“I know, all that’s very true and Mr. Raynal is wonderful to Christine, no one can deny that, but I don’t like the man, I never got on with him at hospital, and that’s the truth,” she ended bluntly.
“Then why on earth did you bring his niece down here? If you don’t want to see anything of Mr. Raynal, that wasn’t a very wise thing to do. was it?” Mrs. Somers’ tone was gentle but nevertheless firm.
“Oh, I don’t know, I suppose I’ve been silly about the whole thing, I got involved from the very beginning, the night I went down to the school with Mr. Raynal—I told you about that.” As Mrs. Somers nodded, Kay continued. “I fell for Christine. I loved that child the first moment I saw her, but that doesn’t make me want to further the acquaintance of Mr. Raynal. He was considerate enough over his dealings with Christine, that I admit, but I’ve got to go back to hospital, I’ve got to work with him for another month, and believe me, I’ll see all I want to of Mr. Raynal then, without having him intruding on these precious three weeks holiday.”
“Then you’d better be out when he comes.” There was no sympathy in Mrs. Somers’ tone, just sheer common sense, although Kay felt sure that behind her mother’s spectacles, her eyes held a knowing twinkle.
“It’s nothing to laugh about, Mother, you can’t imagine what Mr. Raynal is like to work for ... and I shall certainly go out when he comes.”
“I should.” With a quick change of manner Mrs. Somers continued. “Why, there’s Robin and Penny ... that’s Penny wheeling her bike round to the shed and I thought I heard a man’s voice.” Mrs. Somers peered through the window. “Yes, there they both are ... run and get Robin a drink and I’ll hurry on the dinner.”
Held in Robin’s arms, Kay felt again at peace, somehow it had been a trying day but now with Robin in the armchair, his arm round her shoulders as she sat on a stool at his feet, Kay felt all her petty troubles slip away. “Did you do a lot today, how are things going?”
“We haven’t done badly ... I’ve interviewed two of Dell’s men and they are coming to me, starting next week.” Robin drank deeply from the glass he held in his hand. “That was good ... I’ve been longing for a drink all day, there isn’t a drop of anything at the farm.” He drew Kay closer to his side. “That land has enormous possibilities... just give me twelve months ... you won’t know the place.” His voice was filled with enthusiasm, then he added more soberly: “I wish I knew more about conditions here—of course, I learned a lot in Australia but you can’t use quite the same knowledge here, and as a boy I never took the slightest interest in the place, I was far too full of ideas about becoming the world’s greatest engineer!... Penny has been a great help, that girl’s got her head screwed on the right way, can’t think where she has picked it all up.”
“She spends most of her time on the neighboring farms, her work with Mr. Morgan takes her around a lot and she mixes with all the farmers.” Kay pressed her head close to Robin’s jacket. “I’m glad she has been a help.”
“She says she’s never had a day off from Morgan since she started, she is going to ask him for some free time to give me a hand.”
“That’s splendid.” Kay spoke with sincerity, and yet she was aware of disappointment too, that she could not be of more practical use herself to Robin, but then, she decided, she could, and with anxious tone, added: “When I come down tomorrow you’ll go over the house with me, won’t you? There is so much to be done and I think I know exactly what is needed, but we must discuss it together. I know I can make it into the loveliest home in the world.”
“I’m sure you can.” Robin smiled down at her eager lace. “But have patience, sweetheart, we must see to the land first, you see we have to live off that.”
“But I couldn’t possibly start married life in the house as it is,” Kay protested. “You must help me get things in hand before I have to go back to town. The place is so neglected, so depressing ... overcrowded with rubbish and old furniture, we must have a thorough clear out of all the things we don’t need and at least refurnish the lounge and bedroom, even if we have to wait for the rest...”
Penelope’s tempestuous entry into the room cut Kay short. “Hallo ... oh, I say. Robin, come up and be introduced to Christine, she hasn’t settled down yet, she has just been telling me about her ‘busy day.’ ” Penelope gave a low laugh. “She really is a priceless kid, you must meet her, Robin; anyway she is dying to see you, she knows you are going to marry Kay. She adores Kay and I think she wants to give you the once over to see if you are worthy!” Robin and Kay both laughed, then Robin joined Penelope at the door. “I’ll just run up and see the child ... be down in a moment, Kay.”
