Tender Nurse (21 page)

At the mention of Godfrey’s name, Virginia gave an inward start. “Don’t tell me if you’d rather not, Andrea, but what happened? What did you tell Godfrey?”

“I refused to listen, of course. It’s easy to understand what his motives were. I didn’t think he’d been worrying about his condition, Virginia. Am I wrong?”

“I don’t think so. He seems to me to be remarkably cheerful.”

“I give up. Godfrey is beyond me these days. He has changed.”

Virginia made no further comment. She put the cups on the tray and picked it up. “I’ll go and let you get some sleep,” she said abruptly and went out.

Too worn out to think any more, Andrea fell asleep but her first thoughts on walking were of Godfrey. He was showing remarkable fortitude. How was he able to be so calm, so cheerful—and what had made him suddenly want to release her from her promise? He had seemed so blind for so long to the lack of warmth in her love and affection for him. Had he begun to guess the truth at last? If it was just herself he was thinking of, he was extraordinarily matter of fact about it. His attitude had her puzzled.

When Martin came into theatre that morning, he was pleased to see her looking less strained. Sister Fisher was off duty for the day, so that there was more opportunity to talk without black looks and frowns.

“You’re off duty this evening, Andrea, aren’t you?’” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Will you come out to supper with me? I saw Matron yesterday and I’d like to tell you what transpired. I have a nurses’ lecture at six-thirty. If you could wait outside the gates I could pick you up just after seven-thirty. You will come?’’

She hesitated a moment. Surely it would be better not to see each other at all—outside hospital duties. It only served to emphasize the hopelessness of their position. But he was waiting anxiously for her answer.

“Yes, I’ll come,” she said. “I’ll change then call and see Godfrey and meet you later. That will give me at least an hour with him.”

“That’s the girl. Don’t hurry, I’ll wait for you. And keep your chin up, there’s still hope

She wished she could share his continued optimism, but as Godfrey still had no sensation whatever in his legs, she herself could see very little hope at all.

At six o’clock she changed into a light, navy blue suit with a fresh, white pique blouse.

Godfrey gazed at her admiringly. “You look wonderful, Andrea. Have you dressed up for my benefit, or are you going somewhere special?”

“Both and neither,” she said evasively, forcing herself to smile. “How are you?”

He shrugged. “The same.”

“You don’t seem quite so cheery today,” she commented.

“To tell you the truth, Andrea, I’ve got something on my mind,” he said frankly.

Her heart missed a beat. The statement somehow sounded ominous. She shrank from any more heart searching, but she felt compelled to reply: “Wouldn’t you like to tell me?”

He eyed her regretfully. “I’m sorry, Andrea, but I’m afraid it’s about us again. I don’t want to upset you, but won’t you re-consider the answer you gave me yesterday evening, and put an end to our engagement?”

She moved restlessly in her chair. “How can I — for the reasons you gave me? Suppose the positions were reversed? Would you desert me?”

“It’s not the same at all,” he declared emphatically. “Of course it is. Now don’t say any more about it,

Godfrey, please. Let me read to you or something——”

He shook his head. “No. Painful though it may be, we must settle this. I shall not be happy until we do. You force me to say this, Andrea. There is another reason why I want our engagement to come to an end.”

She looked at him sharply. “What reason?”

“My — feelings toward you have changed.”

Andrea felt the color drain from her face. What was he saying—that he no longer loved her? If that was so——

“What exactly do you mean, Godfrey?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. “That you don’t love me enough to want to marry me—after all these years?”

“Would it hurt you very much?” he asked in a low voice.

Out in the corridor, Andrea could hear Virginia’s voice as she spoke to a fellow nurse. Suddenly the memory of a certain conversation came flooding back to her. So that was it. To what lengths of sacrifice was he prepared to go in order to give her her freedom? She couldn’t let him do it. A fierce anger welled up inside her. How could Virginia have told him.

Godfrey was watching her. “You look angry,” he said.

“I am angry.” She brought her clenched fist down on the bed. “You would never have thought of this if Virginia had not told you.”

“Virginia?” he asked in a puzzled voice. “What has Virginia told me?”

“Why—that the only reason I would ever contemplate letting you release me should you ask it—would be because you no longer love me,” she poured out angrily.

His eyes widened, then a smile curved his lips. “So— you were all prepared, eh? Is there anything you girls don’t chew over?”

She flushed. “It’s not a joke. She had no right.”

His smile faded. “Steady, there—firebrand. Virginia told me nothing of the kind.”

She looked at him disbelievingly. “Please, Godfrey, let’s change this whole subject. I can’t bear it.”

A soft, gentle expression crossed his face. “Poor, Andrea, dear Andrea.” He covered her hand with his. “You’re a wonderful person—you deserve to be happy—and I’ll never cease to be grateful for your goodness.”

She shook her head. “You have nothing to thank me for.”

“Haven’t I? Your promise to marry me did more than you know just when I needed help most.”

“Thank you for saying that, Godfrey. Thank you very much indeed.”

