Nurse Trudie is Engaged

NURSE TRUDIE
IS
ENGAGE
D

Marjorie Norrell

“
An engagement of convenience
”
was how Philip had described his proposal. But hadn
’
t he guessed how Trudie really felt?

CHAPTER ONE

P
hilip Malham straightened the aching muscles in his back and flexed his fingers in their shrouding rubber gloves as the nurse came forward to help him remove his white coat. He was tired. He had been operating all morning, and that last operation had been a difficult and rather tricky one. He had been grateful for the nurse
’
s quick, implicit obedience to his orders and more than grateful that she had appeared to have an instinctive knowledge of what he would require next. His gray eyes smiled down into her surprisingly blue ones, congratulating her.

“
Thank you, Nurse,
”
he said formally.
“
I would like you to know how much I appreciate your help this morning. You look as tired as I feel.
”
Suddenly he grinned.
“
I hope you
’
re due for some free time.
”

“
I start my week off duty this afternoon,
”
Trudie Hislop told him, conscious of the hot tide of color rushing from the base, of her throat to the roots of her dark gold hair. Words of praise in any form, were rare indeed from the senior consultant surgeon at St. Catherine
’
s.

“
Will there by anything else?
”
Trudie asked quietly as he appeared about to speak again.

“
No. No, thank you.
”
With a start Philip brought himself back to the present and smiled again.
“
I hope you enjoy your rest,
”
he added, surprising himself as she murmured something he could not quite hear and then quietly slipped away.

“
Getting friendly, aren
’
t you?
”
John Broadly, the anesthetist smiled at Philip as he prepared to leave the operating room.

“
Perhaps,
”
Philip agreed noncommittally,
“
but I think I
’
m safe enough where Nurse Hislop is concerned. She
’
s different, more engrossed in her work than in anything else. She wouldn
’
t be such a good all-around nurse if it were otherwise.
”

“
She
’
s a good nurse all right,
”
John agreed.
“
I
’
m glad to see she
’
s recovered from the shock of her brother
’
s death,
”
he added, completely mystifying Philip, who knew little or nothing of the private lives of the other people working in the hospital.
“
Her father is Stephen Hislop. He
’
s the general practitioner out in your area,
”
John added.

“
Oh!
”
Philip nodded. Strangely enough he had never thought of Trudie in connection with the tall, burly Stephen Hislop.
“
I remember now. Died abroad in some mysterious shooting accident, didn
’
t he? Just about a year ago now.
”

“
That
’
s right. Trudie is his twin. There are two other brothers, but Trudie and Garth were very close.
”

“
You seem to know all about it,
”
Philip commented as they left the operating room together.
“
Friends of yours?
”

“
I
’
ve known Stephen for more years than I care to remember,
”
John said soberly.
“
Grand chap. Grand family. I
’
ve known them all since they were babies. I knew their mother, too.
”

“
Knew?
”
Philip wasn
’
t really interested but was intent on being polite.

“
She died about six years ago,
”
John told him.
“
Clever pianist. Did a great deal of concert work for charity.
”
He paused a moment, then, sensing his companion
’
s lack of interest he dropped the subject abruptly.
“
They have a housekeeper now,
”
he concluded,
“
and the wheels seem to turn around all right out at The Cedars. I
’
m for a coffee,
”
he added.
“
Coming?
”

“
Not just now, thanks,
”
Philip paused at the door of the consultants
’
lounge.
“
One or two points I want to clear up with a few people first.
”

“
About your new appointment?
”
John asked.

“
Yes.
”
Philip
’
s glance roamed around the corridor walls for a moment, but it was obvious he was not seeing them.
“
I
’
m opening private consulting rooms in Thrackwaite,
”
he added.
“
There
’
s ample scope there, and Fellfield is a little too crowded now. I wanted the appointment
... it will give me more time to myself, and I
’
ll be able to do a number of things I
’
ve always wanted to do.
”

“
Time you did,
”
John announced,
“
You
’
ve done nothing but work ever since you came here, and that must be all of five years ago now. Time you married and settled down,
”
he continued jokingly.
“
You
’
ve had long enough being the catch of the community!
”
He was smiling, but there was no answering smile on Philip
’
s face.

