Guardian Nurse by Joyce Dingwell

Author:Joyce Dingwell
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2012-10-14T01:28:14+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

Though it proved just as hard the next day to prise Jason from lessons as on the first occasion, Candy helped considerably. When the little boy’s face clouded as Frances firmly and finally closed the books at noon to decree, ‘That’s all till tomorrow’ she found that an added, ‘Or the horses will get tired of waiting for us’ swept much of the cloud away.

‘Do you think Candy will like me?’ Jason asked anxiously over lunch by the window.

‘No one could help liking you, darling,’ Frances assured him, her heart going out to his little worry-creased face. What a serious little boy he was.

‘I don’t think she liked me sometimes,’ Jason said thoughtfully.

‘A lady you knew?’ asked Frances carefully.

But Jason either lost interest or could not remember.

‘He mightn’t like my leg.’ He was back on Candy again.

‘We’ll explain to him that it won’t be like that for long, only until the plaster comes off.’

‘It came off before and it had to go on again. Do you think it will this time?’

‘If it does you’ll have a lovely new scribbling leg, won’t you?’

‘Only I won’t scribble on it. I’ll do lessons. Will Candy know when you tell him about my leg?’

‘Not if we keep him waiting, for then he won’t be there. Finish up your plate, honey. I think Burn is ready for us.’

When they came out on the verandah, Burn was. He let Jason struggle laboriously ahead of them to the stables. ‘It will loosen him up; I’ll carry him back.’

‘You do think he will be all right, Burn?’

‘Only his disinclination could discourage me, but I believe the boy is keen.’

‘He can’t wait.’ Frances smiled. ‘He was a little dubious whether Candy would like him, but I assured him that everybody and everything would.’ She frowned slightly.

‘Feeling you overdid your assurance?’ Burn grinned at her. Evidently he had noted the frown.

‘No, I was just wondering at that “I don’t think she liked me” of Jason’s.’

‘Jason said that?’ His voice was sharp.

‘Yes.’

‘Did he say—’

‘No, he didn’t say a name,’ Frances forestalled, ‘he just went on to something else.’

They walked in silence for a few moments and Frances darted Burn a quick glance. His eyes were narrowed and he wore a tight look. She said rather hastily so as to change the atmosphere more to the occasion it should be; ‘I believe I read once how pony riding has been used as therapy for handicapped children.’

‘There was an instance in Copenhagen where a young woman who had been struck down in infancy recovered through equestrian exercise and eventually succeeded in the Olympic Games,’ he answered. ‘I have no Olympic ambition for Jason, but I feel he’ll take readily to riding, for after all he is a West.’

Which answers everything, Frances felt like inserting tartly. But when she saw Jason’s ecstatic little face as he fondled Candy’s chestnut head, she felt ... if reluctantly ... obliged to the name of West for passing on to the little boy such love and confidence as shone in his eyes.

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