Nurse Trudie is Engaged by Marjorie Norrell Read Free Book Online Page A

never forgotten her. She has such an intensity of purpose. ” He gave a brief laugh. “ She was very interested in an idea I had with regard to this new project of ours. She was certain all I had to do was explain it to the ‘ high-ups ’ to have it incorporated in the project. It ’ s what I want, of course, but I ’ m afraid I haven ’ t Miss Sinclair ’ s powers of persuasion, ” he ended ruefully.
    Watching his son, Dr. Hislop longed to explain to Philip that ever since Geoff had met her, he had dreamed of meeting Ursula Sinclair again. He had talked about her for weeks on end, until the family was tired of hearing her name, but there was little Dr. Hislop could do to help. Since his wife ’ s death he had almost entirely neglected the social side of living, burying himself in work and family to the exclusion of all else. Now he waited with hope and interest for Philip ’ s reply.
    “ I ’ m sure Ursula would be glad to help, ” Philip said now, forming an idea that might help Geoff and also Philip himself. He had formed a high opinion of the young man ’ s capabilities and knew instinctively that with the right sort of backing Geoff could possibly make a name for himself in his own field. If anyone could give that upsurge of interest, that devotion to a cause, Ursula Sinclair would be that person. If she had already shown some interest in his ideas then the rest should be easy.
    Philip was under no delusions about Ursula and her feelings toward himself. Ursula was determined to marry a doctor; she had said so over and over again, and her interest in any field of healing was really genuine. If only he could bring them together: Ursula and her enthusiasm, Geoff and his ideas and brainwork!
    “ Would you like to meet her again and talk about it? ” he asked now, quietly and casually, as if the matter were of no possible importance to himself.
    “ I would. ” There was no doubt about Geoff s enthusiasm. “ The only other person I could talk to and show my things to, without boring them to tears, was Garth. ” The word fell like a stone into the quiet of the dining room, and as if he sensed its effect upon the others Geoff hastened to qualify his statement. “ We all miss him, ” he said, almost defiantly. “ But we can ’ t just never mention his name. I miss him as much as you do! ” He glared at his father ’ s tense, set expression and Trudie ’ s strained one, but catching the warning glance Malcolm directed upon him his tone dropped and something of the challenge went from his voice,
    “ We all miss him, as I said, ” he went on more quietly, “ but although it wasn ’ t his field, he was always interested in what I was doing and what far-reaching effects it might have on other medical and surgical matters. I ’ d like someone to talk these things over with ... someone. ”
    “ We ’ ll see what we can do, ” Philip promised, and Dr. Hislop muttered in a low voice, “ If only I knew just exactly what did happen I ’ d feel more settled ...” But Trudie did not say a word. Philip noticed that she had gone rather white about the mouth, and her slim hand was crumbling the bread beside her plate and placing it in neat and orderly piles, as though she were in need of something to distract her thoughts.
    “ How ’ s the Ellerton boy, Dad? ” Philip shot a quick glance at Malcolm. The elder Hislop boy might not move in the medical field, but legal training or otherwise he would take a prize as a student of human nature and its needs, Philip reflected. The Ellerton boy proved an adequate distraction for Dr. Hislop, who immediately launched into a description of the boy ’ s condition since his discharge from the hospital. The case had nothing to do with Philip, for the boy had been the victim of a slight attack of polio and was now, happily, on the road to good health once more. But he had been on the verge of taking some big and final examination in his career as an accountant, and it