was on the stove, and the tea caddy and a small teapot and cup and saucer were all set out ready for her, and not because she really wanted the tea but because she felt it would disappoint Mrs. Barnes if she didn’t make herself some, Linnet sat down and waited for the kettle to boil.
She realized that she was trembling a little, like someone who was over-excited, and there was a queer bubbling happiness inside her. But her hands and her feet were cold, just as if she had been shocked. For the second time in her life she put up a hand and touched her lips—and they were burning.
She was glad of the tea after all, as she sat sipping it. Tea was so beautifully commonplace and ordinary, and whatever the emergency the mere act of drinking it affected one with strongly rationalizing, if purely temporary, calm. It was like Dutch courage, only the after-effects were more beneficial. Linnet felt several degrees more like herself, and less as if she were floating on unreal clouds, as she washed her cup and saucer at the sink and dried them carefully and put them away.
Only after she had stolen upstairs and looked in to make sure that Diana was sleeping peacefully, and was undressing herself in her own room, did the remembrance of something Guy had said return to disturb her. At the time she had hardly realized what he was saying, but now it struck her as an extremely odd thing to say about anyone as golden and captivating as Diana.
“She’s the kind who’ll make an excellent recovery before long, and be right back on top where she was before her marriage —and some other poor devil will be in danger !”
CHAPTER X I
In the morning, when Linnet went in to draw back Diana’s curtains and give her her morning tea, Diana looked at her sleepily and then asked:
“Was that a car I heard stop in the lane last night?”
Linnet picked up her bed-jacket and put it about her shoulders, and then handed her the glass of mixed orange and lemon juice that accompanied the tea on the tray, and she answered quietly:
“A car did stop in the lane, yes.”
Diana handed back the glass.
“I thought perhaps it was someone coming to call, at rather a late hour—some friend of my godfather’s, perhaps. But you didn’t have any callers?”
“No.”
Diana looked at her for a moment rather curiously, and then yawned and stretched herself.
“Ah, well, we’re very much off the beaten track here, I’m afraid, and I don’t suppose we shall be bothered with many visitors. I hope you aren’t going to be dull, Nurse. We haven’t even got a car, but if you want to go shopping at any time into Danby St. Peter you can always ring up and hire one. You’ll probably want a hair-do from time to time—so shall I, if it comes to that—and we’ll make some arrangement with a local garage.”
Later in the morning she insisted on getting up and sitting in the garden, and Linnet made her comfortable with cushions and rugs. Already the country air had brought a tinge of natural colour into her cheeks, and she admitted that she had had an excellent night. She looked well satisfied with herself, like a contented cat.
“I’m determined to get completely well again as quickly as I can,” she said, “and with that end in view I shall do everything you tell me and everything Adrian tells me as well.” (The Adrian dropping so naturally from her lips caused Linnet to look up in faint surprise.) “He’s a pet, isn’t he?” she murmured complacently. “I don’t mind confessing I’m going to miss his daily visits, but he’s promised to stay the night the next time he comes, and they’re putting him up at The Bull.”
“Oh?” Linnet murmured back.
Diana reached for the cigarettes on a little table beside her, and although Linnet was watching her and taking note of the fact that this was the first one that day, lay back and inhaled with obvious satisfaction. Her gaze wandered dreamily over the garden.
“Do you feel we’re going to be
She realized that she was trembling a little, like someone who was over-excited, and there was a queer bubbling happiness inside her. But her hands and her feet were cold, just as if she had been shocked. For the second time in her life she put up a hand and touched her lips—and they were burning.
She was glad of the tea after all, as she sat sipping it. Tea was so beautifully commonplace and ordinary, and whatever the emergency the mere act of drinking it affected one with strongly rationalizing, if purely temporary, calm. It was like Dutch courage, only the after-effects were more beneficial. Linnet felt several degrees more like herself, and less as if she were floating on unreal clouds, as she washed her cup and saucer at the sink and dried them carefully and put them away.
Only after she had stolen upstairs and looked in to make sure that Diana was sleeping peacefully, and was undressing herself in her own room, did the remembrance of something Guy had said return to disturb her. At the time she had hardly realized what he was saying, but now it struck her as an extremely odd thing to say about anyone as golden and captivating as Diana.
“She’s the kind who’ll make an excellent recovery before long, and be right back on top where she was before her marriage —and some other poor devil will be in danger !”
CHAPTER X I
In the morning, when Linnet went in to draw back Diana’s curtains and give her her morning tea, Diana looked at her sleepily and then asked:
“Was that a car I heard stop in the lane last night?”
Linnet picked up her bed-jacket and put it about her shoulders, and then handed her the glass of mixed orange and lemon juice that accompanied the tea on the tray, and she answered quietly:
“A car did stop in the lane, yes.”
Diana handed back the glass.
“I thought perhaps it was someone coming to call, at rather a late hour—some friend of my godfather’s, perhaps. But you didn’t have any callers?”
“No.”
Diana looked at her for a moment rather curiously, and then yawned and stretched herself.
“Ah, well, we’re very much off the beaten track here, I’m afraid, and I don’t suppose we shall be bothered with many visitors. I hope you aren’t going to be dull, Nurse. We haven’t even got a car, but if you want to go shopping at any time into Danby St. Peter you can always ring up and hire one. You’ll probably want a hair-do from time to time—so shall I, if it comes to that—and we’ll make some arrangement with a local garage.”
Later in the morning she insisted on getting up and sitting in the garden, and Linnet made her comfortable with cushions and rugs. Already the country air had brought a tinge of natural colour into her cheeks, and she admitted that she had had an excellent night. She looked well satisfied with herself, like a contented cat.
“I’m determined to get completely well again as quickly as I can,” she said, “and with that end in view I shall do everything you tell me and everything Adrian tells me as well.” (The Adrian dropping so naturally from her lips caused Linnet to look up in faint surprise.) “He’s a pet, isn’t he?” she murmured complacently. “I don’t mind confessing I’m going to miss his daily visits, but he’s promised to stay the night the next time he comes, and they’re putting him up at The Bull.”
“Oh?” Linnet murmured back.
Diana reached for the cigarettes on a little table beside her, and although Linnet was watching her and taking note of the fact that this was the first one that day, lay back and inhaled with obvious satisfaction. Her gaze wandered dreamily over the garden.
“Do you feel we’re going to be
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