An Innocent Bride

by Betty Neels

  Molly and Tracey had no doubts. They hadn't been so happy for a very long time. They ate and talked and laughed a lot, and the professor maintained a steady flow of lighthearted conversation. Katrina forgot her vague doubts too, ate her fill, teased Tracey gently and joined in the talk. It was all a bit dreamlike, but she was happy. The professor might have his reasons; she was content to let him carry them out.

  Presently they tidied away the remains of their feast and Tracey, drowsy from running around with the dogs, curled up against her mother.

  The professor rose to his considerable height. 'Katrina and I will take the dogs for a ramble while you and Tracey rest,' he said, and bent to heave Katrina to her feet. `They need a run."

  She went with him, willy-nilly. Tracey was already asleep and Mrs Ward nodded her head cheerfully. `I could sit here

  all day,' she remarked.

  Katrina found herself whisked away, a large compelling hand between her shoulders. She said grumpily, `But I should have liked to have sat and done nothing.'

  They were already walking along a path sloping gently downhill. He stopped and turned her round to face him. `II that is what you really want, Katrina, we'll go back.' He smiled down at her and she caught her breath.

  `Well, a walk would be nice,' she said meekly.

  CHAPTER SIX

  THEY didn't talk much at first, but presently the professor led the conversation round to life at Rose Cottage.

  `You're quite happy with this arrangement? I know Mrs Ward and Tracey are, but it is after all your home and your life which is being disrupted.'

  `I'm happy,' she assured him, `really I am. Molly is an undemanding companion and a great help in the house, and Tracey is a darling. Is she better-I mean really better?"

  'I believe so. She has a different type of leukaemia from your aunt. It is prevalent in children, and if it's caught in time and treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy it can be cured. At worst there can be a remission of years. I sincerely hope that we have cured Tracey, but no doctor would give a positive answer to that.'

  `But if they have to go back to live in London...?"

  'I'm dealing with that problem now.' He looked down at her and smiled. `And you, Katrina, let us talk about you for a moment. Do you have sufficient money? Obviously they are having the best of everything.'

  `I've more than enough. It's a very liberal allowance, isn't it? And of course I don't have to buy salad or potatoes or fruit at present. There's always some money over each week. Ought I to write and tell whoever sends it?"

  'No, I think not. There may be some weeks or some special occasion when you might need it. What do you intend to do when Mrs Ward and Tracey go back to London?'

  Katrina stopped to look at him. `They're not going back yet? They've only been here just over three weeks...'

  'No, no. Don't get alarmed. Provided that the tests I must do very shortly are satisfactory, I hope you will allow them to stay with you for another month or even longer. But you must understand that as soon as Tracey is well enough it is important that she takes up her normal life-school, joining in with other children. They are both happy here, but if I can arrange for them to move to a quieter district, preferably with a garden, or a park close by, then they can build a life for themselves. Mrs Ward is still young, she may marry again, and Tracey must have the chance to be educated and decide her own future.'

  They were walking on, side by side. `And what about you, Katrina, is it not time that you thought of your own future? You have your whole life ahead of you, you must do something with it.'

  `Well, I have thought about it a lot. And I think I know what I want to do. I know the librarian at the public library in Warrninster; she and Aunt Thirza were friends and she told me once that if ever I wanted a job it might suit me to train as a librarian. I could work there part-time, just helping out, you know, while I trained. They might even take me without much training. I've got three A levels: English, English Literature and Maths.'

  `I see that you've been hiding your light under a bushel. Why did you not start this training when it was first suggested'?"

  'Well, Aunt Thirza thought that I should wait a while...' She added sharply, `I've been very happy...'

  He said gently. `Yes, I know. But it seems a very good idea. You will meet people too, probably marry. You would like that?"

  'To marry? Oh, yes. I don't think I'm a career girl. I'd like a home and a husband and children. You said once, when I asked you, that you were considering marrying...'

  `So I did. We all have our hopes and dreams, Katrina. Some take longer to achieve than others.'

  Which was no answer. Indeed, she reflected, it was a gentle snub. A pity that while she had come to the conclusion that

  she liked him he had had no such feeling about her. Oh, he was friendly and kind, someone to turn to in trouble, but she sensed that he would be that to anyone.

  `We should go back,' she said briskly. `You'll stay for tea? We could have it in the garden.'

  He agreed readily and they walked back, talking of nothing in particular and not hurrying, since the dogs were not to be hastened, darting off in search of invisible rabbits. The day was slipping away, as happy days out of doors do.

  Presently they all got into the car and went back to Rose Cottage, and while the professor and Tracey went into the garden to pick strawberries and the first of the raspberries, Katrina and Molly filled a tray with tea things. They carried it outside and set the table near the moss rose with scones and cake and a plate of thinly cut bread and butter, a pot of honey and another of rhubarb jam. Tracey shared out the fruit into bowls while the professor fetched the teapot, and they sat down to a leisurely tea.

