Front Line Nurse

by Rosie James

  But during the first hours and weeks of peace, for Angelina, her overriding thoughts were for Alexander. She had heard nothing from him, or about him, for sixteen months, not since that magical evening when they’d been together. Had he been wounded – or had he even managed to survive? The thought that it was possible that they would never see each other again was too terrible to contemplate.

  *

  The entire country, and London in particular, went mad with rejoicing. All the schools closed, shops and factories were shut, and in the streets and even on the roofs of cars, Land Girls and servicemen and women danced together in gay abandon. Trains and busses hooted, flags fluttered from office windows and huge crowds made their way along Whitehall towards Downing Street, all singing, and chanting. It had been a long, long wait.

  At the Garfield, the atmosphere was just as frantic. The older children had a very good idea as to why everyone was so excited, and why Mrs Haines kept wiping her eyes on her apron, and why lessons were abandoned and why they were playing games instead and why sweets and chocolates were being handed around as if it was someone’s birthday.

  At home in his study, Randolph Garfield gazed out with a heart full of gratitude. His beloved son had escaped the carnage with his life intact. Or so Randolph fervently hoped. They had not seen each other for almost two years, and news of any kind had always been scant. He had been told that demobilisation would take place as quickly as possible, but Randolph was happy enough to wait his turn.

  Alexander was alive and that was all that mattered.

  Chapter 17

  April 1919

  Angelina finished wiping up their breakfast dishes, then went over to the window and gazed out. Ruby had left for work long ago, and the little room felt deserted and lonely without her here. It had been obvious, straightaway, to Angelina just how her little friend had matured while they’d been apart. Ruby seemed so happy and content with her lot, and apparently Mrs Walker had said she was sure that Ruby would have a salon of her own one day.

  Angelina smiled as she went over what had happened when she’d walked through the door, unannounced, ten days ago – there’d been no opportunity to give notice of her return. Ruby had stared as if she’d seen a ghost, then she’d burst into tears, hugging Angelina over and over again, and wailing loudly like a baby. Mrs Carter, with Nesta in her arms, had heard the noise and had come running down the stairs, and then they had all cried, Angelina included. Tears of uninhibited joy.

  It was then that Angelina realised that those were the first tears she’d shed in so long. She’d never been a cry baby as a child, and she didn’t even cry when Heather had slipped away – refusing to show any sign of outward emotion or lack of self-control. Because if you opened that box, how would you ever manage to close it?

  Angelina sat down slowly onto her bed, and recalled – for the hundredth time – that moment when she had completely lost her self-control.

  It had been when she and Alexander Garfield had fallen into each other’s arms and kissed. His bodily strength as he’d held her close to him, his fervent lips on hers. It had been an oasis of pure ecstasy amongst the desert of hopelessness all around them on that weary battlefront.

  But it had been wrong. She should never have let it happen. Because they could never be anything to each other. Their situations in life could not have been more different even though he had always treated her with such sweet kindness, as if he cared for her, cared about her.

  But that was just his nature, and when they had been so close on that day, his response had been a purely natural, masculine thing. Angelina understood that only too well. It hadn’t been full of meaning, as it had been for her. It had been a male, passing need which he probably, by now, didn’t even remember. There was no doubt about where he would find his future solace. Honora Mason would be here, faithful and loving as always.

  All the nurses had been given a month off to recover from their war duty before they were to return to St Thomas’s at the beginning of May. Then, it was expected that life would return to some kind of normality.

  And although Angelina admitted that she had been as excited as anyone else at the thought of returning home, now that she was here she could not deny a sense of anticlimax. For a long time she had been with a faithful band of people who’d become close as they’d worked together as a team to treat the wounded and dying – of course she was going to miss all that. It would take time to readjust. Hadn’t dear Miss Kingston warned her of that possibility when Angelina had called in at the orphanage on her return?

  ‘Take your time, Angelina,’ the superintendent had said gently. ‘You have been living a completely unimaginable life – something which none of us can hope to fully understand – so take each day at a time and try not to look back or forward too much.’

