The End of the Rainbow by Betty Neels

Author:Betty Neels
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 1974-07-30T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

THAT SAME NIGHT RIA FELL ILL. There had been no warning, she had been peacefully asleep when Olympia peeped in on her as she herself went to bed. It was one o’clock in the morning when Olympia was awakened by a faint sound from the little girl’s room directly above hers. She got out of bed, put on her dressing gown and slippers and ran upstairs. Ria was being sick, her small face greenish white, and when Olympia took a small wrist in her own steady one, it was to feel a racing pulse and a feverish warmth. She cleaned the child up gently, put on a fresh nightie, covered her carefully and ran downstairs to Waldo’s room. He wasn’t there, but downstairs the light in the hall was still burning and when she tapped on the study door and went in, he was there, sitting at his desk. Even then, with her mind full of Ria, she could see how tired he looked, his brows drawn together in a weary frown, but as he got to his feet his face became its usual placid self once more, although his eyes were alert.

‘Ria,’ she said, not giving him a chance to say anything, ‘she’s been dreadfully sick, her pulse is up too and she’s feverish.’

He had come round the desk to stand by her and spoke with reassuring promptness. ‘Let’s go up and have a look at her,’ and smiled so kindly at her that she choked a little. ‘I had a look at her before I went to bed, she was fast asleep then.’

They were mounting the stairs together, his arm round her shoulders, for all the world as though they hadn’t disagreed so sharply that very evening. ‘Measles?’ he mused out loud. ‘There’s plenty of it about—but she’s been immunized. Something she ate? Supper?’ He turned a questioning look on Olympia.

‘A mug of cocoa, Marmite sandwiches, one sweet biscuit and an apple,’ she answered promptly.

‘Not supper, then. Appendix? Could be—we’ll soon know.’

Ria had fallen into an uneasy sleep, but she wakened as they went in and was sick again. Waldo stood at the foot of the bed while Olympia cleaned up once more and then went to sit on its edge. He was quick and gentle, listened patiently to Ria’s tearful little voice as he poked and prodded, and when he answered her his own voice was reassuringly quiet and calm. When he had finished he glanced at Olympia.

‘Appendix—I’m pretty sure of it. We’ll get her round to the hospital. Wrap her up warm—dressing gown and blankets will do—I’ll go and telephone Piet de Haan, he’ll have a look and see what’s to be done.’

He said something jokingly to the little girl and went away, leaving Olympia to roll her carefully in blankets and collect a few things to take with her. There was nothing to put them in, though, so she flew down to her own room to fetch a small case of her own and when she got back found Emma on the landing.

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