The Moorstone Sickness by Bernard Taylor

Author:Bernard Taylor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Valancourt Books
Published: 2015-05-11T04:00:00+00:00

14

Soon after Hal and Rowan got back from seeing Paul Cassen on Monday morning Hal left for London. Mrs Palfrey saw him go.

Standing at the sitting-room window, duster in hand, she’d paused in her task of polishing the small walnut table and watched as he’d put his suitcase onto the back seat of the car and taken Rowan in his arms. After he’d kissed her he’d driven away. He would leave the car in Exeter and take the train from there, Rowan had told Mrs Palfrey. He wouldn’t be returning till Wednesday.

Now Mrs Palfrey turned away from the window, put down the duster and went into the kitchen. She was filling the kettle at the sink when Rowan came in.

‘I thought you might like a cup of coffee,’ Mrs Palfrey said. They drank far too much coffee, the Grahams. It wasn’t good. Still, a few more cups wouldn’t hurt.

Rowan smiled at her. ‘Lovely. Thank you.’

‘How did you get on this morning?’ Mrs Palfrey asked as she switched on the kettle.

‘Oh, fine. Dr Cassen certainly seems to know what he’s doing.’

‘Yes, no doubt of that.’ Mrs Palfrey paused. ‘And how are you feeling today?’

‘You mean that—sick feeling I had? Oh, fine. I don’t know what was in the medicine Dr Cassen gave us but it certainly seems to have worked. For both of us.’

‘That’s good.’

‘And my wrist is going on very well, too . . .’

‘And there’s no chance of any—permanent damage?’

‘Good Lord, no. Another week or so, he says, and it’ll be as right as rain. That’ll be a relief, I can tell you. I shall be able to get on with some work again. It’s such a nuisance being hampered in this way.’ Rowan picked up her bag and moved towards the door. ‘Well—I’d better go and change.’

‘Your coffee will be ready in a minute or two. I’ll bring it in to you.’

Rowan smiled from the doorway. ‘You know, I’m going to miss all this once my wrist is better. You’re spoiling me dreadfully.’

She went away then and Mrs Palfrey got on with the business of making the coffee. When the tray was ready she carried it into the sitting room. Rowan, now wearing a blouse and jeans, was using her left hand to continue the polishing where Mrs Palfrey had left off. She was singing as she worked. Breaking off her song as Mrs Palfrey entered she said over her shoulder, ‘I can’t use my typewriter, but this is something I can do. I must do something. I can’t just sit around.’

Mrs Palfrey put her head on one side and gave her a little admonishing look. ‘Well, just so long as you don’t overdo it.’

She set the tray down and poured the coffee. Rowan came and sat on the sofa. Her blouse had short sleeves and Mrs Palfrey noticed at once the small, round sticking-plaster in the crook of her left elbow.

‘Have you hurt yourself again?’ she asked.

‘What? Oh, that. No, not at all!’ Rowan laughed. ‘My God,

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.