Annie Haynes Premium Collection – 8 Murder Mysteries in One Volume. Annie Haynes

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ will come in, Garth, and hear what the doctor says?”

      After a momentary hesitation Davenant assented, and they entered the house together, just as Dr. Grieve came downstairs.

      “Oh, Dr. Grieve, she is better, isn’t she?” Mavis asked, after shaking hands with him. “Can she remember anything yet? Have you found out her name?”

      “One at a time, my dear young lady, one at a time! The patient is not in a very satisfactory state, I regret to say. There is a good deal of cerebral excitement, and the action of the heart is weak—decidedly weak!”

      Sir Arthur opened the dining-room door.

      “Come in, doctor; you must try a glass of my port, and tell us what is the best thing for your patient.”

      Jenkins, the butler, produced glasses and a decanter, while the doctor beamed upon them complacently and Mavis fidgeted impatiently.

      “Splendid colour, Sir Arthur,” Dr. Grieve remarked appreciatively as after a sip or two he held the glass up to the light and regarded it critically. “I remember Sir Noel laying it down before you were born, or Miss Mavis there,” with a reminiscent chuckle. “Yes, my memory carries me back a long way! I’m not like our young friend upstairs, who has forgotten her own name, poor young thing—can’t even remember where she was yesterday morning! It is a sad case, Sir Arthur.”

      “She knows no more this morning, then?” Sir Arthur asked concernedly. “My mother said she recognized her at once, and we thought that a good sign.”

      The doctor put the tips of his fingers together and surveyed him over the top of them.

      “I dare say. She remembered seeing me last night, for the matter of that; but up to the time you discovered her in the park her mind is a perfect blank. I did not ask her questions, but I applied a few simple tests.”

      “And the result?” Sir Arthur’s tone was calm, but an under-current of anxiety ran through it which made Garth glance at him keenly.

      “Entirely confirmed my diagnosis of last evening, I regret to say,” Dr Grieve returned. “The very faculty of memory is for the time being entirely dormant, overclouded by some great shock.”

      “But she will recover?” Mavis interjected anxiously.

      The doctor turned to her with a benign smile.

      “Recover her bodily health undoubtedly, my dear Miss Mavis. As for her memory”—after a noticeable pause—“one can but do the best and trust to Time, the great healer. Of one thing you may be assured, absolute rest is the very best thing for her—for some days at any rate—and quite possibly by that time you will have ascertained something definite about her friends. Lady Laura tells me that it is your intention to keep her here for the present.”

      “Undoubtedly, it is!” Sir Arthur said with decision. “In fact, as it appears to me, we have no choice in the matter.”

      The doctor shrugged his shoulders. “She could be admitted to the Cottage Hospital at Lockford, you know; and for some reasons I am inclined to think it might be the wiser course.”

      “Why so?” Sir Arthur’s tone was curt. The little line between his straight brows told that the suggestion had displeased him.

      Dr Grieve hesitated a moment and drummed his fingers on the table absently.

      “Well, there might be complications—the idea of a beautiful young woman such as this wandering about the country by herself naturally suggests that. But quite apart from any such idea”—as Sir Arthur made a hasty gesture of dissent—“the nursing there would be a slight matter, while here—”

      “Surely we can look after one girl amongst us?” Mavis said quickly. “Dorothy and I are both going to help, and my maid, Minnie Spencer, is a very good girl.”

      “A very good girl, I have no doubt, Miss Mavis,” the doctor said as he beamed at her over the top of his gold-rimmed spectacles. “But I am afraid our patient requires rather more attention than I could impose upon either of you two young ladies or upon Minnie Spencer. Now at the Cottage Hospital—”

      “The Cottage Hospital is out of the question,” Sir Arthur interrupted brusquely. “I beg your pardon, doctor. But this young lady is in some sort our guest. We could not entertain such a suggestion for an instant. Still, if you think she requires further care, by all means let her have a trained nurse here. Can you get one for us?”

      Dr. Grieve stroked his chin thoughtfully.

      “They can’t spare one at the Cottage Hospital, I am sure of that. I might telegraph to Exeter, but I doubt our being able to get one from there to-day. I know they are very busy. Well, we must do our best.”

      Garth Davenant had taken no part in the conversation after the first; he had been looking abstractedly through the window and fidgeting about from one foot to the other, but as the doctor spoke his face lighted up. He turned round.

      “Upon my word, I believe I can help you there, doctor. You remember Mary Marston?”

      “Yes, I remember Mary—she has been trained at one of the London hospitals. You don’t mean—‘‘

      “She is at home now, I know—or was yesterday afternoon. She has been nursing on her own account lately—has severed her connection with the hospital, I believe. She has been at home for a holiday, but I heard she was anxious to be at work again. I dare say she would come.”

      “The very thing!” Dr. Grieve exclaimed. “If you approve, Sir Arthur, you could send for her. She could come up to-day and the worst of our difficulty would be over.”

      “Certainly,” Arthur said heartily. “I remember Mary Marston well; she was always a nice, reliable woman. My mother will like it better than having a stranger.”

      “I will go down and ask her to come if you like,” Garth interposed.

      “The very thing!” the doctor said again as he rose.

      “Then you will tell her to be here as soon as she can, Mr. Davenant?”

      “One moment, doctor,” Garth went on, as the little man turned to the door. “Wouldn’t you be inclined to suggest a consultation? It seems to me such a strange case!”

      Dr. Grieve did not look quite pleased.

      “Not the least necessity for that! Any doctor would only tell you, as I do, that rest and quiet are the best things for her. We can do no more at present. Ah, here comes Miss Dorothy! My dear, you are a sight for sore eyes this morning!” as the girl, looking very fresh and sweet in her simple morning-gown, came running down the stairs.

      She laughed and blushed.

      “You have not forgotten how to pay compliments, I see, Dr. Grieve. Mavis, Aunt Laura wants you for one moment,” with a laughing glance at Garth, whose expression at the moment was by no means attractive.

      The long morning with Mavis upon which he had been reckoning was out of the question now, and his stay at Lockford was limited. But the cause of his dissatisfaction lay deeper than the mere disappointment; the more he heard of it the more inexplicable did the discovery of last night СКАЧАТЬ