‘I’ll do that now. Your local chap is Willoughby, isn’t he? I’ll let him know what happened so he can keep an eye on you. The sutures need to come out in a week or maybe a day or two sooner.’

  French walked across still drying his hands on the towel. ‘I’ve heard all about you, Miss Harcourt, you saved a man’s leg and quite possibly his life the other week. I’m a general surgeon at the hospital he was sent to, as well as the GP.’

  ‘I’m surprised that my name’s been mentioned, but very pleased. I’m hoping to become a medical student myself.’

  ‘I’ll write you a glowing reference. According to Doug Willoughby, you know as much as many newly qualified doctors. Any hospital would be mad not to take you on.’

  ‘Thank you, that’s very kind of you. I’ll definitely put your name down as a reference along with Dr Willoughby. My leg feels much better and so do I. I’ve been forcing water down my throat ever since this happened.’

  ‘Then I’m sure that a cup of tea will be an improvement. Delighted to have met you, Miss Harcourt. Good luck with your application.’ He turned and pointed to a small white envelope on the bedside table. ‘Pain relief if you need it.’

  As soon as the quack had gone, she started to wriggle towards the edge of the bed. ‘I desperately need the loo. I do hope it’s a private bathroom behind that door as I doubt that I can hop all the way down the corridor to find another one.’

  He leaned in and snatched her up before she could protest. ‘I could always hold you over the sink – I’m sure you wouldn’t be the first hotel guest to have done that.’

  His suggestion had the desired result and she giggled. A waitress arrived then with a loaded tray – not tea this time but coffee and sandwiches and cake. They’d only eaten a couple of hours ago, but the thought was kind.

  ‘The bathroom’s behind that door, sir. I’ll hold it open for you.’

  He put Sarah down beside the WC and then backed out hastily and closed the door firmly behind him. To give her privacy, he moved to the far side of the room before replying to the waitress.

  ‘How did you know we’d prefer coffee to tea?’

  ‘I didn’t, I was just told to bring it up. Do you think your young lady will need any assistance?’

  ‘She’ll yell if she does. Thank you.’ He slipped her a silver threepenny bit and she all but skipped away with her tip clutched in her hand. This was turning out to be a rather expensive outing.

  God knows how much two rooms at this swanky place was going to cost him and he certainly didn’t have enough on him to pay the bill. He could probably afford one room but he wasn’t sure either Sarah or the management would agree.

  ‘Angus, I’m finished, would you be so kind as to come and collect me?’

  Her voice carried wonderfully and he was smiling as he pushed open the door. ‘I’m going to have to sleep in here with you. You can’t go to the bathroom without my help. I’ll ask for a camp bed…’

  ‘You can sleep on the same bed as me. I’m quite sure even the vicar wouldn’t disapprove in the circumstances. We’ll both be fully clothed and we can put a bolster down the middle.’

  As he carried her back to the bed, just the mention of clothing, or the lack of it, made his pulse race. ‘Well, I’ll be fully clothed but as you’re minus one trouser leg I don’t think you qualify. Do you think I should ask whoever is coming to collect us to call in at Goodwill House for some fresh slacks?’

  ‘No, the less my mother knows about this adventure, the better. The arrival of that stray puppy was fortuitous as it’ll keep her busy and stop her worrying.’

  He put her gently on the bed and then draped a blanket over her legs.

  ‘Thank you, I know this is embarrassing for both of us but I do appreciate you looking after me. I think we could have been killed so we’re lucky to be here relatively unscathed.’

  ‘I’m sorry you were injured. I should have had more sense than to attempt the return journey. For God’s sake – I’m a bloody fighter pilot and don’t go up in weather like this.’

  ‘Stop blaming yourself and pour me some coffee. I wouldn’t mind something to eat as well. All this excitement has made me hungry.’

  Joanna was met halfway down the icy passageway by the puppy who seemed to have made an almost miraculous recovery after just a few hours’ sleep and something to eat.

