Striking a match, Jill lit a cigarette and leaned back against the hard wooden seat; now after the glow of exercise she began to feel chilled and shivery. Rolling back the glove at her wrist, she peered at her watch. She still had plenty of time if she was to be sure that the party had dispersed before she called on Nana, but perhaps after all it was unwise to sit any longer, so throwing away her half-smoked cigarette she rose to her feet. Crossing to the protecting rail she looked over at the rocks which, with Duncan McRey’s help, she had descended to the beach. It might be a good idea to go back that way. It would fill in the necessary time, and the tide was low enough to allow easy walking along the shore. With a last speculative glance at the descent Jill took the plunge, and in a few moments, was halfway down the incline, stepping carefully over the boulders. It was not so easy to watch her step as it had been at the previous attempt, now bewildering clouds of mist kept blowing across her path, momentarily obscuring her view. The descent was nearly accomplished when a patch, denser than those which had previously blocked her way, drifted across the beach and slowed her progress. Straining through the enveloping cloud, she could see a faint outline of the shelving boulders separating her from the level ground. The prospect of negotiating the slippery seaweed-covered rocks with visibility cut to a few feet was scarcely inviting, and with the growing conviction that it might be better perhaps to retrace her steps, Jill glanced behind her. But now a cloud of mist had become pocketed in the angle formed by the jetty, and the rocks above were entirely blotted out, so that prospect seemed even less inviting. She leaned her back against a projecting boulder, placing her hands palm downwards behind her to protect her coat from the rough barnacles adhering to the surface. No doubt the mist would blow over just as quickly and unexpectedly as it had descended. It was obviously the wisest plan to wait.
Jill let a good ten minutes pass before allowing herself to be convinced that a further wait would not only be futile but risky. There was no sign of any break, and although reluctant to admit it even to herself, she felt sure that, if anything, visibility had lessened. She could scarcely spend the rest of the evening perched uncomfortably on a rock. Quite apart from the fact that she was beginning to feel horribly cold, the most sensible thing was to make some progress, however slow it might be. Direction didn’t really matter; she couldn’t be far from the beach, and as long as she worked her way downward she couldn’t go wrong. Stepping cautiously and using her hands to steady her descent she negotiated the next boulder, then the next, growing more confident as she progressed, and since no one was there to see her, she slithered down the steeper rocks regardless of the indignity of her posture. The descent seemed considerably longer than when she had negotiated it with help, but, she told herself, that was only natural since, instead of bright moonlight to show the way, the wretched mist was sweeping round her, blinding her to all sense of direction.
Even during that tricky descent Jill had not been aware of any sense of fear, but she was definitely relieved when, through a brief break in the mist, the wet surface of the beach showed a mere couple of feet below where she stood. It may have been her anxiety to reach safe ground before the mist blew over again that made Jill hurry, but as she set her foot down on the last rock, it shitted beneath her weight, throwing her off her balance. Seeking wildly for a hold she gripped a clump of clinging seaweed. For a split second it steadied her, then tore away in her hand, leaving her balanced precariously on the edge. As she tried to right herself, her foot slipped on the slimy surface and she was thrown forward, the wet shingle squelched, breaking the impact of her” fall, but her foot twisted agonizingly beneath her.
Jill’s first reaction was one of relief that at least she had been thrown to the beach. It was only when she pulled herself to a sitting position that she became fully conscious of the searing pain in her foot; she had to bite back the cry which sprang to her lips as she tried to straighten it, and a wave of faintness overcame her. Fighting back the weakness, she pulled herself erect, but all her attempts to set her foot to the ground were unavailing, and with a sigh she leaned back against the rock to consider the position. The pain in her foot was settling down to a steady but agonizing throb. She wondered if any bones were broken, but any conjectures regarding the extent of the damage seemed merely futile. Her present concern was to get back. Perhaps a little later she might manage to walk, but making her way across the uneven and stony beach would be impossible and, as far as she could remember, the nearest steps up to the promenade were at least two hundred yards away. The mist made it impossible to verify that belief, but since at the moment she couldn’t have walked two yards, let alone two hundred, it seemed of little account.