  It was still warm. A golden afternoon, thought Katrina, and one she would remember; Tracey and her mother were happy, and the professor appeared to be enjoying himself. He caught her eye and smiled, and it seemed to her that it was the smile of someone who liked her after all. She wanted the day to go on for ever.

  `It's time I went,' said the professor. `I'm going out this evening.'

  `With a lady?' asked Tracey. `In a lovely dress?"

  'With a lady, yes. But I don't know about the dress, although I'm sure it will be something beautiful.'

  `Like Cinderella?"

  'I'm sure of it.' He got to his feet. `This has been a lovely day. Thank you, Katrina.'

  `Well, you brought the picnic...'

  `Picnics need people as well as food!' He shook Mrs Ward's hand and put a kind hand on Tracey's thin shoulders, then whistled to the dogs and said, `Come to the gate with me, Katrina.'

  `It was kind of you to come,' she said. `We had a lovrly day-all that food. Please tell Mrs Peach how much we enjoyed it. I hope you'll have a pleasant evening. You'll drive carefully?'

  He hid amusement. `Yes. The A303 is a good fast raod. We got held up once or twice this morning, though.' And, her look of enquiry, `I gave Maureen Soames a lift; she is spending the weekend with her aunt.'

  Katrina didn't try to understand the feelings of unhappines which swamped her insides. She said, `Oh, I see. I expect you're going to pick her up now...'

  `No, no. She will be driven back by her aunt's chauffeur.

  Katrina bent to pat first Barker then Jones. `1 hope you have a nice evening,' she repeated, aware that she had said that once, and aware too that her lovely day was spoilt. He need not have told her; on the other hand he might have done so to make it quite clear that even though he'd chosen to spend the day at Rose Cottage it had been for the sole reason ci checking up on Tracey.

  She watched him get into the car, and nodded and smiled when he gave her a brief wave and then went back slowly to the cottage, where Molly and Tracey were happily reliving their day. `A day to remember,' Molly told her.

  Katrina agreed; her memories wouldn't be happy, though.

  The professor, driving back to his home, was thinking about the day too. It had been a success until the very last minute, when Katrina had retired
suddenly behind her mask of polite coolness. Not that she had said anything untoward, but he had been quick to know it. Perhaps she was wary of getting too friendly with him. He must slow down, he reflected. When she came to London with Mrs Ward and Tracey he must remember that...

  He had a busy week ahead of him and his team were waiting for him when he reached the clinic on Monday morning. ie wished them good morning without waste of time, and Maureen, who had meant to ask about his visit to Tracey, saw that it would be advisable to hold her tongue. Instead she worked with a will, and at the end of the clinic went away to the ward to check on a patient.

  The professor watched her go. `She's shaping quite well,' he observed to his registrar. `Seems interested in her work too.'

  His registrar gave a guarded reply. A sure way to win the professor's friendship and esteem was to work hard and care for his patients. Maureen was clever, andd she knew that she was attractive. She could turn on the charm too. Once she had got him interested in her work, she would use both to good effect... No good telling the chief that, he thought sourly. He had only to sit back and keep an eye on events.

  Mrs Ward had a letter the following week, asking her to attend a clinic at St Aldrick's with Tracey at half past eleven in the morning, four days ahead. She should bring with her an overnight case for Tracey, in case it was found necessary to keep her at the hospital for the night.

  `There's something wrong,' said Mrs Ward, in floods of tears. `Why should she have to stay? They've got all day to examine her...'

  Katrina said quickly, `Look, some tests take a long time. It's far better for her to stay until they're checked than come all the way back here and then have to go up again. You'll stay too, of course, and Tracey's been in the ward several times, hasn't she? Don't worry. If there had been anything to worry about the professor would have told you. You know you can trust him.'

  Mrs Ward dried her eyes. `I'm a fool. Of course you're riuht. You'll come with us, won't you?'

  `Yes, of course, and if you have to stay overnight I'll come home and have everything ready for when you get back in the morning. Now, how about you going to Mrs Dyer's and getting a few things? We need more bacon and some cheese, and Tracey can have an ice cream. Perhaps it's best if we don't say anything to her about staying the night; she might worry for no reason, for probably it won't be necessary.'

  There hadn't been such a glorious summer for years. Four days later, with Betsy fed and attended to, they left Rose Cottage early in the morning. Tracey, in her best frock and little mob cap, was happy at the idea of seeing the professor again, and Katrina had put her overnight things into her own large shoulder bag. So far everything was going to plan, although she wasn't happy at the thought of perhaps seeing the professor again. It wasn't likely, she told herself; he would be in his small consulting room and his patients would be brought to him, and she would be out of sight in the waiting room: All the same she put on her prettiest dress.

  The waiting room was already crowded when they got to St Aldrick's, and the clinic was running late. They would probably have to take a later train back. They sat discussing where they would go for their lunch, a treat for Tracey for being a good girl, and then presently they fell silent; Tracey had a book to read, Katrina and Mrs Ward watched the people around them. Slowly the benches cleared, and twice Maureen Soames walked through the room with a bundle of notes. She looked very professional as well as pretty in her white coat. Katrina could understand that she could attract a man with no effort at all.

