The ward was busy and Shirley, well on the way to recovery now, was demanding: Rose was kept busy which was a good thing; on duty at least she had little time for her own thoughts, although that meant that she saved them up for bedtime, lying awake thinking of Sybren when she should have been asleep. At the end of the week she had lost weight, and her brown eyes looked enormous in a rather pale face. The houseman who had replaced Percy Pride was forced to agree with Percy's rather spiteful opinion that Rose was a splendid nurse but nothing much to look at, although he liked her. She would, in his opinion, make a chap a splendid sister.

Rose had days off at the end of the week, but she had decided against going to Aunt Millicent's, much as she would have liked to. She was aware that she wasn't the best of company, just as she was aware that her aunt and Maggie had bent over backwards to help her when Sybren went away. She spent her days off a.s.siduously touring picture galleries and museums, seeing nothing of them, but they filled the days.

She had a letter from Christina during the next week, full of news and not a word about Sybren. And why should there be? He didn't belong to her world.

Another week dragged to its close and there was no sign of the warm summer weather abating. The idea of another two days spent inspecting museums was too much for Rose to face. She phoned Aunt Millicent to see if she might spend her free days with her and was left in no doubt as to her welcome. She had a free evening before her days off; she had already packed her overnight bag; she hurried off-duty, showered, changed into the pink dress because it gave her pale face some colour, and raced down to the entrance hall. She had cut things rather fine, she would have to get a taxi if she were to catch her train. She tore through the door, straight into Mr. Werdmer ter Sane's substantial person.

It was more like walking into a tree trunk, surprise took her by the throat so that she was unable to utter a word, but Sybren, not surprised at all, steadied her with a hand on each shoulder and remarked, "Ah, there you are," taking her bag from a nerveless hand at the same time and steering her towards the Rolls parked within feet of them.

Rose found her voice, albeit a rather squeaky one.

"I've a train to catch--I'm going away, you can't..."

"Oh, but I can, my dearest love, in you get."

He opened the car door and stuffed her ever so gently on to the seat and then went round the car's bonnet and got in beside her.

"This is so absurd," Rose's voice was a shrill whisper.

"You simply cannot...! I don't understand...""We will have a little, talk later." His voice was soothing as though he were coaxing one of his small patients. He started the engine and tooled the car across the forecourt and out into the evening traffic.

And he didn't say anything else at all until they were clear of the densest

traffic and in the comparative peace and quiet of Hampstead, on the way to

joining the Ml.

"You thought that I was going to marry Mies," observed Sybren in a conversational tone.

"If you could have asked me I would have told you that nothing was furtherfrom my mind. I am going to marry you, my dearest, I didn't realise it atfirst, but gradually you have taken over my life, my very heart--you and Iare hopelessly entwined. I can't imagine living without you."

"But Mies said..." began Rose. Her heart was thudding away to break her ribs but she tried to ignore it.

"She said that you were celebrating...""And you were a darling little fool to believe her. You are a very sillygirl. Rose. You are also brave, honest, a delightful companion and my dreamgirl." He sighed.

"And how I love you!"

Rose didn't speak: she sat savouring the words he had uttered, she had more

or less digested them by the time they had reached the Ml and he allowed the Rolls to leap ahead. She said shyly, "I've been in love with you for a long time, Sybren, only I tried not to be because of Mies."

He laid a hand over her clasped ones in her lap.

"It took me a little while to find Mies and discover exactly what she had

told you."

"How did you know that I was going to Aunt Millicent's this evening?"

"Sadie."

She asked urgently, "Sybren, do you really want to marry me?"

"Oh yes, my darling Rose, I really do, and if we were not on a motorway I

would stop and underline that statement."

With that she had to be content, for he didn't speak again until at last he

turned the car off the motorway and made for Ashby St. Ledgers.

And then all he said was, "What a very beautiful evening it is." And Rose,who had hoped that he would call her his darling again, agreed rather coldly.But she need not have worried. He stopped the car in the lane outside Aunt Millicent's gate and got out and came to help her out too, and at the gate he

stopped.

"Darling girl." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her in a manner which left her with no doubts at all.

"I don't know anything about you," said Rose weakly."Oh, yes you do. Haven't we worked together for weeks on end?""But your family? I mean, are you an orphan?""Lord no, sweetheart. Four sisters, all younger than I am, and a mother and father, all looking forward to meeting you."

He bent to kiss her again and she kissed him back.

At the sitting-room window her aunt watched them with deep satisfaction.

"I said he'd be back," she told Maggie, peering out beside her.

"Lawks, Miss Curtis--he's kissing her." She turned a beaming face to her

companion.

"I'd best make up the spare-room bed; this time he'll be staying."

end.