Nightingales on Call (18 page)

‘Liar!’ Anna broke in. ‘You were lying in wait for me up there, just because I told you off earlier. You should be sacked for what you’ve done!’

‘Nurse Padgett, I will not tell you again!’ Sister Sutton scolded. ‘May I remind you, I am in charge of discipline in this home, not you. If anyone is going to be sacked, I will do it.’

‘But, Sister—’

‘Padgett, if you don’t desist this minute I will send you to Matron.’

‘Yes, Sister.’ Anna glared at Jess.

‘Now go inside and clean yourself up. You girls can go with her.’ She dismissed the other probationers, who were standing gawping at the scene. ‘And as for you,’ she turned to Jess, ‘you’d better come with me.’

As Jess trailed after Sister Sutton back up the steps to the nurses’ home, she heard Anna Padgett’s gloating voice.

‘Now she’s for it! I bet that’s the last we see of
her
.’

Sister Sutton led the way into her office, off the hall just inside the front door. It was a tiny room, barely large enough for a desk and a set of bookshelves. Jess found herself holding her breath as she watched Sister Sutton squeeze her bulk into the narrow gap between the wall and the desk.

As soon as the Home Sister had eased herself into her chair, Jess started to gabble.

‘I’m so sorry, Sister, but I promise you it was an accident.’ The words came out of her in a torrent. ‘I never meant to do anything to Nurse Padgett, I swear I didn’t . . .’

Jess caught Sister Sutton’s stern look and fell silent. ‘Have you quite finished?’ the Home Sister asked.

Jess looked at the floor. ‘Yes, Sister,’ she whispered.

‘In that case, perhaps I might be permitted to speak?’

‘Yes, Sister.’ She caught sight of Sparky’s keen black eyes as he sat down beside the desk. Even he looked reproachful.

‘Thank you.’ There was an uncomfortable creak as Sister Sutton shifted in her chair. ‘The reason I called you into my office was to give you this.’

It took Jess a moment before she dared to look up. When she did, she realised Sister Sutton had pushed a book across the desk towards her. Its brown cloth cover was slightly battered at the edges and the gold lettering down the spine faded with age, but Jess recognised it straight away.

‘An anatomy textbook?’ She was so surprised she forgot to address Sister Sutton properly, but thankfully she didn’t seem to notice. ‘But I don’t understand—?’

‘I thought since you have shown such an interest in reading other people’s textbooks, you might like one of your own? It’s rather out of date, of course, but I don’t think the human body has changed a great deal in the forty odd years since I was a student.’

Jess stared at the book and then back at the Home Sister, still unable to believe what she was hearing. ‘You’re giving me your book?’

‘Lending,’ Sister Sutton corrected her. ‘And I am trusting you to take good care of it,’ she added sternly.

‘Oh, I will, Sister.’ Jess picked up the book and ran her fingers over the faded lettering. She was so overwhelmed she could hardly speak. ‘I’ll look after it, don’t you worry.’

‘I’m sure you will.’ Sister Sutton sat back. ‘Believe me, I wouldn’t have given it to you otherwise. But I’m warning you, you needn’t think that makes you special in any way, or makes you equal to the students. You are still the maid, and I expect you to act accordingly.’

‘Yes, Sister. Thank you, Sister.’

‘Very well, you may go. And see you clear up that mess outside.’

Sister Sutton waved her away, but Jess stood her ground. After what had happened she hardly liked to push her luck, but she knew she had to. ‘Sister?’ she said.

Sister Sutton looked irritated. ‘Yes, child? What is it?’

‘What’s going to happen to me – about Nurse Padgett?’

The Home Sister sighed, her gaze drifting towards the window. ‘I must say I’m surprised at you for emptying that cleaner out of the window. You are usually such a conscientious worker.’

‘Yes, Sister. I’m sorry. But it was an accident, what happened with Nurse Padgett. I didn’t mean to cover her in dust.’

Sister Sutton sent her a long look. ‘I wouldn’t blame you if you had,’ she said. ‘I know Nurse Padgett can be rather high-handed at times. But see you don’t do it again,’ she went on. ‘It simply doesn’t do to go covering our students with dust, no matter how trying they might be.’

Her mouth twitched and for a moment Jess could have sworn she was smiling.

‘I’ll remember that, Sister,’ she promised solemnly.

ANNA WAS STILL
bleating about her run-in with Jess, even after the other girls had helped her get changed and brushed the dust out of her hair.

