An Ideal Wife

Felicity said thoughtfully, ‘Well, yes, you may be right. I have often refused invitations since it would have meant leaving you on your own.’

Louisa took this remark with a pinch of salt, but she said nothing and they walked on. At the house Mrs Howarth said at last, ‘Well, I suppose it’s quite a good idea. Of course, you must come here whenever you want to.’

The matter settled, Louisa went round the house, collecting up the odds and ends which were hers. Her mother’s little writing desk, the Georgian work table she had inherited from her grandmother, some small water colours and some of her father’s books. And Felicity, feeling generous, told her to choose what table lamps she might like to have.

So during the week Louisa went to and fro, gradually turning the little flat into a home, stocking the kitchen cupboard and arranging for the milkman to call, arranging for her post to be redirected, buying some pretty cushions and, just before she moved in, flowers.

She put her key in the door for the last time on Friday evening, and on the following morning wished her stepmother a temporary goodbye, spent half an hour with Biddy in the kitchen, assuring her that she was a mere five minutes away and that Biddy was to come and have tea with her on her next day off, and then she walked briskly away.

It was a lovely morning and the flat looked bright and comfortable, the sunshine streaming through its small windows. Louisa spent a happy day unpacking her clothes, doing more shopping for food, and cooking herself an evening meal. She had wondered if she would feel lonely, but that wasn’t so. Indeed, she felt free to do exactly what she wanted. No more bridge parties and no more Percy …

All the same she went back during the following week to make sure that Felicity wasn’t feeling lonely. She went during the evening after she had had her supper, feeling guilty that she had been selfish in wanting to have her own home. She need not have worried. As she went into the house she could hear the laughter and voices in the drawing room. The people turned to look at her as she went in—a party, a rather noisy one, with drinks and delicious titbits and her stepmother the centre of a group of her friends. The look on her face when she saw Louisa made it only too clear that she wasn’t welcome, although Felicity covered the look at once with a smile.

‘Louisa, darling—how nice to see you! I’m having a little party, just to cheer me up, you know? You know everyone, I think?’

Louisa went round greeting people, spent a few minutes with Felicity, and declared that she couldn’t stay as she was on her way to friends. A remark she couldn’t fail to see was a relief to her stepmother.

She didn’t leave the house immediately, but went to the kitchen where she found Biddy.

‘Now here’s a treat, Miss Louisa, and me just made a pot of tea, too. Sit down and tell me how you’re getting on. Not lonesome?’ She chuckled. ‘The missus is ‘aving a ‘igh old time; you don’t need to worry about ‘er being lonely. Parties and bridge and jaunting out to the theatre.’

Louisa said slowly, ‘I should have done this sooner, Biddy, and left her free to enjoy herself.’ She caught Biddy’s anxious look and added, ‘I’m very happy too, really I am. I don’t think I’m a very sociable person.’

‘Well, as to that, Miss Louisa, perhaps you’ve not met the right people you want to be sociable with. But don’t worry, ‘e’ll turn up …’

‘Who?’

‘Why, yer ‘usband, of course. Just round the corner, I dare say, waiting for yer—this year, next year … some time—’

‘Never,’ said Louisa, and laughed. ‘Don’t you worry about me, Biddy. I shall settle down nicely in my little flat and enjoy the summer. There’s the tennis club, and the Walshes have asked me over whenever I’d like to go; there’s a swimming pool there.’

‘Yer father liked them; their eldest boy’s a bit older than you are.’

‘But not waiting round the corner for me, Biddy. His eyes are fixed on Cecily Coates. I met her yesterday; they’re as good as engaged.’

‘Plenty of fish in the sea,’ said Biddy.

Louisa went back to her flat, relieved that Felicity was so happy but feeling hurt. She knew, had always known since the first time they had met, that Felicity had only a superficial liking for her, and she, although she had tried hard, had never managed more than a mild affection for her stepmother. Louisa dismissed the unhappy thought and got ready for bed. It was Thursday tomorrow, and Sir James had more patients than usual.

‘I must take the car some time soon—’ she had a little Fiat of her own ‘—and drive down to Stalbridge and see Aunt Martha.’ She was a lady of great age, her father’s elder sister. They seldom met but they liked each other. There would be no need to tell Felicity when she was going. Louisa put her head on the pillow with a contented sigh and went to sleep.

When she arrived at work the next morning Jilly was waiting for her. ‘He’s here,’ she whispered. ‘They were both here when I came. Asked for coffee, and there they were at the desk with books and papers all over the place.’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Planning something.’

