Fate Takes a Hand Betty Neels

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him. She must stop thinking about him, and when
she did, it must be with dislike.
Her pity was wasted, of course. Mr van Linssen
needed none; he was in complete command of his
destiny, even though it would need some rearranging
before it was to his liking. Even the arrival of Ursula
on the following evening did nothing to destroy his
calm.
She brushed past Dodge as though he wasn't there
and flung into the dining-room where Mr van
Linssen was eating his dinner.
BETTY NEELS 163
`Where were you last night?' she demanded.
`Dulcie Shaw saw you in the car with a girl. Who
was she and why was she with you?'
He put down his napkin and got to his feet. 'My
dear Ursula, this is an unexpected pleasure. You
won't mind if I finish dinner? I had no time-for lunch
today. Can Dodge bring you something?'
`I dined hours ago,' she snapped, 'at the Shaws'
Dulcie was there, of course, sniggering about it. You
should have been with me...'
Mr van Linssen selected cheese and took a biscuit.
`My dear Ursula, I seem to remember that you re-
fused my invitation to the theatre yesterday evening
on the grounds that you would be bored and would
much prefer the Shaws' company.'
`That's quite different. It's a boring play, from all
accounts, and why should I have to spend a tedious
evening when I might be having fun?'
`Why, indeed? Do you find me tedious, Ursula?'
He was watching her under lowered lids.
She pouted and said in a wheedling tone, 'Well,
you are rather dull, darling. You still haven't told me
who she was.'
`I don't intend to tell you, Ursula Shall we go to
the drawing-room for coffee?'
Her face became ugly with temper. 'I'm going,
and I hope you'll be sorry for being so beastly to
me and don't think you can get round me with a
stupid bunch of flowers.'
She flounced into the hall, and Dodge, looking
164 FATE TAKES A HAND
suitably grieved, opened the door for her and bade
her goodnight in a doleful voice before going off to
his kitchen, where he fell to whistling cheerfully
while he collected the plates and cutlery ready for
the daily woman to clean when she came in in the
morning. Very satisfactory, he decided. Now it only
needed a bit of luck...
Which, as it turned out, was by no means as unlikely
at it seemed. It was a Saturday afternoon and Trottie
and Peter had gone to the village shop, leaving
Eulalia at home, writing careful answers to the offers
of work in the local weekly paper. They didn't intend
to buy much: a tin of corned beef Trottie was
clever at serving it up in a hundred and one different
guises dog food, cat food and, since it was the
weekend, Peter had his pocket-money to spend. Fifty
pence a week wasn't much but he laid it out care-
fully, and Mrs Trusk, who owned the shop, allowed
him to take his time deciding between fruit-gums and
humbugs. She wasn't busy, anyway, and she and
Trottie had plenty to gossip about.
He made his choice, and Trottie moved away from
the counter, caught her foot on the corner of a box
of oranges and fell. She was a stout little person and
fell hard. Peter had rushed to help her up but she put
out a shaking hand. 'No, love leave me I've hurt
my leg.' She gave him a lop-sided smile and fainted.
Mrs Trusk, bending over Trottie, said unnecessar-
ily, 'She's fainted. Oh, dear, whatever shall we do?'
BETTY NEELS 165
`Ring the doctor,' said Peter, 'and get a glass of
water.' He picked up one of Trottie's hands.
`Trottie it's all right, we'll look after you.'
His voice quavered a bit; he was, after all, only
eight years old, despite his efforts to be calm, like
his idol Mr van Linssen.
Trottie opened her eyes. 'I know you will,
ducks don't let anyone move me.'
The doctor was on his rounds and his wife didn't
know where exactly. By then several people had
gathered round. 'Ring the ambulance,' said Mr
Wedge and then, 'Someone get a cushion for Miss
Trott's head.' He looked around him. 'And someone
fetch Miss Lally.'
Peter slipped behind the counter again and went
to the phone. Glad that he had Mr van Linssen's
phone number, he dialled it, and when someone an-
swered he said in a rush, 'I must speak to Mr van
Linssen, it's very important. Tell him it's Peter.'