“
I was merely joking,
”
John said a little uneasily.
“
All the same, there is something in what I say, especially if you
’
re opening private consulting rooms in Thrackwaite. People like their doctor to be married. Somehow it gives them more confidence.
”

“
When I marry—if I ever do—it will be because I love the woman, not because people expect me to be a married man,
”
Philip asserted firmly.
“
I don
’
t see that our private lives are the concern of anyone but ourselves, and I see no reason to change my ideas just now.
”

With that he turned abruptly and left John to continue his way down the corridor. Philip, the door of the lounge closed firmly behind him, leaned against its panels and gave vent to a deep sigh.

“
That sounded heartfelt! Come and have some coffee. I
’
ve just had it sent in for us.
”

From the depths of the big chair where she liked to relax, Dora Stacey, consultant on children
’
s diseases, roused to greet him.

“
Congratulations and all the rest of it,
”
she said as she poured the coffee.
“
It was what you wanted, I know.
”

“
Thanks.
”
Philip accepted the coffee, suddenly grateful for the hot, sweet liquid.
“
Yes,
”
he admitted, offering her a cigarette,
“
it was what I wanted.
”

“
But now everyone is wondering when you and Ursula are going to announce your engagement. That
’
s it, isn
’
t it?
”
Dora blew a cloud of smoke into the air and regarded him through the haze.
“
Don
’
t let them rush you into anything,
”
she added surprisingly.
“
A number of people do things they think other people expect them to do, and then they
’
re sorry afterward.
”
she went on.
“
Ursula
’
s a sweet girl, and I
’
m very fond of her, but she
’
s not the right one for you.
”

“
None of them are,
”
Ph
il
lip laughed, but the laughter had a cold, gloomy note.
“
Maybe there
’
s something wrong with me,
”
he speculated,
“
or maybe it
’
s just that I
’
ve lived most of my life without much feminine influence and can
’
t get accustomed to accepting it now. I don
’
t know. I only know there
’
s something that
... jars after a time, with everyone.
”

“
There
’
ll be one,
the
one, some day,
”
Dora comforted him, rising from her chair and stretching luxuriously.
“
You
’
ll see. In the meantime the best protection you can have is a nice, safe, comfortable engagement to someone who doesn
’
t want to rush off to the altar in a blaze of white satin as soon as is decently possible. There must be someone around. I
’
d volunteer myself if I were 20 years younger, but surely there
’
s some other female of your acquaintance who
’
s as dedicated to her own calling as you are to yours? It
’
s worthwhile looking around, Philip. It
’
s your best form of protection. As you are now, unattached, free, you
’
re fair game for anyone. I
’
m going now.
”
She glanced at her watch.
“
I
’
ve a committee meeting in half an hour. I
’
m hoping they
’
re going to add a block in my department out on the extension. Keep your fingers crossed for me! A great deal will depend on Mr. Hardy Sinclair
’
s mood this morning!
”

Philip acknowledged her departure and remained where he was, smoking, relaxing and thinking. Hardy Sinclair, chairman of the hospital
’
s management committee, was a solicitor of some standing in the community. While he was noted as being a fair
-
minded and just man, seeing both sides to every question, everyone knew how devoted he was to his niece. Philip wondered uneasily just how much pressure, if any, had been brought to bear upon him to make him give the casting vote in Philip
’
s favor.

“
I wonder how many other people applied for the job?
”
he asked himself as he rose from the chair and began to pace the confines of the room.
“
I know Mason-Dickenson was up for an interview—
”

“
Sorry to barge in on you, but I thought I
’
d find you here.
”
The door opened and John Broadly entered, his usual cheery grin on his face.
“
Just popped in to ask if you
’
re putting in a special request for any of the staff here to be transferred to your new section,
”
he went on.
“
Sister Meredith asked me who was to be the operating room Sister over there. She knows there are a number of new nurses coming to join us, but I think she rather hoped for the appointment herself.
”

“
That
’
s Matron
’
s department, not mine,
”
Philip
said briefly.
“
So long as she
’
s efficient I don
’
t care who she is.
”

“
There are a number of people who want to move over there,
”
John told him.
“
Doesn
’
t it make you feel good to know that so many attractive women are anxious to work in your new extension?
”
he ended on a teasing note.

“
Not particularly,
”
Philip said briefly.
“
I think you
’
re making mountains out of molehills, John, and just trying to annoy me. I
’
m worried enough as it is, wondering just how much pressure was brought to bear on Mr. Sinclair to make him give the casting vote in my favor
... and there would be a casting vote, you know that as well as I do.
”