always a great deal of work to be done. It was a place of refuge, her only home. But it was hard to imagine herself back there now, even though the convent had been her life since her teens.
The following day Catherine organized the morning into a workshop for Michael. He had lessons in spelling, printing and sums. After lunch she took him for a walk and then they joined some of the other young patients in the nursery, and she played afew pieces for them on the piano. It passed the time and seemed to give Michael pleasure.
Presently it was time for dinner. She’d been watching the clock. Michael eagerly awaited the arrival of his father as well. The trays were brought in and the two of them ate their meal without him for it appeared he wouldn't be coming after all. At seven o'clock, a sister told Catherine she was wanted
on the phone. She went out to the nursing station and took the receiver.
"Yes?"
"Hello, Sister ..." It was the Commander.
"Hello."
"I'm sorry I didn't get back to Norwood this evening. When I went to work today, Lord Wyngate called a meeting. I had to be in attendance and we're still going strong. Please tell Michael I'll make it up to him tomorrow." There was an appreciable pause. "I really would prefer being with the two of you to anything else I can think of."
"I'll tell Michael," she spoke softly.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow and I hope to interest you in another game of chess. You have from now till four o'clock to sharpen your wits.” He clicked off.
CHAPTER SIX
Michael was asleep when she returned to the room. All was quiet and peaceful. The long hours of the evening seemed to stretch endlessly before her. A restlessness had come over her. She paced the floor, then sat down to read, but didn't even open the book. She got up again and went to the window. The sun was below the horizon but she could still see the oranges and pinks of the roses in the garden across the street.
Several hours passed and she had to face the truth about her inner turmoil. She was disappointed. There was no way around it. She'd spent almost an entire week with Commander Norwood, and she missed him. It was that simple.
He brought life into the dingy hospital room. Aghast, she hurried from the room and went directly to the chapel. An hour's contemplation before the altar did little to drive away the pangs of emptiness she felt whenever she thought of returning to the convent, away from Michael and his father.
When she went to bed, she resolved that from then on, she would avoid hia company as much as possible. She must!
Jeffrey was good as his word and breezed into Michael's room the next day, a few minutes before four. The time spent away from the two of them seemed much too long. He hadn't been able to get back to the hospital fast enough, and was breathless when he finally pulled up to the curb, but his eager expression faded when he discovered that Sister Catherine was unavailable for the next few hours.
She’d purposely decided to be in the chapel. Father and son needed to be alone, and she needed to calm her troubled spirit. She stayed away till after the dinner hour, thinking that perhaps Michael was asleep and his father had gone home. But Jeffrey was reading to his son when she stepped inside. He looked up and gave her the special smile she'd learned to look forward to. A warm feeling passed through her body without her volition.
"Sister—“ Michael blurted. "Why didn't you come to dinner? Daddy brought us a special treat. Look!" Her eyes strayed to the bedside table. He’d brought them some delectable looking pastry, probably purchased somewhere in London. Sugar was hard to come by during the war, but he’d managed it. .
"It looks delicious. I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"It doesn't matter now that you're here.” Jeffrey beamed. She wouldn't look at him, for when she did it caused troubling sensations she'd never felt before. "Michael, when I finish this story, Sister and I are going to show
The following day Catherine organized the morning into a workshop for Michael. He had lessons in spelling, printing and sums. After lunch she took him for a walk and then they joined some of the other young patients in the nursery, and she played afew pieces for them on the piano. It passed the time and seemed to give Michael pleasure.
Presently it was time for dinner. She’d been watching the clock. Michael eagerly awaited the arrival of his father as well. The trays were brought in and the two of them ate their meal without him for it appeared he wouldn't be coming after all. At seven o'clock, a sister told Catherine she was wanted
on the phone. She went out to the nursing station and took the receiver.
"Yes?"
"Hello, Sister ..." It was the Commander.
"Hello."
"I'm sorry I didn't get back to Norwood this evening. When I went to work today, Lord Wyngate called a meeting. I had to be in attendance and we're still going strong. Please tell Michael I'll make it up to him tomorrow." There was an appreciable pause. "I really would prefer being with the two of you to anything else I can think of."
"I'll tell Michael," she spoke softly.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow and I hope to interest you in another game of chess. You have from now till four o'clock to sharpen your wits.” He clicked off.
CHAPTER SIX
Michael was asleep when she returned to the room. All was quiet and peaceful. The long hours of the evening seemed to stretch endlessly before her. A restlessness had come over her. She paced the floor, then sat down to read, but didn't even open the book. She got up again and went to the window. The sun was below the horizon but she could still see the oranges and pinks of the roses in the garden across the street.
Several hours passed and she had to face the truth about her inner turmoil. She was disappointed. There was no way around it. She'd spent almost an entire week with Commander Norwood, and she missed him. It was that simple.
He brought life into the dingy hospital room. Aghast, she hurried from the room and went directly to the chapel. An hour's contemplation before the altar did little to drive away the pangs of emptiness she felt whenever she thought of returning to the convent, away from Michael and his father.
When she went to bed, she resolved that from then on, she would avoid hia company as much as possible. She must!
Jeffrey was good as his word and breezed into Michael's room the next day, a few minutes before four. The time spent away from the two of them seemed much too long. He hadn't been able to get back to the hospital fast enough, and was breathless when he finally pulled up to the curb, but his eager expression faded when he discovered that Sister Catherine was unavailable for the next few hours.
She’d purposely decided to be in the chapel. Father and son needed to be alone, and she needed to calm her troubled spirit. She stayed away till after the dinner hour, thinking that perhaps Michael was asleep and his father had gone home. But Jeffrey was reading to his son when she stepped inside. He looked up and gave her the special smile she'd learned to look forward to. A warm feeling passed through her body without her volition.
"Sister—“ Michael blurted. "Why didn't you come to dinner? Daddy brought us a special treat. Look!" Her eyes strayed to the bedside table. He’d brought them some delectable looking pastry, probably purchased somewhere in London. Sugar was hard to come by during the war, but he’d managed it. .
"It looks delicious. I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"It doesn't matter now that you're here.” Jeffrey beamed. She wouldn't look at him, for when she did it caused troubling sensations she'd never felt before. "Michael, when I finish this story, Sister and I are going to show
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