The beekeepers war, p.4
The Beekeeper's War, page 4
‘What’s the matter?’ Milly asked. ‘You don’t have a fancy for him yourself, do you?’
Pru was horrified that Milly had taken her reaction the wrong way. ‘No, I don’t.’
‘That’s a relief. Why the concerned look then?’
‘Nurse Denton. Nurse Le Cuirot!’
Relieved for once to be interrupted by Matron, Pru stood up straighter, arms by her side, just as Milly was doing. ‘Matron,’ they chorused.
‘If you have nothing better to do than stand and idly gossip while on duty, then I’m sure I can find ways to keep you busy.’
‘Sorry, Matron,’ Pru said.
‘We were just about to, um…’
Pru saw her friend scanning the room looking for something to do. ‘Change the water in the vases,’ she said, finishing Milly’s sentence for her.
‘Good. Then why are you standing here dithering?’ She waved them away in irritation as if they were a couple of annoying flies.
Pru smoothed down her apron and followed Milly over to a windowsill where several vases of greenery and flowers brightened the otherwise stately but subdued decor in the panelled room.
‘That was quick thinking,’ Milly said over her shoulder. ‘Well done.’ They picked up several of the vases and carried them out of the ward. ‘You were about to tell me why you reacted like you did when you spotted Jean with Monty.’
‘I don’t think we should call him by that name, especially when Matron or Lord and Lady Ashbury are nearby. Do you?’
‘None of them can hear us now, so stop trying to change the subject and tell me.’
Pru sighed. ‘It’s just that Jean is such a sweet girl.’
‘Don’t you think he’s nice enough for her?’
They reached the sluice room where they were to wash out the vases. ‘It’s not that. I’m sure he’s lovely. It’s just that, well, he’s Lord and Lady Ashbury’s heir now. Do you truly believe they’ll be happy for him to become close to a middle-class girl like Jean? Or do you suppose they’d be more inclined to expect him to marry someone with a similar background to his own?’
‘Ahh.’ Milly set down the two vases she was carrying and placed her hands on her hips. ‘I hadn’t thought of that.’
‘I wish I hadn’t,’ Pru said, lifting out the wilting flowers and dropping them into the nearby bin before returning to the sink and turning on the water to wash the vase. ‘Maybe it might not come to that. After all, Jean hasn’t said anything to us about her feelings for him, has she?’
Milly shook her head. ‘No, but we both saw how she is around him.’ She threw away her handful of wilting flowers. ‘Or maybe we’re wrong and she’s just being friendly.’
Pru doubted it. Jean was friendly to all the patients and they’d both worked with her for long enough to know this was a first for her. ‘Let’s hope so.’ She dried the vases. ‘We’d better hurry up and get back to the ward in case we’re needed for something else.’
They arrived back to see Jean looking concerned near the nurses’ station. ‘Are you all right?’ Pru asked, concerned.
‘Not really.’ She took a deep breath. ‘Doctor Parslow is having a few words with Matron about Monty. He’s removing Monty’s bandages later this morning.’
‘It’s today?’ They all knew the importance of this event.
‘Yes,’ she said, her voice trembling and barely above a whisper. ‘What will he do if he can’t see, Pru? What if this latest operation on Monty’s eyes wasn’t as successful as we’re all hoping?’ She took a deep breath and clasped her hands.
Pru gave Jean a reassuring smile. ‘Then we’ll all have to do our best to help him come to terms with it. Let’s try not to panic before we know though, Jean.’
Jean sighed. ‘Yes, I’ll do my best not to.’ She brightened. ‘Monty’s asked me if I wouldn’t mind being there to hold his hand when the dressings are removed and Doctor Parslow has agreed that I can be. Matron doesn’t look very happy about it though, for some reason.’
‘Don’t take any notice of that miserable woman,’ Pru said, irritated. ‘If the doctor’s happy then that’s all that matters.’
‘It is,’ Milly agreed, reaching out to rest a hand on Jean’s arm. ‘He must like you if he’s asked for you specifically.’
