The Nightingale Girls by Douglas Donna

Author:Douglas, Donna [Douglas, Donna]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Random House UK
Published: 2012-08-16T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Eight

‘DON’T LOOK NOW, duchess, but your young man’s got his eye on you again.’

Millie looked over her shoulder to where William stood hovering by the end of a patient’s bed at the far end of the ward, pretending to check their notes. He had taken to turning up at different times of the day, ostensibly checking on patients, taking an unusual interest in their welfare.

‘He’s persistent, I’ll say that for him,’ Blanche commented. ‘That’s the third time today he’s been to see Mrs Ruddock. The poor woman will start thinking she’s for the high jump if he keeps frowning at her notes like that.’

‘I do wish he’d go away,’ Millie sighed.

‘Go on, you must have a soft spot for him? He’s a handsome lad. I wouldn’t kick him out of bed, that’s for sure. Mind you,’ added Blanche, ‘I wouldn’t kick anyone out of bed, would I? I’d be skint otherwise!’

She cackled with laughter, and Millie joined in. In the six weeks she’d been on Wren she had learnt a lot from the women on the ward. And not just medical knowledge, either. Her grandmother would be shocked by some of the ideas she’d picked up.

William turned at the sound of their laughter, and smiled. Millie hurriedly went back to her polishing, in case the ward maid reported her again. The ward maids were the eyes and ears of the sisters, and Sister Wren’s maid Lettie Pike was especially vigilant.

‘Poor Dr Tremayne,’ Blanche said. ‘I s’pose you’ll be after marrying a lord or summat, won’t you, love?’

Blanche had been fascinated to find out about Millie’s family background. She’d laughed out loud at the idea of having methylated spirit rubbed into her backside by an Earl’s daughter.

Millie kept her entertained with stories about the balls and parties she had been to, and the grand families she mixed with. She was worried it might seem like bragging, but Blanche reckoned that listening to her was better than the films.

‘I’m not sure I want to marry anyone just yet,’ Millie said, rubbing hard at a tarnished spot on the brass plate beside Blanche’s bed. If only the local dignitaries who donated to the hospital knew how long the poor pros spent polishing their blessed name plaques, she thought, they might think twice about handing over the money.

‘Quite right, too,’ Blanche said, checking her lipstick in her mirror compact. ‘You should play hard to get. Don’t make the same mistakes I did, love. Not that there’s much chance of that, you being a real lady and everything.’ She smiled wryly.

‘You’re a real lady too, Blanche,’ Millie said.

‘Bless you, lovey.’ Blanche blushed pink with pleasure. ‘Ain’t nobody called me that in a long time. But that’s all going to change, see? Once Mr Cooper’s fixed me up and I’m out of this place, things are going to be different. I’m going to make a new start.’

‘On your sister’s farm?’ Millie had heard the story several times, but she knew Blanche never tired of talking about it.

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