  ‘Well, Lazzy, what a clever little fellow you are. You came to find your mummy. I’ll go and fetch your box and then make you comfortable in the kitchen.’ She felt quite ridiculous talking to the animal but he seemed to appreciate her rambling as he was licking her hand and trying to lick her face as she picked him up.

  ‘Sarah’s stuck in Ramsgate for the night with her handsome chap. I’m glad they are staying somewhere respectable as I don’t want there to be any unpleasant gossip. I’d much prefer her to become involved with him rather than go off somewhere and train to be a doctor.’ She sighed and kissed the puppy’s cold, wet nose. ‘Whatever I want, I’ll not stand in her way. I just want her to be happy, but do wish she could be content doing what other young ladies of her age do.’

  The puppy wriggled and licked and she was quite relieved to put him in his box and then carry him safely in that to the warmth of the kitchen. She wasn’t sure exactly where to put the box as she didn’t want him to be trodden on if he happened to be out when someone came in in the dark.

  ‘Lady Harcourt, why don’t you put his box under the table along with his litter tray?’ Eleanor said from behind her, almost making her drop her precious burden.

  ‘You startled me, my dear, I thought all of you were upstairs playing cribbage or something similar.’

  ‘We are, but I’ve been sent down to make the cocoa. Would you like some?’

  ‘Yes, that would be splendid. I think I’ll make a hot-water bottle for him and put it under his blanket. I don’t want him to be cold.’

  ‘After being trapped next door, anywhere in the kitchen will seem like paradise to him. Do you have any idea how he got in there or where he came from?’

  ‘I thought perhaps you girls could investigate tomorrow for me. What surprises me the most is the fact that there is a puppy of any sort around in February.’

  ‘I’m not sure if it makes any difference to dogs, my lady. If a bitch comes into season then any dog in the neighbourhood will oblige.’

  This was a highly unusual conversation to be having with an unmarried young lady. Joanna was almost tempted to forgo the cocoa but the chocolatey aroma was quite delicious and they’d had a delivery of milk that morning. Cocoa made with water really wasn’t very nice at all.

  The following morning, Joanna was up and dressed by six o’clock – to be seen so early was unheard of for her but she was desperate to see how Lazarus had survived the night on his own. She hurried towards the kitchen, expecting to hear piteous whining, yapping, but a worrying silence met her.

  Betty didn’t come until seven thirty so she would have to get the range burning herself if she wanted a cup of tea before then. Why was it so quiet? She paused outside the door too nervous to open it in case the worst had happened and the poor little thing had perished after all.

  She pushed open the door and almost lost her balance as an ecstatic, wriggling puppy threw himself at her ankles. She reached down and scooped him up and this time didn’t mind his frantic licks on her face.

  With him under her arm, she switched on the light – she wasn’t so foolish as to step in without checking there wasn’t anything unpleasant waiting for her on the tiles.

  The floor was spotless. ‘What a good boy you are. I can’t let you out as it’s far too cold but when Sarah comes home she can take you to the ménage. I hope you like horses as we have three of them here.’

  Although there’d been no nasty surprises on the floor, there were several under the table. She was tempted to leave it for Betty to clear up but decided that would be unfair. This was her dog so his mess was her responsibility.

  When her housekeeper arrived, she was greeted by a scampering puppy and immediately dropped to her knees so he could stand on his hind legs and lick every bit of her he could reach. ‘Oh, my lady, where did he come from? Isn’t he sweet? Look at the size of his paws – I reckon he’s going to be massive.’

  ‘I don’t care how big he is. Before you take off your coat and boots, would you do me an enormous favour? Could you empty his litter tray?’ She knew she should do this herself but did so dislike the cold and the smell from the tray.

  ‘Happy to do it. Where’s Miss Sarah? Not unwell, I hope.’

  ‘She went to Ramsgate with her flight lieutenant and they were forced to stay overnight as the weather was so bad. Flight Lieutenant Trent is a man I can trust to take care of Sarah and not do anything untoward.’

