Lorimers at War by Anne Melville Read Free Book Online Page A

had been as deeply affected as any of the others by the contrast between the strong young men who had set off from Waterloo that morning and the broken bodies of those who had returned. ‘I can promise you, though, that the War Office will not think any emergency great enough to warrant the recruitment of women doctors. In the suffragists’ office we have fought this battle twice and lost on each occasion. Since the generals are finding the Germans more difficult to defeat than they had expected, they console themselves by putting women to rout instead.’
    â€˜What’s happened, then?’ demanded Kate.
    â€˜The French have accepted us. Dr Louisa Garrett Anderson and Dr Flora Murray are already in France. They are the leaders of a Women’s Hospital Corps which has been entirely paid for by private subscription. And the Scottish Federation has raised enough funds to equip two complete units. The first of them will be leaving for France within the next two weeks, if all goes well.’
    â€˜I want to go with it,’ said Kate. She was overwhelmed by the strength of her need to become involved.
    â€˜It’s fully staffed.’ Beatrice spoke with a firmness as great as her cousin’s. But her brusque comment did not prevent her from looking thoughtfully at Kate as though to estimate how far she had spoken only out of impulse. ‘But there’s still a vacancy in the second unit. We expect that to be ready in January.’
    â€˜Will you accept me?’
    â€˜You haven’t had much experience yet,’ Beatrice pointed out. ‘But it’s not for me to say yes or no. The surgeon who’ll be in charge of the unit has already been appointed. You’d have to convince her that you could make yourself useful. I’m expecting her to call at the office this afternoon with the list of equipment she wants me to provide. If you’d like to come at two o’clock –’
    â€˜I’ll be there,’ said Kate. ‘Thank you, Beatrice.’
    The change in Beatrice did not go so far as to make her smile easily. She nodded as Kate in acceptance of the arrangement and advanced her lips towards Margaret’s cheek without actually touching it. Then, businesslike and matter of fact, she strode away.
    â€˜Don’t rush into a decision like this, Kate,’ Margaret said, putting a hand on her niece’s arm as though that would be enough to hold her back. ‘It’s too important to be settled all in a minute. And I promised Brinsley I’d look after you. He’s fighting in order that the people he loves shall be safe. He wouldn’t want you to put yourself in such danger. Besides, you’ve seen for yourself how great is the need for doctors here.’
    â€˜One doctor in France could save the work of ten in London,’ Kate argued. ‘Suppose Brinsley were to be wounded, Aunt Margaret. One of the men I spoke to had lain for three days at Boulogne waiting for a ship. No one even changed his dressings. Could you bear to think of something like that happening to Brinsley when I might be able to prevent it? Or if not for him, for some of the others like him.’ She saw Margaret shiver and guessed that her aunt was imagining not Brinsley, butRobert lying on a stretcher in a railway shed. ‘When you know, absolutely know, that something is the right thing to do, no amount of thinking about it is going to change the rightness. It isn’t exactly that I
want
to go, Aunt Margaret. I don’t see it as Brinsley does, as a kind of adventure. But the need is there. I have to go. There’s no choice.’
    â€˜I’m frightened, Kate,’ said Margaret. ‘It’s only a few hours since we were all dancing at Blaize. And now the place is to be filled with wounded men and Brinsley has gone and you and Robert will follow him. Where is it all going to end?’
    â€˜God knows. Do you think the Germans are as convinced