First Among Equals by Jeffrey Archer Read Free Book Online

George’s Hospital on the corner ol’Hyde Park and leaped out,
leaving his car on a double yellow line. He ran around to the passenger side
and helped Lavinia out, guiding her slowly to the emergency entrance. Although
blood was still trickling down Lavinia’s face, the cut above her eyebrow didn’t
look all that deep to Simon. He took off his dinnerjacket and put. it over her bare shoulders, doing everything he could to
comfort her, but she continued to shake.
    It must have
been the fact that Simon was in evening clothes that made the duty nurse move a
little more quickly than usual. They were ushered through to a doctor only a
few minutes after arrival.
    “It’s all ever
my beautiful dress,” said Lavinia between sobs.
    “The stain will
wash out,” said the doctor matterof-factlY.
    “But will I be
left with a scar for the rest of my life?” asked Lavinia.
    Simon watched
with silent admiration. She was completely in control of everything around her.
    “Good heavens,
no,” replied the doctor,
    “ it’s only a flesh wound. It won’t even require stitches. The
most you might experience is a small headache.” Thedoctordamped
the blood away before cleaning the wound.
    “There will be
no sign of the cut after a couple of weeks.”
    “Are you
certain?” demanded Lavinia.
    Simon couldn’t
take his eyes off her.
    “Absolutely
certain,” said the doctor, finally placing a small piece of adhesive across the
wound. “Perhaps it would be wise for you to go home and change your dress if You are still planning to go out to dinner.”
    “Of course, Dr.
Drummond,” said Simon, checking the name on the little lapel badge. “I’ll see
she’s taken care of.”
    Simon thanked
the doctor and then helped Lavinia to the car before driving her back to
Chelsea Square. Lavinia didn’t stop whimpering all the way home, and she didn’t
notice that Simon hardly spoke. Lady MaxwellHarrington put her daughter to bed
as soon as Simon had told her what had happened.
    When mother and
daughter disappeared upstairs, Simon returned to Beaufort Street. He removed
the little box from his blood-stained dinner jacket and placed it by the side
of his bed. He opened it and studied the sapphirc set in a circle of small
diamonds. He was now certain of the hand he wanted to see wear the ring.
    The next
morning Simon telephoned to find that Lavinia was fully recovered, but Daddy
had thought it might. be wise for her to spend the
rest of the day in bed. Simon concurred and promised to drop in to see her
sometime during the evening.
    Once Simon had
reached his office in the Commons he phoned St. George’s Hospital, and they
told him that Dr.
    Drummond would
be off duty until later that afternoon. It didn’t take the skill of Sherlock
Holmes to find Dr. E. Drummond’s telephone number in the London directory.
    “It’s Simon
Kerslake,” he said when Dr, Drummond answered the phone. “I wanted to thank you
for the trouble you took over Lavinia last night.”
    “It was no
trouble, no trouble at all-in fact it was the least of last night’s problems.”
    Sirnon laughed
nervously and asked, “Are you free for lunch by any chance?”
    Dr. Drummond
sounded somewhat surprised, but aareed after Simon had suggested the Coq d’Or,
which 44 was conveniently near St. George’s Hospital.
    They agreed to
meet at one.
    Simon arrived a
few minutes early, ordered a lager and waited at the bar.
    At five past
one the maitre d’ brought the doctor to his side.
    “It was good of
you to come at such short notice,” said Simon, after shaking hands.
    “It was
irresistible. It’s not often I get invited to lunch when all I hqve done is clean
up a flesh wound.”
    Simon laughed
and found himself staring at the beautiful woman. He recalled the calm poise of
yesterday, but today she revealed an infectious enthusiasm that Sinion found
irresistible. The maitre d’ guided them to a table in the comer of the room.
Simon stared once again at the slim, fair