Jill was naturally clear-headed and not given to unreasonable tears. Even now she was unwilling to admit the danger of her position, but, as the minutes dragged by, she was nearer to panic than she had ever been in her life. The damp and cold were not improving her outlook. Her clothes were sodden, her teeth chattered, and involuntary shivers kept chasing up and down her spine. Gradually she seemed to lose all sense of time, and for a while she was aware of nothing else but pain and cold. It was the lapping sound of the waves which eventually startled her back to reality, and she bit back the cry which sprang to her lips as she realized that, despite the blowing mist, the sea was now visible, the tide had risen to within a few feet of where she sat, and unless she could manage to ascend the rocks fringing the jetty, the part of the beach where she rested would shortly be covered by the sea.
Even now Jill was more conscious of despair than actual fear, another previous determination to forget the past and face the future with new hope, served her now, and she could and would not believe that there was no escape from her present predicament. Biting her lips she forced the shoe from her damaged foot. It had swollen considerably, and even in the half-light she could see the extensive bruising. Taking her scarf from her head she wound it firmly round the damaged limb, then with a determined effort crawled towards an overhanging boulder and, clinging to the rough surface, pulled herself up. It was a slow and painful process. Still, it was a beginning, and gasping with the effort she reached up to get a grip on the next. She was panting with fatigue and pain before she had accomplished a tenth part of the climb. The iron rail of the jetty was still far above the line of her vision, out of sight, blanketed by fog.
The pounding of the waves now breaking on the rocks below was the only sound which broke the still silence of the night, and it was with a feeling of unreality that Jill heard voices on the jetty above. She paused, listening. She must have imagined it. Her heart beat against her ribs as she again strained to listen ... Yes ... it must be ... surely they were human voices?
When she called out her own voice sounded high-pitched and eerie as it echoed among the high boulders. What followed was a blank. She knew nothing until she felt strong arms lift her, and it was only when she lay stretched out on the hard wooden seat of the jetty that consciousness returned; even then she still felt dazed and bewildered. She knew her head was cradled against someone’s arm, that another figure leaned over her prostrate form. She wanted to open her eyes, to see, to speak ... it seemed too much effort, as if her eyelids were heavily sealed and her lips too cold to utter sound.
“It was lucky I brought the car.”
Duncan McRey’s voice was like a lash to Jill’s consciousness. She opened her eyes and with a tremendous effort pulled herself up into a sitting position. “It’s you ... I didn’t know ... I ... I ... oh, I’m so glad you found me!”
“It was the sheerest chance. We searched the beach and the jetty. It didn’t enter my head to look half-way down the rocks.”
“I ... I tried to get up ... the tide was coming in,” Jill faltered, miserably aware of his anger.
“So I imagine. What a damn fool thing to do. What on earth made you venture down there with a sea mist blowing up? ... You must be crazy!”
Jill fought back the tears which stung her eyes. These last few weeks ha
d taught her how easy it was to turn aside his anger ... how readily she could stand against it, but not now ... She felt that at this moment his disapproval would break down the last threads of her control. “I ... I didn’t think...” she faltered miserably.
“Then you should have done ... Of all the hare-brained schemes ... attempting those rocks in bad visibility...” He broke off impatiently and turned to address the form which Jill with a feeling of relief was able to recognize as Brenda. “I’ll carry her along to the car; get her straight back to my place, she’d better have a rest there before returning to hospital.”
It was not the first time that Jill had known the strength of those arms, but this time it roused within her no emotion other than that of blissful security. There were no quickened heart beats, only a feeling of perfect safety. She felt utterly relaxed as she let her head fall back against his shoulder, and although his harsh words still rang in her ears, he held her gently as if fearful of causing her the slightest discomfort.
