The Nightingale Nurses

by Donna Douglas

  Inside, the ballroom resembled a magical wonderland. The enormous chandelier showered sparkling diamonds of light over the marble and mirrored walls. Dora couldn’t help gawping around at it all. She had never seen anything so grand in all her life. The room was filled with people, alive with the sound of laughter, voices, and the muted chink of glasses. Waiters circulated with silver trays of drinks, and at the far end of the room an orchestra played. Some couples had already taken to the floor, twirling and whirling about. A row of disconsolate unaccompanied nurses in their best dresses sat around the edge of the room, clutching glasses of fruit punch and pretending they didn’t want to dance anyway.

  She caught sight of Dr Adler with Esther. She looked so much younger and more beautiful than Dora ever remembered seeing her, dressed in deep plum velvet, her dark hair falling in soft curls around her radiant face.

  ‘Let’s dance,’ Joe said, taking Dora’s hand.

  ‘But we’ve only just got here!’

  ‘I don’t care. I can’t wait to have you in my arms.’

  He pulled her towards the floor but she hung back. ‘I want to say hello to my friends first.’

  Joe pulled a face. ‘You see them every day.’

  ‘Not all of them. I haven’t seen Willard at all since I moved to Female Medical last week.’ She waved at Penny, who was sitting with the other wallflowers, sulkily biting into a sausage roll. She dropped it at once and came over, looking very striking in a dazzling peacock blue dress.

  ‘You look lovely,’ Dora said.

  ‘Thanks, but I don’t think Miss Hanley approves. She’s already told me I look indecent.’

  ‘Why?’ Dora looked Penny up and down. The dress clung to her slender curves, but the neckline was modest enough, cutting across the hollows of her collarbone. ‘You look covered up enough to me.’

  ‘You haven’t seen the back.’ Nurse Willard spun around and Dora gasped. The dress plunged daringly to the base of her spine, revealing a bare expanse of skin.

  ‘I see what she means.’

  ‘I think she’s just being an old fuddy-duddy.’ Penny Willard glared across the room at the Assistant Matron. ‘How dare she lecture me? Have you seen that awful thing she’s wearing?’

  Miss Hanley couldn’t have been more covered up if she’d tried. Every inch of her square, mannish frame was covered in burgundy velvet. A trim of gold brocade around her neck only emphasised the uncompromising squareness of her jaw.

  ‘It looks like the old curtains from the Rialto,’ Joe observed. Penny screamed with laughter.

  ‘Yes, that’s exactly what it looks like! Oh, Joe, you are funny.’ She batted her eyelashes at him. ‘Isn’t he a hoot, Doyle?’

  Dora tried to smile, but she couldn’t help feeling sorry for Miss Hanley. The poor thing looked like a fish out of water, gazing about her in bewilderment at the other women in their glamorous dresses. Dora knew exactly how she felt.

  Joe drifted off to fetch them some drinks, leaving Dora to chat to Penny.

  ‘It’s strange to see everyone dressed up like this,’ she remarked. ‘I hardly recognise them.’

  Penny nodded in agreement. ‘I know, isn’t it odd? You get so used to seeing them in uniform, it gives you quite a fright when you see them in anything else. Some of the men look quite dashing, don’t they? Who would have thought our Dr Adler would scrub up so well?’ She nodded to him as he whirled past with Esther in his arms.

  ‘That’s what love does for you.’ Dora smiled.

  ‘And have you seen Mr Latimer’s wife?’ Penny nodded over to where the consultant was standing with a dumpy, cross-faced little woman, talking to Mrs Tremayne. ‘She doesn’t look like much of a match for him, does she? But I’ve heard she’s rich, which I suppose explains a lot . . .’

  But Dora wasn’t listening. She was staring across the room at another couple, standing on the far side talking to a group of porters.

  ‘Now there’s a couple who go together, don’t you think?’ Penny followed her gaze. ‘But I suppose someone like Nick Riley was always going to have a pretty wife, wasn’t he?’ She sighed. ‘Not that I could ever see myself marrying a hospital porter,’ she said. ‘But he does look like he would be rather fun for a fling . . .’