‘She shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it,’ she kept saying as they made their way to the bus stop. ‘If Sister Sutton doesn’t do anything about it, I’ve a good mind to report her to Matron myself.’

‘Oh, stop going on about it. It was an accident,’ Effie mumbled.

Anna turned on her. ‘I hope you’re not defending her?’ Her eyes narrowed. ‘Anyone would think she was a friend of yours.’

Effie glanced around at the other girls. They were all staring at her, their faces hostile. She wanted to speak up, to say that Jess had been more of a friend to her than any of them. But she also desperately wanted to fit in, and this was her chance.

‘I just don’t want it to spoil everything,’ she said. ‘After all, there’s no real harm done, is there? Can’t we forget all about it and enjoy our evening? We’ve all been so looking forward to it.’

Especially me, she added silently. She had finally managed to coax the rest of her set away from their books again. She might never have managed it if the local theatre hadn’t offered the hospital a batch of free tickets to a new variety show.

But even as they took their seats in the stalls, the others couldn’t seem to forget their studies. They chattered between themselves, gossiping about the latest goings-on in the class, and only fell silent as the lights went down. Then, as they queued for their interval ice creams, they compared notes on who had studied the most, who was the best at bandaging and who couldn’t get their junket to set in cookery that afternoon.

Bored, Effie’s attention began to wander. She looked around the crowd, jostling to buy their ice creams from the usherette, and suddenly she spotted a young man. He had his back to her, but she recognised his sleek dark head immediately.

As if he knew he was being watched, he turned and caught her eyes. A fleeting frown crossed his face then he recognised her and smiled.

‘It’s him,’ Effie said out loud.

Anna, who was in the middle of reciting the different parts of the respiratory system, turned to her with irritation. ‘Who?’

‘The student who played that prank with Sister Sutton’s bloomers. You know, the one I told you about? Look, he’s over there.’ Effie started to point, then realised the young man was edging his way through the crowd towards them. ‘He’s coming over!’ she yelped.

‘Do stop staring at him, O’Hara! Pretend you haven’t seen him,’ Anna advised, patting her hair.

But Effie couldn’t drag her eyes off him until he stood before her. She had only seen him at a distance before, but up close he was very handsome, with a perfect profile, slicked-back dark hair and brown eyes that twinkled with devilment. He reminded her of Robert Taylor in
Camille
.

‘Hello again,’ he said.

Even his voice was perfect, deep and beautifully spoken. Effie felt her knees weaken.

‘Hello,’ she managed back.

‘I’ve been meaning to find you and thank you for not giving me away the other day.’

‘That’s all right. It saved me from another of Sister Parker’s lectures, at any rate.’

‘All the same, you were a good sport.’ He held out his hand. ‘I’m Hugo, by the way.’

Effie shook his hand. His fingers were warm and strong as they grasped hers. ‘Euphemia,’ she squeaked. ‘But everyone calls me Effie.’

His mouth curved. Even his smile was perfect. ‘Why would they do that? Euphemia is such a delightful name.’

Effie felt her face flooding with colour. ‘It’s awful!’

‘It’s charming. As are you.’ They were both silent for a moment as Hugo went on holding her hand. Effie felt her palm turning clammy and hoped he wouldn’t notice.

The interval bell rang, breaking the spell. Still Hugo seemed reluctant to release her hand. ‘There’s a spare seat in our box. Won’t you join us for the second half?’ he said.

‘I can’t, I’m with my friends . . .’ She looked around. Anna and the others had bought their ice creams and were shuffling back to their seats. ‘Unless there’s room for all of us?’ she added hopefully.

Hugo glanced over her shoulder at Anna and the other girls. ‘I’m afraid not.’

‘Then I’d better not,’ Effie sighed. Not that the other girls would even notice she’d gone, she thought. But Anna would probably get cross with her anyway.

‘In that case, shall we meet after the show?’ Hugo suggested. ‘I’ll bring my friends, and we could make a party of it. Perhaps we could go to the pub?’

‘Oh, yes, please. I’d love that,’ Effie accepted eagerly.

‘It’s a date, then. We’ll meet you and your friends outside.’

Anna looked up at Effie as she took her seat, just as the lights went down again. ‘We didn’t get you an ice cream,’ she said sourly.

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Effie replied, her gaze fixed on the box, waiting for Hugo to appear.

