Love (12 page)

She crossed the road and started down the Cove road. Since there was no pavement she stayed as close to the edge as she possibly could without getting caught in the overhanging brambles. A car going in the opposite direction passed her, slowed down and hooted at her. She could make out a few of the local lads, obviously going off to Penzance for a night on the town. Good luck to them, she thought. It was unpleasant trying to navigate in the wind and rain as the wind pelted the raindrops into her face like little darts and lashed her hair across her eyes. Her scarf seemed to have vanished somewhere along the way. She found the lack of vision the most
annoying.

She had
walked home a few times in London when she had missed the last tube or bus. But at least there had been a pavement to walk on even if she had been accosted by the odd drunk. Here she might even welcome an odd drunk. Perhaps she had been a little hasty jumping out of Nick’s car. Even the ride home with that slimy sex pest would have been better than this. Besides, she would have been home and warm by now and soaking in a hot bath. She walked faster, spurred on by the thought of home comforts. Another car passed her, this time going in the same direction. It seemed to come rather close and Karen realised that the pale sheepskin was dark with rain by now.

She passed the turn-off to the campsite, still more than half way to go. Tears of despair and misery ran down Karen
’s cheeks. She stumbled as her foot caught in a trailing bramble and fell on her hands and knees. It felt as though she had ripped her leggings and her hands burned where the gravelly road had scraped them. Panic welled up in Karen.

Suddenly, she was caught in the full glare of car headlights coming up behind her. She hoped the driver had seen her. The car lights came closer and Karen could hear the engine, the car must be almost on top of her. Then she heard the car door slam. Then she heard nothing.

A voice said, “Are you all right? My god, Karen! What the hell are you doing out here?” It was Adam. He didn’t wait for her to answer. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the car. He placed her gently on the front seat and got in beside her. “Don’t talk. I’m taking you home.”

Karen shut her eyes. She felt safe at last.

Karen
could remember little of what happened next until she was somehow in Adam’s wonderfully warm bathroom immersed up to her neck in hot scented bubbles. She presumed that she had taken off her own clothes but she couldn’t quite be certain as they were neatly folded on a chair in the corner, not the usual untidy heap that she left them in. There was a knock on the door.

Adam came in,
“If you’re all right for a few minutes, I’m going to go and get Humphrey and turn off the lights in the cottage. I have a spare set of keys, so don’t worry.”

Karen managed
a weak thanks as he left. Then she wondered why on earth he was going to fetch Humphrey and what she was doing in his bath. She decided she really couldn’t think about anything as complicated as this. She would think about it when her head stopped pounding. She closed her eyes again and decided to wait for further instructions. It was quite restful taking orders for a change.

It felt like Adam had only been gone for a few seconds when he knocked on the door again and
came in. Humphrey did not seem surprised at finding his mistress in a strange bath but leapt up excitedly.

“Do
you need a hand getting out?” asked Adam gently.

“
No, no. I think I can manage. Is there a towel?”

Adam held up a huge blue
bath sheet but Karen found her legs much wobblier than she had realised. As she swayed ominously Adam caught her in the towel, lifted her up and carried her into the bedroom.

“
I’m sorry. I keep collapsing on you,” Karen managed to whisper. “I do seem to be making a habit of this.”

“Do
n’t worry about it. This weather takes some getting used to. It even catches the locals by surprise sometimes. Now, I’ve got some flannel pyjamas here for you, sent to me by my beloved mother who still thinks that they are the height of bedroom fashion. So, if you can sit up we’ll get you dry and into these pyjamas.”

Between them they managed a fair facsimile of dryness and Karen felt a little more human in the large old-fashioned striped pyjamas. Adam came back from the bathroom with a hairdryer and brush and proceeded to blow-dry her hair. He really was a most efficient man.

“Now into bed with you,” he ordered. “I’m going to make you a hot drink and then you are going to go straight to sleep. I’ll have the doctor in to look at you first thing tomorrow morning.”

Adam
’s tone of voice brooked no argument, not that Karen had an ounce of strength left with which to argue. Never mind about a doctor. She would just stay here tonight. She didn’t really feel up to coping with Humphrey either. The bed was deliciously comfortable... and so large and with such big soft pillows and a duvet ... Karen was asleep before Adam even left the room.

“
Well, sleeping beauty,” said Adam bending down and gently stroking her hot cheek. “I suppose rest is the best remedy.”

When Karen eventually clawed her way back into consciousness it seemed to be morning. She felt appalling. Her eyes felt as though they had been glued shut while she slept. Her nose was blocked. Her throat was dry. Even her arms and legs ached and she remembered falling in the road. She wondered whose bedroom she was in. It certainly wasn’t her own! She did not have to wait long to find out for just then Adam popped his head around the door.

“
Ah, you’re awake. How do you feel? Not good, I warrant, by the look of you.” He came over to the bed. “I have just given Humphrey his breakfast and he’s had a brief walk around the garden. So, what would you like for your breakfast other than fresh-squeezed orange juice? I have just made an enormous jug.”

Karen tried to speak. Her throat felt as though it was full of dry gravel.
“Nothing,” she croaked. “I don’t feel very well.”

“
I think that may be a bit of an understatement. The nurse at the surgery promised that Doctor Palmer would be here between eleven and twelve. They wanted me to bring you in but I didn’t think my back was up to carrying you again.” Adam smiled ruefully at Karen. “Now lie still while I get you some juice and a cup of hot tea which will ease that throat of yours. It sounds very sore.”

“
It is,” whispered Karen. “But I can’t stay here. This is ridiculous. As soon as I’ve had breakfast I’ll go home.”

Adam did not even bother to reply. It was patently obvious that Karen would not be going anywhere for a few days. Defeated, Karen lay back against the pillows and closed her eyes. She felt too ill to care. Maybe she would go home this afternoon, after a nap.