  Dora tried to tear her gaze away, but she couldn’t. The sight of Nick in a suit brought back all kinds of painful memories of his wedding. And there was Ruby, bold as brass in brilliant scarlet, her blonde curls piled on top of her head, clinging to his arm as she threw back her head and laughed.

  ‘I thought they weren’t coming,’ Dora said.

  ‘Looks like they changed their mind.’ Penny shrugged. ‘Oh, here comes Joe with the drinks.’ She teased a tendril of hair around her finger. ‘He’s such a gentleman, isn’t he? Gosh, Doyle, you don’t know how lucky you are.’

  Joe handed Penny her drink and then turned to Dora. ‘Can we have that dance now?’ he asked, an edge to his voice.

  She let him lead her on to the floor as the band started playing ‘The Way You Look Tonight’. Joe pulled her into his arms, crooning the words of the song softly into her hair, as he pressed the length of his body against hers.

  Dora closed her eyes and tried to lose herself in the music, but when she opened them again she found herself staring straight at Nick Riley.

  He was watching her across the crowded dance floor, his face expressionless. When he caught Dora looking back at him, he turned abruptly towards Ruby.

  The song ended and Dora went to walk away, but Joe pulled her back. ‘Another dance, please?’ he begged. ‘I’ve been waiting all night for this.’

  ‘Do you mind if I sit this one out?’ she said. ‘My feet are killing me.’

  A shadow crossed his face as he released her. ‘If that’s what you want.’

  He followed her off the dance floor. ‘Where are you going?’ he asked as she headed for the door.

  ‘Only to the Ladies’ to powder my nose. Is that all right?’ She looked back at him challengingly.

  For a moment he actually looked as if he might argue. ‘Don’t be too long,’ he muttered.

  When she was sure he wasn’t watching her, Dora walked straight past the door to the Ladies’ cloakroom, down the stairs and out into the warm evening air. The sun was starting to sink behind the rooftops, streaking the coppery sky with pink and violet. Even the ugly black smoke belching from the factory chimneys couldn’t take away from the beauty of the night.

  Dora sank down on the Town Hall steps, relieved to be alone. Joe seemed to close in on her so tightly, she barely had a chance to breathe. Everywhere she looked, he was there, pressing against her, telling her he loved her, his intense gaze on her, urging her to love him back.

  But she couldn’t. No matter how hard she tried, she knew she would never have those kind of feelings for him. It was time to make that clear, she decided, before he wasted any more of his time on her.

  A long dark shadow fell across her, and she realised she was no longer alone. Thinking Joe must have come looking for her again, she said, ‘Look, please leave me alone. I just need to be on my own for a minute.’

  The shadow didn’t move. Dora swung round and saw Nick looking down at her.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he mumbled. ‘I didn’t know you were out here. I’ll go somewhere else . . .’

  He started up the steps, but Dora called him back.

  ‘It’s all right,’ she said. ‘I thought you were someone else. You can stay, if you want?’

  He hesitated, then sat down a few feet away from her.

  They stared out over the street together, both lost in their own thoughts. Guests wandered up and down the steps around them, but neither of them seemed to notice.

  ‘Where’s Ruby?’ Dora broke the silence finally.

  ‘Having a dance with Harry Fishman. I’m not really one for dancing.’

  ‘Me neither.’

  She felt his sidelong glance. ‘You were dancing earlier?’

  ‘Only because Joe wanted to.
’

  The silence stretched between them. ‘Thanks for going to see Ruby.’ Nick’s voice was gruff. ‘It really perked her up.’

  Dora felt a pang of guilt, remembering her secret. ‘She looks a lot brighter.’

  ‘She is. It was her idea to come tonight. She thought it would do us both good to get out.’

  Dora risked a glance at him. He was gazing up at the sky, and his profile looked as if it had been carved from stone. ‘And is it doing you good?’ she asked.

  Nick turned his head slowly to look at her. Dora was shocked to see the raw wretchedness in his eyes.

  ‘I can’t stand it,’ he said.

  Anger rose up inside Dora. If she could have got hold of Ruby at that moment, she would have wrung her neck.

  ‘I suppose it might be a bit too much, what with all the people and the music and everything . . .’

  ‘I’m not talking about that,’ he dismissed. ‘What I can’t stand is seeing you with him.’