It was in fact nearly half an hour later, and Mrs. Somers had rung the supper bell, before Penelope and Robin emerged from Christine’s room and to Kay’s surprise, when Robin entered the dining room, he had Christine in his arms. “The kid doesn’t want a tray up there alone, she’s going to have a meal with us, aren’t you, young lady?”
“But, Robin...” Kay protested. “Christine has been up all day—she has done such a lot of walking too, she needs to rest, she really must get back to bed.”
“Stuff and nonsense! she’s all right, fit as a fiddle!” Robin sat Christine in a chair and drew it up to the table. “This child looks to me as if she wants feeding up, not dainty trays in bed.” Robin laughed whole-heartedly as he tweaked one of Christine’s curls. “You don’t want to be treated like an invalid any longer, do you?”
Christine cast an appealing glance at Kay. “Please ... Kay ... can I stay up for dinner? ... I’m really not tired.”
“Of course she isn’t, Kay’s an awful fuss-pot,” Penelope laughed. “It’s the result of her training. I warn you, Robin, a scratched finger and you’ll be made all antiseptic and sent to bed!”
With a sense of utter helplessness Kay forced herself to smile reassuringly in Christine’s direction then, in order to hide her irritation, busied herself with the dinner places. Mrs. Somers came across to the serving table and stood at her side, and while Christine claimed Robin’s and Penelope’s attention, she managed to whisper to Kay: “Don’t worry, dear, it won’t hurt the child to stop up once in a way and we’ll pop her into bed a bit earlier tomorrow.” Mrs. Somers meant so well, Kay was the first to recognize that, and she gave her mother a grateful smile, but now ridiculous the thing was, as if by resting tomorrow, one could undo the harm done today. Anyway if she had the grace to admit that she knew nothing about crops or livestock, her family might at least allow her the privilege of knowing what was best for a convalescent child.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Kay lugged a heavy basket filled with rubbish along the corridor of Aldon Farm and dumped it heavily on the kitchen floor. “That’s all out of the lounge cupboards,” she informed Mrs. Sykes. “Put it out straight away to be burned, I’ve been through the stuff carefully, there’s nothing that will be wanted.”
Mrs. Sykes looked up skeptically from her ironing and scrutinized the basket. “Some of that stuff...” she began tentatively, but Kay quickly interrupted her.
“Have it burned, Mrs. Sykes, straight away, there’s no object in my turning out all the rubbish, if you go and hoard it somewhere else in the house, I’ll never get the place clear that way.” Without awaiting further argument, Kay left the kitchen and returning to the lounge, seated herself on the floor among a pile of books. All these had to be sorted too, every cupboard, every drawer must be put in order, every corner of the house must be clean before Kay would be satisfied. Stifling a yawn, she continued with her task. She didn’t mind doing it, didn’t mind a bit, she told herself, however back-breaking all this clearing was, it gave her a most satisfactory sense of achievement ... that was when she could be quite sure that as fast as she turned out rubbish, Mrs. Sykes wasn’t retrieving it and hoarding again! She’d found Mrs. Sykes doing that several times; Kay couldn’t repress a smile, an old battered trunk upon which she had exerted every atom of her strength to bring down f
rom one of the bedrooms, had, she found next day to her horror, been promoted to a prominent place in the kitchen and was now a receptacle for soiled linen. That had been more than Kay’s patience could stand and a wordy battle with Mrs. Sykes had followed, but Kay had retired the loser.
