Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy Read Free Book Online

about Alan as well. But at the end of the day she was ready to read his message. She had achieved more than she had thought possible. The appalling Frank Ennis had come on an unexpected visit expecting to find disarray and confusion and found instead a nearly completed job. The floor covering had arrived, the builders were cheerful and enthusiastic, the furniture was on order and Tim proudly showed off the security system he had chosen. The two nurses, Barbara and Fiona, were busy planning their nurses’ station.
    Lavender had brought in her posters about healthy food. Johnny had set up his exercise machines. And, best of all, Clara had found her assistant.
    She was named Hilary Hickey and she had come in to inquire was there any part-time work. She was a qualified nurse and phle-botomist and she had also worked in hospital administration. She was forty-nine, widowed, with one son. Because of home circumstances she needed to be around the house a bit these days, so she could not commit to full-time work. Before they had finished talking, Clara knew she was perfect for the job. But she must curb her automatic response, which was to jump in with both feet before asking any practical questions.
    “Are the home circumstances connected with your son?” she asked.
    “No, my mother. She's elderly and she lives with us. She needs aneye kept on her. Someone to put a head around the door and make sure she's all right.”
    “Sure, sure. How is her health?”
    “Sound as a bell. She'll outlive us all. She gets a bit confused sometimes, but nothing to worry about.”
    Hilary was full of energy and could turn her hand to anything. She helped Ania, Clara and Johnny carry in a huge machine that looked like a bacon-slicer, but he assured them it was an arm exerciser. Hilary got on easily with everyone who was there. And she was there when Frank Ennis arrived on his tour of inspection. Clara could not have wished for a better ally. She introduced them.
    “Miss Hickey” He nodded and shook her hand.
    “Frank, how are you?” Hilary said cheerfully, and Clara had to put up a hand to hide her smile at the look on Frank's face. He was so accustomed to being Mr. Ennis and having huge respect.
    Frank looked with some mystification as Ania refilled his coffee mug. “And you are …exactly?”
    “I am
exactly
Ania Prasky,” she said.
    He glared at her, but it was clear she did not intend to mock his form of speech. It was obviously unfamiliarity with the language. “And are you employed here?”
    Clara intervened. “I pay Ania from petty cash. I would prefer to have it on a more regular basis,” she said.
    “You pay her as what?”
    “As an aide.” Clara didn't let her glance flicker.
    “But there are aides in the wards to help the nurses, not here.”
    “We find that there will be a great need for an aide here. Some patients will need wheelchairs, some will need assistance to and from the bus stop, there is a need for coffee, for general cleaning, making the place acceptable and attractive to those who come here. We will need someone to go to and from Mr. Barry's pharmacy for those unable to make the journey. We constantly need someone to go to and fro to the hospital to collect X-rays and to do general messages. There is work every minute of the day, I assure you.”
    “Oh, I'm afraid it will be quite impossible to get the hospital to agree to that,” Frank began.
    Clara saw Hilary's eyes narrow slightly. The fight was on.
    “You see, Dr. Casey, you already
have
Miss …er …Hickey here to help you. We can't expect to provide a bottomless pit of employees—”
    Hilary interrupted. “But, Frank, a persuasive man like yourself would have the hospital eating out of your palm in no time, and you needn't think that my knees are as young as Ania's here and that I'd get down and clean the floors, nor would I spend the time when I could be helping to run the place, so I am sure you'll see to it that Ania stays with us.”
    It felt