rest of the evening at her disposal.

She knew she must get to Jacky at once, and find out what the trouble was, and whether it
did
concern the loss of that piece of jewelry.

Lisa reached the Coronet Theatre well before Jacky’s turn to go on stage. One glance at Jacky’s taut white face confirmed Lisa’s worst fears.

“Oh, good, you got here!” Jacky said, without preamble. “Why do these things have to happen to me? I always have bad luck. It wasn’t my fault!”

To save precious time, Lisa said urgently: “Is it about the missing clip from Lady Frenton’s room?”

Jacky darted a quick, frightened look at her. “How did you know about it?”

“Another nurse came back later from the party and told me there was an awful row about it,” Lisa said. “Jacky, you—you didn’t take it, did you?”

“I found it, honestly I did—” Jacky began.

“Look,” Lisa broke in, “I don’t know how long you’ve got before your call, so let’s stick to the truth, Jacky. We know about your weakness, so do tell me just what happened. I saw you go into the house. I followed you to try and stop you—after I’d found someone to look after the children I’d taken with me—but by then I’d lost you.”

Jacky turned sullen. “Well, she shouldn’t leave her jewelry around like that, if she doesn’t want to lose it. It’s happened before, only last time it was one of the foreign maids who took it, but it was found again, and she was let off.”

“Jacky! You don’t mean to say you intended to let the blame fall on someone else—” Lisa began, in horror.

“It would have been all right,” Jacky interrupted her, impatiently. “She’d have wriggled out of it again. Anyway, it all went wrong this time. Derek told me, coming home from the party, that they couldn’t suspect her because she’s in her own country, on holiday! Why couldn’t he tell me that before? Here, you take the thing—get rid of it—I don’t care what you do with it! I never want to see it again!” and thrusting her hand into her dressing gown jacket, Jacky pulled out the clip and threw it over to Lisa.

Lisa caught it mechanically, and stared down at it. Its superb workmanship alone proclaimed it as a piece worth a great deal of money, and even to Lisa, who knew little about such things, it was quite understandable to believe that the stones were real gems.

“Oh, Jacky, Jacky,” she said in despair, her throat thick. To her, until this moment, the important thing was that her sister had not grown out of the old habits, and the theft of Ellard’s gold cigarette case had not been the last. “Why did you do it?”

“Don’t keep on about it!” Jacky flared. “The thing is to get rid of it, before they start searching my dressing room!”

Lisa’s eyes widened. “They?
Who
?”

“Who do you think?” Jacky returned, derisively. “That’s the whole trouble! Do you suppose I’d have cared, in the ordinary way? Don’t be silly! I was so careful, I know no one saw me go in or come out, and I’d relied on Sir Jules always hushing this sort of thing up. After all, if it’s known that you leave jewels about openly, it messes up the insurance angle. Then at the last minute
Derek says that this time his father’s absolutely furious, and he’s going to call in the police.”

“The police!” Lisa echoed, and looked down again at the jeweled clip.

“It’ll be all right if there’s nothing here,” Jacky said, her confidence returning as always, when Lisa was there to manage things. “All I have to do is to say I don’t know anything about it.”

“Does Derek Frenton know you have it?” Lisa asked.

Jacky’s glance was withering. “Of
course
he doesn’t! If he ever suspected, it would ruin everything, as far as I’m concerned,” and Lisa noticed that for the first time Jacky looked genuinely worried. Jacky was remembering the way Derek had reacted when she had suggested running away to get married. She must tread carefully, now more than ever!

“What am I supposed to do with it?” Lisa demanded.

“Oh, you’ll think of something. The best thing to do would be to put it back somehow, of course, only that would be tricky,” Jacky mused, chewing her lip. Then, brightening, she added, “Best take it back to the hospital with you. In any case, the police would never think of searching the nurses’ residence at St. Mildred’s. Now don’t argue, Lisa darling—think of something, but get out of here now. There’s the callboy. I’m on in two minutes.”

Lisa found herself in the passage outside, with the clip still in her hand. Hurriedly she put it into her purse, feeling almost as if it were burning a hole in her palm.

Somehow she descended the little winding iron stairway and out into the street. Her legs felt like rubber and her mouth was dry. This wasn’t the first time Jacky had called on her to get her out of a scrape, but it was the first time she had ever had something in her possession that was so valuable and that was known to have been stolen.

Stark anxiety for Jacky pushed the horror of her own position to the back of her mind. How could she make Jacky see that she was doing wrong, she wondered desperately, that this wasn’t borrowing but just plain theft?

Who could she turn to for advice and help? Who would be prepared to advise her, without informing the police? Mary? No, she was a dear, but not responsible enough to trust with such a secret or to give useful advice. Lisa could think of no one else, and in bewilderment she realized that she could not handle this alone. It needed a man's help.

