Free Nurse Trudie is Engaged by Marjorie Norrell Page A

someone will be there to meet you. I ’ ll call through and check the time tomorrow. Just tell me how you are ... even at this goodness-knows-what per second. ”
    “ I ’ m fine, but tired. ” Veronica did not think it necessary to inform her sister-in-law that the cost of the call did not worry her since it would be charged to Mrs. Van de Lief. Neither did she think it necessary to add that she was “ resting, ” as her profession termed being out of work, and had been for many months; or that a certain someone had made it his business, ever since Garth ’ s death, that she should find it more and more difficult to find work anywhere. “ I ’ m coming to England now that I have this opportunity, and I hope to have a little rest first, if I won ’ t be in the way, before I start looking for work over there. ”
    “ We ’ ll talk about that when you arrive, ” Trudie said firmly. “ The main thing is you are coming. We ’ ve all longed to meet you, especially Dad. ‘ Bye for the present, Veronica. Oh, ” she added as an afterthought, “ I ’ ve never seen a picture of you. How shall I know you? ”
    “ I ’ ll be wearing a black suit, ” Veronica said quickly, “ with touches of white. I ’ m dark, with shoulder-length hair. And ” —Mrs. Van de Lief was nowhere within earshot and she could speak freely— “ I shall have these two little demons with me, so I think that will be more than enough! Anyhow, I shall know you. Garth said you were very much alike. ”
    “ So people tell—told—us. ” Try as she would, Trudie could not keep the shake from her voice at this casual introduction of her beloved twin ’ s name. She had to cut this conversation short, and not only because of the cost of the call. “ See you tomorrow. Glad you ’ re coming. ‘ Bye! ”
    She turned to Philip as she replaced the receiver, as though to do so were the most natural thing in the world. He smiled down into her upturned, bewildered face.
    “ Let ’ s go back to the others, ” he suggested. “ You can talk better there, and your father will be anxious to know every word that has been said. ”
    “ You must help me remember, ” Trudie told him, “ if you could hear any of it, that is. ”
    “ I ’ m afraid I heard most of it, ” Philip stated apologetically. “ I ’ ve never eavesdropped on anyone ’ s conversation before. ”
    “ You couldn ’ t do anything else, ” Trudie laughed. “ I shall have to do better than this by tomorrow if I ’ m going to London Airport to meet her. I should have telephoned Broughton ’ s for their taxi before I left the phone, ” she realized. “ The boys will be using their cars and they ’ ll be out all day. Dad needs his, and anyway none of them would trust me to London and back with their precious vehicles all on my own. ”
    “ You need not be ‘ all on your own ’ unless you wish, ” Philip told her as they negotiated the lounge doorway and rejoined the group eagerly awaiting news. “ I have a free day due to me. I don ’ t do much except mess around, playing with the things I ’ ve always intended to do ‘ one day ’ on these occasions. If you like, I ’ ll drive you to the airport. We can have lunch in London and buy you a ring at the same time. ”
    Trudie stared at him soundlessly. The thought of a ring—an engagement ring to complete the pretense they were sharing—had scarcely entered her head. She had realized that of course there would be a ring, exciting the envy of other girls. But when she had given the matter fleeting thought, she had assumed that Philip would bring one to her, probably one of his mother ’ s, and let it go at that. Now she felt the betraying color flying to her cheeks again as she looked at him, seeking words.
    “ I ... it doesn ’ t matter, ” she was beginning, but he laughed and instead of answering her spoke directly to her father, looking over Trudie ’ s head.
    “ Did you ever hear such nonsense, sir? ”