A Star Looks Down Part 29

He will be back tomorrow evening.

Beth, it is a great disappointment to me that this has happened.

The children.

you must understand.

I almost died of anxiety.

You have been so good with them too.

' She paused and Beth said in a matter-of-fact voice: "You would like me to leave, wouldn't you?

I'll pack my things.

' "But you must stay to see Alexander.

' Mevrouw Thor becke gave her a sharp glance.

"I thought--you and he.

he will wish to see you.

' "I can't think of any reason why he should want to see me," said Beth steadily.

"He knows what happened.

Dirk told him.

' If there was bitterness in her voice, her companion didn't notice it.

"Then you will go in the morning?

You wish to fly, or will you go by boat.

You have money enough?

' "Yes, thank you, and I'll go by boat, there's one at midday from the Hock, isn't there?

' Beth spoke at random, not caring how she went.

Mevrouw Thor becke went to the door.

"Very well, I will arrange for the car to take you to Rotterdam.

You will be able to manage from there?

' "Yes, thank you.

' They were both being so polite, thought Beth wildly.

"May I say goo dA STAR LOOKS DOWN 209 bye to the children?

I'll tell them I've been recalled to hospital.

' Mevrouw Thor becke nodded.

"I will see that some supper is sent up," she said as she went.

Beth had been in bed for hours when she remembered that neither of them had thought any more about her supper.

The children were all in the schoolroom when Beth went along the next morning to say good-bye, and obviously no one had told them that she was going; they clamoured to know why she hadn't had her breakfast with them, which gave her a good opportunity to tell them that she was leaving.

She shook them by the hand in turn, explaining exactly why the hospital wanted her back, and Marineka and Alberdina complicated matters by crying bitterly at her news.

Even Hubert snivelled a little, so that she was forced to be so bright and cheerful herself that she felt that her face would crack with the effort of keeping a smile on it, but she managed, even when she said good-bye to Dirk, standing a little apart from the others.

She was surprised when he clung to her hand.

"You're being sent away?

' he asked low voiced.

"It's because of yesterday, isn't it?

I told them.

I am a coward, for I did not speak the truth, Beth.

I remembered what my uncle said to me that day, when we climbed the cliff, and I did not dare to tell.

' "What did he say, dear?

' asked Beth gently.

"If I am a good boy, then when my father returns I am to go with my mother to meet him; there is to be a reception and much splendour, but my uncle said that if I did anything foolish again, I would not go.

' He raised miserable eyes to hers.

Beth's stiff little smile became warm and kind.

"Don't worry.

Dirk, it doesn't matter, nothing matters any more.

' She sighed.

"Only promise me that you'll not do anything so foolish again, not when your brother and sisters are with you.

You're the eldest son and when your father's away you have to take care of them and your mother.

You'll be able to have all the adventure you want when you're grown up.

' He was staring at her.

"You didn't sneak on me to Uncle Alexander that day, did you?

I thought you did because he knew all about it--how did he know that I had been rude?

-and so I said that I wouldn't like you any more and that I would pay you out.

Oh, Beth.

' Her smile widened.

"No, I didn't sneak, Dirk, and I expect your uncle guessed that bit about you being rude--he's been a boy too, you know.

It's nice that we part friends, though.

' They shook hands again and with a final wave to them all she slipped out of the room.

She could hear the little girls' wails as she hurried down to the hall, where Mevrouw Thor becke was waiting, but Beth paused only as long as was polite; her heart was frozen inside her and she couldn't think; she had had her copybook blotted, even though she hadn't done it herself, and there was nothing left to do but tear out the page.

The boat was full of cheerful holiday makers and it seemed a long time before it docked at Harwich, but at least she had had the time to make some plans; she would go back to St Elmer's, of course, back to the Recovery Room and the busy rus.h.i.+ng life between her work and the shabby little flat, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to stay there.

William would be ready to move on soon, she would give up the flat when he did and go somewhere right away Canada or New Zealand the other side of the world; she couldn't get further away from Alexander than that.

She went through Customs hardly knowing that she had done so and boarded the train, and because she hadn't slept the night before, she slept at once, and didn't wake until the train crawled between the blackened brick lined approach to Liverpool Street.

She tidied herself perfunctorily, not caring in the least how she looked, her violet eyes enormous in her pinched white face, her hair struggling from its confining pins.

She lugged her case on to the platform and stood, aimless, while the pa.s.sengers pushed and jostled past her.

She noticed none of them; she was thinking about Alexander again.

* * * Profess or van Zeust rounded off his lecture with his usual brilliance, nodded briefly to his audience and left the lecture hall.

It was not yet twelve o'clock, but he had already done a teaching round, been to see the patient he had operated upon the previous evening and briefed his hous.e.m.e.n, and now, after lunch, there would be a heavy outpatients clinic.

But outside the lecture hall he stopped, asked his astonished registrar if he would be good enough to take his afternoon's work for him, and made for the entrance.

He had driven the Aston Martin that morning; he thanked heaven for that now as he got into the car and began the drive to Willemstad.

He drove at speed; the emergency case had forced him to leave without seeing Beth the evening before, but nothing was going to stop him seeing her now.

It was Dirk who saw him when he reached his house and came leaping downstairs two at a time to meet him.

"Hullo," said the profess or.

"You'll break a leg if you come downstairs at that rate," and then at the sight of his nephew's face: "What's wrong, boy?

' Dirk drew a deep breath.

"Mother said she couldn't telephone you because you would be busy and couldn't be interrupted, but she must have, because you're here.

' His uncle eyed him thoughtfully.

"Your mother didn't telephone me.

Dirk.

I've come to see Beth.

' The boy gulped, holding back the tears in his eyes because his father and this well-loved uncle had told him that boys often didn't cry.

"It's about Beth, Uncle Alexander.

She's-she's gone, and it's my fault.

' He looked apprehensively at the tall man before him and was rea.s.sured by his calm.

"Gone, has she?

In that case let's go somewhere quiet and you shall tell me all about it.

' Dirk hung back.

"You'll be angry.

' "Probably, but you'll take it like a man, I fancy, and you'll feel better once it's off your chest.