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Five minutes later, with a click of high heels, Adele hurried past the open door of the waiting room, and Davina got up slowly to watch her walk briskly down the corridor and push open the swing doors. Even from the back, Adele looked like a fashion plate in a gold tweed coat with a blonde mink collar no lovelier than the long golden hair held back by a knot of ribbon. Glancing down at her green trouser suit with its matching polo neck woollen top, Davina knew she couldn’t hope to compete when it came to clothes with Adele. Not that it mattered now, she thought, as she prepared to face Rex.

Her reluctance to face him made her usually transparent features turn into an expressionless mask, though as she concentrated on keeping a guard over her bruised feelings, Davina was not aware she was acting out of character. She walked to the end of the bed and standing stiffly laid the books and magazines on his bed table.

As she asked formally, ‘Are you feeling better?’ Rex eyed her thoughtfully, then, ‘Come and sit down,' he urged, and patted the chair which Adele had so recently occupied.

Davina only just managed to control a shiver of distaste as she said hurriedly, ‘No, I mustn’t stop. I’ve a lot to do while I’m near the shops.’ She was suddenly aware of small things about Rex, the bruise on his forehead beginning to go yellow at the outer edges, the lipstick on his right cheek ... Quickly she looked away. ‘I don’t know when I’ll be able to get in again, so I must stock up a bit.'

There was an uneasy silence as she realised how lame that sounded, for Rex knew as well as she did what time the shops closed. She rushed on, ‘I want to get back before it’s dark, because Mr Farr’s holding the fort and he must have a decent meal before I take him home. He was the one who fetched help yesterday, you know,’ she ended, miserably aware of babbling like a schoolgirl.

Stealing a glance at his face, she saw that a stern, uncompromising look had replaced Rex’s first welcoming smile. He said quite levelly, however, and with only a hint of the old mockery in his voice, ‘I mustn’t keep you, then. Off you go, and thanks for the reading matter. They may keep me in a day or two, so I’m afraid I must rely on you and Farr to keep things ticking over until I’m on my feet again.'

Did even asking this of her go against his better judgment? Davina wondered, and hitched her shoulder bag higher as she prepared to leave. ‘Don’t worry. Jim will give me a hand if I get into difficulties,’ she said thoughtlessly, and saw a flash of real anger cross Rex’s face before she turned and fled.

She had the shopping done and loaded into the Land Rover in record time. Suddenly aware that in order to be at the hospital early she had missed lunch, she went into a cafe near the parking lot and asked for a cup of tea.

Suddenly the picture of Rex and Adele, their heads together, exchanging smiles, could be dismissed no longer and she was haunted by a feeling of deprivation. Stirring the contents of her teacup round and round in bitter self-analysis, she faced the end of all her hopes. Despite all his taunts and attempts to make life difficult for her of late she now knew she had subconsciously clung to the belief that Rex’s behaviour during the earlier part of her stay at Nineveh had not all been play-acting.

Now she could delude herself no longer. All that tenderness, all the passion he had deliberately aroused in her had been as he had stated—solely to teach her a lesson she’d never forget. Well, he had succeeded, perhaps even beyond his dreams. If the cup in front of her had contained arsenic instead of sugar, she would have drunk it gratefully, she thought, but laid down her spoon with a sigh. Melodramatic gestures were just for books, not for real life. What was that quotation? she thought, as she got up to pay the bill. ‘Men have died and the worms have eaten them, But not for love’— that was it.

In real life you have to soldier on, Davina thought as she drove back to feed the tough old man. It was balm to a sore heart therefore to see the welcoming light streaming out across the farmyard as she pulled up, and she went inside to find not only the old shepherd but Jim Thomas waiting for her to return.

The table was laid, the kettle steaming, and as he relieved her of the shopping bags Jim said, ‘I ran the old bus into the shed. Hope you don’t mind. And we’ve been raiding your larder. Old Bill and I thought you’d be tired after coping with all this snow, so we’ve got a meal ready.’

Davina smiled, choked by this unexpected kindliness. ‘Old Bill she took to mean Mr Farr. She’d never heard his first name that she could remember. As she turned to thank the old man he said, ‘I hear Gaffer’s coming along all right. I don’t doubt he’s giving them pretty nurses a run for their money.’

