The War Nurses by Lizzie Page

Author:Lizzie Page [Page, Lizzie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781786813725
Publisher: Bookouture

* * *

His name was Jack. Jack from Ingatestone, he said as though it was his title. After we had finished reorganising the fallen chairs, he invited me to a tearoom across the way and I surprised myself by accepting. He said he was visiting the family of a friend, but he didn’t know them well, so—

‘I don’t know anyone here either!’ I said reassuringly. It was still raining a drizzle, making the streets slippery. When I tottered on a cobblestone, he offered me his arm, but I waved it away. ‘I’m fine.’

He smiled, more to himself than at me. ‘Course you are.’

The door made a dreadful ringing noise when we pushed it open. Apart from us, the only customers were two old ladies who nodded at our arrival. I felt they didn’t approve of Jack but I imagined they liked my bonnet. The yawning waitress could hardly be bothered to cover her mouth. I chose a macaroon from the menu but regretted it when Jack said he wasn’t hungry. I wondered if it was because he didn’t have enough money, but didn’t know how to broach the subject. He had warm eyes that dropped away quickly when I tried to meet them with mine, which made me think of my reaction to Harold. While the waitress made the drinks, Jack and I sat silently and I wondered what on earth had possessed me to come here with him.

The waitress returned and, with minimum enthusiasm, announced, ‘No macaroons left.’

Jack looked concerned but I said, ‘Jolly good, I didn’t want anything anyway.’

Perhaps because the place was so empty, the conversation on the next table reverberated around the room more than it normally might. Or maybe those two ladies had particularly booming voices. We weren’t listening but we couldn’t help but hear:

‘If they only had any gumption it would be over by now.’

‘They’re too soft,’ agreed the other. ‘They just let it go on.’

‘A captain I know says he’s never seen such weak, lily-livered, feeble young soldiers.’

‘They should be ashamed to call themselves British.’

This time Jack met my eyes. His jaw was set quite differently now.

‘The war will be lost because of men like them.’

Jack couldn’t control himself any longer. He swept away his napkin and rose from his chair. Half of me was petrified he would make a scene, but the other half couldn’t help but admire his dignity.

He stood in front of them. Even the backs of his ears looked furious.

‘You have… no idea what it’s like,’ he interrupted. ‘You have NO idea how t-t-terrible it is.’

They didn’t argue with him, thank goodness. One of the women wiped her thin lips slowly with her napkin. The other looked at him as though he were something crawling across her empty plate. He looked like he would say some more, but then he backed away from them, still shaking his head incredulously.

They called for the bill and the waitress came out still yawning, as though nothing had taken place, which, I suppose as far as anyone except us was concerned, it hadn’t.

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