Free Nurse Saxon's Patient by Marjorie Norrell Page A

the gay note in his voice.
    ‘ You seem much better already, ’ she observed. ‘ The next step is to get your hands free of those plasters, and then, ’ she smiled at Julie, ‘ I expect Nurse will be busy with the wax baths, the massage and all the rest of it that will help to give you your own freedom of movement once again. ’ She frowned suddenly, looking at Julie and adding: ‘ I really can ’ t go on calling you Nurse while you ’ re more or less a guest in my house, dear. I know you so well by this time, all the cases in which I ’ ve had a particular interest appear to have been in your care. Would you mind very much if I used your name ?’
    ‘ Of course not, ’ Julie smiled. ‘ It ’ s Julie. But please don ’ t be surprised if I don ’ t respond at once, just at first. You see, since Roger has been away I so seldom hear my name ... in the course of a usual day, I mean. I ’ m more accustomed to being just “Nurse”, and, ’ she gestured down at her trim uniform, ‘ somehow it wouldn ’ t seem right to be “ Julie” in these. ’
    ‘ And that ’ s another point. ’ Mrs. Andy began to pour their coffee. ‘ I do appreciate the need for discipline, uniform and all the rest of it at the hospital, but here I see no reason why in this lovely summer weather you shouldn ’ t wear some light, cool dresses. ’
    ‘ I ’ m here on duty, Mrs. Crossman, ’ Julie reminded the old lady gently. ‘ I don ’ t think Matron would be pleased ...’
    ‘ I ’ ll telephone her this afternoon. ’ Mrs. Andy disposed of that objection almost before Julie had time to voice it. ‘ I have to ring her, anyway. ’
    By the time she and Garth returned to the summerhouse Julie had more than grown accustomed to being ‘ Julie ’ on duty, and smiled to herself as she reflected how, in her own home as elsewhere, Mrs. Andy had a charming way of getting things to go the way she wanted them. As they settled down Garth looked across at her, gesturing for her to light him a cigarette.
    ‘ Am I allowed to call you Julie too ?’ he asked. ‘ I ’ d feel a great deal better if I were, not so much of an invalid and so on. I don ’ t feel like an invalid, ’ he explained, ‘ and indeed I ’ m not one, but to have to call for “ Nurse” repeatedly makes one feel that way. ’
    ‘ Then by all means call me Julie, ’ she laughed, but she felt a faint stirring of unease as she spoke. What was Tansy Maitland going to think when, tomorrow evening, she arrived at Woodlands and found her fiancé e and his nurse on terms of Christian names, and on such a very friendly basis?
    I hope she ’ ll realize it ’ s none of my doing, Julie thought anxiously. If she thought I was trying to ... attract Garth I ’ m sure she ’ d be angry ... and I wouldn ’ t do that, not when he belongs to someone else.
    ‘ Penny for your thoughts, Julie ?’ Garth was watching her through spirals of smoke from his cigarette. ‘ You look worried. ’
    ‘ I ’ m not. ’ Julie told the little lie with more ease than she had expected. ‘ Just wondering how long it will be before Mr. Greensmith comes to take your hands out of plaster. ’
    ‘ Can ’ t be too soon for me, ’ Garth remarked feelingly. ‘ I ’ ve never felt so helpless in my life before. I expect I was, when I was a baby ’ —he tried to make light of the matter, but she could sense the underlying frustration in his tone— ‘ but that ’ s a long time ago and I don ’ t remember much about it. It ’ s not a nice feeling, Julie, to be dependent upon others all the time for every little thing I need doing ... things one uses one ’ s hands for all the time and doesn ’ t normally even notice. ’
    ‘ Be thankful there are people willing to help you, ’ Julie chided gently, ‘ and that it will be, God willing, only for a little while. I ’ m not preaching, but try to remember there are men who were wounded in the war years who still haven ’ t their limbs or