Accepting a cup of tea, Davina did not reply. Jim gave her a searching look, then turned casually to the old shepherd and said, ‘So my sister tells me. She called in before visiting began. Did you see her?’ he asked Davina. Then to her relief he went on, ‘Trust Adele to get them to break the rules for her,’ with brotherly frankness.

Apparently he wasn’t yet aware of the understanding between Rex and his sister, Davina thought as she reluctantly let Jim cut her a slice of pork pie. Refusing salad or pickle, she forced herself to chew a mouthful, deciding to keep this piece of information to herself. No doubt Rex would prefer to make an announcement of his intentions in his own good time.

The meal over, Jim, with an evening surgery, took Mr Farr down to the village leaving Davina to face the long evening alone. With no happy promise of tomorrow it seemed uncomfortably silent and she found her thoughts returning relentlessly to the scene she had witnessed that afternoon.

Determined to put it out of her head at all costs, she fetched her transistor radio, made up the fire and collecting paper and a pen, began on the last of her commissioned stories. But somehow she couldn’t write about true love tonight and after spoiling several sheets of perfectly good paper she began to bring to mind another of the stories with which as a child she had entertained her younger sister.

By the time she finished writing it was nearly midnight and she shuffled her rough manuscript together in some surprise, checking her watch by the mantel clock. At least there was no need to be up with the lark and no need either, she thought grimly, to hurry through her housework to go hospital visiting. Adele could do that. And it would undoubtedly be more to Rex’s liking than a visit from his ‘housekeeper’.

She gave herself no time the following day to mope. Indoor jobs done, she volunteered to saddle the horse and cart extra feed for the ewes to the far pasture, and the old shepherd, a curiously knowing gleam in his shrewd dark eyes, said, ‘I’d be grateful, missie. Just so long as you don’t come off yon horse,’ as Davina laughed back, and shook her head.

‘I’ll be extra careful, Mr Farr,’ she promised as the shepherd began to load the sledge with the concentrated fodder, saying, ‘Us don’t want no twin lamb disease on Nineveh,’ as Davina led out the horse and hitched him up.

‘Not much likelihood of that with you about!’ she called over her shoulder. ‘I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.’ But as she turned the last of the feed into sheep troughs she found the old man at her elbow.

‘I’ll go back for more,’ she began, but he caught her arm and pointed.

‘You’ve better eyesight nor mine. Is yon creature on her back?’

Davina’s eyes followed the pointing finger and after a moment she turned. ‘Yes, she’s having a roll.’

‘Roll be blowed! If us don’t turn her, she’ll die,’ and the old shepherd set off across the snowy field.

Davina gave his retreating back a resigned look before she followed. Rex had said he relied on her to keep things ticking over. Had he visualised a situation like this? she wondered as, reaching the stricken animal, she listened to the shepherd’s instructions.

By the time supper had been cooked and eaten and the old man dropped at the Shepherd and Crook Davina’s eyes were beginning to feel heavy. She had only just garaged the Land Rover, however, when Jim Thomas drove into the yard and pulled up beside her.

‘Got a cup of coffee for a weary vet?’ he asked, leaning out of the window.

‘I can just about manage that.’ Davina gave him a tired smile and led the way towards the porch door. As she turned from the dresser with a cup and saucer in either hand, she noticed Jim had pulled off his sheepskin jacket and from the thoughtful look on his usually cheerful face, he had something on his mind.

But until the cups had been emptied he talked about amusing clients, farmers with out-of-date cures, old ladies with spoiled pets, children with their variety of hamsters, rabbits and gerbils with which he was called upon to cope. He had just had Davina laughing in spite of her feeling of bone weariness over a white rat which had escaped into a waiting room full of cats and nervous women owners when he suddenly dried up, and she looked across the table at him, curious to hear what ;vas coming next.

'As you’ve no phone up here, Rex rang through to me half an hour ago. He expected you to go in to see him this afternoon.’

Here at last was the real reason for the visit. Davina found herself saying calmly, ‘He can’t expect Mr Farr at his age to do everything alone. I had to give a hand outside.’

Jim seemed to accept this. ‘Look, I’ve an afternoon free tomorrow. Tell the old chap if he wants help with giving the flock their weekly foot bath to leave it until after lunch. Then you can take Rex some clothes when you go in. He says if they don’t let him out in a couple of days he’ll sign himself out. He sounded a bit restless,’ Jim added, and grinned. ‘Not the type, is he, to take to blanket baths and bedpans?’