  Angelina felt cross with herself as she wandered about the little room aimlessly, trying to find something to do. She should be making the most of this last couple of weeks, not keeping on going over and over all that had happened to her, to all of them. Especially as, during her one brief homecoming visit to the hospital, she’d been told that the influenza pandemic which had been raging for more than a year was still in full swing.

  In the almoner’s office, the matron and the senior staff had welcomed the nurses back, congratulating all of them on their distinguished service to the country.

  ‘You have done St Thomas’s proud,’ matron had declared, ‘but I’m afraid your responsibilities are still as great as ever. We are losing patients on a regular basis with this illness, so I am afraid that once you have had your time off it will be back to normal with a vengeance.’

  July 1919

  Alexander Garfield strolled home along the quiet streets he’d known all his life, his overwhelming feeling being gratitude that he was actually here alive and all in one piece. There had been many times when he’d felt death so near that he’d become resigned to the thought that foreign earth would be where his body would permanently rest.

  Yet here he was, just a hundred yards away from the elegant house where he’d been brought up, and where he knew his father would be waiting for him.

  Alexander’s unit had been one of the last to be demobilised, and although word had been sent to Randolph of his son’s imminent arrival, Alexander had asked that no one should meet him, that he would prefer to spend a few hours totally alone with his thoughts. Being in close company with others for so long, under such violent circumstances, had drained Alexander, and now all he wanted was isolation and peace.

  Arriving, he made his way up the stone steps to the pillared entrance, but before he could ring the bell the door opened and Randolph stood there.

  ‘Hello Dad,’ Alexander said quietly.

  Without speaking, Randolph clutched his son to him so closely that Alexander could hardly breathe. ‘You are here, my dear boy,’ Randolph said huskily. ‘Praise God, you have returned to home and hearth … and to your father who has missed you more than words can say.’

  Alexander didn’t pull away, unsurprised at the words of welcome. Although he had spent much of his life away at school and college, and although Randolph was sometimes viewed as being of a serious nature, Alexander had suffered no dearth of affection when he’d been young.

  Reluctantly, Randolph stood back and ushered Alexander inside. It was mid-afternoon on a warm day … how did you welcome someone back from the dead? Randolph cleared his throat. ‘Where do we start, Alexander? Can you bear to talk, or shall we just sit here for a while? Or would you prefer a bath and a few hours upstairs on your own?’

  It was a strange situation, Randolph thought. He had always been close to his only child, yet here, today, they could have been two people who hardly knew each other. Why wasn’t conversation flowing, why weren’t they falling over their words?

  Alexander broke the silence. ‘I don’t want anything at the moment, Dad, thanks – I had a coffee at the station, but maybe we can indulge in something stronger later on.’ H
e ran a hand through his hair ‘Now you tell me how you’ve been. Has the firm survived, despite everything? The war hasn’t bankrupted Garfield Tobacco, has it?’

  Randolph shrugged briefly. ‘No of course not, though we’ve had problems, naturally. But worse, this wretched pandemic has really taken everyone by surprise. It began a year ago, and it’s still sweeping the country – and other parts of the world, I believe.’

  Alexander nodded. ‘Yes, we were all aware of it.’

  There was a brief silence, then Randolph said, without looking at his son, ‘I expect you called in to the Masons’ on your way here – to see Honora?’

  ‘No, I didn’t,’ Alexander replied. ‘All I wanted was to see you, Dad. To come home.’

  Randolph nodded, pleased at that. ‘Oh well. Naturally they’ve been contacting me relentlessly once I told them you were on your way,’ he said. ‘I did expect that Honora would be the first one to actually set eyes on you.’ He smiled. ‘I expect she thought so, too! I believe that Elizabeth has made an iced cake to celebrate your return – they want to throw a party for you.’

  ‘That’s kind,’ Alexander said, stifling a yawn.

