Nurse Hilary (16 page)

It was a kiss that took them both by surprise, and endured
for a long moment, and then Dr. Marsden released her, looking
as startled as she felt. For a moment he looked down at her,
scowling, his eyes wide with shock. And then, without
a
further word to her, he turned and went away down the corridor, walking very fast.

Hilary watched him, while the wild, tumultuous beating of her heart slowed a little; and then a small endearing giggle rose in her throat and she murmured into the soft, dim-lit darkness,
“
So he
thinks
he
’
s in love with me, does he? Well, bless the man, I think he is, too. And I know I
’
m in love with him.
”

She turned at last towards the stairs that would take her to her own room, and her eyes were alight, her face flushed with a lovely color, and she put up one hand tentatively to touch her soft mouth as though she expected to find there some tangible evidence of that kiss that had suddenly brushed away all the cobwebs of her doubt, doubt of his love and her own; because now she knew beyond any doubt that they loved each other and she was a little dazzled by the prospect of what the future must hold for them.

Chapter Eighteen

It
was
noon
the following day and the T. & C. was just coming back to its usual routine after the night of excitement and confusion. Little groups of guests gathered in the club room and the solarium, hashing over and over their reactions to the bus accident and the arrival of the victims. The morning paper, of course, had already gone to press and was on the street before the accident had occurred; but the afternoon paper, they assured each other eagerly, would be sure to have a full account because there had been two reporters out, and there had been photographers with flash cameras. Some of the feminine guests were flutteringly uneasy that they might have been caught by one of those flash cameras in night attire and secretly hoping they had been, because it would break into the pleasant, but undeniably monotonous routine of life here to have one
’
s picture in the paper.

Mrs. Keenan was still keeping to her room, and apparently knew nothing of the commotion of the night before. Her quarters were at the far end of the corridor from the wards, and though the noise of cars coming and going must have
been audible to her, she had not appeared this morning, and she had been very grim and silent when a P.N. took her breakfast in.

The arrival of Reid was greeted by the other guests with the friendly warmth with which they always greeted guests from
‘‘
outside,
”
and this morning there was added excitement for them when they realized that Reid was not alone. Angela Ramsey walked beside him, her hatless head high, little spots of color in her lovely face, not smiling and greeting the guests as she usually did, but looking straight ahead of her, something very like fear in her eyes.

They marched determinedly and silently down the corridor to Mrs. Keenan
’
s room, where Reid tapped lightly, and opened the door, ushering Angela in ahead of him, following her and closing the door firmly.

Mrs. Keenan, propped up among a multitude of pillows of varying sizes, newspapers spread about her, took off her reading glasses and glared at them.

“
So you finally got here!
”
she blazed forth at Reid.
“
I had them call you yesterday morning, and here you come wandering in twenty-four hours later. Where h
a
ve you been? And what
’
s she doing here?
”

“
We
’
ve been getting married, Aunt Kate, and she
’
s here because she insisted on being with me when I told you our news,
”
said Reid quite firmly, and drew Angela to him and put his arm around her.

Mrs. Keenan sat bolt upright, her eyes blazing, her old face contorted in angry amazement.

“
You
’
ve been doing
what
?
”
she cried furiously, unbelievingly.

“
Getting married,
”
said Reid quietly, and Angela
’
s heart overflowed with her loving pride in him as at last he stood on his feet and gave the Duchess back a dose of her own medicine.

“
You married to this—this little nobody? My nephew, a Keenan, married to—
”
the words almost choked Mrs. Keenan in her amazement and anger.

“
Angela has forgiven me for being your nephew since she knows it isn
’
t my fault,
”
said Reid quietly his eyes meeting the blazing old eyes quietly.
“
She overlooked the point, which I think was very big of her don
’
t you? And she also forgave me for letting myself become your favorite whipping-boy
—
and that
’
s something very few girls would forgive a man.
”

“
Why—you—you—
”
Mrs. Keenan managed to regain her voice.
“
She forgives you for being
my
nephew? I
’
ll
bet
she does, but if she thinks either of you will get one cent of my money, you
’
re very badly mistaken!
”

“
We don
’
t want any of your money, Mrs. Keenan.
”
Angela spoke for the first time since they had come into the room.
“
Reid wants to earn our living himself.
”

“
I
’
ll have him fired from the job that he had only because he was my nephew—
”
began Mrs. Keenan.

“
Oh,
that
.”
Reid
’
s tone threw the job away as of no importance whatever.
“
I gave that up yesterday.
”

“
Oh you did, did you? And I suppose you propose to starve to death while you establish a practice of your own? Collection agency stuff, cheap divorce cases, defending chicken-thieves and the like?
”

“
No, Aunt Kate,
”
said Reid pleasantly, his eyes quite cold.
“
I
’
ve already got a small office, a secretary, and the handling of Mr. Jason Hodding
’
s business affairs, with a retainer of twelve thousand a year.
”

Mrs. Keenan stared at him, dazed and incredulous.