He sighed gustily when the well-remembered
voice said in his small ear, 'Peter, what's wrong?
Can I help?'
`It's Trottie, she's fallen down and she can't get
up because of her leg and the doctor isn't here.
They've sent for an ambulance but it's got to come
from Cirencester and someone's gone to fetch Aunt
Lally...' He paused on an indrawn breath, deter-
mined not to cry but wanting to very badly.
`Good man. You did quite right to ring me. Now,
listen very carefully. I am going to get into my car
166 FATE TAKES A HAND
and drive to Cirencester. It so happens that I have a
good friend there. He'll allow me to take a look at
Trottie and do anything that's necessary. Lally will
have to go with Trottie. I want you to find Mr Wedge
and ask him to go with you to the cottage and stay
there until I come. I shall have Dodge with me and
he will stay with you as long as it is necessary. I
should be with you in a couple of hours. There's no
need to tell Lally; she has enough to worry about.
Tell her you'll be quite all right until she gets home.
Have you got all that, Peter?'
`Yes, Mr van Linssen. I knew you'd come.'
He put the receiver back and joined the group
around Trottie. Eulalia was kneeling beside her now,
holding her hand and talking to her in a quiet voice,
and above the babel of voices was the raucous sing-
song of the ambulance. Peter touched Eulalia on the
arm. 'You'll go with Trottie?' he asked. 'I'll be all
right until you get home.'
Tut someone must stay with you.'
`I'll get Mr Wedge I know he will.'
Eulalia nodded. 'That's splendid of you, Peter.
Look, stay here with Trottie while I run back and
get her overnight things. She may need to stay in
hospital.' She gave his small shoulder a squeeze and
darted away, and by the time the paramedics had
Trottie on a stretcher, her leg tenderly encased in a
plastic splint, she was back again.
`Go home with Mr Wedge, darling, and stay in-
doors. The key's on the hook. I should be back soon
BETTY NEELS 167
after tea, but you get a meal if you're hungry, and
feed Blossom and Charlie.' She gave him a quick
hug. 'Bless you, Peter.'
There was no time for more. He watched the am-
bulance drive away and then went home. Mr Wedge
went with him, a comforting arm around his small
shoulders. 'There's bound to be some news quite
soon, and I'll stay just as long as I'm needed.'
The cottage was very quiet. Mr Wedge made some
tea and cut some bread and butter. Peter, with his
mouth full, explained about Dodge.
`Now that's a grand idea. Nice chap, is he, this
Dodge?'
`Oh, yes, Mr Wedge. He looks after Mr van
Linssen.'
Mr Wedge, his mind set at rest, poured the tea.
Dodge was in the kitchen, preparing a b�chamel
sauce with which to coat the chicken he was pre-
paring for that evening's meal to be served earlier
than usual, since Mr van Linssen was to escort his
Ursula to some late evening function or other. He
was quite unprepared for his master's sudden ap-
pearance.
`Ah, Dodge. Leave everything, pack two over-
night bags, one for me, one for you. Ten minutes
you can have ten minutes.'
`Sir,' said Dodge in a pained voice.
`Yes, yes. I'll explain as we go. Now hurry,
there's a good chap.'
168 FATE TAKES A HAND
Something in Mr van Linssen's voice made him
do exactly that; within ten minutes he was coming
down the stairs at twice his usual stately pace, a bag
in each hand. A minute later he was sitting beside
Mr van Linssen, listening to that gentleman's quiet
voice explaining. Dodge had never looked anything
other than melancholy all his life but now he allowed
himself a smile. Here was a bit of luck, unless he
was mistaken.
`Miss Kendall,' he ventured. 'You were to attend
a function with her.'
`Oh, lord, yes. Dodge, pick up the phone and ring
her now. Tell her that I'm called away on an urgent
case.'
Dodge listened unmoved to Ursula's cross voice,
expressed his regret and put the phone back. After
that they didn't speak. The motorway was fairly [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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