Jill could never remember much of that short journey back. She could only dimly recall Nana’s welcome, how both she and Brenda hovered round her, removing her wet clothes and adding more fuel to the already blazing fire. She remembered the almost unbelievable relief as feeling returned to her numbed body and the comfort of the steaming hot drink which was given her. She had been dimly conscious of the comfort of the room she had once thought ugly, of the little tree in the corner, now trimmed, which reminded her it was Christmas Eve, and then slowly but surely she had begun to feel more normal with only the ugly throbbing of her foot to remind her of all she had been through.
“When you feel warmer we’ll have a look at that foot.”
Jill believed it was the first time Duncan McRey had addressed her since his outburst on the jetty. She glanced up at him from the depth of the armchair in which she rested, half fearful of what she might read in his expression. That harsh line no longer twisted his lips, but his eyes appeared to her hard and unrelenting. “I’m quite warm now.” Jill’s voice was scarcely above a whisper and, almost unconsciously—she found herself throwing an appealing glance in Brenda’s direction.
“I wonder ... I was wondering, sir, whether you’d mind if I phoned Matron ... It’s past midnight and neither of us has a late pass,” Brenda addressed Duncan McRey from her position at the side of Jill’s chair.
“I suppose I ought to speak to her myself.” He spoke to no one in particular, it was almost as if he were debating the subject with himself. “I’d better explain that Sister Fernley met with an accident. I think I’d better ask if she may remain here overnight. There isn’t much point in warding her at this hour; in any case, I doubt if there is a bed.” He paused and faced Brenda. “You certainly ought to be getting back now ... Just wait a moment with Sister Fernley while I go and phone.”
He had scarcely closed the door behind him when Brenda turned eagerly to Jill. “Poor Jill, I’m so very sorry ... Were you terribly frightened? ... and that foot, too, it must be agonizing.”
“It was, but it’s much more rested now, but don’t waste time talking about me ... Tell me quickly what happened, how was it you found me, how did you happen to be with Dr. McRey? I’ve been longing to know everything, but he is so angry with me, I’m frightened to open my mouth.”
“After you’d left for your walk I rang Harriet as you asked me, then I went along to that party in Surgical. Someone came along looking for you to take a phone call. I went myself and said you were out, and asked for a message. I was horrified when I found it was your brother’s Nannie. She said you hadn’t turned up. I realized you’d been out for hours. I knew you couldn’t be walking all that time. It was such a beastly wet night, too, I got the wind up.”
As Brenda paused Jill urged her to continue. “Do go on ... What brought Dr. McRey into it, he was dining up at Harriet’s, wasn’t he? I know he intended going back with her after his sherry party.”
“By half-past eleven, with no news of you, I got into a complete flap. I didn’t know what to do, there didn’t seem to be any place you could have gone except Dr. Laine’s. I wondered if you’d regretted your refusal to attend the party and had gone on there to congratulate her after all. Anyway, it was a chance, so I tried to ring Dr. Laine’s ... Just to make things worse the phone was out of order, so I got a taxi and went out. Of course you weren’t there, and you can guess the rest. Dr. McRey rushed out, bundled me unceremoniously into his car, and made straight for the jetty. You weren’t there, so we hunted along the beach. We were almost giving up when he insisted by some lucky chance on returning once more to the jetty.”
“I see,” Jill sighed. “What an awful nuisance I’ve been. No wonder he was so furious with me.”
“That’s not the reason he was angry,” Brenda scoffed. “You must be blind if you think that!”
“It seems the most likely reason,” Jill retorted. “I must admit I did resent it, but I was infinitely grateful to be in safe hands. She paused and the colour mounted her pale cheeks. “Actually it did hurt at the time, but then I was feeling so weak, but for once I really think he was justifiably annoyed. I had behaved foolishly, and my stupid escapade not only caused him a lot of trouble, but ... but well, it cut short his evening at Harriet’s, and he couldn’t have been too pleased about that.”
“I’ve been just longing for a chance to tell you. There is something else...” Brenda began eagerly, but before she could continue Jill had interrupted her.