Kay went systematically through the piles of books, keeping some, discarding others. If only Robin had been there to advise her; Kay sighed, it was hopeless waiting for Robin, she just had to carry on alone if anything was to be finished. Robin was far too busy on the farm ... both he and Penelope, Kay had to admit, were working miracles in the neglected fields and outhouses. Robin had given her a free hand to do as she wished in the house, to order new as she wanted, but by now, Kay knew she could expect no practical help from either of them. Penelope had been as good as her word and demanding leave from her employer, had spent every hour of the day in assisting Robin, not only with such knowledge as she possessed, but in a practical way too, and during the long hours of each day they had worked side by side wielding a hoe or a spade with untiring energy. Kay sighed again, she had barely been home a week but she’d learned more about her younger sister than she’d ever known before. Penny was an amazing person and Kay could never be grateful enough to her for the help she was giving Robin. Once the place was in order, Kay hadn’t any doubt she’d run both home and, under Mrs. Sykes’ care, the dairy, for Robin, but actually laboring in the fields—Kay somehow couldn’t imagine herself doing that. Picking up a beautifully-bound volume of poems, she dusted it carefully, and placed it with a pile of other books too good to discard ... some tattered old school books, they must have been Robin’s ... Kay smiled tenderly as she threw them on the rubbish pile, she couldn’t keep those, although they had conjured up the picture of Robin, a rosy-cheeked schoolboy, with an untidy strapful of books slung over his shoulder. The hum of a blue-bottle as it hovered round the room was like the perpetual buzz of her thoughts. So much had happened these last few days ... it seemed that she had lived through a lifetime of emotions yet it was barely a week since she had said good-bye to her staff in “Surgical Two.” For a fleeting second she lived again that moment of greeting, that ecstatic moment when Robin had held her in his arms. For a day or two after his arrival there had been a feeling of frustration, perhaps a tinge of jealousy that, after all her hopes, it had been Penelope to whom Robin had been forced to turn for help, and while she could only offer him her love and devotion, Penelope had the more practical gifts to give. That had soon passed and any misgivings were soon dispelled by Robin’s assurance that he loved her for herself and wanted a wife, not a farm-hand! Kay smiled again as she recalled his words, she had been silly ever to doubt, she assured herself, it had only been her own shortcomings which she had deplored. Robin’s devotion she had never doubted.
Kay wriggled into a more comfortable position on the floor and rubbed her cramped knees. How dirty everything was; she frowned, her chintz overall was filthy where it had come in contact with the carpet, which was faded and threadbare, but that was no reason why Mrs. Sykes couldn’t have kept it clean. She rose from the floor and, crossing to the window, shook out her duster. For a few moments she lingered, enjoying the soft, sweet-scented air as it blew against her cheeks. Thorndene was lovely, surely the most peaceful countryside in England, she mused, one couldn’t help being happy when looking out over the wooded hills, with the green patches of forest in the distance, while far away in the valley, the stream in the bright sunlight sparkled like a million diamonds. Christine had so quickly grown to love Thorndene too ... from the first morning she had wakened in the cottage, she had begun to throw off her languor, she had walked and walked well, trotting round after Mrs. Somers untiringly, here, there and everywhere, interested and intrigued with all the new experiences. As Kay had foreseen, Christine had immediately won Mrs. Somers’ heart, and happy with the older woman, she had never resented Kay’s long absences at the farm. Both Robin and Penelope had been won by Christine’s childish enthusiasm, and as on the first occasion when they had brought her down from her bed, they spoilt her abominably, frequently causing Kay intense irritation. Kay had steeled herself to accept calmly their obvious lack of understanding of what was best for the child and, counselled by Mrs. Somers, had managed to watch tolerantly their well-meaning—but often ill-chosen—efforts to amuse Christine. In spite of late nights, encouraged by Robin, and an overdose of sweets smuggled in by Penelope, Christine had already benefited from her stay at “Hilltop.” A soft color tinged her cheeks and Kay was sure that her limbs were firmer and rounder. Conscious that she was wasting valuable time, Kay returned to the books on the floor and arranged them in tidy piles; she really must get hold of a dealer who would buy the lot. If only she had a car, she’d run them straight away into Staunford. Kay staggered under a load which she carried across to the bookcase and began to rearrange the books on the shelves. The approaching date of their marriage too, was persistently in Kay’s mind. The Dell auction was over now, considerable stock and implements had been purchased and Robin was working from dawn to dusk to get the animals suitably housed and fed. There was barely a week to the day they had fixed for their wedding and after one more week she must return to St. Jude’s. Kay paused, her slender hands resting idly on the formidable pile of books still to be dusted and sorted. This house could never be ready in a week; apart from the question of paint and whitewash, furniture and curtains, the rooms weren’t even clean, and the bedroom ... the very idea of starting married life in that musty-smelling room with that awful, iron bed made Kay shudder; it couldn’t be done, it just couldn’t!
