Together Again: Spirit Travel Novel - Book #4 (Romance & Humor - The Vicarage Bench Series)

by Mimi Barbour

  ****

  The ambulance, with its precious cargo, left before Doctor Andrews arrived home. When he did, he found his housekeeper, wretched, gulping a cup of tea at the table in the kitchen.

  “Mrs. Dorn, how could you let her take Dani away? Today is Friday—you knew the importance of keeping her here until tomorrow.”

  Mrs. Dorn, feeling hard done by and not in a mood to be blamed, scowled at the shaken man, no sympathy at all on her countenance. She slapped the table in front of her, knocking her tea mug over, releasing a surprising odour of gin.

  Uncaring, she stood and leaned towards the distraught man, whose eyes widened at the menace he faced.

  She spat angry words directly at him.

  “Aye, there, hang on. Don’t you start! It were your sister’s idea to call the ambulance. I tried to stop her. But she’d have none of it. Tried clobbering me with the telephone, she did. Fired me—then did her damnedest to kill me. Ruddy woman near gave me a heart attack, screeching and carrying on.”

  All the while she ranted, her hand clutched a bag of ice and dabbed at her forehead, where a lump encircled by a red welt had begun to form.

  Nurse Joye arrived just then to see the doctor cowering under the scorn of his furious housekeeper.

  “What has happened? Mrs. Dorn, my dear, you’ve been hurt? Here, let me help you.”

  The young nurse, starched uniform crackling, rushed forward. She threw off her cape and, reaching her arms towards the older woman, steered her into the empty chair behind her. Kindheartedly she guided her to sit down.

  All the while, tender words were spoken to a recipient in dire need of them, balm to a bruised and worried soul.

  “Dani’s gone.” Dr. Andrews, not to be overlooked, drew her attention to himself. His voice portrayed his grief over the dreadfulness of the situation he now found himself in. His glasses, perched crookedly on the end of his nose, had a smudge, and that small imperfection appeared somehow precious to the nurse, who hadn’t yet taken in the meaning of his words.

  Once she did, she plopped into an empty chair at the table. Dumbfounded, she looked first at the doctor’s unhappy scowl and then to Mrs. Dorn’s even more miserable countenance. Her hand, which had automatically moved to cover her face, stopped in midair and then dropped to her lap.

  “No! Oh, my God, no. I’m so sorry. She seemed fine when I left. What in the world happened?” Blue eyes, brilliant blue, beautifully sparkling blue, not often seen because she tended to keep her face averted, filled with tears.

  Both people at the table reached out to her at the same time, but Dr. Andrews spoke first.

  “No, Grace, Dani’s fine. She’s just been taken away. Marion played a trick on poor Mrs. Dorn. She crept in the garden door while our fine friend here accepted a delivery of flowers at the front. My sneaky sister found Dani in the coma and called an ambulance. They took her to the hospital.”

  “Thank God!” Grace’s hands crisscrossed her chest in relief. Her eyes closed for seconds while a pretty smile lit up her face.

  Both occupants at the table stared her way with eyebrows raised and waited. It only took a few seconds until the direness of the situation dawned on her.

  “Oh! My goodness! But this is Friday! What in the world are we going to do?”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  On Friday, deadline for the local rag, Troy returned to his room late and utterly exhausted. Buddy, ecstatic to see him, wiggled and yelped joyfully. His furry little body gyrated and danced every which way, while his tail swung in circles that should have had him airborne. He wouldn’t settle down until the big man cuddled and soothed him.

  Dani broke in before he had a chance. “Aw, baby, it’s okay. We’re here now. You’re not alone anymore. Troy, he’s so happy to see you. It’s been days since we’ve been able to do more than take him for quick walks. Thank the Lord that Bunty’s become smitten with him, or he’d have been alone all this time.”

  “I know. But who knew so many of the folks would want to share their stories. Once Susie decided Harry’s story needed to be written, it became a catalyst to the others. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. I’ve made a bundle selling to the Manchester newspapers, and now that London has picked up on the editorials, it’ll be an even bigger scoop.”

