Free Stephanie by Winston Graham Page B

time I woke up and saw for myself.’
    â€˜Saw what?’
    â€˜I don’t know. Just have the opportunity to visit somewhere like the – the Worsley Clinic. See what people look like. See what it means in terms of a human life. You may think it silly but I just don’t want to form any judgment from hearsay.’
    â€˜With some special purpose in mind?’
    â€˜Yes, I suppose so. Lord knows, I’m not the hot gospeller type. I shan’t be in the front of any procession. But there’s a sort of choice in front of me over the next few weeks. I’d like to be certain – or more certain than I am now. Indeed, I’d like to be very certain. Understand?’
    â€˜Not with the greatest clarity. What do you want me to do – arrange for you to visit the Worsley Clinic? In what capacity?’
    He waited.
    She said: ‘I thought …’ and stopped. ‘Well yes, if that’s the best way … Yes, I’d like to visit the Worsley Clinic. But in what capacity I don’t quite know. I haven’t any friend there. Clearly they don’t want people snooping around at all hours. But I thought –’
    â€˜Oh, it can be arranged. The head man is a Dr Charles Bridge. I can telephone him, say you’re a friend of mine (which incidentally you are!), say you are studying the subject for a thesis. That do?’
    â€˜Brilliant.’
    â€˜But I’d warn you, you won’t see anything dramatic. Clinics are, well, clinical places … Would you like me to come with you?’
    She was startled. ‘ That would be kind.’ She stopped. ‘But Sir Peter, I think no. I don’t want any red carpet. I’d just –’
    â€˜I promise you they’ll be far too occupied to put down a red carpet for anybody. But it’s up to you.’
    â€˜Well then, thank you. But isn’t it too much trouble for you? Aren’t you busy buying property – or whatever millionaires do in their spare time?’
    He laughed. ‘ I have a few modest commitments on Wednesday. But I’ll ring Bridge in a few minutes and see if he can arrange something tomorrow – I’m certainly free in the afternoon. I’ll get Peron to ring you back. What time d’you lunch?’
    I’m due out fairly soon. Back well before two-thirty.’
    I’m due out fairly soon. Back well before two-thirty.’
    â€˜We’ll ring you at three.’
II
    She blew out a breath as she put the telephone down and resisted the temptation to pull out another cigarette. In spite of a happy self-confidence bolstered by the fact that she knew herself to be intellectually above average and that she found herself attractive to men, she had not relished making the telephone call and the request. Peter Brune was an important man inside the college and out. He had endowed a new library for St Martin’s and given them some vast sum for repairs needed to the roof and clock-tower. She had seen him at High Table three or four times, usually dining with the Principal, but she was only a lowly student in the body of the hall. There was talk of his receiving some honour from the university this year. Apart from his benefactions he was also, as her father had remarked, a notable Greek scholar. It was just chance that she had got invited to Postgate, and during the weekend there, though always charming, he had had a variety of other guests and hadn’t had all that much time to talk to her.
    So the telephone call might have been looked on as a presumption. Instead it had gone well, and his offer to accompany her was specially flattering. Sir Peter was not married, apparently never had been, and, if there were those to suggest he was not the marrying kind, that made it all the more complimentary that he should be so obliging.
    After all the nagging worry, she felt disproportionately relieved to have done something about it. Just for the time being it was as if