Nurse Angela (11 page)

Since her return from Paris Angela had shrunk subconsciously from making this decision. She had thought, in a vague kind of way, to first cure herself of the infatuation she felt for Simon, for that, she told herself firmly, was all that it was. Perhaps once she had made up her mind about Roger it would be easier to fight this thing. She was fond of Roger—many women had married on less feeling. Love would grow, she felt sure, once she could forget Simon. She was more than fond of Roger; she could almost say she loved him. There was not a single thing about him that she didn’t like. He had intimated that he wanted their wedding to be soon, a honeymoon in October or November. Her heart gave a sickening twist and something like a sob escaped her. Angrily she wiped away the tears that threatened to spill as she made her decision to say “yes” to Roger.

Her cloak over her shoulders and her small, personal case in her hand she walked in to the hospital.

"Good evening, Sister,” Matron said with unusual coolness and an even cooler look.

Angela wondered what was wrong. “Good evening, Matron.” Matron gave her a brief report of the day, then startled her by saying, “I hear you and Dr. LeFeure were in Paris together, Sister.”

CHAPTER
TEN

Angela caught her breath.
“What ...
what did you say, Matron?”

Matron pursed her lips. “You heard perfectly well what I said, Sister. It was brought to my ears this morning. I daresay that, by now, the whole hospital is talking. And I don’t like it, Sister. Not one bit.”

“It was brought to you this morning? But how could it be? I don’t understand.”

“You should be more careful when you’re talking on the telephone. But that is unimportant
...
”

Angela’s mind flew back to her telephone conversation with Roger that morning. There had been no one in sight at the time. In any case, who would go tattling to Matron?

“The important thing is,” Matron was saying, “that there has been unsavory gossip in the hospital about two people in positions of authority. Yourself and Dr. LeFeure.”

“I’ve heard nothing of it.”

Matron gave her a sharp look. “Of course you haven’t. You’ve been asleep in bed most of the day. In any case, the person—or persons—gossiped about are the last ones to hear it. It was a most unwise and indiscreet thing for you to do, to say the least. Going off to Paris like that—”

Angela wondered exactly how much Matron knew, or thought she knew. There had certainly been no details in her telephone conversation.

“—and I told Dr. LeFeure so myself,” Matron concluded.

“So you spoke to Dr. LeFeure about it?” Angela murmured.

“Naturally, though not until a great deal of damage had been done. Why you had to be so mysterious about everything, I don’t know. I don’t listen to gossip as you know, Sister—” Angela could barely suppress a smile at this, agitated though she was. “But,” Matron continued, “I have a right to know wh
a
t is going on in my own hospital. As a matter of fact, Sister, had it not been for Dr. LeFeure telling me about your engagement, I would have asked for your resignation.”

“My ... my engagement?” How did Simon know she was about to become engaged to Roger? He must have guessed. But in any case—

“Yes,” Matron broke once more into her thoughts.
“And
I suppose I must congratulate you, but why you had to keep it so quiet is a mystery to me. You don’t even wear a ring.”

“Well ... I ...
we haven’t got around to that yet.” It rather looked as though her mind had been made up for her, she thought. Roger would be delighted. “In any case, Matron, I wouldn’t wear it on duty.”

Matron shrugged and reached for her cloak.

“Well, it’s very regrettable that it should have come out in this way. Besides, I hate changes, especially in my Night Sister and you’ll probably be leaving soon. Unless, of course, he doesn’t mind his wife working. But then, there’s always a chance of starting a family, so you’re bound to leave sooner or later. The whole thing is most upsetting, anyway, and I do think you might have told me yourself. Ah well, good night to you, Sister.”

“Good night, Matron.”

Angela sat down at the desk and stared with unseeing eyes at the report. So in spite of their attempt to keep quiet about the journey to Paris, it had leaked out, and of course, it had been greatly embellished. And Simon had told Matron she was engaged. That too, no doubt, would be all over the hospital by now. She suddenly wanted to cry. Not because the hospital would be buzzing with news of her engagement to Roger, but because it was Simon himself who had put the final word to the end of their chapter.

She forced her eyes to read the report on the desk, and noted thankfully that there was very little change. She would do a quick round and be in the office tonight before Simon came. Not that she wanted any lengthy discussion on the matter, she thought wretchedly, but there was sure to be some small explanations called for. Suddenly she colored. Supposing he thought she herself had talked about their time in Paris? It. would depend on what Matron had told him. It was true they had never actually discussed the necessity of not letting people know they were traveling to Paris together, but she had taken it for granted that he would not want it talked about.