  ‘I didn’t think she was interested in having a boyfriend. She’s likely to get her heart broken if she falls for a fighter pilot. My Bert thinks once it all kicks off the Brylcreem boys will be the ones to die first.’

  ‘How very depressing of him to say that. I’m sure it won’t be as serious on either side but I’m pleased that she’s found herself a young man to go out with. I wouldn’t want her to go away to train as a doctor having absolutely no experience of that side of things.’

  Betty had made a good point. Sarah was still very young and could easily imagine her feelings for the young man were more than they were. She hoped her daughter wouldn’t be heartbroken by this friendship if something went wrong.

  13

  Sarah couldn’t sleep. The pain in her leg was keeping her awake and she didn’t want to shift about too often as it would disturb Angus.

  ‘Take one of the tablets, sweetheart, don’t be a martyr,’ he said from the darkness. He was obviously as wide awake as she was.

  ‘I’m sorry I woke you. Yes, if you’d be so kind as to take me to the loo once more then I’ll take one when I get back.’

  ‘I’m glad you stopped drinking pints of water. I’m quite exhausted tracking backwards and forwards.’

  ‘I’m light as a feather, flight lieutenant, so don’t you dare complain.’ She couldn’t imagine any other man making a difficult situation as easy as he did. His humorous comments made her smile and she always responded in kind.

  He’d removed his shoes, uniform jacket and tie, but nothing else. He padded around her side of the bed and switched on the small lamp on the table beside her. As this was her third trip, she knew the procedure and put her arm around his neck without being asked.

  The hotel had kindly provided them with toothbrushes, tooth powder and fresh towels. He wouldn’t be able to shave in the morning and she was rather looking forward to seeing him looking anything but his usual immaculate self.

  Would his beard be the same glorious chestnut of his hair? How could she be thinking of such a thing when she was in so much pain? She winced as he put her down but managed to hide it from him.

  He carried her back without comment and then handed her two tablets and a glass of water. She swallowed them obediently. Even with the water they tasted vile, and she guessed they were something considerably stronger than aspirin.

  He tucked her into the extra blankets supplied by the housekeeper before clambering onto the bed and settling down himself. She shivered. Even with the blankets she was still cold or perhaps residual shock was making her think she was?

  Then his arms were around her, her bottom was pulled close to his middle. He pushed her hair aside and kissed the back of her neck. A surge of unusual heat travelled like lightning around her body. She relaxed into his embrace and let the morphine do its work.

  She woke with an unpleasant taste in her mouth and an inability to concentrate. For a moment she couldn’t register her surroundings. Surely not? She’d spent the night in a man’s arms and even if they were fully clothed, she wasn’t entirely sure that her mother would approve.

  ‘Morning, how’s the leg? Give me a moment and I’ll take you to the bathroom.’ Angus yawned loudly, extricated his arm from beneath her waist and rolled away. She heard his feet thump on the ground.

  ‘I’m not desperate for a pee but if you could pour me a glass of water I’d be grateful. Opioids are wonderful for pain but the after-effects aren’t very pleasant.’ Her voice sounded hoarse and talking was painful.

  There was the gurgle of water going into a glass. ‘You’ll need to sit up, sweetheart, you can’t drink it lying flat.’

  Pushing herself upright was a struggle. Her limbs were as uncoordinated as a newborn foal and even the slightest movement sent shafts of agony down her leg.

  ‘Here, let me help you.’ He slid one arm around her back and then smoothly moved her. ‘I think you’ve got a temperature. I’m going to call the doctor. I think it’s likely you’ll have to go into hospital after all.’

  ‘I’ve also got a sore throat, headache and everywhere aches. Coincidental, but I think the fever is caused by a common cold. Before you ring, would you mind awfully showing me the wound?’

  ‘Drink your water whilst I scrub up – that’s what you medics call it, isn’t it?’

  The fact that he accepted her diagnosis without comment, treated her as if she was indeed someone qualified to know about these things, made her like him more. She drank the water, replaced the glass, and braced herself for what was going to be painful.

