Jenny was packing ready for the journey home at the end of the week when the telephone in Felix’s apartment rang. Felix was out so it was Jenny who answered the call, to hear Charlotte’s worried voice at the other end of the line.
‘Oh Jen,’ she said at once. ‘It’s Georgie. He’s – he’s had a crash in his new plane.’
Jenny’s heart felt as if it stopped and then began to thump painfully. She felt cold and her legs gave way. She sank to the floor, still clutching the receiver in her hand, her fingers white.
‘He’s – he’s not – ’
‘No, no, but he’s badly hurt. His wounded leg is – is smashed so badly, they’re – ’ Charlotte dissolved into tears – ‘they’re talking about amputating it.’
Jenny swallowed hard but her voice trembled as she said bravely, ‘But if it’s to save his life – ’
‘Yes, yes, of course. How sensible you are, Jen.’
‘I’m coming home. I won’t wait till the end of the week. I’ll ring the college now. They’ll understand.’ Jenny found herself taking charge, making quick decisions. ‘I’ll be with you by tonight.’
They talked a little while longer. Miles, it seemed, was in a state of shock, convinced he was going to lose another son.
‘He’ll be fine. He’s strong and he’s everything to live for.’ Jenny bit her lip before adding with a generosity she hadn’t known she possessed, ‘Have you sent for Cassandra?’
‘Not yet. I rang you first. I’m sorry, I must go. Miles wants to go back to the hospital.’
‘Where is he?’
‘Lynthorpe at the moment, but if they do decide to operate, he’ll have to go to a bigger one.’
‘Where?’
‘Miles is going to talk to the doctors. He wants to make sure Georgie has the very best treatment available wherever it is.’ Charlotte’s voice broke. ‘But come home as soon as you can, darling. We need you.’
When Jenny told Felix, he offered, ‘Do you want me to come with you?’
‘I’ll be fine once I get there, unless, of course, you want to come.’ She knew how fond Felix was of all the family and how worried he’d be.
‘I would, only I’ve so much on here, but if I can help in any way, you promise you’ll let me know and I’ll drop everything and come at once.’
‘I’ll ring you every day, Felix.’
He took her to the station and saw her on to the train, hugging her tightly and reminding her, ‘Don’t forget to ring. Every day.’
The journey seemed interminable; far longer even than when she’d travelled the same route as an evacuee child. But, at last, the train drew into Ravensfleet and Jenny dragged her trunk and her suitcase on to the platform.
‘At last.’ She heard Miles’s voice behind her, and she turned to see him coming towards her with his arms spread wide.
‘How is he?’
‘Holding on.’
‘Are they going to operate?’
‘Yes. The leg’s so badly damaged that without an amputation he’ll – he’ll – oh Jen.’ Miles hugged her to him. ‘Thank goodness you’ve come home. We need your strength and your faith.’ He drew back, fished in his pocket, pulled out a white handkerchief and blew his nose hard. ‘Come on, let’s get you home. Charlotte and Ben are waiting for us.’
‘Isn’t anyone at the hospital with him?’ Jenny wanted to know.
Miles’s voice hardened. ‘Cassandra arrived about an hour ago, so we came away.’
‘She’ll be staying with us, I suppose.’
Miles sighed. ‘Can’t really refuse in all fairness, now can we?’
‘Of course you can’t. She has a right to be with him. But – I would like to see him.’
‘Of course you must. Let’s go home first and then we’ll go back to the hospital. We’ll go as soon as you’re ready. She’s had an hour or so with him now and visiting time will soon be over.’
As soon as they’d dumped her trunk and suitcase at the manor, Miles, Charlotte and Jenny set off at once to Lynthorpe. As they drew into the car park behind the small cottage hospital they saw Cassandra pacing up and down outside the entrance, smoking.
‘I’m not allowed to smoke in there,’ she informed them as they approached. ‘Oh hello,’ she added, noticing Jenny. ‘I thought it wouldn’t take you long to come running to his bedside. Well, you can be the one to stroke his fevered brow and hold his hand. I’m no good around sick people.’ She glared at Miles, as if it was his fault. ‘Is it true they’re going to take his leg off? He’s going to be in a wheelchair?’