  Presently Tracey was called, and Mrs Ward with her, leaving Katrina to sit idly glancing through a newspaper someone had left behind. It was over-warm and she felt drowsy. But she was roused presently by Molly.

  'Tracey has to stay the night. The professor says there's nothing to be worried about, but he wants to see the results of these tests before she goes home. I'm to stay here too. You will go back to Rose Cottage?' She blinked back tears. `Oh, Katrina, I do hope everything will be all right.'

  `If it hadn't been, the professor would have told you, Molly. You can trust him, you know that.' She opened her purse. `Here are your return tickets, and you may need some more money. Tell Tracey that we'll go to Mrs Dyer's and buy the biggest ice cream she's got tomorrow. Here's the bag-how sensible of you to have packed it. Can I do anything for you

  before I go?'

  Mrs Ward shook her head.

  `You have Dr Peters' phone number; ring him if you need help. And good luck.' She kissed Molly's cheek and watched her hurry away before getting up and leaving the waiting room.

  She was too late for the train they had planned to catch, so she took a bus to a shopping centre nearby, and had a bun and coffee, and went in search of a gift for Tracey. She soon found what she wanted in a poky little jeweller's shop-a charm bracelet. It wasn't silver, but it was pretty, the kind of thing a little girl would like to wear. She went to catch a bus to the station for the Warminster train which got in a few minutes before the bus for the village left.

  Rose Cottage looked peaceful in the late afternoon sun, and Betsy was waiting for her. She got herself a meal, fed the little cat and went to bed early. She didn't think that Tracey and her mother would get back much before midday, but she would get up early and have everything ready for them. She'd thought about them during the evening; she'd thought about Maureen and she'd thought about the professor, wondering what he was doing with his evening.

  He was still at the hospital; it was almost midnight by the time he let himself into his home.

  Another lovely day dawned, with a gentle early-morning breeze. Katrina had breakfast, tidied the cottage, and set about getting a special lunch. Bacon and egg pie-Tracey's favourite dish-with peas and beans and baby carrots. There were still strawberries, and although the boy who brought the milk had no cream, he left her extra milk; she made a custard and grated nutmeg on the top, and left it in the old-fashioned larder in the kitchen. She made a cake too, and a batch of scones. Once they were back she would cycle down to the village and get the ice cream. She made lemonade too-not out of a packet or a bottle but using lemons, just as Aunt Thirza would have done. She set the jug and glasses on the kitchen tablee with a plate of cheese straws and a bowl of roses, offering a welcome when they should return.

  She hadn't bothered to pin up her hair, it was just tied back with a ribbon from her unpowdered face, and since she had been cooking she had a blue and white checked apron over her cotton dress. She wondered briefly if there was time to do her hair and face, but a glance at the clock decided her against it. If they had caught the earlier morning train and taken a taxi from Warminster they would arrive at any minute.

  Which they did: Tracey, her mother and the professor.

  `We're back,' cried Tracey, skipping into the kitchen to fling herself at Katrina. `We came in the professor's car, and I'm every bit as well as the next little girl. He told me so!'

  Katrina bent to hug her, smiled at Molly and wished the professor a polite good morning. It was vexing the way he always appeared when she wasn't looking her best. She stopped herself just in time from putting her hand up to her hair.

  `You'll stay for coffee?' she asked him.

  `Yes, please. May the dogs come into the garden?"

  'Of course. I'll get them some water and take the coffee into the garden.'

  There was a cheerful bustle for a few minutes, but presently they were sitting by the moss rose bush, with the dogs wandering to and fro and Tracey, so happy to be back, off down the garden to look for raspberries.

  The professor stretched his long legs. 'Tracey is doing well,' he told Katrina, and smiled at Mrs Ward. `We must start thinking about finding you somewhere to live. Somewhere there is a good school and a park, even a small garden. But another few weeks here first, if Katrina is agreeable?"

  'Oh, yes, for as long as you wish.'

  `We shall hate to leave here,' said Molly. `But if Tracey is going to get quite well, and we can rent somewhere nice and quiet...'

>   `Something always turns up,' said the professor comfortably. `May I stay for lunch?'

  Katrina said promptly, `Yes, of course. It's only bacon and egg pie, and strawberries and custard and bread and cheese. I promised Tracy ice cream so you won't mind if I just bike down to Mrs Dyer's and fetch it...?"

  'I'll take you in the car while Mrs Ward and Tracey settle in.'

  `Settle in?'

  He ignored her question. `Better still, it's such a lovely day we will walk. I could do with the exercise.' He looked Katrina up and down. `We big people tend to put on weight.'

  Katrina choked and Mrs Ward laughed. `Don't tease Katrina, Professor Glenville. She's perfect as she is.'