Adam was right. The tea did help a little. The heat of the sweet liquid anaesthetised her raw throat temporarily. Adam was in and out of the room accompanied by Humphrey who had obviously switched his loyalty for the time being. Karen dozed fitfully. She vacillated between feeling either very hot or shivery cold.

Doctor Palmer, a little man with a cheerful manner destined to get the most miserable of patients better and out of bed, took one look at her throat and pronounced it tonsillitis.

“
I’m going to put you on antibiotics for five days. You’ve got a very nasty pair of tonsils in there, young lady. I’m surprised you’ve still got them. If you’d been my patient I would have whipped them out years ago.”

Karen thanked her lucky stars she was not one of Doctor Palmer
’s patients, though she knew all the locals swore by him, including her grandmother. He would visit the oldest and frailest of his patients whenever they needed him, or even just when they needed company.

“
You can gargle with some aspirin or some hot salt water three times a day. That will speed things along. In the meantime, you should stay in bed until your temperature comes down to normal. Adam tells me that you’re going to be staying here where he can keep an eye on you. I think that’s an excellent idea. Otherwise we might have to think about getting you a bed at the cottage hospital for a few days.”

Confronted with this choice, Karen felt she was between a rock and a hard place. She certainly didn
’t want to go to hospital but neither did she want to burden Adam with her care. It was getting ridiculous. How many times was he going to rescue her? Twice he had rescued her from a storm. She felt like the heroine in a Victorian melodrama. In London she was always the one who helped other people out when they got themselves into awkward jams. Not the other way around. She wasn’t used to being a helpless female.

Before Karen could voice any doubts, Adam said firmly,
“Well that settles that. You’re staying here. I couldn’t live with myself if I had to tell your grandmother that I had sent you to hospital. She would have my guts for garters. She can be very fierce, your grandmother, and I did promise her that I would keep an eye on you. So I don’t want to hear any arguments. You will stay here where I can keep an eye on you and make sure you eat properly and take your medicine. You may have noticed that it’s still blowing out. I think we’re up to force nine. You’ll be warmer here, apart from anything else.”

Doctor Palmer wrote out a couple of prescriptions, packed up his medical bag, patted Karen on the cheek and went off with Adam and Humphrey. Adam returned shortly and said he would have to go into town to have the prescriptions filled.

“Can I bring you back anything special? Cream cakes, ice lollies?... Pasties? Perhaps a new dressing gown?” he continued.

Food was the last thing she felt like. How spiteful of him to remind her of her old pink gown. Karen pulled a face.

Adam laughed. “Well, at least the patient is showing some signs of life. I shan’t be long. I’ll leave you Humphrey for company. Don’t you dare get out of this bed except to go to the loo. Here’s the remote control for the television in case you feel up to some entertainment.”

Karen waved a limp hand. She did not feel like doing anything except sleeping. She listened to the wind banging away at the house and whistling down the chimney. She shivered and pulled the duvet up to her chin. This was certainly an extremely comfortable bed. Humphrey had settled himself at her feet and obviously thought she had made the right decision.

Adam returned from town, laden with bags and a huge bunch of blue and white irises wrapped in cellophane and tied with a big blue bow which he laid on the bed by Karen
’s feet.

“
First things first,” he said opening a bottle of tablets and handing her two. “Two immediately and then one every four hours.” Adam poured her a fresh glass of water from the jug on the bedside table.

When Karen had choked down the tablets, he gave her a couple of painkillers and said,
“Now you can have a treat for taking your medicine like a good little girl.” He rummaged through the bags and produced a box of ice lollies. “Raspberry, orange or blackcurrant?”

Karen opted for raspberry and the icy cold of the lolly brought instant relief to her hot sore throat.
‘mmm, that feels better already,” she said.

“
I’d better get the rest of these into the freezer before we have a nasty mess on our hands. I’ll stick these in water, too,” Adam said gathering up the flowers. “I thought they might cheer up the room a bit. Invalids should have flowers.”

With the pain in her throat eased from the ice and the tablets, Karen was able to fall into a more restful sleep. It was late afternoon before she woke again to find Adam sitting in an armchair by the window reading a manuscript.

“
Good,” he said standing up and stretching his legs. “Just in time. I’m glad you woke up, it means I don’t have to wake you to take your tablets. You looked so peaceful.”

Karen still felt groggy and disoriented.
“Humphrey ... his walk ... I should take him out ...”

“
All done. Nothing for you to worry about. Humphrey and I had a splendid time, despite the wind. At least the rain has stopped. We met a very attractive lady Yorkshire Terrier on the beach and had a fine time chasing her up and down. Humphrey, that is. Humphrey did the chasing. I kept her owner company.” Adam continued, ‘speaking of things that need to be done, would you like me to get in touch with your family to let them know that you’re staying here for a few days? They might call the cottage and worry when they don’t get any answer.”

“
Gosh. Yes, please. Gran too. She might call to speak to Humphrey. Should I call? Could I phone them?”

“
I have your grandmother’s number for emergencies. I’ll call her now. Then I’ll bring you the phone and you can call your mother.”

Karen
’s mother was dismayed to hear that Karen was ill and offered to come down immediately to take care of her. Karen explained that Adam was taking good care of everything.

“
It hardly seems suitable,” fretted her mother. “Though your grandmother speaks highly of him. I know he’s very well-known, but famous people can have strange ideas. He was a nice enough little boy, I suppose. He stopped you and Amanda from burning down the cottage as I recall. I could arrange to have someone fill in for me at the Centre ...” Mrs Packer was clearly anxious to come and look after her daughter but unwilling to leave her work at the Centre.