Warning at Eagle's Watch (15 page)

The center table had a much-used, loved look, as though it were waiting with anticipation for the day when the mounds of clay would rise from the surface again, under the skillful hands of Priscilla Scott, to become expressive creations, much like the ones that filled the low shelves along the wall.

Above the stone wall, large panes of clear glass formed windows all the way around the high round turret. The view in all directions was magnificent, an eagle's look at the world that surrounded the castle. On one side, the ocean in its greenish-blue glory stretched smoothly before Hillary's eyes. She could see the rocks that led up to the castle base. She could see the great expanse of hearty evergreens that grew so abundantly, looking like a plush green carpet that stretched as far as the eye could see. It was beautiful country.

Across the roof of the square and solid castle, Hillary could see the matching turret rising high in the sky. A turret full of shiny armor, a mystery in itself. She looked across at the eerie metal shapes in the far turret that had a way of catching her off guard, making her feel that she was being watched. But then the look froze in her mind. She
was
being watched. For in the other turret, she had seen a definite sign of movement. At least one of the sober shapes that she had thought was armor was alive. Someone was in the turret.

She strained her eyes to see across the distance, but no more movement was apparent. Whoever had been there had gone, and quickly.

Who was it? And why was he there? She was vaguely conscious that her body was beginning to tremble. She hurried down the stone turret steps, with a pounding heart, back to the occupied portion of the castle, away from the shadows and her fears.

The next morning dawned dark and drearily, the rhythm of a million raindrops beating against the glass windows in Hillary's room. The dampness, together with the much cooler temperature, permeated the castle, leaving an uncomfortable chill that matched the mood in Hillary's heart.

She found Scotty with a cold that morning and kept her propped warmly in her bed, protected from the chilled air. She built a cheerful fire in the great stone fireplace that stood proudly at one end of her patient's room, and soon its warmth filled the air pleasantly.

The exercise program was tabled for the day, and Scotty teased Hillary unmercifully about getting a much needed respite from her slave labor.

"I swear, Hillary, it's about time I got a day off. The way you make an old lady work. You should be ashamed of yourself!"

"Nonsense. You're as strong as a horse. But it's best to be cautious with that cold, so I want you to stay calm and rested today. No overexerting at all, and I'm going to give the doctor a ring to see if he wants to prescribe anything to help your sinuses." She left Scotty with a pile of magazines and went downstairs.

Hillary made her phone call to Dr. Newburg's office from the study, listening, with a feeling of frustration, to the repeated ringing in her ear as the phone went unanswered. The doctor was not at home. But just as she was about to replace the receiver, the voice of the town's one operator came over the wire.

"Dr. Newburg is out on calls," she said. "But he'll be checking in with me periodically. Can I take a message?"

"This is Nurse Holt at Eagle's Watch. I wanted to consult with him about Miss Scott, but it's no emergency. Perhaps you could have him call me when he can."

"Consider it done," said the friendly voice on the other end of the line, and Hillary hung up. Life was certainly different here in the country than in the bustling city.

Hillary had no sooner checked on Scotty, finding her sleeping soundly, than Mrs. Raymond announced that Dr. Newburg had just pulled up in the drive.

Hillary ran quickly down the steps to greet him at the door.

"There was no need to get you all the way up here. Doctor," she apologized. "I just called to report to you that Scotty had come down with a cold, and I wanted you to prescribe anything that you felt she should have. She's sleeping now."

"I never mind stopping in on Scotty, Hillary," he said. "She's a very special person to me. Besides, I was on a call out this way when I checked in with the operator, so it wasn't out of my way at all." They walked together into the living room.

"So how long has our little lady been bothered by this cold?"

"Just today, primarily. I kept her in bed and postponed her therapy session, so that she wouldn't overexert herself. Her signs are all normal, but I thought it would be better to be cautious."

"Very wise, Hillary. A cold is not disastrous, but at her age, and in her condition, it could well develop into something more threatening if we weren't careful." He withdrew a prescription pad from his jacket pocket and filled out the top sheet quickly.

"You can get this filled in town," he said. "That should make her more comfortable and not interfere with her other medication. I won't bother her now, since she's sleeping. Just keep her still, as you have so far. And perhaps I'll send Dr. Harris around tomorrow to see how she's faring."

The color rose in Hillary's cheeks at the sound of Kent's name. It didn't go undetected by Dr.

Newburg's observant eyes.

"So what do you think of my new associate. Hillary?"

"Kent? He seems... very nice."

Dr. Newburg laughed out loud. "Your feelings are very transparent, young lady. And I agree with you that he's quite a guy. He's pretty impressed with you, too, if my experienced judgment counts for anything."

She looked in amazement at the gray-haired doctor. "Impressed? He doesn't seem to give me a second look."

"Sometimes, when one looks carefully, one look is all that it takes. Some people just have a harder time than others in opening themselves up to relationships. It's hard to forget the past.

"He's had a rough time. Hillary, I'm afraid his life has been rather overturned lately. And he's just getting over a broken engagement. But time can cure many things, or so they say."

Hillary bit her lip in contemplation. She wished she could deluge the doctor with all of the questions and thoughts about Kent that were constantly racing through her mind. But that wasn't right, she knew. Yet she longed for the time when she could learn more about the man who attracted her so.

"I'm hoping that he'll stay on and help me with my practice. He only came here as a favor to me. He was pretty devastated, and I was hoping that my country medicine might open up a new world for him, as well as give him some time to come to grips with his own mind. Perhaps with a pretty thing like you around, he'll be more likely to stay. Are you planning to keep on with Scotty? She's coming closer and closer to the recovery that you've been working for. Have you discussed the future with her? Any chance of your remaining here?"

