she followed James out of the ward.
After the two visitors had left, Dana lay back against her pillows and tried very hard to remember who she was. She supposed she must accept that she was Dana McBride, that this hospital was situated in Liverpool and that the girl, Caitlin, was her partner. Though why it should have occurred to either of them to start a tea room she could not imagine.
She had the feeling that the city was alien to her. She believed she was a country girl, and since Caitlin had told her that she had come from Ireland she supposed that this at least must be the truth. But she was getting tired; no doubt her memory would return in its own good time. The doctor had told her not to worry, but anyone would worry if they woke up in a strange hospital bed with one leg in plaster, a bump the size of a hen’s egg on the back of her skull and absolutely no recollection of who she was. ‘Get plenty of rest and above all don’t worry,’ the young doctor had said. Well, all she could do was obey his instructions and for the time being at least accept what the girl, Caitlin, had told her, and hope that her memory would soon return.
As she settled herself, a nurse in a blue striped dress came rustling up the ward and stopped by her bed. Hesitantly, Dana said, ‘Nurse, could you find me a mirror? If I saw my own face …’
The nurse beamed at her. ‘What a good idea,’ she said cheerfully. ‘I’ll fetch one at once. I gather from Sister that the sight of your friends didn’t do the trick? Oh well, I suppose it was too much to expect. I’ll just see to Mrs Stevens and then I’ll fetch you that mirror.’
Moments later, Dana gazed into a cheap little mirror and found that she was astonished by the face reflected therein. Hair the bright orange of carrots and curly as – as a pig’s tail. A face smothered in freckles and eyes green as bottle-glass with white lashes and brows. Not a pretty sight, but … She grinned at her reflection, then lowered the mirror, suddenly almost frightened. The person she had just seen reflected was a stranger! Not me; I’m – I’m not like that, she thought confusedly. Ididn’t think I was pretty, exactly, but … that orange hair! I’ve seen better-looking cats, she thought, and realised even as it entered her mind that somewhere in her life was a large ginger cat with green eyes and a bottle-brush tail …
‘Well, queen? Aren’t you a nice-lookin’ gairl, then?’ The nurse’s voice was cheery. She laughed. ‘Reckernise yerself, do you? Well, I can assure you that the gairl in that mirror and the gairl in the bed is both Dana McBride. How did you get on with your pal, eh? Know her, did you? And the feller?’
Dana gave a little shiver. Thinking back she realised that Caitlin’s companion gave her the creeps. He had seemed straightforward enough, as though he wanted her to regain her memory, but suddenly she was sure he wanted nothing of the sort. She did not know why she felt that, but decided that for the time being at least she would continue to regard Mr James Mortimer with a good deal of suspicion. Caitlin, on the other hand, seemed a nice enough girl; perhaps if she could get her alone she might also get some answers. The only trouble was that right now she could not think of any question she ought to ask.
‘Well? Can I have me mirror back now, or do you want to freeze on to it for a bit?’ The nurse’s rosy young face suddenly broke into a broad smile. ‘Want to ax it some questions?’ She giggled again. ‘ Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? ’ she quoted.
Dana laughed with her but handed back the mirror. ‘I always was plain as a pikestaff,’ she said ruefully, then wondered what had made her say that. But the nurse was moving away from the bed, going over to another patient whose wildly waving hand indicated her urgentneed for a bedpan. Dana slid down the bed, abruptly realising that she was worn out. Even talking to her
After the two visitors had left, Dana lay back against her pillows and tried very hard to remember who she was. She supposed she must accept that she was Dana McBride, that this hospital was situated in Liverpool and that the girl, Caitlin, was her partner. Though why it should have occurred to either of them to start a tea room she could not imagine.
She had the feeling that the city was alien to her. She believed she was a country girl, and since Caitlin had told her that she had come from Ireland she supposed that this at least must be the truth. But she was getting tired; no doubt her memory would return in its own good time. The doctor had told her not to worry, but anyone would worry if they woke up in a strange hospital bed with one leg in plaster, a bump the size of a hen’s egg on the back of her skull and absolutely no recollection of who she was. ‘Get plenty of rest and above all don’t worry,’ the young doctor had said. Well, all she could do was obey his instructions and for the time being at least accept what the girl, Caitlin, had told her, and hope that her memory would soon return.
As she settled herself, a nurse in a blue striped dress came rustling up the ward and stopped by her bed. Hesitantly, Dana said, ‘Nurse, could you find me a mirror? If I saw my own face …’
The nurse beamed at her. ‘What a good idea,’ she said cheerfully. ‘I’ll fetch one at once. I gather from Sister that the sight of your friends didn’t do the trick? Oh well, I suppose it was too much to expect. I’ll just see to Mrs Stevens and then I’ll fetch you that mirror.’
Moments later, Dana gazed into a cheap little mirror and found that she was astonished by the face reflected therein. Hair the bright orange of carrots and curly as – as a pig’s tail. A face smothered in freckles and eyes green as bottle-glass with white lashes and brows. Not a pretty sight, but … She grinned at her reflection, then lowered the mirror, suddenly almost frightened. The person she had just seen reflected was a stranger! Not me; I’m – I’m not like that, she thought confusedly. Ididn’t think I was pretty, exactly, but … that orange hair! I’ve seen better-looking cats, she thought, and realised even as it entered her mind that somewhere in her life was a large ginger cat with green eyes and a bottle-brush tail …
‘Well, queen? Aren’t you a nice-lookin’ gairl, then?’ The nurse’s voice was cheery. She laughed. ‘Reckernise yerself, do you? Well, I can assure you that the gairl in that mirror and the gairl in the bed is both Dana McBride. How did you get on with your pal, eh? Know her, did you? And the feller?’
Dana gave a little shiver. Thinking back she realised that Caitlin’s companion gave her the creeps. He had seemed straightforward enough, as though he wanted her to regain her memory, but suddenly she was sure he wanted nothing of the sort. She did not know why she felt that, but decided that for the time being at least she would continue to regard Mr James Mortimer with a good deal of suspicion. Caitlin, on the other hand, seemed a nice enough girl; perhaps if she could get her alone she might also get some answers. The only trouble was that right now she could not think of any question she ought to ask.
‘Well? Can I have me mirror back now, or do you want to freeze on to it for a bit?’ The nurse’s rosy young face suddenly broke into a broad smile. ‘Want to ax it some questions?’ She giggled again. ‘ Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? ’ she quoted.
Dana laughed with her but handed back the mirror. ‘I always was plain as a pikestaff,’ she said ruefully, then wondered what had made her say that. But the nurse was moving away from the bed, going over to another patient whose wildly waving hand indicated her urgentneed for a bedpan. Dana slid down the bed, abruptly realising that she was worn out. Even talking to her
Similar Books
