A Garland of Marigolds by Isobel Chace

she? ” I asked.
    Gideon leaned back and closed his eyes. Accustomed now to the dim light, I could see the lines of pain etched around his eyes and the paleness of his cheeks.
    “ She ’ s getting a doctor. ”
    There seemed to be nothing to do but wait and so I sat down gingerly on the edge of a chair and looked around me. There was no mistaking the fact that the owners of the house had lived in India for a long time. The only table was mounted on an elephant ’ s foot and various trophies hung around the walls, trailing ribbons that were faded and dirty, relics of an era that had completely disappeared. A tiger ’ s skin lay on the floor, the head realistically growling in my direction.
    “ I suppose someone shot it? ” I said with distaste.
    Gideon laughed weakly.
    “ Mr. Burnett, no doubt! What an impossible girl you are! ”
    We sat in silence after that, waiting for someone to come and restore our spirits. Gideon was more and more obviously in pain and I getting more and more worried about him. But when Julie and the doctor came it was almost an anticlimax. Julie came running into the room, the tears sparkling in the corners of her eyes and her hair prettily ruffled by the wind.
    “ Gideon, he says you ’ ll have to go to the hospital for an X ray. What shall we do? ”
    Gideon opened his eyes and looked at her.
    “ Nonsense! Tell him to come and set it here and then I can go home. ”
    “ You ’ re so terribly brave! ” she sobbed.
    I looked at the two of them with growing disgust.
    “ I suppose you want to limp for the rest of your life! ” I said with some asperity. “ Of course you ’ ll go to the hospital. Where is the doctor? ”
    A small Indian doctor approached.
    “ The gentleman is in much pain, ” he said softly. “ Perhaps it would be better if the ladies left until I have made him more comfortable. ”
    Gideon laughed shortly. “ Perhaps you ’ d better! ” he said.
    Julie walked tearfully toward the door with me following, a pace or two behind.
    “ Poor Gideon! ” I said with a sympathetic smile.
    The tears came harder and she frowned at me.
    “ Yes, ” she said. “ But do you know that child actually said it was all our fault! As if it wasn ’ t bad enough for poor, darling papa. I shall never invite her here again! ”
    Which was just as well, I felt, as I doubted whether Camilla would have come.

 
    CHAPTER SEVEN
    C amilla was decidedly sulky, but she cheered up a little when she saw me.
    “ How ’ s Gideon? ” she asked immediately.
    “ He ’ s all right! ” I told her. “ What did you imagine? He ’ s more impatient than hurt! ”
    “ Really? ” She took a deep breath of relief. “ It was awful! ” she added, and shivered at the memory.
    Julie rounded on her savagely, her face pinched with temper.
    “ You keep quiet, miss! ” she spat. “ We ’ ve had enough trouble from you! ”
    I was startled out of the composure I had assumed for Camilla ’ s benefit.
    “ What do you mean? ” I asked.
    “ You weren ’ t there! ” Julie said nastily.
    Camilla went scarlet with rage and I cut in quickly.
    “ Of course I wasn ’ t there and I ’ m very glad. It was obviously a great shock to you all. May Camilla and I go out into the garden while we wait to hear what the doctor has to say? And then I ’ ll be taking her home—and Gideon, too, if he ’ s well enough. ”
    Julie recovered herself with difficulty. Her face was still pinched and white around the mouth and her eyes blazed with temper as she looked at me, but her voice was as soft as honey as she answered.
    “ Of course you want to have a look around, ” she agreed. “ I ’ ll go back to Gideon and see if he wants anything. ”
    I nodded my head and she went tripping out of the room. Camilla contained herself with difficulty until she had gone and then she burst into tears.
    “ It was awful! ” she said again. “ Suki, they tripped him because he scored a goal. I saw them! ”
    “ But it was