Pausing on the children’s wards only long enough to ask the two night nurses if the children were all right, she went swiftly from ward to ward, lingering solely at the beds of the very ill patients. There was no way of knowing if any of the gossip had reached the night nurses. They were as polite and respectful as always.

Only Nurse Hodgson gave her an odd look when Angela said, “Nurse, don’t bring in my tea tonight or any other night in future until Dr. LeFeure has gone.”

“But, Sister, how shall I know—”

“I’ll give you a call, Nurse.”

That would be something for Nurse Hodgson to repeat, she thought dryly.

Simon came early and gave her a rather strange look when she greeted him in the usual way and informed him that the patients were all comfortable and needed no fresh treatment.

“Has ...
Matron said anything to you, Angela?” he asked.

“Yes, she has, and I’d be obliged, Doctor, if you would cease to call me by my Christian name.”

To her surprise, a slight smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

“But surely, under the circumstances—” he began.

She interrupted him. “If I hadn’t got into the habit of calling you ‘Simon,’ this so-called scandal would not have started.”

“Who says there’s a scandal?”

“Matron seems to think so.”

“What happened? How did she find out
about ...
Paris? I didn’t ask her.”

“I happened to mention your name in connection with Paris when I was on the phone in the nurses residence this morning. I was talking to Roger. Someone was evidently hiding around a corner or something and overheard me. Whoever it was told Matron.”

“Very smart!” observed Simon. “What did she hope to gain?”

Angela shrugged. “My resignation perhaps.”

He looked at her sharply. “Has your resignation been asked for? If so, I shall have something to say about that.”

“According to Matron, I would have definitely been asked for it, had you not told her that I was engaged to be married.”

“You don’t seem to mind very much about my telling Matron that,” he said, eyeing her quizzically.

“Well, you just precipitated the inevitable.”

He gave a violent start, “Precipitated it?”

“Yes. Roger has asked me to marry him, and naturally I am going to say ‘yes’ to him.”

He stared at her, all the color draining from his face.

She looked at him puzzled. He seemed to be making a great effort to pull himself together.

“Angela ...” he
said at last. “There’s something you don’t quite understand. I’m sorry, but
I ...
I told Matron you were engaged to me.”

Her eyes widened and she drew in a sharp breath. The room seemed to be spinning around her.

“You did what?” she breathed incredulously. She put a trembling hand to her cheek and sat down abruptly, her knees weak and shaking. She struggled to get a grip on herself. Surely she had not heard properly.

“You ... oh, but you ...
you couldn’t have.
It ...
it’s not possible.”

“I’m afraid I did. It—”

“But, whatever made you say such a thing? This is unforgivable. Quite unforgivable.” Tears stung her eyes.

He fingered some papers on the desk uncomfortably. He knew he had taken a risk, but he hadn’t anticipated her being this upset.

“I thought it was the best thing to do, for your sake. Anything to still the chattering tongues. For myself, gossip goes right over my head. I don’t come into contact off duty with these people as you do.”

“Yes, but ...
but to say that you and I are engaged! Oh, it’s preposterous.”

He thrust his hands miserably into his pockets.

“I ...
I’m sorry if the idea is so repugnant to you, Angela, but I really did think I was doing the right thing. After all, engagements can easily be broken. We’ll just have to pretend for a while, then quietly break it off.”

“But what am I going to say to Roger?”

“He’ll understand, I’m sure. I’ll explain it to him if you like.” Angela stared at him, still unable to take in what had happened. A mock engagement to Simon. It was cruel. How could he have done such a thing? Anger welled up inside her. How dare he play such a trick on her! Was she never going to be free of this man? She felt she hated him. Yes, hated him!

“Dr. LeFeure,” she said angrily. “You have taken a very great liberty. This must not be allowed to go on. In the morning, you must tell Matron that it is not true. You can tell her that you made a mistake, that I’ve changed my mind, or anything you like, but I will not go on with this.”

“But, Angela, that will only make matters worse.”

“I don’t care, I
—
”

The telephone rang. She fervently hoped it would not be Roger. That would be too much at the moment.

“Hello
—
”

“Hello, Lindsay. This is Roberts here. I say, congratulations. I’ve just heard about your engagement. I must say you’ve given us all a surprise.”

“And
something to talk about too, I suppose,” Angela returned tartly.

Nancy laughed. “But of course. You’ve set the whole hospital on its ear. But at least, it’s pleasant talk. You should have heard Hughes and some of the other cats this morning. Of course, Hughes is more jealous than ever. Are you coming over to lock up soon? If so—”

Angela made a desperate effort to stem the tide of chatter. “Look, Nancy, I don’t want to go into the sitting room. Go up to your room and I’ll look in there. I want to talk to you.”