  “As if you wrote them for the money. Troy, you’re a big fake. The only reason those people shared their tales with you was because they knew in their hearts that you cared about them. And about what they were going through.” Pride rang clearly in her tone as she bickered with him. Over the last few days the growing attraction between them had been hinted at but not openly discussed. She dwelt in the warmth of his attentiveness, and he blossomed under her admiration.

  “Oh, so you’re not mad at me any longer? A guy trying to do his job, and what do I get in return—hassled and put down, that’s what!” His poor-little-ole-me performance made her laugh.

  “You know how much I loved seeing you at work. I’ve apologized enough for trying to stop you from doing your job. You’re a genius, achieving exactly what you were born to do—make the world see people as individuals.”

  “If you understand that, then you truly get what I’m aiming for when I write these stories.”

  “I do. I’ve learnt more about the true meaning of journalism and about you personally in this week than ever. You, Troy, are a talented and kind man.”

  “Sure, the kind you’d like to—”

  “Don’t joke. You’ll make me cry. As it is, I’m trying desperately not to get depressed. We’ve been ignoring the fact that it’s Friday today. I suppose we should talk about it.”

  “Look, let’s go out for a nice meal at the pub and—”

  “No! Troy, we can’t put this off any longer. I want to discuss it now.”

  “Just like a woman. I suppose you won’t let me get any rest until you get your way. I have a fact, too, one we shouldn’t ignore. My fact is—I don’t want to talk.”

  ****

  The truth of this announcement hit Troy hard. He shut Dani off so he could be alone to explore his rioting emotions. Then he accepted another truth. He didn’t want to talk about Dani leaving him, because he couldn’t imagine life without her sweetness within. Just the thought of losing her wrenched his insides and made him angry at the twist fate had played.

  He threw himself onto the bed and interlocked his hands behind his head. Angry words spewed out of him, sounding loud in the empty of the room. “Son of a bitch!”

  To finally meet a female he’d like to share his life with, and—what? She was a seventeen-year-old mother-to-be, for heaven’s sake. The bizarre circumstances were what movies were made from, not real life. How the hell did he let her get to him so deeply that to lose her tomorrow would be like losing his soul’s best friend?

  He stood up to pace, circling the room over and over. Buddy tried to keep up but soon lay down exhausted, his short puppy legs quivering. Beyond the open window, the lights of the restaurants and pubs on each side of the street went out one after another. Still he walked. Weariness took second place to grief.

  It took Dani a huge amount of will to break through the mental walls he had erected. His overwhelming fatigue finally enabled her to succeed. She’d zeroed in on his grief, his feelings for her, and he knew she was aware of all he’d been going through. The wash of love that came with her returning presence soothed the ache somewhat.

  “Troy, I have a huge request. If you refuse, it’ll destroy me. So please say you will.”

  “What is it, sweetheart?”

  “Promise me you will, and then I’ll tell you.”

  “Excuse me? You want me to promise something when I have no idea what I’m—”

  “Please?”

  “What the hel—heck! Okay, I promise.”

  “My birthday is next Saturday. There will be a party at my Uncle Robert’s house. He holds one for me every year. Will you come?”

  He hesitated.

  “I know you still hav
e to get Ellie Ward’s story, which will keep you occupied. The next few days will fly by, and then we’ll be together again. I’ll need this next week to—to organize. Make some special arrangements for the future.”

  Her voice wobbled and ended up full of tears. He could no more refuse her request than he could have stopped blinking.

  “Dani, you know I’ll be there. And I’ll give you your week to organize—but more importantly, you need to take a spell to see how you really feel when we aren’t together. You’re young, and it’s all right if you change your mind.” He was the adult, and he needed to give her some space. And the understanding that if she found at the end of the week that things were different, then it would be okay.

  “I’ll never change, Troy. You can feel my love; you know how strong it is. I’ll be waiting on Saturday, believe me—believe in me.”

