Friends at Thrush Green by Miss Read

Author:Miss Read [Read, Miss]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780618238880
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Published: 1990-01-02T08:00:00+00:00

On the morning after the Lovelocks' disturbed night, Violet rang the surgery to ask if Doctor Lovell would call to see her sister.

'Doctor Lovell,' said the new young receptionist, 'is out on an emergency case.'

'When will he be back?'

'In emergency cases,' said the voice with hauteur, 'we have no way of assessing the time needed.'

'Naturally,' replied Violet, with equal frigidity.

'Doctor Lovell's assistant could call, of course.' She made it sound as if, despite innumerable difficulties, such as physical paralysis, overwhelming commitments to urgent cases and extreme exhaustion, the new doctor might possibly martyr himself to the extent of struggling into his car to drive half a mile to see the patient.

Violet, holding the receiver, knew that it would be hard enough to persuade Bertha to see John Lovell—the new doctor would not have a chance of being admitted.

'Don't bother him,' said Violet, 'I will ring another time.'

'That would be best,' conceded the receptionist graciously, and rang off.

Bertha, the cause of Violet and Ada's exhaustion, was in considerably better shape than her sisters. She received her breakfast tray happily, commented on the sunshine with pleasure, and seemed oblivious to the night's mayhem.

Violet was not amused, and was determined to get at least some of her problems solved.

'John Lovell is engaged at the moment,' she told Bertha, 'but I intend to consult him.'

'A lot of fuss about nothing,' commented Bertha.

'And I am getting in touch with Jenkins to revalue the jewellery. Then it is going to the safe-deposit at the bank.'

'Jenkins died last Easter,' said Bertha.

'Jenkins' son is running the shop,' responded Violet quickly, 'and very competently too.'

'I can't see why you make such a to-do about the stuff,' said Bertha.

'It's too valuable to have lying about. Those gold chains alone are worth a great deal of money, and there are several diamond and sapphire rings.'

'But we may want to wear some of it,' cried Bertha, dropping a piece of toast, butter-side down, on the top sheet.

'We can keep back a few favourite things,' replied Violet, 'but the rest goes to the bank.'

'I think you are being quite unreasonable,' stated Bertha, attending to the buttery patch with an even more buttery knife.

Violet, who had suffered much, was stung into action.

'You are the unreasonable one, and well you know it! Any more of these tantrums and Doctor Lovell will be obliged to refer you to a mental specialist, and you know where he might well send you!'

At this, Bertha really did look a little shaken. She pushed aside her tray, and was temporarily deprived of speech. She suddenly looked very old and very frail, and for a brief moment Violet felt compunction.

But this weakness did not last long. Picking up the tray she made her way to the bedroom door. 'The best thing you can do, Bertha, is to lie there, think things over, and decide to mend your ways.'

And with this parting shot she made for the stairs.

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