At The End of the Day by Betty Neels

Author:Betty Neels [NEELS, BETTY]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Fiction
Published: 2011-03-11T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

IN HER FLAT, Julia let an impatient Wellington out of his basket, gave him his supper and put the kettle on; a cup of tea might soothe her back to normal. But it needed more than that; how did one smother a sudden fierce onrush of feelings with tea? And had she gone stark raving mad? Wasn't she engaged to Nigel and hadn't she been in love with him for at least two years?

She let her tea grow cold while she sat down to think it out. Perhaps she had been in love with him to begin with; she was still fond of him but all the glamour and excitement had gone a long time ago, only she had never admitted it. And now Professor van der Wagema had taken over; she had been in love with him for quite a time, she realised now, but hadn't known it and the awful thing was that he regarded her as he always had done, a ward sister who carried out his wishes meticulously and who argued with him when she saw fit to do so. His recent friendliness she put down to his forthcoming marriage; love must have softened him.

She drank tepid tea; it was a situation she would have to face up to. The professor must never find out, for a start, but he wasn't likely to; when he wasn't totally absorbed in his work, he would be totally absorbed in his wife, and Nicholas, of course. She hoped fleetingly that the boy would be happy; he had had his father to himself for a long time. And how about Nigel-she would have to talk to him, explain, if she could, make him understand although she shrank from telling him the truth, at least a good part of it. She was fond of him and it would hurt his pride needlessly if she told him that she had fallen in love with someone else. That was something she would have to keep to herself.

She got ready for bed and then lay in the dark with Wellington curled up against her. She had been buoyed up with high-minded resolutions, but now all she felt was misery. It was unthinkable to marry Nigel now; a future with no purpose was just as unthinkable but it was something she would have to get used to. She would start at once by closing her eyes and going to sleep.

She slept but she awakened early, and since lying in bed and thinking was of no use, she got up, had an early breakfast, tidied her room, attended to Wellington's wants, went shopping and then walked the long way round to the hospital. She started up the stairs, going slowly, reluctant to start the day. At least, she told herself, the professor had no round until the next day which would give her time to pull herself together.

He was there, at the top to the staircase and she paled a little when she saw him.

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