Dark Room by Minette Walters

Author:Minette Walters [Walters, Minette]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780307277091

When Sister Gordon did her rounds at nine o'clock that evening, she found Jinx standing by her window watching the remnants of the day burn to crimson embers. "Isn't it beautiful?" she said without turning round, knowing by instinct who her visitor was. "If I could stand and look on this forever, then I would have eternal happiness. Do you imagine that's what heaven is?"

"I guess it depends on how static you want your heaven to be, Jinx. Presumably you've watched this develop from a simple sunset into glorious fire, so at which point would you have stopped it to produce your moment of eternal happiness? I think I would always be wondering if the moment afterwards had been more beautiful than the one I was stuck with, and that would turn the experience into a hell of frustration."

Jinx laughed quietly. "So there is no heaven?"

"Not for me. Bliss is only bliss when you come upon it unexpectedly. If it lasted forever it would be unbearable." She smiled. "Everything all right?"

Jinx turned away from the window. "Exactly the same as it was half an hour ago, and the half hour before that. Are you going to tell me now why it's so important to keep checking on me?"

"Perhaps the doctor's worried that you've been overexerting yourself. You put the fear of God into me this afternoon with that wretched walk. It was too far and too long."

"It wasn't, you know," said Jinx idly. "I spent most of the time hiding." She smiled at the other woman's surprise. "I saw my brother coming and dove for cover in one of the outside sheds." She glanced back towards the window. "Dr. Protheroe told me he was expecting a visit from my father,'' Jinx lied easily. "So do you know if Adam ever came? I thought he might pop in afterwards to visit me."

"I believe his solicitor came," Sister Gordon said, plumping up the pillows and smoothing the sheets, "but I don't think your father did."

Jinx pressed her forehead against the glass. "Why hasn't Dr. Protheroe been to see me?"

"He's taken himself off for a few hours R and R. Poor fellow," she said fondly, wishing, as she often did, that she hadn't saddled herself with Mr. Gordon. "He has a lot on his mind one way and another, and no one to share his problems with."

Jinx wrapped her arms about her thin body to stop the shivering. Did he have Leo and Meg on his mind? And was it Kennedy who'd told him?

Sister Gordon frowned. "You've been at that window too long, you silly girl. Quickly now, into your dressing gown and into bed. No sense catching pneumonia on top of everything else." She clicked her tongue sharply as she opened the dressing gown and slipped it over Jinx's shoulders. "You were lucky that young couple arrived when they did on the night of your accident or you'd have started pneumonia then."

"It was certainly convenient," said Jinx impassively.

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