“
I don
’
t believe it,
”
she snarled.
“
You
’
re lying. A man like Jason Hodding, worth millions, investments in all sorts of real estate—he
’
d never trust his business to a young whipper
-
snapper like you.
”

Reid grinned wryly.

“
Whatever my many faults may be, and you
’
ve pointed them out to me innumerable times, Auntie, lying is not one of them as you yourself know,
”
he reminded her.

“
Don
’
t call me Auntie!
”
she blazed at him.
“
You know I hate it.
”

“
Sorry,
”
said Reid and didn
’
t sound a bit sorry.
“
Well, since I won
’
t be around much in future, it isn
’
t terribly important whether I call you Aunt Kate—or the Duchess. Angela and I
’
ll be running along. I am opening my new office on Monday and I
’
ve got to spend the rest of this week learning the details of Mr. Hodding
’
s affairs from his present attorneys.
”

He nodded to her, and with his arm about Angela turned towards the door.

“
Come back here!
”
Mrs. Keenan called furiously.

Reid looked back at her over his shoulder, eyebrows raised politely.

“
Yes, Aunt Kate?
”
his tone was perfectly courteous, entirely without warmth.

“
Who
’
s going to look after my business, while you
’
re running around attending to Jason Hodding
’
s?
”
she demanded sharply.

“
Oh, I
’
m sure Latham and Shepton will be glad to continue to handle it,
”
Reid answered causally.

“
Those crooks! They were robbing me right and left when I put you in the office to watch them,
”
she wailed.

“
Oh, come now, Aunt Kate, they are perfectly reliable.
”

“
Does your contract with Hodding forbid your taking on any more business?
”
she demanded sharply.

“
Of course not. I have to give his affairs precedence, of course—
”

“
Then why can
’
t you take my business right along with you into your new office?
”
demanded Mrs. Keenan sourly.
“
I won
’
t pay you any such retainer as he
’
s giving you
—
perfectly ridiculous, twelve thousand a year. I
’
ll give you
—
well, maybe five.
”

Reid
’
s eyes danced for a moment.

“
Make it six, Aunt Kate, and it
’
s a deal,
”
he said pleasantly.

“
You robber!
”
she wailed.

“
You
’
re paying Latham—
”
he began gently.

“
Oh, all right,
”
she snapped furiously.
“
Six thousand
a
year. But mind you, I expect full value for my money.
”

“
Of course, don
’
t you always?
”
asked Reid mildly, his eyes level and cool on her raddled, angry face.

Because she was so angry and upset, tears of rage filled the old woman
’
s eyes.

“
This is the thanks I get for all I
’
ve done for you
...
”
she cried unsteadily at him.

“
Mrs. Keenan,
”
it was Angela who spoke now, and her tone was cool and level, demanding the old woman
’
s attention in spite of herself,
“
Reid and I are very grateful for all you
’
ve done for him.
”

“
This looks like it, doesn
’
t it? Sneaking off behind my back, marrying a girl he knows I disapprove of, taking on the business affairs of somebody else, leaving me to a firm of thieves and robbers.
”

Angela eyed her for a moment and then she said quietly,
“
Didn
’
t anybody ever tell you Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves?
”

Both Reid and Mrs. Keenan stared at her, shocked to momentary silence.

“
You
’
ve dragged Reid around by the nose; you
’
ve used him as a whipping boy, taking your bad temper out on him no matter who it was that made you mad in the first place,
”
Angela told her.
“
And making you mad is just about the easiest thing in the world. You seem to dote on being mad at everybody and everything; it
’
s a sort of hobby with you to which you seem to devote practically every waking moment. Well, Reid and I are grateful to you for all you
’
ve done for him. I
’
m very bitter against you for what you
’
ve done
to
him. I
’
ll try very hard to forgive you if you behave yourself from now on out. But you must realize one thing: if anybody
’
s going to bully Reid from now on, it
’
s going to be me, not you!
”

And without waiting for Mrs. Keenan, open-mouthed and wide-eyed, to find an answer, Angela turned and marched out of the room, her head held high. And Reid, grinning what his aunt privately thought was an absolutely fatuous grin, followed her.

Halfway down the corridor, Reid overtook Angela, and put his arm about her.

“
And if you ever let her yell at you again—
”
Angela turned to him stormily.

“
I won
’
t, I promise,
”
he answered meekly, eyes dancing.
“
From now on, nobody yells at me but you.
”

“
She makes me so darned mad!
”
said Angela savagely, and drew a long hard breath and squared her shoulders.
“
So now, while I
’
ve got this good strong mad on me, let
’
s go break the news to Pop.
”

“
Let
’
s,
”
Reid agreed firmly and grinned down at her as they walked hand in hand to Mr. Ramsey
’
s door, which Angela opened without knocking.

Drew Ramsey, anxiously poring over the monthly records, looked up from his desk, annoyed.

“
Oh, Angela,
”
he greeted her curtly, and then saw Reid and his brows went up, as he glanced warily from one to the other,
“
And Reid. What
’
s this all about? I
’
m very busy—
”

“
Too busy to shake hands with your new son-in-law?
”
asked Angela sweetly.