Before Miles could even answer, Jenny spoke up. ‘They might have to, yes, to save his life. But if I know Georgie, he won’t be in a wheelchair for any longer than necessary. Douglas Bader was his inspiration when he wanted to start flying again and the thought of what that man achieved after he lost both his legs will help Georgie again. He’ll be back on his feet in no time. You’ll see.’
Cassandra’s mouth twisted in a sneer. ‘But he won’t ever take me dancing again, will he?’
‘Is that all you can think about?’ Jenny began angrily, but Charlotte put a warning hand on her arm and whispered, ‘Not now, darling. She’s upset.’ She turned towards Cassandra. ‘We’re just going in to see him, then we’ll take you home.’
‘I’m not staying. I’m going back to Nottingham. I’ll come again at the weekend.’
‘I don’t know if there’s another train today – ’
Again her lip curled. ‘I have my own car now. Daddy bought it for me.’ She threw down the stub of her cigarette and ground it with the toe of her pointed shoe. ‘I’ll be off before it gets dark. The roads round here are—’ She stopped and then muttered, ‘Oh what’s the use!’ and stalked off towards a vehicle parked a little way off.
Miles put his arms around Jenny and Charlotte. ‘I could say I hope that’s the last we see of her, but I rather doubt it will be. Come on, let’s go and see him.’
He didn’t look as bad as Jenny might have expected. He had a cut on his forehead and a black eye, but he was awake and watching the door.
‘Jen,’ he said as soon as he saw her. He stretched out his hand. ‘I knew you’d come.’ There a slight inflection in his words as if he was insinuating he’d doubted that Cassandra would.
Jenny took his hand and sat down by the bed. ‘Course I have.’
‘But term’s not over yet, is it?’
‘Almost.’
‘But you’ve finished your exams? You haven’t come before you should have, have you? Not on account of me.’
‘They’re finished. They were finished before the exhibition. I’d have been coming at the weekend any way.’ She leaned towards him, a bantering note in her tone. ‘You just got me out of all the boring end-of-term rubbish.’
He closed his eyes. ‘That’s all right, then.’ His voice began to slur, as if he’d been drinking. ‘Sorry, the pills they’ve given me are just beginning to . . .’ His eyes closed.
After a moment, Charlotte said, ‘He’s asleep. Perhaps we should go.’
‘Just another minute or two,’ Jenny pleaded.
Miles touched her shoulder. ‘We’ll wait outside. You’ll have to come out when the bell goes for the end of visiting anyway. In the meantime, we’ll go and see if we can find Sister. See how he’s doing.’
Jenny nodded, her gaze fastened on Georgie’s face, his hand safely in hers. How she wished she could sit here all night watching over him.
‘They’re taking him to London tomorrow by ambulance,’ Miles said as they climbed into the car a little later. ‘To one of the big hospitals there. Sister says it’s the best in the country for – for what he’s got to have done.’
‘Is it definite, then? He – he’s going to lose his leg?’
‘The final word will rest with his surgeon, but yes, it seems likely.’
They were all silent, busy with their own thoughts, on the way home.
‘I must ring Felix,’ Jenny murmured, ‘to let him know what’
s happening. I promised.’
Ben and Louisa were waiting for them in the hall, anxious to hear the news. Louisa burst into noisy tears and climbed on to Miles’s knee. ‘I love Georgie, Daddy. I don’t want him to die.’
Jenny felt tears prickle the back of her eyelids, but bravely she blinked them away. She had to be strong for everyone’s sake. ‘He’s not going to die, Lou-Lou. We won’t let him.’
‘I’m going to book rooms for us in a hotel in London,’ Miles said. ‘Whoever wants to come, can do. I don’t care what it costs. We need to be near him – at least until he’s over the operation.’
They all stared at him, but no one dared voice the secret fear locked within their hearts. If he survived.
It all happened quickly then. Georgie was taken to London and the surgeon decided that the operation should be done without delay. When Miles, Charlotte, Louisa and Jenny arrived at the hotel and rang the hospital for news, it was already underway.
