Seaside Hospital (17 page)

“Yes, and although the police told your Randall that he wasn’t to risk his precious neck, him being a doctor and all that, he did anyway and got to you both first, before the boats could close in.”

Lisa smiled, a happy smile curling the corners of her lovely mouth. “Where’s Jacky now?”

“Oh. Oh, aren’t I silly? I wasn’t supposed to tell you all that. I might have known you’d ask where she was.”

“Well, where is she? Is she
—all right
?”

“Oh, yes, she was rescued all right, but she—well, I’m not able to tell you. I mean, someone else is going to tell you. Gosh, I’d better get moving before he comes!”

“You mean ... Mr. Carson?” Lisa asked. “Where is he now?”

“Actually, he’s clearing up to take the holiday that’s due to him,” Mary said, looking at her watch. “I must go now. Take care of yourself.”

“I’ve just remembered Michael Holla
n
d. How is he?” Lisa asked suddenly.

“Oh, that reminds me. His mother’s been asking for you. Do you feel up to having her visit for a few minutes?”

“Yes, I’d love to see her,” Lisa said eagerly.

“
R
ight, I’ll fetch her now,” Mary said, jumping up.

“Are you sure,” Mrs. Holland asked anxiously, as Mary brought her from the waiting room, “that I haven’t shortened your own visit to Nurse Bryant?”

“No, I’m glad—I mean, she was asking me things I couldn’t answer, secrets, you know, so I escaped to fetch you. Come on, I’ll take you up to her, but it’s only for a few minutes, mind.”

“Yes, I won’t tire her. I just want to thank her for all she’s done for us,” Mrs. Holland said.

As Mary showed her in and left them, Lisa was struck by the change in her. Mrs. Holland looked much younger. Her former tenseness and strain was replaced by a new happy look.

“Sit down, Mrs. Holland, and tell me about Michael,” Lisa said. “I’m longing to hear how he is.”

“He’s well on the mend, now that his daddy sits by the bedside with me. Everything’s changed for us. His mother has fallen in love with Michael—and,” she added shyly, “she seems to like her daughter-in-law after all. The publicity rather forced things, of course, but now his daddy is very glad, and so am I.”

“I’m so glad,” Lisa said simply. “If I hadn’t managed to find you, I don’t know what I should have done.”

“I hope you don’t take all your patients’ troubles to heart like this,” Mrs. Holland smiled.

“Is that what I do?” Lisa asked wonderingly.

“Yes. I used to watch you go in and out of the hospital, and I used to think how young you were to have such a load of trouble on your shoulders. Now I begin to see how it is.”

She said goodbye soon after that, but when she had gone, Lisa closed her eyes and reflected that she would never be a real asset as a nurse; she couldn’t help worrying about the patients.

Randall Carson came in while her eyes were closed. He bent over the bed, and dropped a light kiss on her forehead. “What did you expect me to be? A casualty?” he laughed.

“Well, they said you dove into the water and got badly cut and bruised.”

“Oh, rubbish, it was nothing. Now, young woman, how are you? What have you got to say for yourself?”

“Randall, I’m all right, but what about my sister?”

“Jacky,” he said, in a sober voice. “Yes, that young woman has been a fly in the ointment long enough. Well, you know something had to be done about her. Oh, no, don’t look alarmed. Now I know all the facts, the whole case is rather different.”

“But you kept saying that the thief—the police...
”

“Don’t get excited, my dear, or I shall go," he said firmly. “Jacky tells me that no charge of theft has been made by anyone, and that everything she took has been returned.”

“Yes, oh yes,” Lisa said vehemently.

“Now all we have to worry about is getting her helped so that she won’t want to take things in the future. And that’s what I’ve been doing while you’ve been out for the count. She’s gone to the private nursing home of the chap I told you about.”

“But so soon? Did you have to rush things?”

“My dear, there were two reasons that made me rush, as you call it. One was that I just managed to catch my friend as he was leaving the country for a holiday, so of course, he wanted to take Jacky back to his nursing home right away. The other reason was that there was a great deal of publicity.”

“Oh! I’d forgotten that!”

“Jacky told the reporters she was running away from the man the police finally caught up with. She forgot to mention that it was Ellard Lindon, a friend of you both; so they got the idea you were both running to hide from him. There seemed no point in letting anyone know the real reason why you were both down there on the beach, but you do see that in the circumstances it seemed best to take Jacky out of the way at once.”

With heightened color, Lisa said, “Oh yes, thank you. I do understand.”

“Why didn’t you confide in me, Lisa? Didn’t you trust me, my dear?” he asked, on an altered note.

“It wasn’t that, Randall. It was because I thought if I could clear things up myself, then no one need know and get involved. If I’d lost my career as a nurse or Jacky’s career on the stage—”

“Yes, I see. Gallant little soul, aren’t you?” he murmured, smiling tenderly.

“What about Jacky’s stage career, Randall?”

“Well, the show came to an end, it seems, so she would have had to look elsewhere for something. She doesn’t mind, apparently, because even in this short time she’s got her eye on one of the doctors at the nursing home.”

“But she was looking for a rich husband!” Lisa said, reminiscently, looking past him at the summer sky outside.

“Well, this chap’s family is what you might call rich,” Randall said, his expression comical. Then they both burst out laughing. Jacky’s incorrigible optimism and elfin charm never failed to endear her to people, no matter how cross they were with her.

“Look, never mind about that sister of yours,” he said briskly. “She’s in good hands and will probably be all right. What about you? Are you going to insist on finishing your career? You’re not really fit to go back on the wards for a long time, you know.”

“Oh, but I must, I must!” Lisa said, struggling to sit up.

“I was only going to say that I can put my holiday back for a few days, while you get on your feet again, and then—”

“Don’t bother about me. I’ll be all right,” she said.

“I want you to come with me, Lisa,” he said in an exasperated voice, “and you’re not fit to travel yet.”

“But you don’t want a nurse with you on holiday!”

“No, my darling, I want a wife. Oh, Lisa,” he said shakily, taking her hands and kissing them, “I’m no good at pretty speeches. I’ve seen the back of one of my rivals and I’ve convinced myself that you aren’t engaged to young Frenton, so now I must nip in and propose to you before any more young men appear on the scene. Lisa, you will marry me, won’t you? You do care, don’t you?”

“Oh, Randall, of course I do, but what about you? I thought it was still that girl who died.”

“No. I used to think there’d never be anyone else, but now it’s only you, my dear.” He bent and kissed her, and her arms slid up around his neck.

Sir Jules, Lisa’s next visitor, sent up by a harassed nurse, halted in the doorway, took in the scene and tiptoed out.

“Is she all right, Sir Jules?” the nurse asked.

“Absolutely all right,” he said, beaming all over his nice homely face. “She’s engaged,” he added, with enormous satisfaction.