‘If I get the things packed now your sister could take them in to Rex,’ Davina said decidedly, getting to her feet, but Jim stopped her with a, ‘Sorry, but Adele’s a bit preoccupied just now and if I help Farr, that only leaves you.’

Standing in silence, Davina wondered about Adele’s ‘preoccupation’. Probably merely the arrangement of an engagement party, she thought uncharitably, to be brought out of these unpleasant musings by Jim clearing his throat in an undeniably embarrassed manner. As she looked up to meet his eyes he gave her a sympathetic smile and said, ‘None of my business, but what goes on? When we walked up that track out there to see what we could do to help Rex, the reason why I’ve never been able to make first base with you became very clear. You’re in love with him, aren’t you?’ Davina’s pale, tired face flushed with mortification. ‘Is it as obvious as all that?’

‘Only to me, I suppose. But why the hassle? There’s no law that says you can’t marry a step. Or is Rex totally blind?’

Davina’s mouth curled in a wry smile. ‘Thanks for the compliment, but Rex seems to be a gentleman who prefers blondes.’ She couldn’t put it plainer than that without actually mentioning Adele by name, for it was abundantly clear that Jim had not yet been told of how matters stood between his sister and the owner of Nineveh Farm.

It was in a decidedly uncompromising frame of mind that Davina set out the following afternoon to take a suitcase of clothes along to the hospital. She had deliberately delayed leaving until Jim’s arrival and when the engine of the Land Rover spluttered and died, she knew she was going to be very late indeed in arriving at the hospital.

A glance at the dashboard had revealed that the indicator on the fuel gauge was pointing to ‘empty’. Preoccupied with personal problems, she had quite forgotten to fill up the tank. Glad that at least it had stopped snowing, she got out to walk to the nearest garage.

By the time she had borrowed a gallon can, walked back to the car and driven to the hospital it was already dark. Most of the afternoon visitors had gone and Rex was sitting, propped up by several pillows, a thunderous frown on his face.

He gave a meaning glance up at the ward clock and with a dangerous note in his voice asked softly, ‘Where’ve you been? Visiting is over in ten minutes and I want to arrange with you about tomorrow. I’ve told Tom Mulholland I’m not staying another minute longer being clucked over as if I’m about to cock up my toes. He says the specialist comes at ten and I’ve agreed to wait and let him look at me before I leave. Be here at eleven—and be sure you’re on time.’

If she hadn’t been so angry, Davina would have burst into laughter, for Jim’s comment about Rex and ‘blanket baths and bedpans’ had hit the spot. Under the angry commands was a note of desperation, but her momentary feeling of sympathy for the big man in the bed was dispelled as she set down the suitcase and her eye caught the bold handwriting on the card propped against a vase of multi-coloured carnations on Rex’s bedside locker.

Davina’s eyes sparkling with indignation as she straightened. ‘Just be glad I’m here at all. I’m not your slave, and don’t forget it!'

She was quite proud of having just once had the last word as she swung round and left him. How dared Rex, revenge or no revenge, speak to her in such monitory tones when he had Adele writing that she was ‘eternally in your debt,’ and sending him expensive out-of-season flowers! And why wasn’t
she
picking Rex up tomorrow? Davina shrugged her shoulders in despair. None of it made sense any more.

No more sense than Sister’s warning as she intercepted Davina. ‘We don’t like Mr Fitzpaine going out so soon, but he insists. Here’s his outpatient appointment card. Keep an eye on him, and above all no walking or horse riding. Dr Mulholland says he’ll be in touch about the sutures.’

As the ward Sister walked away a little light was beginning to dawn. So Rex hadn’t even had his stitches out yet, and however much he disliked hospital routine this couldn’t be the only reason for his anxiety to get back to Nineveh. Were he and Adele planning to try and get her divorce speeded up? If so this explained his insistence on virtually discharging himself from the doctor’s care.

Davina was in the waiting room on the dot of eleven the following morning, wondering how on earth she was to restrict Rex’s activities once he was back at the farm. But apparently he had no intention of abusing his freedom, for to her surprise he walked to the Land Rover with barely the hint of a limp, threw his case into the back, gave a huge sigh and said, ‘Thank God 1 Fresh air at last,’ before getting into the passenger seat.