To Have and to Hold Read Online Free PDF

her background and the type of home she came from. She had gone on to say that the child and young woman that she had known for four years had remained untainted by this and had the ability and will to make something of herself. Catherine liked the sound of Carmel Duffy and had been impressed with what she saw, but because Frances had also said she hated talking of her family and in particular her father, she had asked no questions. Anyway, she had the girl’s testimonials, and all Matron really was interested in was whether Carmel would make a good nurse.
    Unaware of the matron’s thoughts, Carmel, glad that quite painless interview was over, returned to her room to find a girl, still in her outdoor clothes, looking a little lost.
    ‘Hello,’ Carmel said. ‘You must be Lois.’
    The girl’s sigh of relief was audible. ‘Yes,’ she said, extending her hand. ‘Lois Baker.’
    ‘And I’m Carmel Duffy.’
    ‘No secrets about where you come from,’ Lois said. ‘Your accent is lovely, and what gorgeous hair.’
    ‘Thanks,’ Carmel said, liking the look of Lois too, with her dark brown curls and merry brown eyes.
    ‘Where is everyone?’
    ‘Well, we’ve not long had breakfast,’ Carmel explained, hauling her case from beneath the bed as she spoke. ‘We haven’t got to report for duty until one o’clock in the lecture theatre, and most of the girls have gone into the common room. I only arrived last night myself, though, and was too tired after the meal tounpack so I’m doing it now. I’m not sure when I’ll have a spare minute again.’
    ‘Good idea,’ Lois said. ‘I’ll do the same.’
    As Lois hauled her case up onto the bed as Carmel directed her to, she said with a wry smile, ‘I find it hard to believe I am here at last. There were times I didn’t think I would make it.’
    ‘Nor me,’ Carmel said. ‘Did your father object too?’
    ‘No, it was my mother,’ Lois said. ‘She kicked up a right shindig about it. In fact, if it hadn’t been for Daddy and his support, I wouldn’t have made it.’
    ‘Why did she object?’
    ‘Well, she’s an invalid, you see,’ Lois said. ‘At least…’ she wrinkled her nose, ‘she’s supposed to be an invalid. I have my doubts. Well, more than doubts because I have caught her out a time or two. She’s not half as helpless as she makes out.’
    Carmel couldn’t quite believe that anyone could act that way. ‘Are you sure?’
    ‘Oh, I’m sure, all right, but…well, what can I do? All the years I was growing up, it was impressed upon me—on all of us—that Mummy wasn’t very strong. You get sort of conditioned. I have a brother and a sister both older than me and they got away in time so there was just me left.’
    ‘What about your father?’
    ‘Daddy is marvellous and he said I should run while I had the chance. Now he pays a woman, an ex-nurse, to come in and see to Mummy.’
    ‘Is your father rich to be able to just employ someone like that?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ Lois said. ‘I’ve never thought about it.’
    ‘What does he do?’
    ‘He’s a department manager in Lewis’s.’ Then, at the perplexed look on Carmel’s face, Lois went on, ‘It’s a big store in the city centre, bigger even than Marshall & Snelgrove. D’you know how Daddy got around my mother in the end?’ Carmel shook her head and Lois continued. ‘Told her that I was training as a nurse so that I could look after her more effectively.’
    ‘And will you?’
    ‘Not likely,’ Lois said determinedly. ‘She is a slave-driver and not averse either to giving me the odd hard slap or pinch for little or nothing at all. She behaves better with other people. Daddy has the patience of Job with her—with everyone, really. He is a wonderful person. What about you?’
    Carmel was laying the pin cushion and pin tray on the dressing table as the letter had directed her to but her hands became still at Lois’s question. She didn’t want to bring the details of her