Midsummer Star. Бетти Нилс

wrapped up in his precious practice and some clinic or other he runs.’ He threw her a sidelong glance. ‘Dislikes girls, too—had some miserable affair when he was young and has no time for women, or so he says.’

      ‘Oh—he’s always been very polite…’

      ‘Well, of course—doctors always are; they cultivate a kind of veneer which doesn’t mean a thing. Don’t let’s waste time talking about him…’

      Nicky broke off as the door opened and Nurse Stevens came in. She said without preamble: ‘Dr Seymour asked me to come down and get some fresh lemonade. Will you do it, Miss Baylis?’

      Celine had pulled away from Nick, her cheeks pink. There was no reason why she should feel guilty, after all, it was her home and she was doing nothing wrong. Nurse Stevens was tiresome. She said shortly: ‘I’ll make a jug and bring it up, Nurse.’

      She noticed that Nurse Stevens looked tired and every day of her age. It was a pity, and Dr Grady couldn’t get a night nurse. She asked: ‘Have you had very disturbed nights?’

      ‘Yes, they have been rather broken, but there wasn’t a nurse available and Mrs Seymour isn’t strong enough to stay awake at night.’ She cast a look at Nick, lounging in a Windsor chair by the Aga. ‘But Dr Seymour has kindly offered to stay up tonight so that I can have a proper sleep.’ She pulled out one of the chairs at the table. ‘I’ll wait for the lemonade.’

      Long before Celine had it ready, Nicky had given up and gone sulkily away, and later, when Nurse Stevens had gone too and Celine had finished tidying up the kitchen, there was no sign of him. She went to say goodnight to her parents and then tiredly to bed.

      Two days later, Mr Seymour was judged recovered enough to make the journey home by ambulance, and in those two days Celine had had almost no time alone with Nicky, only on the last evening he came back into the dining-room as she was clearing the table. ‘I’ll have to drive Mother home,’ he told her, ‘but I’ll be down again in a couple of days, and that’s a promise. We can fix up that weekend then,’ and at her questioning look: ‘And make plans for the future. Our future.’

      He drew her close and kissed her rather hurriedly. ‘I can’t stay—Oliver’s making all the arrangements, of course, and he’ll be looking for me, damn him. I’ll see you in the morning before we leave. I’m going to miss you, darling.’

      He had gone leaving her to finish her clearing up, her sadness at his going lessened by the news that he would be back so soon.

      Getting the invalid away took some time, despite the fact that Nurse Stevens had been prevailed upon to accompany him in the ambulance. But finally he was stowed away and she with him, and Mrs Seymour, having delayed their departure for several minutes, searching for things she found that she already had, got in beside Nicky. Only then did he get out of the car and go back into the house, taking Celine, waiting in the porch, with him. ‘I can’t go without saying goodbye, Celine. Yes, I know the ambulance has gone and Mother’s impatient, but no one considers me at all.’ He kissed her lightly. ‘That’ll have to do until I see you again…in a couple of days, and I shall expect to have you all to myself.’

      He let her go and went out to the car. He got in with a careless wave of the hand and drove off, down the drive and out of the gates.

      It wasn’t until then that Celine realised that the Aston Martin was still parked at the side of the house. She turned round to find Oliver standing beside her. ‘Aren’t you going too?’ she asked.

      He smiled a little at the coldness of her voice. ‘Yes—I had some business to attend to with your father. Thank you—all of you, for the trouble and kindness you’ve taken. We must have been a sore trial to you and we’re eternally grateful. You’ll be glad to see the back of us.’

      He gave her a level look. ‘Not Nicky, of course. You’ll miss him.’

      She lifted her chin, and more to hearten her own low spirits than anything else said: ‘Yes, of course I shall, but he’s coming back in a day or two.’

      The blue eyes went dark. ‘Indeed? To stay here?’

      ‘It’s really none of your business—as a matter of fact, he’s asked me to spend a few days in Bournemouth so that we can go out to dinner and see something of each other.’