started.
‘Surely what?’ interrupted Robert. ‘Surely she knows it’s an offence to procure the death of her child? I’m sure she does. Surely it’s her own fault for getting herself with child? I doubt it was her choice,’ Robert said harshly.
‘Surely it is a consequence of her loose morals?’
Robert’s eyes went back to the woman on the bed and saw Ellen instead of Kitty lying there struggling for breath. ‘Kitty Henry is probably no more than twenty-five and now she is dying.’
‘I was just looking to the justice of the situa—’ Maltravers said.
‘Justice!’ Robert’s head snapped around. ‘What of the man, Maltravers? Where is his justice in this?’
‘A man is a man, sir. This Danny fellow Miss Henry mentioned...’
Danny! It was a common enough name, but...
Robert shot back to the bed. ‘Miss Henry.’ She turned dimming eyes to him. ‘Danny who ?’ he asked.
She didn’t answer, just looked calmly at him, then her eyes started to flicker as she began to slip into unconsciousness. He had to know.
‘Who, Kitty? Danny who?’
Her lips moved and Robert lowered his head to catch what she was saying.
‘Danny Donovan,’ Kitty whispered with a sigh. Robert drew back slightly, a cold hand over his heart.
Danny Donovan was not content with ruining Ellen, he had pressed his attentions on Kitty as well. Did Ellen know? Did she care?
Robert was pulled back from his thoughts by a knocking at the door, and the ward orderly stepped into the room. ‘Excuse me, Doctor, but Miss Henry’s sister is asking to come in.’
‘Yes, of course, she’s just in time,’ Robert said. ‘Gentlemen, there is nothing more to be done here, I suggest we—’ The words died on his lips as the door opened and Ellen, soberly dressed and with tears in her eyes, walked in.
She stopped dead when she saw him. For a brief second delight registered, then it was gone. She turned to Kitty, who was now breathing very shallowly, and dashed over to the bed. She knelt down beside Kitty and gently smoothed the hair off the dying woman’s face.
Young and Maltravers were waiting by the door for him, but Robert just stood staring down at Ellen, who now wept softly holding Kitty’s hand.
The soft sheen of Ellen’s hair glowed auburn in the light from the window.
‘I’ll join you presently, gentlemen,’ he said, then drew up a chair next to where Ellen knelt.
‘Oh, Kitty, you promised not to go to see...’ Ellen stopped as she felt Robert move next to her. ‘See who?’ Robert asked gently.
‘I thank you for what you’ve done for Kitty, but don’t let me keep you, Doctor Munroe,’ Ellen said with a catch in her voice.
‘Who?’ Robert persisted.
‘Some... some old woman Kitty was told about,’ Ellen said, not meeting his eye.
‘Why are you protecting the person who did this to your sister?’ Robert asked.
Ellen sat back on her heels and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘The person who did this to Kitty has dangerous friends, Doctor Munroe.’
‘But surely—’
‘Dangerous friends,’ she repeated.
She gave Kitty, who was now lying peacefully, a small, brave smile which made his heart melt. ‘I’m not actually her kin, but I’m the nearest thing to a sister that Kitty has and I had to see her before...’ Ellen trailed off.
A feeling of protectiveness swept over Robert. He wanted to take Ellen in his arms and tell her he was sorry for his abominable treatment of her in the Angel. To have her cry on his chest and for him to hold her safe, safe from everything.
What was he thinking of?
He stood up so abruptly that both Ellen and Sister Perry started. ‘I’ll leave you, Mrs O’Casey. I have...’
‘Yes, of course.’
Robert had to go, but still he stood staring at Ellen kneeling on the floor beside the bed.
‘If there is anything you need, just ask Sister Perry and she will attend to it I am sure,’ he said, still not moving.
‘Thank you, Doctor Munroe.’
‘And
‘Surely what?’ interrupted Robert. ‘Surely she knows it’s an offence to procure the death of her child? I’m sure she does. Surely it’s her own fault for getting herself with child? I doubt it was her choice,’ Robert said harshly.
‘Surely it is a consequence of her loose morals?’
Robert’s eyes went back to the woman on the bed and saw Ellen instead of Kitty lying there struggling for breath. ‘Kitty Henry is probably no more than twenty-five and now she is dying.’
‘I was just looking to the justice of the situa—’ Maltravers said.
‘Justice!’ Robert’s head snapped around. ‘What of the man, Maltravers? Where is his justice in this?’
‘A man is a man, sir. This Danny fellow Miss Henry mentioned...’
Danny! It was a common enough name, but...
Robert shot back to the bed. ‘Miss Henry.’ She turned dimming eyes to him. ‘Danny who ?’ he asked.
She didn’t answer, just looked calmly at him, then her eyes started to flicker as she began to slip into unconsciousness. He had to know.
‘Who, Kitty? Danny who?’
Her lips moved and Robert lowered his head to catch what she was saying.
‘Danny Donovan,’ Kitty whispered with a sigh. Robert drew back slightly, a cold hand over his heart.
Danny Donovan was not content with ruining Ellen, he had pressed his attentions on Kitty as well. Did Ellen know? Did she care?
Robert was pulled back from his thoughts by a knocking at the door, and the ward orderly stepped into the room. ‘Excuse me, Doctor, but Miss Henry’s sister is asking to come in.’
‘Yes, of course, she’s just in time,’ Robert said. ‘Gentlemen, there is nothing more to be done here, I suggest we—’ The words died on his lips as the door opened and Ellen, soberly dressed and with tears in her eyes, walked in.
She stopped dead when she saw him. For a brief second delight registered, then it was gone. She turned to Kitty, who was now breathing very shallowly, and dashed over to the bed. She knelt down beside Kitty and gently smoothed the hair off the dying woman’s face.
Young and Maltravers were waiting by the door for him, but Robert just stood staring down at Ellen, who now wept softly holding Kitty’s hand.
The soft sheen of Ellen’s hair glowed auburn in the light from the window.
‘I’ll join you presently, gentlemen,’ he said, then drew up a chair next to where Ellen knelt.
‘Oh, Kitty, you promised not to go to see...’ Ellen stopped as she felt Robert move next to her. ‘See who?’ Robert asked gently.
‘I thank you for what you’ve done for Kitty, but don’t let me keep you, Doctor Munroe,’ Ellen said with a catch in her voice.
‘Who?’ Robert persisted.
‘Some... some old woman Kitty was told about,’ Ellen said, not meeting his eye.
‘Why are you protecting the person who did this to your sister?’ Robert asked.
Ellen sat back on her heels and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘The person who did this to Kitty has dangerous friends, Doctor Munroe.’
‘But surely—’
‘Dangerous friends,’ she repeated.
She gave Kitty, who was now lying peacefully, a small, brave smile which made his heart melt. ‘I’m not actually her kin, but I’m the nearest thing to a sister that Kitty has and I had to see her before...’ Ellen trailed off.
A feeling of protectiveness swept over Robert. He wanted to take Ellen in his arms and tell her he was sorry for his abominable treatment of her in the Angel. To have her cry on his chest and for him to hold her safe, safe from everything.
What was he thinking of?
He stood up so abruptly that both Ellen and Sister Perry started. ‘I’ll leave you, Mrs O’Casey. I have...’
‘Yes, of course.’
Robert had to go, but still he stood staring at Ellen kneeling on the floor beside the bed.
‘If there is anything you need, just ask Sister Perry and she will attend to it I am sure,’ he said, still not moving.
‘Thank you, Doctor Munroe.’
‘And
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