Love Is My Reason by Mary Burchell Read Free Book Online Page A

night.
    At the end of the recital, he said,
    “ Well, as I told you, I can ’ t exactly interfere professionally. I can see him as a friend, of course. And if I think he is urgently in need of some sort of attention, I suppose you and I had better see the camp doctor at that point, and discuss what can be done. ”
    “ All right. ” David would have been prepared to agree to much more, in order to get Robin Drummond to the camp. “ We ’ ll take my car, I think. The man at the gate knows it, and me, very slightly. There ’ s less chance of difficulty over our getting in. ”
    Not until they were driving across the bridge and towards the barracks building did David allow himself to think how eager he was to continue this adventure which he had started with some reluctance.
    It was not only that he wanted to see the girl again — with an urgency and interest he found impossible to justify — but something of Mrs. Preston ’ s eage r anxiety seemed to have infected him too, and he felt he could hardly wait to hear the end of the story which had been so abruptly broken off the previous evening.
    Not, he assured himself impatiently, that he placed any reliance in poor Teresa Preston ’ s “ instinct ” . But—well, he was eager to know the truth.
    At the gateway they were stopped by the sa m e uniformed man as before. But at the mention of Anya ’ s name, he waved them on.
    “ God, what a dreadful place! ” exclaimed Robin Drummond feelingly.
    “ It ’ s pretty grim, isn ’ t it? David said. And then he saw Anya.
    She was sitting on the steps outside the block where she lived, and, at the sight of the car, her still, listless pose changed instantly into eagerness and joy. Springing to her feet, she ran to meet them, and to David ’ s fancy it seemed that there was already a little more colour in her cheeks and energy in her step. It both hurt him and pleased him to think this might be due to his money having provided her with a good meal that day and the evening before.
    “ It is very good of you to have come, Herr Doktor. ” She addressed Robin Drummond with a gentle, grateful charm to which he was obviously not at all impervious. “ My father has been resting well during the last hour. I think perhaps he was even asleep. But please come up. ”
    The doctor prepared to follow her, but David, thinking of the cramped quarters, said,
    “ Suppose I stay down here for the time being. Then when you ’ ve made your examination, Drummond, you might let me know and I will have a word with him. I promised I would, so reassure him that I ’ m here and waiting to speak to him when he is ready. ”
    “ Very well. ” Drummond picked up his bag and, with Anya leading the way, entered the building which David now began to feel he knew quite well.
    Left alone, he walked up and down beside the car and smoked a cigarette. It was a fine afternoon, and possibly many of the i n mates were out. At any rate, there were few sounds. Once a woman came out with a pail and threw some water down a drain. She stared curiously at him and the car, but went in again without a word or smile. And once a man shuffled past, apparently unaware that anyone or anything was standing a few yards away from him.
    The afternoon sun was warm, even in that grim quadrangle, and above one of the clumps of coarse grass, a couple of bright butterflies chased each other, as though they were in a garden.
    Presently David got back into the car and sat there, wondering how long Robin Drummond ’ s examination would take, and what he himself would learn when his turn came. It was bound to be a strange story, and the very fact that only one man had held the secret of it for so long gave it added drama.
    Perhaps if the doctor were able to do a good deal for him —
    And then, to David ’ s surprise—for he had been prepared for quite a long wait—he saw his friend emerging once more from the doorway. He looked calm and self-possessed, as usual, but