  “Staying away from you this week will be the hardest thing I’ve ever taken on. But when I do come calling, it’ll be to collect my heart, because you’ll be holding it. You know that, don’t you? We’ll talk about the future then. I’ll give you all the time you need to grow up, as long as you understand what’s most important—you’re going to be mine one day soon.”

  “I will always be yours. Never, ever doubt it. You need to get some rest now. Everything will work out, you’ll see. I promise.”

  ****

  As soon as Troy lay down, he passed out, leaving Dani alone to contemplate the future. Separating from this man would be like tearing herself in two. The secret she still couldn’t share with him started the tears. Who knew a spirit could cry? The more she contemplated the coming years, the more she worried. Pain revved up to such intensity that it frightened her. His body tossed and turned, agitated from her angst.

  Calm down! For pity’s sake, you will see him in time, touch him—make love. But she knew that never again would she be part of him, to experience his every thought and emotion.

  The ultimate bond was when he’d opened to her. As he began to trust, he’d let her come into his personal space more and more often—little by little. Prickly as he could be, she adored him and tried never to take advantage. She just filled him chocker-block full of love, so that at times, looking in the mirror, he appeared dazed as he sensed her watching.

  To study him gave her immense joy. She saw a handsome man, no doubt, but it wasn’t his face that delighted her as much as what she saw on that face. Intelligence and kindness shone from his devastating eyes—eyes where fall colours blended in a warm mixture. They nestled between thick eyelashes, enhanced by a cheeky attitude.

  Over their time together, she’d experienced his personality’s pendulum from one extreme to the other. Anger revealed at unnecessary cruelty. Bravery, and humour, along with his unending gentleness displayed during special moments. Troy was a full package. Nothing missing that a woman would need to make her the happiest in the world.

  When she’d told him he was a kind man, she meant it with everything she was now and would be one day.

  He was a kind man. The kind, pray God, she would marry in the future. The distant future. By her calculations, one week would pass for him, but for her, it would be ten long, lonely years.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Dr. Andrews returned to the kitchen, a satisfied smirk on his face.

  “Room 405 is empty. I’ve reserved it for Mrs. Henrietta Dorn, who will be arriving at eight p.m. suffering from a nervous breakdown due to the stress of a devastating fall and subsequent blow to the head.”

  “You mean, due to being decked by your barmy sister with a telephone and choked with the cord.” Mrs. Dorn caught the amused glance that passed between Nurse Joye and her boss.

  For a moment, grumpiness gave her the look of a dried prune with eyes and a painted mouth, but once she caught on to the comical picture her muttered words had painted, she started to laugh. And when Mrs. Dorn laughed, people always laughed along with her, she was that contagious.

  Since Marion had barred Robert access to Dani, she’d forced them to take strong measures to get to her.

  News that the room they sought for their nefarious strategy would be empty had triggered their relief. After a little while, they all calmed down. Plans needed to be made.

  Dr. Andrews began. “The quietest time on this particular ward at night is between four and five a.m. I’ve determined that you must create a disturbance at precisely four-thirty, my dear.” This was said with a look at his housekeeper, who nodded in agreement. “Your room is at the furthest end of the hall and around the corner from Dani’s. If you can make such a din as to bring both night nurses on duty to deal with you, then Grace and I can get to Dani and take her out to the parking lot, where I’ll have my car waiting.”

  “Sure, and if you’re successful, this house’ll be the first place your daft sister will send the coppers to look for her.”

  “Mrs. Dorn’s right, Robert. We can’t bring her here.”

  “Not immediately, no. We’ll have to drive around with her for a while until the coast is clear.”

  “I have a better idea. Why don’t we take her to my apartment? It’s ground floor, with easy access to get the wheelchair through the door.”

  “Wonderful idea. Thank you, Grace.” Dr. Andrews beamed at the younger woman and even reached out and patted her hand. Then he turned to the watchful gaze of the other woman present. “Mrs. Dorn, I have no doubt that by the morning the nurses will be happy to have me arrive and sign you out of the hospital. If you could make your way here by taxicab, we’ll telephone periodically to find out when the coast is clear.”