Hillary felt a knot in her stomach. Her life had changed so much since she had first arrived at the gray stone castle. She had learned to love Scotty deeply and had lost her heart to the handsome young doctor. But to stay? To stay at Eagle's Watch? It gave her a queer feeling just to think of it.

"I don't think so, Doctor. I came here for a purpose, and I imagine that I'll be moving on once it is fulfilled." She thought of her promise to Miss Matilda, the long overdue debt that she had now nearly repaid. Her life would be her own soon, to do with as she pleased. But now she didn't resent the job that she had taken. It had made her face life, for better or for worse, and her days would hopefully be the better for it. The vision of her beloved hospital rushed before her, the brightly lighted operating room, the surgical feats and successes. She felt her blood surge in her veins.

"And just why did you take this post, Hillary? I have never heard exactly how you came to be in touch with Scotty."

Hillary gave a tired sigh. She had no desire to go into the details and intricacies of Miss Matilda's request.

"I was sent here specifically, for a definite reason, Dr. Newburg, but it really is a personal one, and I don't feel ready to discuss it. At first I wasn't delighted about it, but now I really care for Scotty, and I'm glad I've come." She thought of all the joy that she and Scotty had had together. "I've gotten so much out of knowing her."

The doctor nodded with a preoccupied look on his face. "Fine, fine. Well, I guess I must be running along to finish the rounds I've got lined up for today. I suppose you won't be keeping Dr. Harris here, after all, which is a shame. I certainly wish I could find another such terrific associate. My research is so very important to me, you know. I've had to make great sacrifices to keep it up, and I'm not getting any younger."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find someone, if not Kent, to help you out," she said as she showed him to the door. "And thank you for the prescription. I'll check in on Scotty and then drive to town to fill it. Let's hope tomorrow finds her in better shape."

The doctor climbed into his battered car with a tired air, running a hand through his tousled hair, and Hillary smiled at him and climbed the steps to check on Scotty before joining the others for lunch.

The table seemed a strangely empty place without its white-headed mistress at the head.

The others cornered Hillary almost immediately, their joint voices full of unexpected friendliness. A false kind of concern seemed to drip from their words. It made her more wary of them than their usual hostile behavior.

"Well, Hillary dear," Belinda said patronizingly, "and how is our dear Aunt Priscilla doing these days? Mrs. Raymond mentioned that she has come down with a cold, most unfortunate."

Herman spoke up, a rare occasion. "Maybe you're working her too had, Nurse Holt. She's very old, you know. One must not expect miracles."

"I'm sure Hillary knows what she's doing," Arnold chimed in. "After all, if she succeeds in getting Priscilla back to normal, she'll be a champion. And if she fails—"

Hillary felt the anger rising up within her. "Yes, Mr. Weaver, and if I fail..."

"Then perhaps that failure wouldn't be a failure at all. Perhaps you would benefit even more by pushing Priscilla just a little too hard."

She slammed her fist down on the table and stood up in rage. The will again. They were accusing her of attempting to get her hands on Scotty's money.

"Miss Scott's will is none of my business, nor of yours. She has a right to do whatever she wishes to do with her money. But I must say, if I had scheming relatives like you, I'd think twice about leaving you a penny."

Stillness echoed in the room, and she spun on her heel and moved quickly out the door. In the hallway, Mitchell caught up with her and took her arm.

"Magnificent bit of daring there, Hillary, I must say."

She looked into his laughing eyes and had to smile back.

"You didn't put in your two cents' worth in there, Mitchell. It's not like you to keep out of a conversation."

"I told you before, the issue is over with. Aunt Priscilla is alive and well and in good mental health, from the lashing I periodically receive from her sarcastic tongue, and not at all likely to kick the bucket for some time."

She looked straight into his eyes. "But do you think I have ulterior motives with her? Do you agree with what they have been insinuating?" She was surprised at how desperately she wanted to hear that another human being was on her side.

"Quite frankly, Hillary, no. I don't believe you have any great aspirations to be the next mistress of Eagle's Watch. Actually, I don't think that you are clever enough to think up such a scheme and successfully carry it out." He sounded almost apologetic.

"That's the most lovely compliment I've received all day. Thank you."

"But don't tease them, Hillary. Don't put yourself in a bad position. You'd be playing with fire. There's something funny around here, a tension in the air and I want—well. I want you to take care of yourself."

And with a quick smile he was gone, leaving Hillary with her muddled thoughts and an even greater conviction that all was not well at Eagle's Watch.

Chapter 13

Hillary spent much of the afternoon visiting with Scotty. The rain fell stubbornly until late in the day, leaving everything in sight drenched and dripping, the sharp chill in the air remaining. Later she changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and pulled a thin sweater over her head. She found a yellow mackintosh hanging unused in the downstairs guest closet and sought out Mrs. Raymond to see if she could wear it to drive to town to pick up Scotty's prescription.

"Certainly you may use it, Nurse Holt, it's a spare that we always keep on hand here. When it rains here, it's quite a downpour. But there's no need for you to drive all the way into town. I'm sure Mr. Raymond could make the trip for you."

" Thanks," Hillary said cheerily, happy to hear even these few words of friendliness from the usually sour housekeeper. "But I'm actually looking forward to making the trip. It'll be the first time I've driven my little car since I first pulled up in the drive, and I think I need a little change of atmosphere."

"Whatever you like. But don't be late. Dinner will be at the usual time."