‘Well, short trips to the sea, somewhere where we could do the shopping at the same time, and—and picnics…’
‘Sandwiches and a thermos flask?’ he wanted to know.
‘Yes. James considers eating out is a great waste of money.’ Her already pink cheeks went a little pinker. ‘Oh, I beg your pardon, that sounds rude and ungrateful just after you’ve given me such a gorgeous lunch. I—I didn’t mean that at all; I love eating out and driving miles. I’d forgotten what fun it was.’ She sounded wistful.
‘I can see that I shall have to rescue you from James.’
‘How?’
‘By a method which will prove quite infallible.’ The doctor’s voice was light. Julia decided that he was joking. She asked equally lightly,
‘Do tell me.’
He shook his head, ‘No—not yet, but I promise it will work.’
They got up to go and Julia, still persisting, asked, ‘You mean if I take a job away from home for a long time he might forget me?’
‘Something like that.’
The short winter’s day was already dimming although it was barely two o’clock. Julia looked anxiously at the sky as they got into the car. ‘It’s not going to snow again, is it?’ she asked worriedly.
‘I shouldn’t think so. If it does and it gets too bad we’ll just have to stay the night somewhere, but I don’t think that will he necessary.’
She settled down as he started the car, drawing her cloak around her, thankful for the warmth and comfort. Presently she closed her eyes; they were back on the M1 once more and there was nothing to see, only the road running ahead of them and the traffic weaving in and out of the lanes in a never-ending, tiring pattern. The doctor was doing a steady fifty, overtaking whenever he had the opportunity; he didn’t seem disposed to talk. She opened her eyes and peeped at him once; his good-looking profile looked stern and thoughtful. Immersed in dreams of Miss Marcia Jason, thought Julia pettishly, and closed her eyes again, sternly dismissing her own dreams. She opened them a few moments later, aware of something wrong, although the man beside her had made no sound. They were on the point of passing an articulated lorry and as she looked behind her the doctor accelerated to a sudden breathtaking speed, sliding ahead of it with seconds to spare as a car, roaring down the motorway, passed them within inches. Julia caught a glimpse of its occupants laughing and waving. ‘That was a bit near,’ she said in a voice which quavered just a little. ‘I’m glad you’re a good driver.’
The doctor sounded grim. ‘Yes, so am I—they’re the sort who cause a pile-up. He passed us at over a hundred and twenty.’
‘What were we doing when you overtook?’ Julia wanted to know.
He grinned. ‘Never you mind,’ he replied, ‘but it was either that or being pushed into the next world…’ He broke off and said something harsh and sudden in his own language, and Julia watched with silent horror as the car, careering madly half a mile ahead of them, tried to pass a huge transport which was on the point of crossing into the fast lane, and even as she watched she was aware that the doctor had slowed and was edging back on to the slow lane and on to the hard shoulder of the road, to stop close to the appalling chaos.
The transport driver, in a last-minute attempt to avert disaster, had slewed to his left, but the oncoming car had been too fast for him. It was wedged, no longer recognisable as a car, under the huge back wheels, its recent occupants lying untidily around it. Even as they were looking, two more cars crashed into it.
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