Tyringham Park by Rosemary McLoughlin Read Free Book Online Page A

and opening her mouth all weird like,” said the nanny.
    “We can’t have that,” said the doctor. “Exhausting for both of you. Is it nightmares you’re having, Miss Charlotte? Is that the trouble?”
    Nod.
    The doctor sat for a long period before asking softly, “Are you dreaming about little Victoria?”
    He noticed her lip trembling as she nodded.
    “I think we’re all having bad dreams about her,” he said, taking her hand. “It’s only natural. It’s hard to think of anything else. Of course your dreams are
disturbed. How could they not be?” His other hand patted her arm. “Who knows, she might still be found. We can only hope and pray.” He turned to Nurse Dixon. “It’s
important that Charlotte isn’t left alone at night even for a minute.”
    “There’s no need to tell me that, Doctor.”
    “Of course, Nurse. I wasn’t suggesting you needed telling, I was thinking of your isolation up here – no one even in earshot. So high up and so far away from the rest of the
house. Perhaps you should ask another member of the staff to stay.”
    “I wouldn’t trust no one else, especially not now. I can manage, Doctor.”
    “I’m sure you can, but I’d hate to see you wearing yourself out with all that broken sleep and no time off. It must be lonely for you at all events. And you must be missing
Teresa Kelly.” He looked over his half-glasses. “Have you heard from her yet?”
    “No, she’s only been gone three weeks. She won’t have arrived yet.”
    “Well, I hope when she gets there she’ll do well in her new life. She’s a great girl and deserves to.”
    The doctor stood and crossed the room to look out one of the windows which was fitted with iron bars high enough to prevent a child falling out accidentally. “Spectacular view,” he
said, admiring the green fields disappearing into the oak and beech forest in the distance. “Pity to see you missing this sunshine, ladies. God knows we get little enough of it.” He
turned. “We’ll have to see how soon we can get you out of this bed, Charlotte, and then back into the fresh air with the both of you. I’ll have a chat with Miss East and
we’ll see what we can do.” He smiled down at Charlotte. “It’s a pity that I can’t take you home with me. Mrs Finn would love a dotey little girl like you to fuss over.
But we couldn’t take you away from Nurse Dixon, could we?” He looked up at the nanny. “You’d be lost without her, wouldn’t you, Nurse?”
    Charlotte grabbed his hand before he heard a reply and he saw she was weeping and mouthing, but there was no sound.
    “What is it, my dear?” he said as he sat down again. He tried to lip-read but she ceased her efforts before he had time to make out a single word.
    “Can you write it down?” asked the doctor, taking his pen and a notebook out of his pocket.
    “She can’t write,” said the nanny. “She’s had no governess yet.”
    “Try to slow down, pet,” he said, “and I’ll see if I can understand.”
    Charlotte looked over his shoulder at the nanny, then shook her head, sighed, closed her eyes and lay still.
    The doctor stayed and talked of Manus, Mandrake, Lady Blackshaw in London visiting Lord Waldron and surely planning to bring her back a wonderful gift, the cook’s sponge cakes, his new
grandchild, until he thought he was annoying rather than comforting her and that it might be time to leave.
    “Now try not to fret,” he said. “I’ll report to Miss East on the way out and I’ll be back to see you first thing tomorrow. You are not to upset yourself.
We’ll have you back on your feet in no time.” He bent over her. “You do trust your old doctor friend, don’t you?”
    Charlotte kept her eyes closed and turned her face to the wall. Her expression was so desolate the doctor wished he could say the one thing that would bring life back into her face – that
Victoria had been found safe and well and would soon be reunited with her family –