Ring in a Teacup by Betty Neels

Author:Betty Neels
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-07-30T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

THE OLDER MEMBERS of her father’s parish had told Lucy that it would be a severe winter, and she had no reason to doubt their words as she left St Norbert’s very early the next morning. The bus was crowded and cold and the sky hung, an ugly grey, over the first rush of earlier commuters. Lucy, going the other way, found Waterloo surprisingly empty once the streams of passengers coming to work had ended their race out of the station. She had ten minutes before the train left; breakfastless, she bought herself a plastic beaker of tea, which, while tasting of nothing, warmed her up. She had just enough time to buy some chocolate before the train left; she munched it up, tucked her small person into the corner seat in the almost empty carriage and went to sleep.

The guard woke her as the train drew in to Crewkerne and she skipped on to the platform, refreshed and ravenous, to find her father deep in conversation with the doctor from Beaminster, on his way to London. She was greeted fondly by her parent and with a friendly pat on the back from the doctor who had known her from her childhood. Both gentlemen then finished their conversation at some length while Lucy stood between them, her head full of pots of tea, home-made cakes and the cheese straws her mother always kept on the top shelf of the cupboard. She promised herself that she would eat the lot—if only she could get to them.

In the car at last her father observed apologetically: ‘Doctor Banks and I were discussing Shirley Stevens—young Ted’s wife, you know. She’s expecting her first child very shortly and he’s trying to get her into hospital a few days earlier. They’re very isolated and even in good weather the lane is no place for an ambulance.’

‘There’s the district nurse,’ offered Lucy helpfully.

‘Yes, dear, but she has her days off, you know, and when she’s on duty she has an enormous area to cover—she might not be available.’

‘Where does Doctor Banks hope to get a bed?’

‘Wherever there’s one in his area. He’s gone to London to some meeting or other. He’ll try Yeovil on the way back; Crewkerne say they can’t take her before the booked date.’

‘Poor Shirley,’ said Lucy, ‘let’s hope he’s lucky at Yeovil—there’s Bridport, of course.’

‘Fully booked.’ He turned the car into the Rectory drive. ‘Here we are. I daresay you’re hungry, Lucilla.’

She said ‘Yes, Father,’ with admirable restraint and rushed into the kitchen. Her mother was there, preparing vegetables, so were the cheese straws. Lucy, with her mouth full, sat on the kitchen table, stuffing her delicate frame while she answered her mother’s questions about the journey, her need for a good meal and whether she had been busy at the hospital. But her usual catechism was lacking, and Lucy, who had been looking forward to tell all about her dinner with Fraam der Linssen, felt quite let down.

But not

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