  “You’ll be going to the hospital?” Mrs. Dorn asked, surprised.

  “I’ll need to do my rounds. If I want them to believe in my innocence, I must appear to be following my normal routine.”

  “Meanwhile,” Grace interrupted, “I’ll keep her at my place until you fetch us to return here for noon.” Nurse Joye’s calm voice reassured the other two like nothing else could. Her manner made the ludicrous plans under discussion seem doable.

  “Robert? Does your sister know about Dani’s condition? About the baby, I mean?” Grace’s concerned expression left no doubt that her question wasn’t one of curiosity. Compassion shone in her blue eyes—eyes that through the course of these current events had unknowingly taken to looking straight at a person instead of continuously downwards. She bit on the side of her lower lip while awaiting the doctor’s reply.

  “Thanks to Mrs. Dorn’s quick reflexes and smart thinking, Marion didn’t get our charts. Therefore, the test results will have to be searched for again at the hospital. I’m hoping they won’t have found that particular bit of information. It will have to come out sooner or later, but I believe it’s important for Dani herself to share that bit of happy news with her mother.”

  “The poor wee darling!” Mrs. Dorn’s heartfelt pity had the other two again smiling at each other. This time their cheek went unnoticed by the woman who sat shaking her head, the growth on her nose seeming more exposed on a face filled with pure sympathy.

  ****

  In the bewitching hours between late night and early morning, Dr. Andrews and Nurse Joye cowered in the staircase exit directly across from Dani’s room. They peeked through the upper section of the door, their images distorted by heavy, mottled glass. Five minutes before, the big clock over the nurse’s station had shown four-thirty.

  The ward slept, as did the nurse sitting at the desk, her face cupped in her supporting hand, elbow propped on the blotter, cap askew.

  The other nurse, holding a small torch, made the rounds at the far end of the hall. Her light glowed faintly against the white walls. Her uniformed figure illuminated in the shadows looked to be much larger.

  Carefully Dr. Andrews had twisted the knob and pushed the door open slightly, enough for them to be able to hear the anticipated ruckus. The humming of various types of machines echoed as the background music to a sleeping ward. A cough sounded and turned into a hacking gargle, th
en quieted.

  The minute hand crept to the next digit, and then the next, which prompted the two to look at each other enquiringly.

  Dr. Andrews’ perplexed frown asked the question. Grace, in her nurse’s uniform, shrugged and turned back to see the minute hand flip once again, and then again. Muscles already tense became sore as the two bent figures strained to hear something—anything—to indicate Mrs. Dorn hadn’t fallen asleep.

  First came a mighty crash. Then a wailing curse as the words “Bloody Hell,” screamed in a furious male voice, exploded into the silence.

  “Uh-oh!” Dr. Andrews whispered, and then he watched.

  Sleeping Beauty at the desk flipped the chair backward with such force that she ended up rolling into the filing cabinet behind her and banging her head on an open drawer. “Ow! Blast and damn,” she said, restraining her hand in midair before she slammed the cabinet shut and woke the ward.

  With one final rub to the wounded area, she straightened herself, patted her cap back into place, and bolted, reaching the area across from 405 at the same moment the other nurse arrived. Both entered and were lost from view. Dr. Andrews and Nurse Joye scurried out of the stairwell and into Dani’s darkened room.

  “It were a woman, a bloomin’ ghost. Godforsaken thing looked mad.” The enraged male wouldn’t be soothed. His voice carried quite clearly to where the two kidnappers were at work. They also heard the murmuring sounds from both the nurses, obviously trying to calm the enraged fellow.

  “Don’t shush me. She stood right there, I tell you. Batty thing wanted to kiss me. She swelled up and started flapping all over the place. For the love of God, I’m not making this up. It happened just like I said.”

  Nurse Joye crept behind Dr. Andrews and helped him unhook Dani’s hospital equipment. Angry exclamations could still be heard from the other side of the partially opened door.