Small Slice of Summer. Betty Neels

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СКАЧАТЬ admired the discreet grey of its coachwork before she turned away, wondering where he was going.

      Jason Mourik van Nie was going to Dalmers Place. An hour or so later he joined Julius van den Berg Effert and Georgina on the terrace behind the house. Polly, their very small daughter, was almost asleep on her father’s knee and Georgina exclaimed in relief as he walked out of the french windows. ‘There you are— Polly refuses to go to bed until you’ve kissed her good night.’ She smiled at her husband’s friend. ‘If you’ll do that right away. I’ll whisk her off to bed and Julius shall get us all a drink.’

      Jason smiled at her, kissed his small goddaughter, exchanged a brief ‘Dag’ and sat down.

      ‘Stay where you are, darling,’ said Julius, ‘I’ll pop this young woman into her bed and bring the drinks as I come back.’

      His wife gave him a warm smile. ‘Tell Nanny I’ll be up in ten minutes unless Ivo starts to cry.’ Her smile widened and Julius grinned back at her; Ivo was just two months old, a tiny replica of his father, whereas little Polly was like her mother with a gentle prettiness and most of her charm. She wound a small arm round her father’s neck now and smiled sleepily at him as he carried her into the house.

      Jason watched them go. ‘Julius is a lucky man,’ he said quietly. ‘You, and the enchanting Polly, and now Ivo.’

      ‘I’m lucky too,’ Georgina told him, ‘I’ve got Julius.’

      ‘I hope someone says that about me one day,’ he observed. ‘May I smoke my pipe?’

      She nodded. ‘Of course. Did you have a busy day?’

      ‘So-so. One Commando to start with and a couple of abdominals, then we petered out with appendices. Snell was operating again. Oh—Theatre Sister sent her love, I’ve forgotten what she said her name was and I couldn’t identify her very well; she was gowned up and masked, the only face I’ve seen clearly in these last few days was in the recovery room—quite unremarkable, though—it belongs to someone called Tishy.’

      Georgina smiled. ‘Little Tishy. She’s Margo’s young sister—she must be twenty-three, I suppose, she qualified six months ago. You didn’t like her?’

      Jason stretched his long legs and studied his enormous, beautifully shod feet. ‘I hadn’t really thought about it,’ he admitted carelessly. ‘Mousey girls with heavy frowns aren’t quite my line.’

      ‘Oh, she doesn’t frown all the time,’ stated Georgina quickly, ‘it’s only because you’re a man,’ and as her companion’s brows shot up: ‘She was almost engaged to the Medical Registrar, but he switched his interest to a dashing blonde on Orthopaedics—I daresay she was more accommodating. I don’t know what he said to poor little Tishy, but ever since then she’s shied away from anything male under fifty.’

      ‘Julius too?’

      ‘Julius is thirty-seven,’ his loving wife reminded him, ‘but Margo is a friend of mine and of course I know Tishy too; she’s been here once or twice, so she knows Julius quite well as well as working for him. He takes care to be casually friendly, bless him. She’s a splendid nurse.’

      She turned her head and her eyes lighted up as they always did when she saw her husband.

      ‘Sorry I was so long,’ he apologized as he set the tray of drinks down. ‘Great-Uncle Ivo telephoned—wants to know when we’re going over to Bergenstijn. I told him we’d be there before the summer’s over. The theatre’s closing at the end of July, we’ll go then if you would like that, my love.’

      Georgina agreed happily. ‘Lovely, Julius—we can all go. Cor and Beatrix and Franz-Karel can drive them over. Dimphena will be with Jan, I suppose, but they could come over…’

      Jason studied his glass. ‘What a quiverful you took on when you married Julius,’ he observed idly, ‘four cousins of assorted ages.’

      ‘Don’t forget Polly and Ivo. But the others—they’re not small any more; Karel’s a post-graduate and almost finished with hospital, and Franz is sixteen, that only leaves Beatrix and Cor, and now Dimphena is married there’s quite a gap.’

      ‘Which we shall doubtless fill within the next few years,’ commented her husband softly.

      ‘I’m envious,’ said Jason slowly, and Georgina threw him a quick glance.

      ‘No need,’ she told him kindly, ‘you only have to lift a finger for all the prettiest girls to come running.’

      ‘That’s all very well as well as being grossly exaggerated, but none of these same girls had ever succeeded in convincing me that I can’t live without her.’

      Georgina got up. ‘One day there’ll be a girl,’ she assured him, ‘though probably she won’t be pretty or come running. I’m going to see to Ivo.’

      She ran indoors and the two men sat in silence for a few minutes, Presently Jason spoke. ‘As I said to Georgina just now, you’re a lucky devil, Julius.’

      ‘Yes, I know.’ He added thoughtfully, ‘I was thirty-three when I first met Georgina.’

      ‘A reminder that I’m thirty-five and still haven’t met my paragon?’ They both laughed before plunging into a discussion as to how the day had gone in theatre, absorbed in their world of anaesthetics.

      It was later that evening as Georgina sat before her dressing table brushing her hair that she said suddenly: ‘Julius, can you think of a good reason for having Tishy down here?’

      Her husband’s eyes met hers in the mirror. ‘Tishy?’ he queried mildly. ‘Why Tishy, darling?’

      ‘She could be exhausted,’ went on Georgina, taking no notice, ‘worn out with work and needing a few days’ rest…’

      Julius had become adept at reading his wife’s mind. ‘She would have to work fast.’

      Georgina gave him a doubtful look. ‘That won’t do, then,’ she stated positively. ‘I daresay she can’t bear the sight of him, and he’s hardly noticed her.’

      ‘My love, is it wise to play providence? They’re a most unlikely pair; just because Tishy is getting over hurt pride and Jason chooses to remain a carefree bachelor it doesn’t mean that they’ll fall into each other’s arms.’

      ‘No, I can see that, but it would be nice. If we just gave them the chance…’

      But as it turned out there was no need of that.

      Two days later, with the list almost over for the day, Letitia was starting on the clearing up, her mind happily occupied with plans for her days off, due to start in the morning. Two days, she mused, and almost no money so she wouldn’t be able to go home, but she could go to Epping, where an elderly aunt lived—no telephone, unfortunately, but Aunt Maud never minded an unexpected visitor for a couple of days. She had a dear little house on the edge of the forest and it would be pleasant after the heat and rush of London and the hospital. If Margo had been there they could have gone together, but she was on holiday, up in Scotland with friends. Letitia nodded her head in satisfaction, glad that she had made up her mind, and looked impatiently at the theatre doors; the case should have been finished by now, it was hernia and shouldn’t have to stay long in her care. СКАЧАТЬ