‘You won’t be allowed to visit him today,’ the nurse told Miles gently, ‘but Sister says she’ll allow you a brief time with him in the morning, if he’s up to it.’
‘Thank you, Nurse. May I ring again later to see—’
‘Of course. Please feel free to phone any time.’
Miles thanked her and gave details of the hotel where they were staying.
As he replaced the receiver, three pairs of anxious eyes watched him. Miles forced a smile. ‘He’s in the operating theatre now.’
‘When can we see him?’
‘Tomorrow morning – if he’s well enough.’
The hotel was a good one, the rooms comfortable, the food excellent, but none of the family could eat much. They were all too worried. And only Louisa slept well. Miles and Charlotte whispered together into the early hours, trying to comfort each other, trying to cling to hope.
Jenny, in a twin bed in the same room as Louisa, tossed and turned for most of the night, rising heavy-eyed and with a headache.
After they’d had breakfast in the dining room, they gathered in Miles and Charlotte’s room. ‘What time can we go to the hospital?’
‘I’ll ring them to ask—’
But he got no further for the telephone at the side of the bed rang suddenly, making them all jump. Louisa clung to Jenny, wide-eyed and fearful.
When Miles answered it, they were relieved to hear him say, ‘Hello, Ben. No, no news yet. We’ll keep you posted, I promise.’
They spoke a little longer and when the call ended, Miles telephoned the hospital. Once more, the other three clustered around him. When at last he finished the call and turned to them, he was smiling. ‘He’s come through it very well. He’s awake and asking where we are. So, come on, look lively.’
As they climbed into the car in the hotel car park only minutes later, Charlotte said, ‘We haven’t told Cassandra.’
‘Don’t know her phone number,’ Miles said cheerily.
‘But she might go all the way to Lynthorpe and he won’t be there.’
Miles snorted. ‘I doubt it.’ As he started the car and manoeuvred it out of the car park, he sighed and relented. ‘I suppose you’re right. We ought to let her know what’s happening. Have you got her number with you?’
‘No, but it’s in the address book at the side of the telephone in the hall at home. Ben could give it to us if we ring him.’
‘Right. I’ll do it later.’
When they arrived at the hospital, the sister in charge of the ward greeted them. ‘Only two at a time and I can only give you five minutes each. He is in a single room, but it’s outside visiting hours. I’m sorry.’
‘It’s good of you to let us come at all, Sister.’
‘You can come again during visiting hours this afternoon, but it’ll still only be two at a time.’
‘We understand. We only want to do what’s best.’
The sister smiled. ‘I wish all our patients’ families were as thoughtful. Come, I’ll take you to his room.’ As they followed her along the corridor, she said, ‘He’s doing well. He’s a strong young man and Mr Parkinson – he’s the surgeon – is very hopeful. Here we are. Who’s going in first?’
‘You and Charlotte go,’ Jenny said to Miles, holding herself firmly in check. She longed to rush into the room and gather him into her arms. ‘Louisa and I will go in after you.’
Charlotte squeezed her hand and followed Miles into the room, whilst Jenny and Louisa sat on two chairs in the corridor.
‘It’s scary, isn’t it?’ Louisa whispered when the sister had left them. They watched the nurses scurrying backwards and forwards and saw patients being wheeled up and down, some in wheelchairs, some lying flat on trolleys.
‘Where are they taking them?’ Louisa said.
‘Goodness knows. Some for X-rays, I expect. Maybe – maybe some for operations.’
Louisa watched the goings-on with round eyes, imagining all sorts of dramas that went on in this place.
The door to Georgie’s room opened and Miles and Charlotte were smiling. ‘You two go in now. He seems fine.’
Jenny took Louisa’s hand and they tiptoed in, holding their breath and only letting it go when they saw him propped up in bed and smiling at them.
They went to either side of the bed and each took hold of one of his hands. ‘How – how do you feel?’
‘Great! Surprisingly, though I’ve been warned it’s probably still the anaesthetic. I’ll probably feel worse tomorrow. But don’t you worry, I’ll soon be home and – ’ his voice shook a little – ‘hopping around.’
Jenny leaned closer. ‘Think of Douglas Bader.’