  Randolph had been watching his son’s every move as they sat opposite each other in the quiet drawing room. Alexander seemed to look older than his 22 years – older, introspective, withdrawn. Of course, that was no surprise – how could anyone go through what those men had endured and come away unblemished? Even if Alexander had apparently escaped any serious injury, there would be underlying things he was dealing with. He had always been a little bit too sensitive, and he would have seen and done things which would remain in his memory until the end of his days. This war would have changed him, and many other people.

  Presently, Randolph said, ‘Have you had a chance to even give a thought as to what your next step is, Alexander? I mean, you don’t have to return to college … you could stay home for as long as you like, take it easy, take your time making up your mind about your future.’

  Alexander raised his eyes, surprised at the question. ‘Oh, I intend continuing my studies, Dad – but I’d like to switch to something else.’

  Randolph nodded. ‘Of course. You don’t need to continue your business studies course if you don’t want to. But what else do you have in mind?’

  ‘I’d like to go into medicine,’ Alexander said promptly. ‘I’ve thought about it such a lot while I’ve been away … the things I’ve seen.’ He waited before going on. ‘I know I could be of more use to humanity than doing what I have been doing, and you know I was always good at physics and maths. The thing is, it will be a very long training – probably six years or more – and I realise you might have liked me to go into the firm with you, but—’

  Randolph sat forward, interrupting. ‘No, Alexander. That was never my wish for you – unless you had really wanted it. All I’ve ever wanted is that you spend your life doing something you want to do, and become good at it.’ Randolph smiled. ‘And don’t worry about the length of time that degree will take you – Garfield Tobacco will support you until you start earning your own cash.’

  *

  Two weeks later, after a superb dinner at the Masons’ mansion, Jacob Mason stood at the head of the table and tapped his glass.

  ‘Ladies and gentlemen,’ he said ponderously, ‘I think the time has come to drink a toast to our gallant serviceman on his safe return from combat.’

  The gathering, consisting of Randolph and Alexander, Jacob, Elizabeth and Honora Mason, Jacob’s accountant and his wife, and Honora’s best friend Alice, all stood up obediently.

  ‘To Alexander,’ Jacob announced. ‘Congratulations on your service to our country, and our heartfelt thanks and relief that you have returned to us safe and sound.’

  ‘Alexander!’ everyone chanted.

  Then they all drank and sat down again and resumed chatting, and Honora said quietly to Alexander who was sitting alongside her, ‘Sorry about that, Alexander. You know what Dad’s like.’

  Alexander smiled down at her. ‘He means well,’ he murmured. ‘It’s good to see you again – and I like what you’re wearing.’

  Honora shrugged. ‘My mother was determined that I should buy something new to welcome you home,’ she said, ‘but I thought I had enough clothes already, and anyway – I didn’t think you’d notice what I was wearing. I imagine you have far weightier things to occupy your mind.’ She glanced up. ‘Do you know, you’ve hardly said a word about what you went through, Alexander. Was it dreadful … was it terrible?’

  ‘That just about sums it up,’ Alexander said. ‘And perhaps I will talk about it one day.’ He took a drink from his glass. ‘I’d far rather talk about you and what you’ve been doing for the last two or more years, Honora.’

  ‘Not winning a war, I’m ashamed to say,’ Honora said. ‘But, you know, well … just going around with my mother and helping with her various charities. I even had to chair a meeting for her the other day because she had a headache.’ Honora paused. ‘Can I let you into a secret, Alexander? Sometimes … sometimes, I really wished that I was in uniform and carrying a gun like you. Doing something important. Something that had some point to it.’ She slid her glass across to touch Alexander’s. ‘I would like some of your courage … some of your strength.’

  Alexander’s eyes softened. He’d never heard Honora say things like this before.

  ‘And are you going back to your studies in September?’ Honora asked, ‘Am I going to have to wave you goodbye again?’

  ‘’Fraid so,’ Alexander said, deciding not to mention his change of direction. That would all come out in the wash.