Anna tutted. ‘I hope you weren’t too forward?’ she said. ‘You should let the man do the chasing, you know.’

‘If I did that, I’d probably be waiting for ever,’ Effie sighed. She decided not to break the news to Anna until later that they were meeting Hugo and his friends. She would probably never hear the last of it otherwise.

Throughout the second half of the show, Effie couldn’t stop herself sneaking glances up to Hugo, sitting with his friends in the box above them. Once or twice he caught her watching him and Effie looked away quickly, wondering if Anna might be right about her being too forward. But then the third time she found her gaze straying back towards the box, Hugo was already watching her. When she caught his eye he lifted his hand and gave her a little wave. Effie waved back, glad the darkness of the theatre hid her blushing face.

Afterwards, she waited for him outside the theatre, in spite of Anna’s protests.

‘We’ll miss our bus,’ she complained. ‘And I’m not going to end up in trouble with Matron because of you.’

‘Just another five minutes?’ Effie pleaded, watching the sea of people surging out of the theatre.

‘He’s probably not coming anyway,’ Anna went on. ‘I expect he’s forgotten all about you.’

‘Here he comes!’ Effie caught sight of Hugo’s handsome face in the crowd and started waving madly. ‘Hugo! Over here!’

‘Really!’ Anna muttered. ‘No man will ever respect you if you behave like that.’ But Effie was too pleased and relieved to care as Hugo pushed his way towards them.

‘I’m so sorry to keep you waiting,’ he said breathlessly. ‘I’m afraid my friends are being frightful bores. They want to go straight home. But I would be happy to escort you all to the pub myself?’ He looked around the group.

‘Well, I suppose so.’ It wasn’t quite what Effie had hoped for, but she was so desperate to spend time with Hugo she would have agreed to anything. But Anna had other ideas.

‘Certainly not!’ She looked outraged. ‘My mother would never allow me to set foot inside a place like that. It’s not respectable for young women. Besides, we have to get back to the nurses’ home before ten o’clock.’

She started herding the other girls bossily towards the bus stop, but Effie stood her ground.

‘I’ll come with you,’ she blurted out to Hugo.

Anna looked scandalised. ‘You mustn’t! You’ll be in trouble with Sister Sutton if you’re caught coming back late. And you’ve already got enough black marks against your name,’ she pointed out.

‘I won’t get caught,’ Effie shrugged. ‘My sister told me there’s a way in around the back. No one will know, unless someone tells Sister Sutton?’

Everyone looked at Anna. ‘Of course we won’t tell. Will we, Padgett?’ Prudence Mulhearn put in. Anna pressed her lips together and said nothing.

‘Between you and me, I’m rather glad they’ve gone,’ Hugo whispered as they watched the other girls heading off towards the bus stop. ‘If you don’t mind me saying so, that friend of yours seemed rather tiresome.’

‘She likes to do the right thing,’ Effie said.

‘And you don’t?’ His dark brows lifted.

‘I wouldn’t be here if I did, would I?’

Hugo grinned. ‘That’s the spirit. I knew you were a girl after my own heart.’ He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. ‘Now, let’s go and get that drink.’

Effie really didn’t know why Anna had made so much fuss. The Docker’s Arms was hot, stuffy and crowded, the air thick with cigarette smoke and the stench of unwashed bodies. But it was still more respectable than the local village pub in Killarney. At least the sawdust on the floor was fresh and everyone seemed to be minding their own business.

‘I’m terribly sorry about this,’ Hugo said as he guided her to a corner table in the saloon bar. ‘I didn’t realise it would be so crowded. We could find somewhere quieter, if you like?’

‘It seems quiet enough to me.’ Effie shrugged. ‘No one’s fighting yet, at any rate. That’s what usually happens at Kelly’s. You know it’s payday when someone ends up going through the window, my da says.’

She wondered if she’d said something wrong when she caught the puzzled look Hugo was giving her. But then he smiled and said, ‘What would you like to drink?’

Panicking, she said the first thing that came into her head. ‘Lemonade?’

‘Are you sure I can’t get you something stronger, since we’re living dangerously?’

Effie looked blank. ‘I don’t know any strong drinks, except for beer and whisky. And I don’t like either of those.’

Hugo laughed. ‘Leave it to me, in that case. I’ll find you a strong drink you might like.’

He returned to the table with a beer for himself and a fancy glass filled with a pretty deep pink liquid for her.

‘What’s that?’ Effie peered into it suspiciously.