She felt him squeeze her hand. ‘I will, Jen.’
‘Promise?’
‘I promise.’
The five minutes were up all too quickly and the sister was shooing them out of the door.
Back at the hotel, Miles telephoned Ben and obtained Cassandra’s number. The girl answered herself. ‘Thank you for letting me know,’ she said stiffly. ‘I’ll drive down first thing tomorrow.’
Miles replaced the receiver slowly. ‘She’s coming tomorrow.’
Jenny clicked her tongue. ‘That means she’ll hog one of the places all the time, I bet.’
‘Mm, maybe.’
‘What is it, Miles?’ Charlotte asked, perceptive as ever.
He sighed. ‘I’m not sure, but – there’s something. I can’t put my finger on it.’
‘I can,’ Jenny said. ‘She’s sulky because he won’t be able to take her dancing any more and because she thinks he’s going to be a cripple in a wheelchair. But she’s wrong. Georgie won’t let this stop him. He’ll be flying again in no time – just like his hero did. You’ll see.’
‘Oh I do hope he won’t,’ Charlotte murmured, but even she knew there’d be no stopping him.
‘And he’s not a wounded war hero any more,’ Jenny went on. ‘Now his injury was caused by an accident and there’s no honour in it. Not for her. She can’t bask in reflected glory.’
Miles and Charlotte stared at her. ‘You know, Jen,’ Charlotte said, ‘you do have a knack of hitting the proverbial nail right on the head.’
The telephone rang. It was Felix, who, having obtained the hotel number from Ben, was ringing to find out how Georgie was and if there was anything he could do. ‘I’m so sorry I couldn’t put you all up here, but as soon as there’s better news, you must let me take you all out to dinner. Are you sure there’s nothing I can do now?’
‘Not at the moment, Felix,’ Miles said. ‘But thank you.’
‘I’ll keep in touch, then. Love to the girls, especially my prote´ge´. Tell her I’ve sold another two of her paintings and one of Matt’s too. Got a very good price for them.’
‘Oh darling, congratulations!’ Charlotte said, hugging her delightedly.
But, to their surprise, Jenny’s lip trembled and she dropped her head.
‘What is it, Jen? Aren’t you pleased? You’re really on your way. You have such a wonderful career ahe
ad of you, just as we’ve always believed. Whatever’s wrong?’
Slowly Jenny raised her head, the tears running down her face, her chin trembling. But her voice was resolute as she said, ‘I don’t want to sound ungrateful – you know I’m not – but I’d give all of it up – everything – in a moment, if I could make sure that Georgie’s going to be all right.’
Sixty-Six
‘She really does love him, doesn’t she?’ Miles said later to Charlotte in the privacy of their room.
‘Yes.’
‘I only wish that other bloody girl wasn’t in the way,’ Miles said, thumping his fist against the palm of his hand. ‘And if only Georgie wasn’t so blind. Cassandra’s no good for him, never was, and especially not now. But Jen . . .’
‘I think he still sees her as a little girl.’
‘Well, he shouldn’t, because she’s not. She’s bright and talented and beautiful. Why on earth can’t he see it?’ Miles paced the floor.
‘I thought he was beginning to see her in a different light. You know, at the exhibition. I saw him watching her with a mixture of pride and love – yes, love – on his face.’
Miles turned and spread his hands. ‘Then why?’
‘Because I think he loves her like a sister. The same way he loves Louisa.’
‘Then I’m sorry – very sorry – for both of them. Georgie, because Cassandra’s not right for him and Jenny, because – ’ He didn’t need to say any more.
Charlotte put her arms around him. ‘But there’s nothing we can do, darling.’
‘I know, I know,’ Miles said sadly, ‘but at least Georgie’s going to be all right. He’s going to get better.’
The following afternoon when they arrived at the hospital, they met an angry Cassandra storming out of the entrance and marching towards her car.
‘What is it? What’s happened?’ Charlotte asked, hurrying towards her, even though Miles muttered, ‘Let her go.’
Cassandra turned and glared at them all, but her furious gaze came to rest on Jenny. ‘Her! She’s what’s the matter.’
‘Me? What have I done?’
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