A Gentle Awakening

The child had gone very red and tears weren’t far off. She sighed and said, ‘I’m sorry, Daddy.’

His face was placid again. ‘That’s all right, darling. What are we going to do today?’

The pair of them went off presently, and Florina prepared lunch, decided what to have for dinner, made the coffee and went to help Nanny with the beds. The rest of the weekend was peaceful, and Florina, taking along the coffee tray to the patio where Sir William had settled with the Sunday papers after church, while Pauline fed the swans, thought how delightful life was.

She gave him breakfast the next morning, happily aware that he would be back on Friday afternoon. Wanda Fortesque had gone to stay with friends in the south of France, and Florina allowed herself the childish hope that something, anything, would prevent her from ever coming back from there!

The weather changed suddenly during the day, by the evening it was chilly and grey, and Pauline seemed to have the beginnings of a cold.

Nanny came down to the kitchen after she had seen Pauline to bed. ‘The child’s feverish,’ she declared. ‘I think I’d better keep her in bed tomorrow; these summer colds can be heavy.’

But when morning came, Pauline was feeling worse; moreover, she had a pinky, blotchy rash.

‘Measles,’ said Nanny, and phoned for the doctor.

He came from Wilton that morning, confirmed Nanny’s diagnosis, and observed that there was a lot of it about and that Pauline, having had an anti-measles injection when she was a little girl, would soon be on her feet again. ‘Plenty to drink,’ he advised, ‘and keep her in bed until her temperature is down.’ He patted Nanny reassuringly on the shoulder. ‘Nothing to worry about.’

All the same, Nanny telephoned Sir William in London, only to be told that he was at the hospital and would be there all day. She put the phone down, undecided as to what to do, when it rang again.

Florina, making iced lemonade for the invalid, heard her talking at some length, and presently she came back to the kitchen.

‘Sir William’s not at home and won’t be until the evening, but Miss Fortesque was there. She rang back when I told her I wanted him urgently, said she would tell him when he got back. I would rather have phoned the hospital, but that would be no use if he is in the theatre or the out-patients.’

By the time they were ready for bed, more than ready, for Florina had suggested that neither Mrs Deakin nor Mrs Datchett came to work until Pauline was better, for they both had children, there had been no word from Sir William. Nanny telephoned once more, only to be told by Miss Fortesque that he was still out.

Pauline was much better in the morning and Nanny, while still a tiny bit puzzled as to why Sir William hadn’t telephoned, decided that there was no need to bother him, not until the evening at any rate. She and Florina spent another busy day, for the house was large and there was a certain amount of work to get through, as well as pandering to Pauline’s increasing whims. Nanny had a headache by teatime, and Florina persuaded her to go to bed early.

‘Only if you telephone Sir William,’ declared Nanny.

Florina waited until she had taken up two supper trays, eaten a scratch meal of beans on toast herself, before dialling the number she had been given. Miss Fortesque answered. No, Sir William wasn’t at home and wasn’t likely to be for some time and was it urgent? He had had a busy day and needed his rest. She slammed down the receiver before Florina had got her mouth open.

Nanny had a rash in the morning, a high temperature, a terrible headache and a firmly rooted opinion that she was going to die.

‘Nonsense, Mrs Frobisher,’ said Florina robustly. ‘You’ve got the measles. I’m going to get the doctor.’

He wasn’t quite as cheerful about Nanny. It transpired that she had never had measles as a child, an illness, which he pointed out to Florina, that could be quite serious in anyone as elderly as Nanny. ‘Keep her in bed,’ he advised. ‘Plenty of fluids, and don’t let her read or use her eyes. Keep the blinds drawn and take her temperature every four hours. I’ll be out to see her again tomorrow.’ He added as an afterthought, ‘Can you manage?’

Sir William would be home on the next day, so Florina assured the doctor that, of course, she could manage.

It was hard work. Pauline had made a quick recovery, although she still needed looking after and had to stay in bed for another day or so, but Nanny, suddenly an old, ill Nanny, needed constant attention. Not that she was a difficult patient, but she was feverish, her head ached and she fretted at lying in bed.

Florina, trotting up and down stairs with trays and cool drinks, was tempted to telephone Sir William again, but it hardly seemed worth it since he would be home in less than twenty-four hours. She settled her two patients for the night at last, and went to the kitchen to make out a menu for Sir William’s dinner for the following evening. It would have to be something quick, and which could be left in the Aga to look after itself. She made a chocolate mousse and put it in the freezer, made a vegetable soup, and then decided that she would make a cheese soufflé—something which could be done at the last minute. She had picked some peas and beans earlier in the day, and there was plenty of fruit and cheese and biscuits. She went to take a last look at her two patients and then went to bed herself, to sleep the moment her head touched the pillow.