“Don’t worry about me any more.” She laid her hand for a moment on her companion’s as it rested on the arm of her chair. “I’m quite all right now.” She forced a smile. “In spite of everything the walk did me good. I may have damaged a foot in the process, but at least I’m now heart-whole! Even if I hadn’t got over my absurd infatuation before Duncan McRey came to the rescue, I imagine I would have done quickly enough after the way he spoke to me!”
“But don’t you see that it was just because he cares for you that he spoke like that?” Brenda leaned forward. “He was so worried ... so upset ... you’ve no idea.” She stumbled over her words in her anxiety to convey her belief to her companion. “I’ve never seen him in such a state ... you know how immovable he is, like a rock. Well, he wasn’t to-night. Believe me, he was all to pieces, and it was only relief at finding you that made him lose control.”
Jill stared at Brenda with a look of disbelief. “You don’t realize what you are saying!” There was a note of asperity in her voice. “You can’t mean it ... why ... it’s preposterous!”
“It isn’t ... you see ... I was just going to tell you...”
Duncan McRey’s return cut short Brenda’s words. “I have spoken to Matron, it’s quite all right. She is permitting Sister Fernley to remain here and you must get back as soon as you can.” While Brenda stood up to collect her coat he turned to Jill. “I told Matron I hadn’t examined your foot. I imagine it’s a bad sprain, but you’ll have to have an X-ray to-morrow. In any case, you won’t be able to get about for a few days. You are due to leave St. Joseph’s next week, aren’t you?” As Jill nodded her head he went on. “That’s what I thought. Then it hardly seems worth your while going back, so I suggested to Matron that you don’t return to duty at all!”
Brenda paused in the act of putting on her coat, and Jill utterly taken aback at the sheer audacity of the words, stared at him in speechless surprise. It was a full moment before she could find words to express her anger. “I don’t think I quite understand you.” She spoke with a studied calm but her flashing eyes betrayed her. “Supposing I wish to spend my last week in hospital ... even if I am warded there is no reason why I shouldn’t!”
“None whatever ... except that you’ll be far more comfortable here.” His speech was quiet and unhurried, and even as he continued his face remained expressionless. “I thought perhaps you’d see more of Terry this way—I believe your greatest wish was to spend Christmas with him?”
“I see ... I’m sorry...” Jill had the
grace to flush. “I’m afraid I didn’t stop to think...”
“Do you ever?”
Jill deliberately kept her eyes lowered at the question; she knew that it would be accompanied by a satirical smile.
“I’d better be going.” Brenda, sensing an awkward moment, felt it opportune to interrupt. “I do hope you’ll soon be better. May I run over and see you to-morrow, I’d like to wish you a happy Christmas.”
“Come over when you want ... but if it’s of any interest to you, it’s Christmas now,” Duncan McRey reminded her.
“So it is! Oh, Jill, I do wish you everything good... “She stooped lower and brushed Jill’s cheek with her lips. Before lifting her head she whispered meaningly: “Everything good ... all you want most in the world!”
“Happy Christmas, sir.” Brenda smiled charmingly at Duncan McRey, then, although still addressing him, she half turned towards Jill and, speaking loudly and deliberately, forced her attention. “I’m sorry I had to drag you away from Dr. Laine’s. It sounded such a jolly party, too. I can’t tell you how pleased I am—and how pleased everyone will be when they hear of Dr. Laine’s engagement to Mr. Fahr.” She looked deliberately at Jill, to make sure that she had grasped the import of her words. Then, satisfied by Jill’s expression of incredulity and bewilderment that her news had struck home, she turned towards the door and in a moment had closed it quietly behind her.
Left alone with Duncan McRey, Brenda’s voice still singing in her ears, Jill felt bereft of words. Harriet and Richard Fahr! It didn’t make sense ... and yet what more natural? Seeking wildly to control her scattered wits, Jill spoke. “I ... I’m very glad about Harriet ... I must see her first thing in the morning and offer my congratulations ... It was such a pity I couldn’t get along to-night.” She faltered, miserably conscious of the lack of truth in the latter part of her statement.
To Please the Doctor Page 20
