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wistful. 'He did say he might pop down again some
time wants to show me an old cookery-book he had
from his granny. He still uses the recipes in it.' She
added, 'Mr van Linssen's been in Scotland, operating
on some bigwig, then he went to Ireland to operate
on some poor men who had their kneecaps shot
away. He's a dab hand with bones, Mr Dodge said.'
The village rallied round when Trottie came
home; the local taxi fetched her and refused to take
his fare, the butcher supplied his choicest leg of
188 FATE TAKES A HAND
lamb, the greengrocer carried up a basket of vege-
tables and the baker offered a cake, and Mr Wedge,
not to be outdone, delivered a dozen bottles of milk
stout. She held court for several days, sitting in the
living-room, and stumped around on her crutches,
making sure Eulalia was keeping the kitchen as she
liked it. She slept in the dining-room, for the stairs
were beyond her, on a bed Eulalia had borrowed
from the Boy and Horseshoe, and life quickly settled
down again. But it wasn't safe to leave her, Eulalia
had decided. She would have to wait until Trottie
had had her plaster changed and was quite confident
on her crutches.
Trottie had been home for two weeks when Mr
Dodge arrived in the Rover. He had brought flowers
again and a basket of fruit, not the apples and pears
which were so easy to come by in the village, but
pineapples and grapes and hot-house peaches. He
stayed for tea, and since he had come soon after
lunch Eulalia felt free to go into Cirencester once
more and see Mr Willett. Not that she got any sat-
isfaction from that gentleman. There was no news of
the rent, she was told, these things took time. So she
went back home and found Trottie and Mr Dodge in
the kitchen making cucumber sandwiches and toast-
ing tea-cakes. A prosaic occupation and yet she de-
tected a distinct whiff of romance.
It wasn't until he was on the point of going that
he handed Eulalia an envelope. It contained a
BETTY NEELS 189
scrawled note from Mr van Linssen, informing her
that he would be coming the following morning to
take Trottie to the hospital. 'About ten o'clock,' said
Dodge, 'if Miss Trott could be ready by then. I am
to say that there will be no need for you to accom-
pany her and she will be brought back as soon as
possible.'
`Is something wrong?' Eulalia looked anxiously at
Dodge. 'There's nothing in this note...'
`I apprehend that Miss Trott is to be examined to
make sure that the wound on her leg has healed prop-
erly.' He added with an air of reproach, 'Mr van
Linssen would have told you if there was anything
you should know.'
She agreed meekly.
Mr van Linssen arrived at ten o'clock the next
day, pleasantly refused the coffee she offered, and
lost no time in packing Trottie neatly into the car.
His manner was brisk. Obviously he was a man with
no time to waste, although he spared a moment to
tumble Charlie and lay a gentle finger on Blossom.
Rather daunted by his manner, Eulalia offered lunch
on their return. It was refused with polite regret, so
that she said with a sudden burst of temper, 'I can't
think why you should spend your valuable time driv-
ing all this way. We are most grateful, of course, but
I can easily hire a car next time.'
He turned at the door as he left the cottage, and
gave her a look it was a look to melt her bones
and she took a step backwards, blinded by the sud-
190 FATE TAKES A HAND
den shock of it. This was neither the time nor the
place in which to fall in love, and if she wasn't care-
ful she would make a fool of herself. It was a mercy
that he didn't like her overmuch; everything he had
done for them was because he liked Peter...
He got into the car and drove away and she made
herself smile and wave to Trottie, wedged into the
back seat, but alone in the small sitting-room there
was no need to smile. She felt overwhelming relief
that she hadn't lost her head and flung herself at him,
but he had looked at her...
She must have been mistaken. His manner had
been brusque, even if polite. She would need to
match her manner with his, and once Trottie was
well there would be no need to see him again she
had said that several times already and each time
Fate had stepped in.
Anxious to forget her unhappy thoughts, she flung
herself into an orgy of housework.
The morning became noon and then afternoon and
there was no sign of them. Eulalia ate a sandwich
and made a cup of coffee and tidied herself. They
would certainly want tea...
She was in the kitchen and didn't hear the
Bentley's silent stop. They were in the sitting-room
before she realised it. She cast a satisfied eye over
the scones she had just taken from the oven,
switched on the kettle and went to meet them.
Mr van Linssen was helping Trottie off with her
coat. 'Everything is exactly as it should be,' he ob-
BETTY NEELS 191
served. 'In a few weeks the plaster can be changed
and in the meantime she may get around on her
crutches, as long as she doesn't get tired.'
`That's great. Tea's ready.' Eulalia didn't quite
look at him.
`I must leave you to enjoy it. I've an engagement
this evening.'
His Ursula, of course. She said brightly, 'Oh, I'm
sorry you can't stay. Thank you for coming it made
it so easy for Trottie.'
She saw him to the door, looking no higher than
his chin and longing for him to kiss her again. But
he didn't. He said nothing at all, shook Trottie's hand
and was gone, all within the space of a few minutes.
`I made some scones,' said Eulalia. 'I thought he
might have stayed, but of course he wouldn't want
to, would he? Not after the fuss about the money and
the cottage. Perhaps I should have said something
about it...'
`Best leave well alone,' said Trottie, 'and I could
do with one of those scones, love. I had a nice lunch
at the hospital while my plaster was drying. Ever so
kind they were, all trooping around behind Mr van
Linssen like the stars around the sun. Real famous
he is, so one of the nurses told me, travels all over
the place putting bones to rights.'
Eulalia listened eagerly. Any crumb of news about
him was to be treasured and sorted and stored away.
Loving him, she could see, would be a great waste
of time but she wasn't sure how to stop it. Perhaps
192 FATE TAKES A HAND
once she had got over the first delicious thrill of it
she would be able to damp it down.
She fetched the scones and made the tea and lis-
tened to Trottie's account of her day, and presently
she went to fetch Peter from the Rectory and the
evening's activities swamped any private thoughts.
The weeks went by, enlivened by visits from Dodge,
carrying flowers for Trottie and sweets for Peter.
They looked forward to seeing him although, to
Eulalia's sorrow, he never mentioned Mr van
Linssen. It was obvious that he was taken with
Trottie and she with him; they went for short, careful
walks together and Trottie looked ten years younger.
It seemed very likely that they would marry, and
Eulalia, while happy to know that her friend's future
was secure, wondered how best she could rearrange
her own. If and when Trottie married Dodge she
would, of course, take her pension with her and there
would be no money at all. The problem would be to
find work which fitted in with being at home for
Peter when he got back from school each day. It
would have to fit in with the buses going either to
Cirencester or Malmesbury and allow her to be at
home when he returned. It was a worry which kept
her awake at night, one which she felt she couldn't
share with Trottie.
It wasn't until Dodge had driven away on one of
the frequent visits that Trottie said, 'Miss Lally, dear,
Dodge and me are wishful to marry, but not until the
BETTY NEELS 193
time's right. Dodge will tell Mr van Linssen and bide
by what he says.'
Eulalia gave her a hug and wished her happy and
said light-heartedly that she and Dodge were made
for each other. 'He's a good man, Trottie, and I know
you'll be happy. What fun to have a wedding in the
family.' Later, though, when Trottie had gone to bed,
she sat in the kitchen, staring at the wall, wishing
with all her heart that by some mysterious means [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]