  At the other end of the long table, Jacob Mason nudged his wife.

  ‘Just look at those two, Elizabeth,’ he said quietly. ‘See the way they’re looking at each other?’ He smiled affably. ‘I don’t think it will be too long before Alexander pops the question. I mean, it’s a foregone conclusion – they’ve been close all their lives and they’ve spent so much time together, on and off – it would be a pair well matched. A marriage made in heaven!’

  Elizabeth nodded, her head on one side. ‘Yes, all that is true, Jacob,’ she said, ‘but Alexander is still in the middle of his studies. It will be some time before he can support a wife and children.’

  Jacob tried not to laugh out loud. ‘Good heavens, Elizabeth!’ he said. ‘The dowry Honora will take with her will be sufficient to last them for years! And I can’t see Randolph holding back with the cash. Money’s got nothing to do with it. Nothing!’

  Elizabeth wasn’t convinced. ‘The thing is, Jacob, I can see a real difference, a real change, in Alexander since he’s come home,’ she said slowly. ‘I’m afraid it may not turn out as we have always hoped it would be for them.’

  Jacob sat back, startled. ‘What do you mean when you say that you think Alexander is different? He seems exactly the same to me! But of course he may have changed a little bit – just look what he’s gone through! It must have been enough to drive a man completely mad. No wonder if he might seem a little bit “different”. But that will all come right, you wait and see.’

  Jacob poured more wine into his wife’s glass. ‘Don’t you worry, my dear,’ he said. ‘I am pretty certain that it won’t be too long before you’ve got a big society wedding to arrange, because I know that Alexander will do what’s expected of him.’ Jacob drained his own glass. ‘Alexander will always do the right thing,’ he said. ‘You can depend on that, my dear.’

  Chapter 18

  December 1919

  To Angelina, and to all the nurses, it felt as if they had exchanged one battlefront for another as the influenza pandemic continued to rage. As the last of the remaining soldiers were being demobilised, it was obvious that they – as many before them – were bringing back infections from the trenches for which there seemed little remedy. Sepsis, another deadly disease, had joined influenza in wiping out hundreds of the population within a matter of weeks, or even days.

 
; The government did what it could, ordering the temporary closure of theatres and restaurants. Church halls and meeting places followed suit, and the permanent cleaning of streets with chemicals added to the sense of panic. Was the entire country to be annihilated? At one point it was thought that smoking might be a deterrent to infection, and Randolph Garfield gave away thousands of free cigarettes in an effort to stem the tide.

  Since their return, Angelina had been working on the women’s medical ward, while Jane had had to suspend her training and return home to care for her parents, both of whom had developed serious health issues.

  ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be coming back,’ she’d declared to Angelina. ‘But I can hardly let my parents cope with their problems on their own, can I?’ Angelina had smiled. Despite all she’d said about having felt emotionally neglected as a child, Jane had a heart of gold.

  One evening, on her way to the canteen before she started her night shift Angelina bumped into Norma. Since the two were no longer sharing a room, they’d hardly had the chance for a proper chat, and Norma said, ‘Are you going to the canteen? I’ve got an hour before my next theatre duty so I’ll come with you.’ She caught Angelina’s arm. ‘Can you bear to talk about everything that happened over there? I mean I can only hazard a guess at what you all went through, but—’

  Angelina interrupted. ‘I’m sure you’ve got a pretty good idea, Norma, but … if you don’t mind, I’d rather not go into it.’

  They sat down at a table in the corner, and Angelina said, ‘By the way, you may be flattered to know that I thought of you a lot when I was over there because it was thanks to you that I became hooked on theatre work. I had watched all those operations here, like you suggested, and read everything I could get my hands on, so when they were calling for a theatre nurse I volunteered – and I was taken up straightaway!’ Angelina made a face. ‘Mind you, they didn’t have much choice because they were desperate. BHonestly, thinking about it I don’t know how I had the cheek, but I must have done all right because they kept calling out for me.’