“Righto. Don’t have your tea over there. I’ll make some and take it up to my room.”

“Very well, I’ll be right over.” She put down the receiver. “That was the first congratulation on my so-called engagement,” she told Simon icily.

“Why didn’t you say it isn’t true?”

“I didn’t get the chance, but I’m going over there now, and—”

“Angela,” he said urgently. “Please, don’t contradict it yet. I can understand how you feel, but I honestly did it for the best. Please forgive me, I beg of you, and don’t act impulsively.”

She picked up her cloak and bade him a curt good night. She would never forgive him. Never.

In Nancy Roberts’s room, Angela took the cup of tea that was offered to her. After what had transpired during the past few hours, she felt she needed it.

“I can’t think what you’re looking so angry about.” Nancy was saying. “I think it’s wonderful news! And certainly one in the eye for Hughes. Did you get engaged in Paris? How awfully romantic.” Nancy was the youngest sister in the hospital and the children on her ward loved her. At the sight of her small, eager face alight with the romantic vision of herself and Simon, Angela’s anger subsided.

“We ... we naturally wanted to announce it in our own good time,” she found herself saying. Then with an attempt to be as honest about the affair as she possibly could, she said, “To tell you the truth, Nancy, we discovered, quite by accident, that we were both going to Paris at the same time. Dr. LeFeure offered me a lift to Paris in a car. We became friendly and—”

“And then you fell in love,” finished Nancy. “I wish something like that would happen to me.”

“Well, naturally, we kept quiet about Paris. You know how people gossip.”

Nancy raised her eyes heavenward. “I do, Sister,” she said emphatically.
“And
honestly, Lindsay, Hughes is as bad as anyone. In fact, she’s worse, for she’s really nasty. Most of us aren’t you know, we’re just interested, or curious at the most. After you’d gone last night, Hughes came down to the sitting room and of course, we were still talking about Paris, but she twisted everything we said.”

“I expect you were wondering, among yourselves, who I went out with there,” Angela said ironically.

“Yes, that’s right. But of course, Hughes—”

“I know,” said Angela heavily. “And by the way, Nancy, call me Angela. I’d much prefer it.”

Nancy nodded. “Well, the next thing we knew, Hughes was putting it around that you and Dr. LeFeure had been to Paris together. You can just imagine the stir that caused, Angela. Then, before we’d properly recovered from that, we heard you and he were engaged. So some people had to eat a lot of words.”

Good heavens. Just because they thought we were engaged, it was suddenly all quite respectable.”

Nancy looked at her oddly. “Well, I suppose it does make a difference as far as some people are concerned.”

Angela sighed, and rose to go, realizing that far from denying her engagement to Simon, she had practically confirmed it. And after all, in view of what Nancy had told her, perhaps Simon had done the right thing and it Would be as well to let the matter lie for a while.

“Well, Nancy, don’t go telling anyone what I’ve just told you, will you?” she said as she went to the door. “I mean about Dr. LeFeure giving me a lift. The less people talk about us, the better pleased
I ...
we’ll both be.”

Nancy was bursting to ask what Roger felt about it all, but Angela had gone before she could speak again.

Angela did not see Simon until the following evening when he came as usual to her office.

He gave her a searching look. “I didn’t tell Matron you know, Angela,” he said. “How do you feel now about things?”

“I still feel upset, naturally,” she answered coolly. “But on having a talk with Sister Roberts, I felt it would be best, after all, to let the matter rest for a while.”

He nodded. “You’re very wise. I felt sure you would see that after you had had time to think. Have you seen Roger yet?” he added.

“No. He’s away for a few days. I’ll be seeing him next Monday. My supposed engagement to you will not prevent my becoming engaged to Roger. Then perhaps, in a short while, I shall be leaving here. And that will be the end of that.”

Simon colored, then paled, and his lips tightened. “It’s all very unfortunate and I can understand your annoyance. But don’t imagine for one moment that I’m enjoying this situation, because I can assure you that I’m not. Definitely not.”

He left without another word and for the next day or two, their conversation was strictly professional. Angela told herself it was better this way.

On Saturday morning, Angela received a letter from her mother, saying that Suzette would be arriving in England on that day and could Angela possibly come home on Sunday. “I have also written to Simon and invited him,” the letter continued. “I thought it would be such a good idea if you two could come over together.”

Angela’s first impulse was to send her mother a wire saying that she could not possibly come. Yet her mother would be terribly hurt if she didn’t go, she argued with herself. And it would be very discourteous to Suzette, who had been so kind to her while she was in Paris.