Doctor Stone came again the next morning, cautioned her that Pauline should stay in bed for another day or so, declared that Nanny was holding her own nicely, but that she would need careful nursing, accepted a cup of coffee and remarked that Florina was managing very well.

‘No need to send you a nurse,’ he told her, ‘and, since there isn’t one available at the moment, that’s a good thing. Is Sir William coming down for the weekend?’

Florina said that, yes, he was, and thought tiredly of all the extra cooking there would be. She was, after all, the cook, and he had every right to expect well prepared meals to be set before him. Doctor Stone went, and she made a large quantity of lemonade, then made herself a sandwich and started to get a light lunch for Pauline. Nanny didn’t want anything, but Florina made an egg nog and spent some precious time persuading her to drink it.

She spent more time settling Pauline for the afternoon. There was the radio, of course, and her cassette player, and since reading wasn’t to be encouraged, a sketch-book had to be found with coloured crayons. Florina, finally free to go to the kitchen, put on a clean apron, tossed her plait over her shoulder and started to shell the peas.

She was very tired; she let the sound of the stream, racing under the house and on into the garden, soothe her. She was disturbed five minutes later by a leisurely tread in the hall, and a moment later Sir William said from the kitchen door, ‘Hello! The house is very quiet.’

When she turned to look at him he saw her white, tired face.

‘What’s wrong, Florina?’

She heard the sudden briskness of his usually placid voice. ‘Measles,’ she said. ‘Pauline started on Monday and now Nanny has it… Yesterday—I’ve had the doctor. Doctor Stone, from Wilton.’

‘Why wasn’t I told?’

‘Nanny telephoned you on Monday night, and then again on Tuesday. I rang again on Thursday evening…’

Sir William didn’t answer. He went to the telephone on the wall by the Aga, and dialled a number. Florina went back to shelling her peas and listened.

‘Jolly? Get hold of our Shirley and bribe her to sleep in for a few nights with Mrs Jolly. Then pack a bag and drive down here as soon as you can. Take the Rover and make all speed. We have a problem on our hands. Measles, no less!’

‘On your own?’ he asked, as he put back the receiver.

‘Well, yes. You see, Mrs Deakin and Mrs Datchett have children.’

‘Very wise. I’m going to take a look. Is Pauline on the mend? She had her jab when she was small.’

‘Yes, she’s over the worst. Mrs Frobisher is really quite ill, though…’

She heard him going upstairs two at a time.

By the time he returned she had finished the peas, had the kettle boiling for tea and had laid a tray with the tea things and a plate of scones.

He sat down at the kitchen table and told her to get another cup. ‘Very spotty, the pair of them. Nanny’s going to take a little while to get over it, but Pauline’s well out of the wood.’ He shot the next question at her so fast that she answered it without once pausing to think. ‘Who answered the telephone when you and Nanny telephoned?’

‘Miss Fortesque…’ She went red because he would think her sneaky. ‘I’m sure it was a misunderstanding…’

He didn’t answer that. ‘You’ve had your hands full—up for a good deal of the night, too?’

‘Well, yes. Nanny felt so hot and ill, but Pauline slept well.’

His rather sleepy gaze swept round the kitchen. ‘You’ve been running the place, and cooking, as well as looking after Pauline and Nanny?’

She misunderstood him completely. ‘Oh, but I had all day. Dinner will be ready at half-past seven, but I can put it forward half an hour if you wish. I don’t settle them for the night until about nine o’clock. Pauline likes her supper about eight o’clock and Nanny doesn’t want to eat at present—I’ve been giving her egg and milk and tea and lemonade.’

He smiled at her suddenly. ‘My poor dear, you are tired to the bone, aren’t you? You’ve got dinner fixed already?’ When she nodded, he continued, ‘We’ll eat here together, then you can get supper for Pauline and I’ll take it up; I’ll see that Nanny takes her fluids, too, and then I’ll wash up while you get Pauline ready for bed.’

She opened her mouth to protest, but he lifted a large hand to stop her. ‘I’m going back to take another look at Nanny and then to phone Doctor Stone. Which room should Jolly have when he comes?’

‘There is the small guest room at the end of the passage where Nanny is—I’ll make up the bed…’

‘Put the bed linen out; I’ll see to the bed, you stay here and get on with dinner.’