Like a bell ringing, the answer came. Ellard Lindon, who knew of Jacky’s past activities, and who, in spite of everything, hadn’t gone to the police! Surely he was the one to approach, the only one. Lisa felt a wave of relief, as she recalled how tenderly he had talked to her that last time, sweeping aside all her former instinctive distrust of him in that one short conversation before he had bought her the powder compact.

She went to a booth and telephoned him.

“Something’s happened, Lisa,” he said at once, catching the distress in her voice. “I’m at home all evening. Come on over, and I’ll buy you a drink.”

Ellard was waiting for her in the vestibule of his hotel, ready to take her at once to the bar, but she protested.

“I don’t want a drink,” she said, but her teeth were chattering and she felt cold. When he swept aside her arguments and made her tackle the scorching liquid, she felt better.

“Ellard, what I want to talk to you about is awfully personal and private,” she said, looking doubtfully at the crowds about them.

“Better come with me where it’s quiet and we won’t be interrupted, then,” he said, in a voice that brooked no argument.

She had had no food for hours, and the unaccustomed drink had made her head feel muzzy.

She followed him blindly, only too glad and thankful to have found someone she could unload her trouble onto without fear.

“This is my sitting room, Lisa,” Ellard said, and he threw open a door to reveal a room with a settee and two armchairs.

“Now come on in and sit down and tell me what’s made you look as if you’ve seen a ghost,” he said.

She sank into one of the armchairs, and he took a chair facing her and offered her a cigarette. Watching him light his own, Lisa felt it all seemed so perfectly right and normal that she forgot about the question of where they were, and began to tell him all about it. Finally, she handed him the jeweled clip.

Ellard’s manner seemed to change. He dropped it back into her lap and stood saying, “What do you expect me to do?”

“Advise me,” she whispered. “What shall I do? Jacky wants me to find a way to get it back, but how?”

“She would!” he said grimly and began to pace up and down, deep in thought, until presently he said, half to himself, “It isn’t like Jacky to panic, even if she did suddenly realize that the maid couldn’t be blamed.”

“She heard that the whole thing isn’t going to be hushed up this time,” Lisa said dully.

“I see. Of course, you could go to the police yourself,” he suggested, stopping in front of her.

She shook her head fiercely, and he laughed.

“You’d protect that sister of yours to the last, wouldn’t you? And yet, you know, Lisa, you’d be kinder if you went to the police.”

“How could you say such a thing?” Lisa cried, jumping to her feet and standing to face him.

“It’s the truth,” he said, coolly. “Jacky’s ill. As a nurse, you know very well what people are called who can’t resist taking what doesn’t belong to them. You know, too, that she ought to be treated for it by a doctor.”

She covered her face with her hands. “You don’t have to tell me, Ellard. I shall have to do something later. For the moment, we have to decide what I shall do
about ...
this,” and she looked in distaste at the clip where it lay on the rug.

He picked it up. “I could get rid of it quite easily for you,” he said, dropping it into her pocket. “Friends of mine might be persuaded to drop it in the grounds, or pop it into an open window, so that it would look as if that stupid woman had dropped it, or lost, it while wearing it.”

Lisa’s face lit with hope as she looked up at him.

“Do you mean that, Ellard?”

“I do. They wouldn’t do it for nothing, of course.”

Dismay was plain in her face as she remembered that she had no money left. “I couldn’t pay anything—all my savings went on getting your cigarette case back,” she blurted out, and then bit her lip.

“How very remiss of me. I should have refunded that, Lisa. I can’t expect you to pay for that.”

“I didn’t mean I wanted it refunded,” she said quickly.

“And I didn’t mean that I wanted money from you, Lisa, for anything. No, I should personally reimburse my—er—friends, for any help they gave in getting the clip back. The point is, how would you reimburse me, shall we say, for my planning the whole thing?”

Misgiving pricked her for the first time. Although he was smiling slightly, the gentleness and sincerity of the afternoon in Chertonbury were missing from his manner. This, she realized with a shock, was the Ellard she had distrusted so much when she had first met him.

“I don’t think I understand,” she said haltingly.

“Then let me illustrate,” he said, and before she realized what was happening, he had drawn her into his arms and was kissing her with a roughness that both hurt and terrified her.

Only by exerting every ounce of her strength did she manage to push away from him.

“Oh, how could you, how could you?” she cried, her face flushed with anger, her eyes wide and frightened. “And I trusted you!”

“Don’t tell me you can’t stand a few kisses,” he said coldly. “Then how do you propose to discharge your debts?”

“I didn’t agree to—” she began, but he broke in.

“Nothing was agreed about the way our arrangement should work out,” he repudiated. “I left that to your own—er—good nature, shall we say, considering how much there was at stake, and how much I knew about Jacky’s past.”