‘This is Moses,’ said Oliver as he squashed in beside Eustacia. ‘He was in the water with a broken leg,’ he explained and, since Eustacia looked so astonished, said it for a second time, rather loudly, just as though she were deaf.
‘Oh, the poor little beast.’ She bent to rub the unruly head at their feet and Sir Colin, settling himself in the driving-seat, said over his shoulder, ‘He’s not quite up to walking far, but he likes to be with us. Unique, isn’t he?’
‘But nice,’ said Eustacia, and wished she could think of a better word.
It was quite a lengthy drive; she sat between the boys, taking part in an animated conversation on such subjects as horrendous schoolmasters, their favourite TV programmes, their dislike of maths and their favourite food. She found them both endearing and felt regret when the drive was over and the car drew up before their flat. Rolls-Royces were a rarity in the neighbourhood, and it would be a talking-point for some time—already curtains in neighbouring houses were being twitched.
She wished the boys goodbye and they chorused an urgent invitation to go out with them again, and, conscious of Sir Colin’s hooded eyes upon her, she murmured non-committally, bending to stroke Moses because she could feel herself blushing hatefully.
She waited while her grandfather expressed his thanks for the ride, and then she added her own thanks with a frank look from her dark eyes, to encounter his smiling gaze.
‘We have enjoyed your company,’ he told her, and she found herself believing him. ‘The boys get bored, you know; I haven’t all that time at home and my housekeeper is elderly and simply can’t cope with them.’
‘Housekeeper? Oh, I thought they were yours.’
‘My brother’s. He has gone abroad with his wife, a job in Brunei for a few months. They are too young for boarding-school…’
They had shaken hands and he still held hers in a firm grasp.
‘They like you,’ he said.
‘Well, I like them. I’m glad I met them and Grandfather has enjoyed himself. He doesn’t get out much.’
He nodded and gave her back her hand and went to open the rickety gate, and waited while they went up the short path to the front door and opened it. Eustacia turned as they went inside and smiled at them all, before he closed the gate, got back into his car and drove away.
‘A delightful morning, my dear,’ said her grandfather. ‘I feel ten years younger—and such an interesting conversation. You are most fortunate to be working for such a man.’
‘Well, I don’t,’ said Eustacia matter-of-factly. ‘I only met him because he came down to the path lab for something. He goes to St Biddolph’s once or twice a week to operate and see his patients, and as I seldom leave the path lab except when there is a message to run we don’t meet.’
‘Yes, yes,’ her grandfather sounded testy, ‘but now that you have met you will see more of each other.’
She thought it best not to argue further; she suspected that he had no idea of the work she did. Sir Colin had been charming but that didn’t mean to say that he wished to pursue their acquaintance; indeed it was most unlikely. A pity, she reflected as she went to the kitchen to get their lunch, but they occupied different worlds—she would probably end up by marrying another bottle-washer. A sobering thought even while she laughed at the idea.
It was December in no time at all, or so it seemed, and the weather turned cold and damp and dark, and the shops began to fill with Christmas food and a splendid array of suitable presents. Eustacia did arithmetic on the backs of envelopes, made lists and began to hoard things like chocolate biscuits, strawberry jam, tins of ham and a Christmas pudding; she had little money over each week and she laid it out carefully, determined to have a good Christmas. There would be no one to visit, of course. As far as she knew they had no family, and her grandfather’s friends lived in the north of England and her own friends from school days were either married or holding down good jobs with no time to spare. From time to time they exchanged letters, but pride prevented her from telling any of them about the change in her life. She wrote cheerful replies, telling them nothing in a wealth of words.
On the first Saturday in December it was her lot to work all day. Mr Brimshaw arrived some time after she did, wished her a grumpy good morning and went into his own office, and she began on her chores. It was a dismal day and raining steadily, but she busied herself with her dishes and pots, made coffee for Mr Brimshaw and herself and thought about Christmas. She would have liked a new dress but that was out of the question—she had spent more than she could afford on a thick waistcoat for her grandfather and a pair of woollen gloves, and there was still something to be bought for their landlady, who, although kindly disposed towards them as long as the rent was paid on time, needed to be kept sweet. A headscarf, mused Eustacia, or perhaps a box of soap? She was so deep in thought that Mr Brimshaw had to bawl twice before she heard him.
‘Hurry up, girl—Casualty’s full—there’s been an accident in Oxford Street and they’ll be shouting for blood before I can take a breath. Get along with this first batch and then come back as fast as you can.’
He had cross-matched another victim when she got back, so she hurried away for a second time with another vacoliter and after that she lost count of the times she trotted to and fro. The initial urgency settled down presently and Mr Brimshaw, crosser than ever because he was late for his lunch, went home and Mr Walker took over, and after that things became a little more settled. All the same, she was tired when the evening porter came on duty and she was able to go home. It was still raining; she swathed her person in her elderly raincoat, tied a scarf over her hair and made for the side entrance. It being Saturday, there wouldn’t be all that number of buses which meant that they would be full too. She nipped smartly across the courtyard, head down against the rain, and went full tilt into Sir Colin, coming the other way. He took her considerable weight without any effort and stood her on to her feet.
‘Going home?’ he wanted to know gently.
She nodded and then said, ‘Oh…’ when he took her arm and turned her round.
‘So am I. I’ll drop you off on my way.’
‘But I’m wet, I’ll spoil your car.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ he begged her nicely. ‘I’m wet too.’
He bustled her to the car and settled her into the front seat and got in beside her.
‘It’s out of your way,’ sighed Eustacia weakly.
‘Not at all—what a girl you are for finding objections.’
They sat in a comfortable silence as he turned the car in the direction of the river and Kennington. That he had only just arrived at the hospital intent on having a few words with his registrar, when he saw her, was something he had no intention of revealing. He wasn’t at all sure why he had offered to take her home; he hardly knew her and although he found her extremely pretty and, what was more, intelligent, he had made no conscious effort to seek her out. It was a strange fact that two people could meet and feel instantly at ease with each other—more than that, feel as though they had known each other all their lives. Eustacia, sitting quietly beside him, was thinking exactly the same thing.
He smiled nicely when she thanked him, got out of the car and opened the gate for her and waited until she had unlocked the door and gone inside before driving himself back to the hospital, thinking about her. She was too good for the job she was doing, and like a beautiful fish out of water in that depressing little street.
He arrived back at St Biddolph’s and became immersed in the care of his patients, shutting her delightful image away in the back of his mind and keeping it firmly there.
CHAPTER