‘We have become friendly since he arrived here,’ Jean said shyly, lowering her gaze to the floor. ‘Monty said that if he does still have his sight then he wants my face to be the first one after the doctor’s that he sees.’
Pru’s hand went to her chest. ‘That’s so sweet of him.’
Her heart ached for her friend and especially for Monty. She prayed that his eyesight had been restored and that his life could soon return to some semblance of normality. She had heard that nothing much more could be done for his damaged leg. At best he would always have a limp, but at worst he could end up having to use a wheelchair.
Milly nudged Jean. ‘I think Doctor Parslow is wanting you to go over now.’
Jean looked from one to the other of them and seemed, Pru thought, close to tears. ‘Wish me luck. Him luck. Oh, I don’t know.’
‘We will,’ Pru said, giving her a gentle push. ‘Go on. You can do this. And remember, whatever the outcome, Monty will be holding your hand and that will be a comfort to him.’
‘Yes,’ Jean whispered, closing her eyes briefly before holding her head high and walking over to Monty’s bed.
They watched as the doctor said something and then Jean pulled the screen around the bed, blocking their view.
Milly grimaced. ‘I hope he’s all right.’
‘So do I.’
Pru kept herself busy for the next little while, assisting the patients and making up two beds. Why was the doctor taking so long, she wondered anxiously. Surely it didn’t take ten minutes to take off a dressing and shine a light into someone’s eyes? She peered over at the screen to see it was still in place blocking her view and said a silent prayer that all would be well.
She was about to turn away when the screen was rolled back and Pru saw that her friend was wiping tears from her cheek. Forgetting she was supposed to be keeping busy, Pru hurried over to her. Jean noticed her and smiled, then bit her lower lip. Had the surgery been successful, Pru wondered hopefully.
She got as close to Monty’s bed as she dared and studied him. His bandages were off and he was staring up at Jean with a broad smile on his slim face. He looked happy.
Pru felt a lump form in her throat and knew she was in danger of crying. ‘You can see?’ she asked without thinking.
‘I can,’ Monty said. ‘And you are?’ he asked, before immediately raising a hand to stop her from answering. ‘Let me guess. I recognise your voice well. You’re Nurse Le Cuirot, if I’m not mistaken.’
Pru laughed, delighted with the happy outcome. ‘I am. I’m so thrilled for you.’
‘It’s all a bit blurry at the moment, but I can see more than I had expected to.’ He gave a shuddering sigh. ‘When that bomb exploded, I never imagined I’d be able to see again.’
‘You were incredibly lucky that your optic nerves weren’t cut. The heavy bruising to your left eye is slowly reducing and your sight in that eye will continue to improve, although we’re not entirely sure by how much,’ Doctor Parslow said, his hands in his pockets. ‘The piece of shrapnel that I removed from near your right eye was trickier than I was hoping it would be but it seems that the operation was successful and the vision in that eye has been saved.’
‘You’re a hero, Doctor,’ Monty said.
Pru watched the doctor shake his head. ‘No, my boy. I just put you soldiers back together to the best of my abilities. It’s men like you who are the heroes. I want you to rest now. Your vision will have improved a little more by tomorrow,’ the doctor assured him, looking as relieved as the rest of them, Pru thought. ‘Nurse Le Riche. Give the Major a few minutes to settle and then please apply a new dressing over his eyes. Only a light one this time.’
‘Do I need to have it put back on again?’ Monty asked, looking disappointed. ‘It’s been ages since I saw daylight and I’ve only just seen this delightful nurse for the first time.’
Doctor Parslow pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. ‘I’m very happy for you, Major Ashbury, but you need to take things slowly. You’ve been incredibly brave and you’ve done very well so far. Now, though, you need rest and to give those eyes of yours the best possible chance of healing. You’ll have many other chances to see the nurses, but for now you need to follow my instructions closely.’
‘What about my parents?’ Monty asked suddenly. ‘I’m certain they’ll want to see for themselves that your brilliant methods to restore my sight have succeeded.’