“Kay ... Kay darling, please can we come in? ... Look who I’ve brought with me, you’ll never guess, I know you won’t!” Christine’s gay, childish voice awoke Kay from her reverie. Startled, she turned to face the door.
“Christine ... however did you get here, you haven’t walked? Surely Mother didn’t let you come all this way alone?” Kay needed no answer as behind Christine, Peter Raynal stood, his hands resting on the child’s shoulders.
“Uncle came over to see me today, you must have forgotten he was coming. I made him bring me here because I’ve been longing to see your new house, and I knew I mustn’t walk all this way. We came in the car, so you see it was a lovely opportunity.” Christine paused, but as neither Kay nor Peter Raynal spoke, the child continued: “I thought coming over was a heavenly idea and I thought you’d like to see Uncle, you might have missed him.”
Christine’s chatter had afforded Kay a few moments to collect her scattered thoughts. Certainly any notion she might have had about avoiding Raynal, had been frustrated and Fate was having a good laugh at her expense, since she would far rather have greeted Peter Raynal in her mother’s cottage, under reasonable conditions, than have him take her unawares in a room which must look like a pigsty. She was fully conscious of her dirty overall, untidy hair, grubby hands and bare legs, soiled from contact with the carpet! Kay was furious, furious with herself for not having foreseen such a possibility and for allowing him to discover her so totally out of character with the girl he knew as Sister in Charge of “Surgical Two.”
“I am afraid we are intruding...” Her visitor came towards her with outstretched hand.
“It’s hardly a propitious moment.” Kay dug her hands in her overall pockets. “Excuse me, my hands are dirty.”
“You aren’t cross? You didn’t mind us coming?” There was a tremor in Christine’s voice.
In a second Kay had forgotten her annoyance and had stooped down to put her arm round the child’s shoulders. “Of course I’m not cross—I’m very glad you came, as you say it was a marvellous opportunity, not having a car of our own, I don’t know now we should ever have got you over here if you hadn’t come with your uncle.”
It didn’t take more than Kay’s kindly smile and those few words of reassurance, to restore Christine’s confidence. She limped across the room and was eagerly scanning the magnificent view from the window. If Christine had been readily app
eased, not so Peter Raynal, it was obvious that even if Kay was pleased to see the child, he was anything but a welcome visitor. Sister Somers probably hated to be caught off her guard, and most certainly would resent being found with as much as one hair out of place. Raynal’s lips smiled; in his opinion, she looked a lot more attractive in disarray than many girls could hope to look when dressed in their best. If only she’d relax, even approaching marriage didn’t seem to have thawed her.
“What a lovely, lovely view ... oh, Kay, it’s even more beautiful than from ‘Hilltop’!”
“It’s a very fine house ... eighteenth century, I imagine?” Raynal spoke conventionally, he supposed he’d better make a little polite conversation than beat a hasty retreat. Kay Somers was an odd girl anyway, he decided, she’d been wonderful with Christine and almost friendly towards him once or twice but mostly she remained behind an impenetrable barrier of reserve.
“It is a fine place ... parts are seventeenth century but little of the original remains, it’s been considerably altered and much has been added.” There was warmth of feeling in Kay’s voice, Raynal’s praise of the house had helped to temper her annoyance. “It’s been badly neglected, it needs so much repair and renovation—to say nothing of refurnishing.” She made a little helpless gesture with her hands towards the litter on the floor. “I am trying to do some clearing out now but I hardly know where to start.”
“Do you...” Raynal hesitated, then added, “and your future husband, propose to refurnish?”
“Robin has given me a free hand. I must get rid of all this Victorian stuff ... it ... it stifles me.” Kay forced a laugh. “The trouble is, I don’t know quite what to keep and what I should sell, it’s all very difficult, I feel I ought to wait to discuss it with Robin, but he is so very busy with the farm, and I’m in an awful hurry to go ahead with everything.”
Peter Raynal, Surgeon Page 11