Louisa, conscious of a thrill of interest at seeing Dr Gifford again, said, ‘Jilly, you’re letting your imagination run away with you again. They must have quite a bit of sorting out to do between them if Dr Gifford is to help out.’

Jilly gave her a pitying look. ‘You’re so sensible,’ she observed. ‘I don’t know how …’ She stopped as the door opened and Sir James poked his head round.

‘Miss Howarth, will you come in, please? Jilly, when Mrs Grant arrives ask her to come here, will you?’

The sack? Was she to be made redundant? wondered Louisa, collecting pad and pencil and following Sir James. Was Dr Gifford full of ideas about running the practice, making more money? But heaven knew Sir James was doing very nicely. Surely Sir James wasn’t going to retire …?

She gave Dr Gifford an austere good morning and, when bidden to sit, sat.

Sir James peered at her over his spectacles. ‘I have received a wholly unexpected and urgent summons to the—ah—Middle East, Miss Howarth. It will necessitate my departure this afternoon. I may be gone for some time; at the moment I can say no more than that. Dr Gifford has most kindly agreed to take over as much of the practice as he can. Most fortunately he has a partner who is willing to co-operate fully.

‘This will mean that your hours may be somewhat erratic, and Dr Gifford would be glad if you would be prepared to return with him to his own practice for those days when he is not here. In this way, everything can be kept up to date. It would mean your staying overnight once or twice a week. You have no objection?’

Louisa, not to be hurried, thought about it, and he went on quickly, ‘Mrs Grant will come in each day as usual to take calls and so forth. You will have a good deal more work, but naturally you will be compensated for that.’

‘Extra days off?’ asked Louisa.

‘Certainly. Or extra payment.’

‘I’d rather have the days. Yes, of course, I’ll help in any way I can, Sir James.’

The men exchanged a look. ‘Splendid,’ said Sir James, but Dr Gifford didn’t say anything.

‘Dr Gifford will take over from me at lunchtime and there will be the normal consulting hours. We are fully booked for today, are we not?’

When she nodded, he added, ‘Tomorrow’s patients have already been notified; those in the morning will come as usual, the afternoon patients I have asked to come on the following day. As you are aware, I do not as a rule see patients at the weekend. But this leaves Dr Gifford free to return home tomorrow afternoon and return here late on Saturday morning.’

He paused. ‘I make myself clear?’ When she nodded again he added, ‘You will be good enough to return with him tomorrow directly after the morning consulting hours, stay the night and return with the doctor ready for Saturday afternoon here. Sunday will be free.’

When Louisa said nothing he continued, ‘Dr Gifford will come on Monday morning, stay until Tuesday noon, and then return to his own practice until Wednesday afternoon. You will go with him. There will be a good deal of work involved, reorganising the patients, but I believe that it can be done, especially when they realise that the circumstances are urgent and unusual.’

She longed to ask why, but she merely said, ‘I will do all I can to be of assistance, Sir James.’

‘Yes, yes, you’re a good girl. I’m sure you will.’ He looked up as there was a tap on the door and Mrs Grant came in. And the whole business was gone over again. If Mrs Grant was surprised she didn’t allow it to show.

‘Of course I’ll do all I can to help, Sir James. I’m sure we’ll manage until you get back.’ She smiled at him and then at Dr Gifford, who smiled back at her—nicely too, Louisa noted. He hadn’t said a word but she rather fancied that he had had a good part in the planning. Sir James was a brilliant man but liked someone else to dot his ‘i’s and cross his ‘t’s. She gave a surreptitious glance at the desk and saw that the papers were maps of the Middle East and some airline ticket folders. She looked away, suddenly aware that Dr Gifford was watching her. He was going to be a hard taskmaster, she reflected.

Sir James asked suddenly, ‘Miss Howarth, your stepmother will have no objection to your altered schedule?’

‘I live on my own, sir.’

‘Have I been told of your change of address?’

‘Yes, sir; it’s written in your address book on the desk and it was written into your day diary.’

He laughed. ‘Can’t catch you out, can I?’

‘I should hope not, sir; I wouldn’t be of much use to you if you could.’

He laughed again, in a high good humour. ‘Well, that’s settled, and thank you. I shall leave you and Dr Gifford to iron out any wrinkles.’

And there will be plenty of those, reflected Louisa. Not normally a gloomy girl, the immediate prospect didn’t please her.

The first patients would be arriving very shortly, so she and Mrs Grant set about their various jobs, much hindered by Jilly’s constant demands to be told what was happening.