He looked at her with his clear brown eyes and she felt a wave of tenderness sweep over her.

“Andrea,” he began in a low voice. “We’ve known each other a long time, and I’ve never known you tell a direct lie. I’m going to ask you a question now and I know you’ll tell me the truth.” He paused for the barest second, then said distinctly: “Are you and Martin Graham in love with each other?”

The unexpectedness of the question almost stunned here. Then with a startled look she got abruptly to her feet.

“Who told you that?” she gasped.

“Sit down again, Andrea,” he said quietly. “Nobody told me anything. You have only to answer yes or no.”

With a helpless gesture, she sat down heavily.

“Yes—it’s true, Godfrey,” she jerked out. “I—I’m sorry.”

To her surprise he smiled. “Don’t worry, Andrea. There’s no need to be sorry. Now at last we can get things straight.” He chuckled. “Do take the worried look off your face, my dear. I’m very glad about you and Martin. It leaves me free——”

“Free?” she echoed in a bewildered tone.

“Yes. You see, I’m in love with someone else too.” “You’re in—oh, Godfrey, you’re joking.” A wild, delirious hope surged up within her.

He grinned happily. “No, Andrea, I’m not joking. You certainly made it very awkward for me though, didn’t you? It gradually dawned upon me that you didn’t really love me, that you were not in love with me. I suppose I should have realized it a long time ago, but loving you had become a sort of habit. I knew that something had unbalanced you recently and the more I thought of it, lying here, the more clear it became. It was almost a relief really, because you see, Andrea, I was gradually falling in love with my nurse.’’

“With—with your nurse—you mean—Virginia?” she gasped.

“Yes. He smiled. “Are you surprised?”

“Well, I—I suppose not, really. As a matter of fact, you have been singing her praises——”

“Oh, she’s lovely, Andrea. She doesn’t know I’m in love with her, of course.’’

Andrea smiled. “I wonder.’’ Odd to hear him talking like that of someone else after all these years, she thought. “But shouldn’t she have been the first to know?” she asked.

“It doesn’t seem so important. I’m happy, Andrea. I’m making no demands on her, no advances toward her— yet.”

Andrea’s face sobered. “Tell her, Godfrey, tell her. Let her be happy, too. For it would make her happy to know.” Suddenly she knew that Virginia loved him.

Then she saw a strange, startled expression cross Godfrey’s face.

“Andrea,” he jerked out. “Something’s happening— something’s happening to my legs. I can feel a queer sort of pricking sensation. Oh, Andrea—Andrea—can it mean —Call Virginia—call someone—fetch Dr. Graham——”

He was almost incoherent in his excitement.

Andrea sprang to her feet, a wild exuberance bursting over her. But before she could get to the door, Virginia hurried in.

“Godfrey—Andrea—what’s all this excitement?” She crossed quickly to his bed.

He gazed up at her rapturously. “Darling—I can feel my legs—a funny pricking sensation—like pins and needles—oh, darling, I think—I feel sure of it—everything’s going to be all right!”

Martin and Andrea sat in the car watching the rising moon glow crescent-like in the deep blue sky of evening. The heady scents of a summer night reached their nostrils intoxicatingly as they each mused in silence for a while. Within the circle of Martin’s arm, her head on his shoulder, Andrea rested like a tired child.

Presently she smiled up at him, a hint of mischief in her eyes. “You haven’t said, ‘I told you so,’ yet.”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “I didn’t ‘tell you so.’ I was merely trying to instil a little hope into you, darling. What you tell me about Godfrey’s legs is wonderful and it’s what I’ve been hoping and working for. But as for him being in love with Virginia of all people or she with him—I hadn’t the remotest idea of anything like that happening.”

“No, you wouldn’t, of course. I should have, though. It’s queer when you think of it. When I look back on the last weeks, it seems obvious now that Virginia was in love with Godfrey. Yet at the time such a thing never entered my head.” She chuckled as another thought struck her. “It was so funny, the way I wouldn’t let Godfrey let me go.” She turned to him impulsively. “Oh, Martin, I can hardly believe that our troubles are over at last—that we can love each other freely. It seems too wonderful to be true.”

He smiled down at her. “It’s wonderful to see you happy again. How soon are you going to marry me, darling?” His eyes rested adoringly on her face. “I just want to be with you for always.”

She pulled his face down to hers and kissed his cheek, taking in the familiar smell of his hair cream and feeling the rough of his jacket. “Soon,” she whispered. “Soon, my dearest.”

He bent and kissed her possessively on the lips. Then cupping her face in his hands, he looked long into her eyes.

“When?” His voice was low, urgent and full of a deep longing.

A wild surge of love welled up within her heart. “Oh, Martin, it must be quite soon. After all we’ve suffered, I don’t want to wait for anything——”

The corners of his lips curved in a tender smile.

“Not even for your nursing?”

“Not for anything, Martin! All I want now is to be your wife and to be with you for always, never to be apart.”

“Oh, my darling.” He gathered her to him.

THE END