  This was so completely unexpected, it took her breath away. Dora stared at him, unable to speak. But before she could find her voice, Nick said, ‘I’m sorry, I had no right to say that. It’s not fair on you or Ruby.’ His words came out in a rush, tumbling over each other. ‘Forget I said it, I’m not thinking straight.’ He stumbled to his feet. ‘I should be getting back, Ruby will be wondering where I am . . .’

  ‘Nick, wait!’

  He stopped, his back still turned to her. Dora could see the muscles in his broad shoulders tensing under his suit jacket.

  ‘What?’ he said.

  Tell him, a voice inside her head urged. Tell him the truth about Ruby and you can change everything.

  ‘You’re right,’ she said. ‘You should get back to Ruby.’

  She watched him as he climbed the steps without looking back.

  Penny Willard had had too much to drink. So much for sticking to the fruit punch, Joe thought as he disentangled himself yet again from her grasping fingers.

  ‘Dora’s been gone a while,’ he said, his eyes fixed on the doors. ‘I hope she’s all right?’

  ‘Oh, she’ll be fine,’ Penny dismissed. She smiled at him, her smudged lipstick blurring the edges of her wide mouth. ‘She must be very sure of herself, to leave a handsome young man like you alone among all these single women?’ she teased.

  ‘She knows I love her.’

  ‘And does she love you?’

  Joe frowned. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

  ‘Oh, nothing. It’s just she never talks about you, not like the other girls talk about their boyfriends.’ Penny cocked her head, listening as the band struck up again. ‘I love this tune. “Pennies from Heaven”.’ She started to hum to herself, swaying from side to side. ‘Funny, isn’t it? That’s my name . . . Penny. Penny’s from Heaven.’

  ‘And are you?’ Joe asked absently, his gaze fixed on the doors.

  ‘That’s for you to find out, isn’t it?’ She tapped his chest playfully. ‘Dance with me and I might show you.’

  ‘Thanks, love, but I’d better go and see what’s keeping Dora.’

  ‘I’ll come with you.’ Penny tottered unsteadily after him. ‘I can check in the Ladies’ cloakroom, make sure she hasn’t fainted or anything!’

  But Dora wasn’t in the cloakroom. ‘Perhaps she’s run away?’ Penny giggled.

  ‘She’d better not have.’ Joe tried to smile, but inside he was burning with humiliation. ‘She’s probably just gone outside for a smoke. I’ll take a look.’

  He ran down the staircase, taking the steps two at a time. He could hear Penny clattering behind, unsteady in her heels, but he didn’t wait for her. He was at the door before she had even reached the last step.

  He was about to go outside when he spotted Dora through the frosted glass. And she wasn’t alone.

  Joe pulled in a sharp, jerky breath, as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over him.

  Dora and Nick were sitting on opposite sides of the steps, not touching, not even looking at each other. But somehow he knew they were together. It was as if there was an invisible rope binding them.

  Penny caught up with him. ‘Well? Is she out there – oh!’ She peered through the etched glass, tilting her head to get a better view. ‘Well, I never! Nick Riley. I knew it.’ She smirked. ‘There was always something about the way she looked at him . . .’

  Joe turned away and paced across the foyer, fighting down his anger. He was so blinded by rage, the black-and-white floor tiles blurred in front of his eyes.

  ‘He’s coming back!’ Penny rushed over to him, quivering with excitement, just as the doors flew open and Nick appeared. He strode straight past them, not even looking Joe’s way as he lurked in the shadows.

  ‘Well?’ Penny’s face fell into a pout of disappointment. ‘Aren’t you going to go after him and punch him on the nose?’

  Joe watched Nick stomping up the stairs. He could feel a slow burn of rage creeping like molten lava through his veins. ‘He ain’t worth it.’

  ‘Neither is she.’ Penny shot a filthy look towards the doors. ‘To be honest, I don’t know why you bother with her. You could do a lot better for yourself.’

  But I don’t want to do a lot better, he thought. He wanted Dora, simple as that. And the fact that she plainly didn’t want him only made him more determined to have her.

  ‘Why don’t you come back inside?’ Penny coaxed. ‘I bet I know how to cheer you up.’