The doctor nodded. ‘You’re right, they will.’ He turned to Pru. ‘Nurse, please fetch Lord and Lady Ashbury immediately and let them know their son has some excellent news for them.’
Five
Pru
February 1917
Later that afternoon, Pru’s stomach flipped over to see Captain Garland waiting with the rest of the visitors to be let into the ward. She was excited for him to discover Monty’s news, especially as she had discovered that he was the one who had rescued Monty and taken him to a casualty clearing station and that without him Lord and Lady Ashbury might possibly be mourning the death of their third son.
Was it the war that brought out the hero in men like the captain, she wondered, or were they always ready to put their lives at risk to rescue those close to them? She didn’t know but imagined that Lord and Lady Ashbury must feel indebted to this man for saving their son and heir.
She hoped that today the result of Monty’s operation would give him a reason to shed the lines of worry she had witnessed on his face. She hated to think of the horrors that a man like the captain must have witnessed.
‘Nurse?’
Pru looked down at an elderly lady with a walking stick. ‘Yes?’
The woman waved Pru down to her level and whispered in her ear. ‘Is there a lavatory I can use? It was a long journey here and I’d like to spend a penny.’
Pru pointed her in the direction of the nearest lavatory. ‘Just down the hall there,’ she said. ‘Do you need me to ask one of the other nurses to accompany you?’
‘No thanks, dear,’ she said. ‘I’ll be back in a jiffy.’
Pru smiled and watched her go. Then, drawing her attention back to the waiting visitors, she noticed the captain looking directly at her. Her breath shortened and she had to concentrate on not appearing as flustered as she felt. She realised he seemed concerned about something, as if he had bad news to impart to his friend. She hoped not. She didn’t want anything to diminish Monty’s newfound happiness.
Seeing that it was now visiting time, Pru pulled back the ward door and ushered the visitors inside.
Jack walked up to her, stepping aside to let others pass before speaking to her. ‘Good afternoon, Nurse Le Cuirot.’
‘Captain, it’s good to see you again,’ she said honestly as the other visitors filed into the ward before him.
He smiled at her, the skin near his navy-blue eyes crinkling slightly, causing her heart to pound rapidly. ‘You didn’t expect me to be here?’
She smiled politely, her hands clasped neatly in front of her skirts to keep them from trembling. ‘I wasn’t sure you’d be able to come back so soon. You did say, that first day here, that you wouldn’t be able to return in the afternoon, but you did. I presumed your leave had been extended, or something of the sort.’ She knew she was being nosy but was intrigued.
He watched her silently for a few seconds, then his eyes widened and he seemed surprised. ‘You’ve been thinking about me?’
Pru was taken aback by his reaction and mortified to have admitted that she had given his whereabouts some thought. ‘Only because I hoped you might be able to visit Major Ashbury again.’
‘Right, of course.’
Pru hated to see him looking disappointed and wished she had thought before speaking.
‘I was supposed to leave that afternoon but my departure was delayed. Everything’s back on again now and I must tell Monty that after today I won’t be able to visit him for a few weeks.’
Pru was taken aback by how much this news saddened her. ‘You will be back again though, won’t you?’ she asked without thinking, wishing as soon as the words had left her mouth that she would learn when not to speak.
He looked startled. ‘I, er … Yes.’
‘Good.’
His lips drew back in a wide smile. ‘Am I to take it that you’ll miss me, Nurse Le Cuirot?’
Mortified at behaving in such a forward manner, Pru shook her head. ‘No. I … I was simply thinking about Monty, er, Major Ashbury.’ Recalling Monty’s exciting news and wanting to divert the captain’s attention from her being so foolish, she said, ‘In fact, I think you should go in to see him right away. He has his own news he wishes to share with you.’
All amusement vanished from Jack’s face. He reached out and took her hand in his. ‘He’s all right, isn’t he?’
