she would have fallen, the registrar gripped her upper arm, steadying her against his body. 'Are you usually so clumsy—or it is my fault?' he enquired good-humouredly. Anna tried to match his bantering tone.
'I think it must be the weather, Doctor. Only a duck would feel at home out there!'
He chuckled, his eyes crinkling with laughter, big white teeth gleaming in his tanned face. She wondered, inconsequentially, where he had got a tan like that in December. Perhaps he went somewhere more exciting for his holidays than Bournemouth!
'Have you far to walk?' he asked, still standing by the table, his tea rapidly cooling in front of him.
She shook her head. 'Not far, Doctor. Only. . She had been about to say 'Brightling Hill' but thought better of it. 'I have to get back to Park Ward,' she said instead, but now he was frowning.
'Where did you say you lived?' he demanded and reluctantly she told him, expecting some remark about her being one of the idle rich if she lived there.
'Hm. I know the area. Old houses—and a dark lane,' he added. Anna relaxed.
'I take a short-cut across the rec, Doctor. It cuts off most of the lane.'
'In the dark? Aren't you afraid of being raped?' he asked, so casually that it was a moment or two before Anna fully took it in.
'Oh! No, I . . . The thought never occurred to me!' She laughed, a hollow sound even to herself. Of course it had occurred to her. Often. But being tall and strong she had always reckoned she would be a match for any assailant. 'I'm big enough to take care of myself,' she pointed out.
'Suppose there were two of them. Or even a gang,' he said, coolly, and Anna shook her head, unwilling to discuss the matter any more.
'Look,' he went on, as she moved to go. 'I'm not off until ten but if you can hang around until then I'll drive you home. It won't take more than a couple of minutes,' he offered. Anna eyed him, doubtfully.
'Why on earth should you?' she asked, before she could stop herself, and his face darkened with temper.
'I mean . . . it's very kind of you,' she faltered, 'but I can't. I have to be home by ten,' she tried to explain. But he didn't understand.
'Surely another ten or fifteen minutes won't make any difference? Don't tell me father waits by the front door with a stop-watch!' he chuckled, and Anna fled, unable to take any more teasing.
It wasn't father but mother who sat, clock at the ready, watching and waiting for her only daughter's return. If she accepted Dr Alexandre's kind offer, Mother would be worried sick at the delay. And if Anna phoned home and explained that a doctor would be giving her a lift, that wouldn't suit her Mother either. She would be edgy and suspicious and ply Anna with questions about the doctor. Then she would lie sleepless, and the following morning her nurse would blame Anna for Mrs Curtis's bad night.
It was a vicious circle and the more Anna thought about it, the more her headache grew. If it hadn't been for Dr Alexandre she wouldn't have a headache, and it was one more black mark to chalk up against the senior medical registrar.
As it happened she was late leaving the ward and it was nearly a quarter to ten before she hurried to the main entrance, a borrowed umbrella at the ready. She paused before taking the plunge. Rain pelted down now, and the cold darkness was not inviting.
'Hey! Nurse Curtis!'
She whirled round, hoping she wasn't to be delayed still more. It would be after ten when she arrived home as it was.
Dr Alexandre, minus his white coat, hurried towards her. 'I managed to get off a bit early. I thought I'd missed you.' He sounded as if he had been running, his chest rising and falling unevenly, and Anna felt a stab of remorse for her earlier treatment of him.
He grinned suddenly, a lazy grin that touched his eyes as well as his lips, and Anna realised how attractive he was. Boyishly so, she thought, smiling back.
That direct gaze, those blue-grey eyes, were doing strange things to her heart, and she
'I think it must be the weather, Doctor. Only a duck would feel at home out there!'
He chuckled, his eyes crinkling with laughter, big white teeth gleaming in his tanned face. She wondered, inconsequentially, where he had got a tan like that in December. Perhaps he went somewhere more exciting for his holidays than Bournemouth!
'Have you far to walk?' he asked, still standing by the table, his tea rapidly cooling in front of him.
She shook her head. 'Not far, Doctor. Only. . She had been about to say 'Brightling Hill' but thought better of it. 'I have to get back to Park Ward,' she said instead, but now he was frowning.
'Where did you say you lived?' he demanded and reluctantly she told him, expecting some remark about her being one of the idle rich if she lived there.
'Hm. I know the area. Old houses—and a dark lane,' he added. Anna relaxed.
'I take a short-cut across the rec, Doctor. It cuts off most of the lane.'
'In the dark? Aren't you afraid of being raped?' he asked, so casually that it was a moment or two before Anna fully took it in.
'Oh! No, I . . . The thought never occurred to me!' She laughed, a hollow sound even to herself. Of course it had occurred to her. Often. But being tall and strong she had always reckoned she would be a match for any assailant. 'I'm big enough to take care of myself,' she pointed out.
'Suppose there were two of them. Or even a gang,' he said, coolly, and Anna shook her head, unwilling to discuss the matter any more.
'Look,' he went on, as she moved to go. 'I'm not off until ten but if you can hang around until then I'll drive you home. It won't take more than a couple of minutes,' he offered. Anna eyed him, doubtfully.
'Why on earth should you?' she asked, before she could stop herself, and his face darkened with temper.
'I mean . . . it's very kind of you,' she faltered, 'but I can't. I have to be home by ten,' she tried to explain. But he didn't understand.
'Surely another ten or fifteen minutes won't make any difference? Don't tell me father waits by the front door with a stop-watch!' he chuckled, and Anna fled, unable to take any more teasing.
It wasn't father but mother who sat, clock at the ready, watching and waiting for her only daughter's return. If she accepted Dr Alexandre's kind offer, Mother would be worried sick at the delay. And if Anna phoned home and explained that a doctor would be giving her a lift, that wouldn't suit her Mother either. She would be edgy and suspicious and ply Anna with questions about the doctor. Then she would lie sleepless, and the following morning her nurse would blame Anna for Mrs Curtis's bad night.
It was a vicious circle and the more Anna thought about it, the more her headache grew. If it hadn't been for Dr Alexandre she wouldn't have a headache, and it was one more black mark to chalk up against the senior medical registrar.
As it happened she was late leaving the ward and it was nearly a quarter to ten before she hurried to the main entrance, a borrowed umbrella at the ready. She paused before taking the plunge. Rain pelted down now, and the cold darkness was not inviting.
'Hey! Nurse Curtis!'
She whirled round, hoping she wasn't to be delayed still more. It would be after ten when she arrived home as it was.
Dr Alexandre, minus his white coat, hurried towards her. 'I managed to get off a bit early. I thought I'd missed you.' He sounded as if he had been running, his chest rising and falling unevenly, and Anna felt a stab of remorse for her earlier treatment of him.
He grinned suddenly, a lazy grin that touched his eyes as well as his lips, and Anna realised how attractive he was. Boyishly so, she thought, smiling back.
That direct gaze, those blue-grey eyes, were doing strange things to her heart, and she
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