  ‘Some other time,’ he said, heading for the doors.

  Dora was still sitting on the steps, her face buried in her hands. She turned at the sound of his footsteps. Joe pretended not to notice the hope dying in her eyes when she saw it was him.

  ‘There you are.’ He forced lightness into his voice. ‘I wondered where you’d got to.’

  She gave him a weary smile. ‘Sorry, Joe. I didn’t mean to abandon you like that.’

  ‘Are you coming back inside?’

  She shook her head. ‘Would you mind if I went home? I’ve got a headache and I don’t really feel like dancing.’

  ‘Neither do I,’ he admitted heavily. The thought of going back into that ballroom and pretending everything was fine was beyond him. ‘I’ll walk you home.’

  ‘There’s no need. I don’t want to ruin your evening?’

  He sent her a long, steady look. ‘I think it’s too late for that, don’t you?’

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  THERE WAS SOMETHING different about Joe as they walked home. He slouched along beside her, his hands thrust deep into his pockets. Dora was grateful not to have to fend off his wandering arm, but the quiet anger vibrating off him made her wary.

  ‘I’m sorry we had to leave early,’ she said again.

  ‘’S’all right,’ he muttered.

  She glanced at his sulky profile. ‘You didn’t have to come with me, you know. I could have walked home by myself.’

  ‘Are you sure you just don’t want me out of the way so you can sneak off and meet him?’

  She frowned. ‘What are you talking about?’

  ‘Don’t look so innocent,’ snarled Joe. ‘I saw you two together. How long has it been going on with you and that porter?’

  The truth dawned. ‘You mean Nick?’

  ‘Of course I mean Nick! Why, who else are you playing about with?’ The harshness in his voice shocked her.

  ‘I’m not playing about with anyone.’

  ‘That’s not how it seemed to me. I saw the way you looked at each other. Does his missus know?’

  Dora caught the angry glint in Joe’s eye and knew there would be no reasoning with him. ‘You don’t know anything about it.’

  She started to walk away but he snatched at her arm, swinging her round to face him. ‘Oh, no, you don’t. You don’t walk away from me!’

  Dora looked down at his hand gripping her arm. ‘Let go of me.’

  ‘That’s all you ever say to me, isn’t it? Don’t touch me . . . stay away.’ His lip curled. ‘I th
ought it was because you were such a nice girl. But I was wrong, wasn’t I? You were just stringing me along, while all the time you were having it off with a married man.’ Joe’s handsome face was flushed with temper. ‘I bet you were having a right laugh at me, weren’t you? What a mug I’ve been, thinking you were so different from the other girls. When all the time you were the biggest slut of them all . . .’

  Dora’s stinging slap stopped him mid-sentence.

  ‘How dare you! Don’t you ever call me that.’

  ‘What else would you call a girl who goes with married men?’

  ‘I don’t have to listen to this.’ She wrenched her arm free but he grabbed her shoulders, slamming her back against the wall.

  ‘I told you, you don’t walk away from me,’ he hissed.

  ‘Get off, you’re hurting me.’ She tried to struggle free but he pinned her, his full weight against her. She could feel the hardness of him, pressing into her.

  ‘Not until you’ve given me a taste of what Nick Riley’s been having all this time.’ Joe’s eyes were mad with malice, his mouth twisted into a terrifying leer. She barely recognised the man she thought she knew.

  She suddenly remembered her stepfather Alf and the way he used to force himself on her. Her heart was crashing against her ribs, but she forced herself to stay calm.

  ‘Let me go and we’ll forget this ever happened,’ she whispered.

  ‘Forget it? Oh, no, love. I want to make this a night to remember.’

  Joe’s mouth came down on hers before Dora could make a move to stop him. There was no tenderness in his kiss. His mouth was fierce and possessive, grinding against hers, his tongue invading. Dora couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even cry out in pain as her lips were crushed against her teeth. She tried to jerk her head away but his hand came up, clamping around her chin so she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. She felt the damp, rough brickwork grazing her bare skin as he rammed the length of his body against hers, his hand fumbling in the folds of her skirt.

  No. A single thought, as clear and piercing as a beam of light, penetrated her fear. Not this time. Not again.