  He was surprisingly gentle and when he removed the dressing they both sighed with relief. There was no sign of infection, the skin was the colour it should be, no inflammation at all and no heat. The doctor had left half a dozen clean dressings and he deftly re-bandaged her leg.

  ‘Whilst you’re having a freshen up and so on I’ll see if the kitchen can send us up some breakfast. I don’t know when transport will be here but it might be in the next hour.’

  ‘Golly, it’s only half past six. It’ll still be dark outside and I’ve no wish to travel until it’s fully light.’

  After washing her face and hands, cleaning her teeth and doing the best she could with her hair, she was ready to return to the bedroom. By holding on to the sink, she was able to hop, slowly and painfully, to the door and open it.

  ‘Angus, I’m ready. You can have the bathroom now.’

  ‘I’m coming. Breakfast will be here in ten minutes. I didn’t know what you wanted so I ordered for you.’

  When she was safely back on the bed with her leg outstretched, she settled back with a sigh. Moving about was horrible and she dreaded the journey back. Heaven knows how she was going to get into the cab of a lorry – even Angus would have difficulty lifting her up that high without causing her pain.

  She could hear him splashing about in the bathroom even with the door closed. In the flurry to get her to the loo, she’d not had time to see what colour his beard was. She wondered if he’d been called ginger nut at school. She’d ask him when next they talked about their families. Swallowing was becoming increasingly painful and she’d sneezed several times already into her handkerchief.

  The waitress arrived with their breakfast and she croaked that the girl should come in as he was still busy.

  ‘Good morning, Miss Harcourt, you don’t sound too clever. There’s a nasty head cold going around – I reckon you’ve got that.’

  ‘It all smells absolutely delicious, but I really can’t manage to swallow anything like toast, bacon or fried bread.’

  He’d heard her and took the tray from the waitress and put it on the top of the chest of drawers. ‘I ordered scrambled eggs for both of us. Bread and butter for you and toast for me.’

  She sneezed half a dozen times and he tossed her his handkerchief. ‘Sod’s law that you should catch a cold at the same time as injuring your leg. At least you can stay in bed without a guilty conscience.’

  ‘I’ve been worrying about not being able to look after the horses possibly for weeks. Bates and his son no longer work for us and Mummy has never liked horses.’

  ‘Get a couple of the girls to do it. I should think there must be at least one who is capable of feeding and mucking out.’

  By the time the transport arrived an hour later – fortunately a staff car and not a lorry – she was feeling so wretched she made no objection to being bundled up in rugs and carried through the hotel like a parcel. She’d intended to insist that the bill from the doctor was sent to her, that she paid half the hotel bill, but the combination of a vile cold and her leg injury rendered her incapable of thinking straight.

  Angus had told the quack to send the bill to him but French had insisted there was to be no charge. The hotel had been happy to take the notes he’d had; he’d left them an IOU for the balance and promised to send somebody down with it.

  He’d also telephoned Lady Harcourt and told her the true state of affairs. She’d been remarkably calm about everything and assured him both her daughter and the horses would be taken care of.

  It was appreciably warmer and the snow was already beginning to thaw. Good news in some ways, but it meant the Jerries would be active again in the Channel. Hitler had declared merchant vessels were fair game and his subs were causing havoc with the convoys.

  ‘Thank you for coming, Jimmy, much appreciated. I’ll sit in the back.’ Although the medic had seemed unconcerned about Sarah having a high temperature, he’d told her mother to arrange for the local chap to visit sometime today just to be sure.

  ‘You’ll be pleased to know, Angus, that the Hillman’s now back at the base and will be running again very soon. It wasn’t as badly pranged as you’d feared.’

  Climbing the hill this morning in a more powerful car was uneventful. He carried Sarah in through the front door of her home and was greeted by her mother as well as all the other residents, including the housekeeper.

  ‘Follow me, flight lieutenant, her room’s ready,’ Lady Harcourt said brightly, but he could see she was worried as she viewed the fever-flushed girl he was carrying so carefully in his arms.