Hating herself for being so insensitive and giving him a fright, she forced a smile. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to give you the wrong impression. He’s fine. Truly.’ Her heart leapt. She had never felt such a strong attraction to a man before, and she realised how exciting it was. Was this what Jean felt when she was with Monty? She supposed it must be. She felt the heat from his fingers and thumb around hers, enjoying the sensation. She looked up at him and saw him gazing down at her. Had he felt the same spark of electricity pass through his skin as it touched hers?
She forced herself to speak. ‘I’m sure he’ll want to tell you himself.’
‘I, er, had better go and see him then.’
‘Yes.’ She reluctantly withdrew her hand from his and returned the confused smile he gave her. ‘If I don’t see you before you go, Captain, I’d like to wish you good luck with whatever it is that you’re being sent to do.’
‘Thank you, Nurse Le Cuirot,’ he said. ‘I appreciate it.’
She watched him walk away, taking in for the first time his height and the breadth of his shoulders. She had noticed him standing head and sometimes shoulders above the other visitors, but they had been mostly women. Now, though, she saw he was at least a couple of inches over six feet. She wondered how he managed to fit comfortably in one of the planes he flew. With what she knew of him, Pru felt certain that he would find a solution to anything he turned his mind to. The Jack Garland she had seen so far was a thoughtful, caring and kind man and she knew from overhearing snippets of his conversations with Monty that he hid his deeper feelings from most people. She sensed that if she ever needed a friend, this man was someone who could be relied upon.
She heard the excitement in Jack’s voice when he greeted Monty.
The upturn in the atmosphere in the ward – and, Pru mused, the rest of the manor and its occupants since Monty’s results became common knowledge – was unmistakable. Everyone seemed to be invested in his recovery, not only because he was a thoroughly likeable man, but also because all the patients and staff at Ashbury Manor felt enormous gratitude to their hosts and longed for their happiness after the loss of their older two sons.
Pru was weary after almost two years of nursing badly injured men and grasped at anything positive that made her days more bearable. She wasn’t sure how she would cope with peace now if it came. So much had happened around her. She groaned, irritated with herself for being downbeat at such a happy time. ‘It will come,’ she whispered. ‘It has to.’ Her parents expected her to return to Jersey when all the fighting had finished but now she had experienced life away from the island – and from the strict confines of her family – she knew she wanted to take time to discover more of the world.
She jumped when a hand rested on her shoulder. ‘What?’
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to alarm you,’ Jean said. ‘I was wondering when you’re taking your break and thought we might go for a walk together in the gardens. I could do with some fresh air.’
Pru glanced out of the large window to her right and shuddered. ‘It looks freezing out there,’ she said, noticing how the earlier sunshine had disappeared behind thick, low steel-grey clouds. ‘It looks like it’s about to snow.’
‘I know, which is why I thought now would be a good time for that walk.’ Jean grinned. ‘Before we get snowed in here and can’t go outside for a few days.’
‘You think that will happen?’ Pru hoped not. She valued her daily walks; it was the one time she was usually alone and able to work through any troubling thoughts brought about by what she had witnessed during her shift.
‘I’ve no idea.’ Jean untied her apron and slipped it over her head. ‘Will you be joining me, or not?’
Pru suspected her friend needed someone to confide in. She didn’t often ask to join her, but simply left the building with her and walked next to her when she was free to do so. ‘Yes, why not? We’ll need to wrap up warm though.’ She looked up at the wall clock. ‘I should be finished soon. I only have a few small jobs to do. Why don’t I meet you at the side door nearest the wooded area in fifteen minutes?’
‘Perfect.’
Pru returned to the ward to check with Matron whether she was needed for anything else. Happy to be given leave to go, she rushed to the room she shared with Jean, Milly and one other new nurse and quickly changed into her ankle boots, coat, hat and thick scarf. She couldn’t afford to catch a chill, especially not now they were so busy with new patients.
By the time she and Jean stepped outside, snow had begun falling. It didn’t often snow in Jersey and seeing the delicate flakes billowing downwards made Pru feel like she was miles away from her everyday life.
‘Isn’t this perfect?’ Jean asked, linking her arm through Pru’s. ‘In fact, I think life is pretty idyllic right now.’
