as I've just said, I'm all for your getting to know Emma.' He looked at Ruth speculatively. 'Why do you ask?'
She responded against her better judgement, 'Because I'm not entirely sure of your feelings.'
He rapped out, 'My feelings ? I don't follow.'
Ruth retreated.
'Patients and all that. . .with Irene as she is.'
Adam was not prepared for his own vehemence as he retorted, 'Irene may dominate Emma's life, but she most certainly is not going to jeopardise your friendships.' He was aware that he was on dangerous ground, and did not wish to draw Ruth into a situation over which she had no control. She realised the extent of Irene's dependence upon Emma and that was enough. His professional opinions were sacrosanct.
'Then I shall ask her for Saturday,' Ruth said emphatically. She laughed, 'I take it that I can say, "Adam and I would like you to come"?'
Adam replied carelessly, 'Do.' He betrayed himself, which was unusual, as he added, 'I'm not her favourite person. We clash.' He regretted the confidence the moment he had made it.
Ruth gave him an indulgent smile. 'You don't go out of your way to charm women, my dear brother!'
'I'm a doctor, not a gigolo,' he flashed back.
Brother or not, Ruth thought, she didn't blame women for falling for him.
*
Emma received the invitation with mixed feelings. First and uppermost in her mind was the prospect of Irene's reactions and, secondly, her love for Adam made her nervous and ill at ease at the prospect of a social evening when, as Ruth had said, she would meet Paul Knight. Nevertheless, after consultation with Marion, she accepted and faced Irene's resistance.
'Why want to get in socially with them?' Irene asked irritably. 'Adam's my doctor, and there is such a thing as being too friendly.' She eyed Emma suspiciously, recalling everything that had been said between them about Adam, and fearful of the consequences should Emma see him in his own environment and be drawn into .his personal life.
Emma was roused to unusual irritation.
'Previously you have wanted me to encourage Adam to come here.'
'That's different.' She added a trifle petulantly, 'You're very funny with him. Never the same twice. . . and Ruth alters things.'
Emma took her stand.
'Because you don't want her here.'
Irene's attitude changed in a flash. She immediately looked pathetic and apologetic.
'I've no control over that.' Her voice shook. 'Agoraphobics often have a fear of talking to other people,' Irene said sadly. Her voice rose. 'It's a dreadful feeling, Emma.' She paused and added, to give weight to her words, 'It's all in that book.'
Emma was instantly alert. 'What book?'
'The medical one. I found it in the bookcase.'
'You don't want to dwell on all this,' Emma said cautiously. 'It's too easy to identify with symptoms.'
Irene's voice rose. 'I don't identify. . .I have the symptoms. That's just it: people don't understand.' She hastily added, 'Oh, you do; you've been wonderful.' Her eyes clouded. 'Only just sometimes recently I've felt that you weren't so sympathetic, and Adam is trying to make me do things that I simply can't do.'
'Adam,' Emma said, illogically defensive, 'wants to cure you.' She added with understanding, 'To get you back into '
Irene cried out, 'I don't want to be told that. I can't make. . . I can be calm and peaceful. . .' She puckered her brows and looked forlorn. 'Are you getting tired of me, Emma?' Her voice broke. 'Is that it?' She hurried on, 'Oh, please. . .'
She put out her hands in mute appeal and Emma grasped them, insisting, 'Of course I'm not getting tired of you. . .I only want you to get better.'
Irene murmured in a low, almost terrified tone, 'And if I—I shouldn't get better? You—you wouldn't send me away—put me somewhere?' Great sobs shook her, calm vanishing as terror took its place and she flung herself into Emma's arms.
Emma held her with compassion, and it was almost as though she were fighting Adam as she vowed, 'Never— never. Don't think
She responded against her better judgement, 'Because I'm not entirely sure of your feelings.'
He rapped out, 'My feelings ? I don't follow.'
Ruth retreated.
'Patients and all that. . .with Irene as she is.'
Adam was not prepared for his own vehemence as he retorted, 'Irene may dominate Emma's life, but she most certainly is not going to jeopardise your friendships.' He was aware that he was on dangerous ground, and did not wish to draw Ruth into a situation over which she had no control. She realised the extent of Irene's dependence upon Emma and that was enough. His professional opinions were sacrosanct.
'Then I shall ask her for Saturday,' Ruth said emphatically. She laughed, 'I take it that I can say, "Adam and I would like you to come"?'
Adam replied carelessly, 'Do.' He betrayed himself, which was unusual, as he added, 'I'm not her favourite person. We clash.' He regretted the confidence the moment he had made it.
Ruth gave him an indulgent smile. 'You don't go out of your way to charm women, my dear brother!'
'I'm a doctor, not a gigolo,' he flashed back.
Brother or not, Ruth thought, she didn't blame women for falling for him.
*
Emma received the invitation with mixed feelings. First and uppermost in her mind was the prospect of Irene's reactions and, secondly, her love for Adam made her nervous and ill at ease at the prospect of a social evening when, as Ruth had said, she would meet Paul Knight. Nevertheless, after consultation with Marion, she accepted and faced Irene's resistance.
'Why want to get in socially with them?' Irene asked irritably. 'Adam's my doctor, and there is such a thing as being too friendly.' She eyed Emma suspiciously, recalling everything that had been said between them about Adam, and fearful of the consequences should Emma see him in his own environment and be drawn into .his personal life.
Emma was roused to unusual irritation.
'Previously you have wanted me to encourage Adam to come here.'
'That's different.' She added a trifle petulantly, 'You're very funny with him. Never the same twice. . . and Ruth alters things.'
Emma took her stand.
'Because you don't want her here.'
Irene's attitude changed in a flash. She immediately looked pathetic and apologetic.
'I've no control over that.' Her voice shook. 'Agoraphobics often have a fear of talking to other people,' Irene said sadly. Her voice rose. 'It's a dreadful feeling, Emma.' She paused and added, to give weight to her words, 'It's all in that book.'
Emma was instantly alert. 'What book?'
'The medical one. I found it in the bookcase.'
'You don't want to dwell on all this,' Emma said cautiously. 'It's too easy to identify with symptoms.'
Irene's voice rose. 'I don't identify. . .I have the symptoms. That's just it: people don't understand.' She hastily added, 'Oh, you do; you've been wonderful.' Her eyes clouded. 'Only just sometimes recently I've felt that you weren't so sympathetic, and Adam is trying to make me do things that I simply can't do.'
'Adam,' Emma said, illogically defensive, 'wants to cure you.' She added with understanding, 'To get you back into '
Irene cried out, 'I don't want to be told that. I can't make. . . I can be calm and peaceful. . .' She puckered her brows and looked forlorn. 'Are you getting tired of me, Emma?' Her voice broke. 'Is that it?' She hurried on, 'Oh, please. . .'
She put out her hands in mute appeal and Emma grasped them, insisting, 'Of course I'm not getting tired of you. . .I only want you to get better.'
Irene murmured in a low, almost terrified tone, 'And if I—I shouldn't get better? You—you wouldn't send me away—put me somewhere?' Great sobs shook her, calm vanishing as terror took its place and she flung herself into Emma's arms.
Emma held her with compassion, and it was almost as though she were fighting Adam as she vowed, 'Never— never. Don't think
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