bicycles.’
‘It sounds lovely,’ observed Hannah. ‘I love the country and I can ride—and you don’t have to worry about me being bored or anything like that, because I never am. Anyway, I’m going to look after Paul.’
‘And I’m so relieved about that, I have wondered so much what I would do if you refused to come. You will live with us, of course, and you will meet some nice people I hope, when they come to dinner with us. We have many friends.’
A new dress, thought Hannah, something for the evening, I wonder if they dress up or should I just take a short dress—two. A long one as well. She decided there and then to get one of each; it would mean spending most of the money she had in the bank, for really there hadn’t been much over each month by the time she had contributed to the household and bought dull things like tights, toothpaste and shampoos.
‘Do you have lots of parties?’ she asked.
Mevrouw van Eysink’s eyes shone. ‘Indeed, yes— I will tell you…’
‘I’d love to hear. I’ll pop Paul back into his cot and it’s time for your exercises; you can tell me while you’re doing them.’
The unexciting tenor of Hannah’s life changed during the next ten days or so. There was a passport to get, an interview with the paediatrician and a number of instructions to make quite sure about, the best of her uniform to sort out and pack, and by no means least, some clothes to buy. Her wardrobe was small but adequate and she augmented it now with a cotton skirt, a pair of slacks and a couple of cotton tops which would go with either; these were quickly enough chosen from the multiple stores. She took longer over the choice of an evening dress. It had to be something she could wear for several years; plain, yet elegant enough to hold its own among high fashion. She found what she wanted in a small shop tucked away in an unfashionable side street; a silk jersey in a pinky mushroom shade, with a wide neck, swathed belt, and a flowing skirt which was full without being bunchy. It didn’t cost as much as she had reckoned on, which left her free to choose between a pastel voile dress and a leaf green cotton, each so entirely suitable that she bought them both.
She spent as much of her off duty as possible with her mother, and was surprised at that lady’s cheerful acceptance of her absence for a month. True, the companion Doctor van Bertes had undertaken to find was everything which could be wished for, and if their cosy chat was anything to go by when she arrived for an interview, Mrs Lang would have nothing to regret. There had been a bad moment though when she had let slip that Mrs Slocombe’s fees were being paid by the van Eysinks. Hannah had protested at that. ‘They’re paying the hospital for me, and I’m getting my usual salary, Mother, we simply can’t expect them to pay for anything else. We can quite well afford it for a few weeks.’
Mrs Lang had dissolved into tears. ‘You know I rely on your money to pay the bills, Hannah.’ She had darted an angry look at her. ‘And I need every farthing of my pension this month, I simply must have some new clothes. I haven’t had a rag to wear for months…’
Hannah forbore from reminding her that only the previous month she had gone to Harrods of all places, and bought two dresses both expensive enough to swallow up all her pension, and it was as well that she didn’t, because her mother went on: ‘I can’t understand you being so selfish, Hannah—you’ve bought clothes for yourself.’
Unanswerable, even though, if she discounted toothpaste and shampoos and such like necessities, she had had nothing new since Christmas. Hannah had given in without another word. Somehow she would save the money and send it to Mevrouw van Eysink after she returned to England. Meanwhile there had been no point in worrying about it. Baby Paul was still the most important person to consider; he was gaining a little each day now, turning the scales at five pounds; weighing him had become a major highlight of the day.
But it wasn’t only Paul Hannah had to attend, his mother, faced at last with the removal of her hip spica, became a bundle of nerves and it needed all Hannah’s patience and resources to get her through the tiresome but painless undertaking. It was a tremendous relief when everything was finished, to find that contrary to Mevrouw van Eysink’s firm conviction, she looked perfectly normal. Provided she did exactly as she was told, Hannah assured her, she would be as good as new in no time at all. Mevrouw van Eysink eyed her tearfully. ‘Dear Hannah, you are very strong; how could I have endured this without you? It is a sad thing that Paul cannot be with me at such a crisis, and Uncle Valentijn also—they have never allowed me to suffer.’
‘Well, the suffering wasn’t all that bad, was it?’ asked Hannah cheerfully. ‘It was only because you didn’t know what was coming next. Anyway, you can forget it all now and think about going home.’
‘Indeed I will, but I must not forget so soon, it must be told to Paul.’
‘And Uncle Valentijn,’ prompted Hannah.
The departure and journey home was something of a royal progress. Mevrouw van Eysink borne away tenderly in a private ambulance from Holland, and her husband driving a powerful Mercedes with Hannah, holding little Paul in her arms and surrounded by every conceivable necessity for the journey, enthroned on the back seat. They were given a splendid send-off by various of the staff headed by Sister Thorne, and a number of friends of Hannah’s hung from ward windows, giving her the thumbs-up sign and waving as though they would never see her again. And the journey went with incredible smoothness; Hannah, who hadn’t been out of the British Isles, was all eyes at the Hovercraft they boarded at Dover. She had never expected such a treat, nor had she been prepared for the excellent lunch provided for her while Mijnheer Eysink, leaving her comfortably settled with little Paul, joined his wife in the ambulance.
And as for the baby, he behaved splendidly. True, he woke from time to time, howling for attention, to be ministered to and soothed back to sleep once more, so that Hannah didn’t have much leisure to look around her until they had left the Hovercraft far behind and had been driving for some time, and by then they were at the Dutch border. They travelled at speed after that, never leaving the motorway until Mijnheer van Eysink said over his shoulder, ‘That’s Utrecht ahead. We go round the city and take the Hilversum road.’ He sent the car past a slow-moving van. ‘Is Paul all right?’
‘He’s fine, fast asleep, just as he should be. If it isn’t very much further, he can have his next feed at home. He’s been so good, bless him.’
‘Thanks to you, Hannah. I hope he won’t be too upset when we arrive.’
‘Why? We can go straight…’
‘Well, no—you see, there’s such a welcome laid on for them both. When Corinna had her accident everyone was so upset; they felt sure that she wouldn’t get better, probably be a cripple, and certainly that the baby would be lost to us. So you see they want to express their delight…’
‘Yes, of course. Mevrouw van Eysink won’t be too tired?’
Her companion laughed. ‘Very unlikely; she’s been lying quietly for hours and must be spoiling for some excitement. All the same, when we get there I want you to stay in the car with Paul until we’ve got her indoors and in a comfortable chair.’
‘A good idea,’ agreed Hannah, and sat silent as he turned off the motorway at last into a side road, running between trees. She could see water from time to time as the trees thinned and gave way to meadow-land and then crowded down to the side of the road again as they went through an open gateway into a sanded drive. The house was round a curve and Hannah examined it eagerly as it came into sight. It was a villa of a very substantial size, its roof a mass of gables, its windows framed with shutters and balconies sprouting on all sides. Mid-Victorian,
