The Nightingale Nurses by Donna Douglas Read Free Book Online Page A

faded.
    ‘Unfortunately, he also happens to be my brother.’
    He looked up at her sharply. ‘You mean William . . .’
    ‘Of course I mean William!’ Helen burst out laughing. ‘All the nurses think he’s the bee’s knees, although I can’t imagine why he sets everyone’s hearts aflutter.’
    Sometimes she didn’t know which was worse: being Constance Tremayne’s daughter or Dr Tremayne’s sister. Either nurses were especially nice to her because they wanted to get close to him, or they shunned her because he had broken their heart. Life had calmed down in the past few months since William had fallen in love with a girl called Philippa, but his reputation lived on.
    She saw Charlie’s crestfallen expression and stopped laughing. ‘Charlie? You surely can’t imagine I’d notice another man, handsome or not?’
    ‘I wouldn’t blame you if you did.’ He toyed with the crumbs on his plate. ‘I’m not much of a prospect, am I? A crippled costermonger’s son from Roman Road. You could do a lot better than me. I expect your mum thinks so, too.’
    ‘I don’t care what my mother thinks.’
    His blue eyes glinted with amusement. ‘Yes, you do.’
    ‘All right, perhaps I do. But not where you’re concerned. I was all ready to elope with you to Scotland, remember? When she threatened to send me away?’
    Her mother tried to pack Helen off to another hospital when she’d first found out she was seeing Charlie in secret. She had come round once she’d realised how strong her feelings for him were. But that didn’t mean she was happy about it, or that she’d given up trying to part them.
    ‘I’m glad we didn’t run away,’ Charlie said.
    ‘So am I.’ It was he who had changed his mind, insisting that he didn’t want to ruin Helen’s life. Not that her mother had given him any credit for that. As far as she was concerned, Charlie Dawson was dragging her daughter down into the gutter.
    Helen looked at her watch. ‘When did you say the next train was due?’
    ‘Should be here in about ten minutes.’ Charlie cleared a patch in the steamy window with his sleeve and peered out. ‘It’s gone very dark all of a sudden. I don’t like the look of those clouds—’
    No sooner had the words left his lips than a flash of lightning split the pewter-coloured sky, followed a second later by thunder rolling like an avalanche of giant rocks, shaking the window frames and bringing a deluge of rain.
    Charlie looked rueful. ‘I don’t think we’ll be going to Southend, do you?’
    ‘I suppose not.’ Helen shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, Charlie.’
    ‘What did I tell you about apologising for everything?’
    ‘I’m so—’ She saw his mock stern expression and stopped herself just in time. ‘It’s a habit,’ she said.
    ‘Then you need to break it. It’s not your fault it’s pouring down, is it? And I don’t really fancy sitting on a beach getting drenched.’
    Helen stared at the rain streaming down the glass, turning the outside world into a blur of dismal grey and washing away her chances of enjoying her day off. ‘I suppose I should go back to the nurses’ home and catch up on my studying,’ she sighed.
    ‘And miss spending your one day off with me?’ Charlie looked aghast. ‘We won’t have a whole day together for another month.’
    ‘Well, we can’t spend the day here.’ Helen thought for a moment. ‘I suppose we could go to the pictures, or take a bus ride up to the city?’
    ‘I’ve got a better idea,’ Charlie said. ‘Why don’t we go back to my house? We’ll be back in time for my mum’s Sunday roast, if we get a move on.’
    ‘Won’t she mind?’ Helen asked. She knew her own mother would be aghast if a guest turned up out of the blue.
    ‘You know my mum. The more the merrier, as far as she’s concerned,’ Charlie grinned. ‘Anyway, she’s got a real soft spot for you. She’s always asking when I’m going to bring you round to ours. I think she wants to show