Chapter Seven
Melvyn Waldour stood outside Burscomb Manor, his face without its customary smile. He had just returned from his mother’s funeral at the village church in Burscomb. She now lay in the family crypt alongside her husband who had died two years ago. Melvyn gazed at the old house which he loved and which was now his. He was now Lord of the Manor of Burscomb and he began to think of the problems facing him, as it was impossible for him to live in this house. Having finished his medical training just as the war began, he had volunteered for the army and was now a Major in Shaftesbury Military Hospital.
The arrival of his faithful retainer and friend, Joe, interrupted his thoughts: Joe was leading the only horse left in the stables. Melvyn had insisted on keeping this one horse when his father had decided to get rid of the stables.
“Morning sir”, Joe smiled as he spoke. He too had been at the funeral and was now exercising the horse. “If you’re not in a hurry sir, we would love you to come for a cup of tea before you go back to your unit.”
“Thank you Joe. I would love that. Tell Margaret I would love one of her scones,” said Melvyn and they both laughed. Joe rode back to the stable and after stabling the horse went on to the house, where he found Margaret busying herself in the kitchen.
“The master’s coming for a cup of tea and one of your scones,” said Joe.
“Aren’t we lucky to have such a lovely master Joe?” she said as she prepared the table.
“Yes we are, but for how long dear? The master can’t live in the house and it will fall into ruins unless he sells it. If he does then it’s curtains for us. No one will employ me at my age.”
“Hush Joe, don’t be so pessimistic. Wait for the master to make up his mind. Anyway you’re not old. You’re in the prime of life,” she said as she stooped to kiss his balding head.
Melvyn arrived and greeting them heartily for he had known them virtually all his life and they had helped him so much. “Come master, sit down here and have some tea. I’ll look to see if I have a scone for you.”
Melvyn smiled, he loved this couple and was determined to make them happy after their long service to his family. The tea arrived and soon Melvyn was listening to all the local gossip as well as the affairs of the estate.
“I know I shouldn’t be asking sir, but what is going to happen to the estate? Are you selling it? Being in the Army means you can’t look after it.”
Melvyn nodded and said, “You are right Joe, I can’t be an army doctor and Lord of the Manor.” Joe looked across at Margaret as if to say ‘I told you so’.
“Of course I won’t always be a soldier will I? Then I will return and take up my duties again. Listen carefully Joe, I have given this a lot of thought and I have come to a great decision. I am promoting you to be my Estate Agent. You will be responsible for keeping an eye on my house and the estate. You will of course get a rise in salary. Are you prepared to do this for the next few years?”
There was a dead silence as Melvyn, having finished his speech, picked up his cup and sipped his tea. Joe broke his silence and said gratefully, “Thank you kindly master. I will do it with great pleasure, even without the rise in pay.”
“Then that’s settled. I’ll arrange for your pay to be increased and I’ll pop up to see you whenever I’m off duty. Now I’d better get back or they will think I have deserted. Bye!” He left the pair in a daze.
“I told you not to worry didn’t I?” said Margaret, “he’s a wonderful boy is our master. I forgot to ask him about Mary, his childhood friend. I hope they are still in touch.”
Melvyn drove back to Shaftsbury, his conversations with Joe and Margaret had helped him forget his personal grief. Once back at the hospital he was soon deep in medical business. He opened his mail next day to find a letter from his old friend Mary. They still corresponded but due to his work only saw each other occasionally. It was to tell him that she had qualified as a Nursing Sister and had been posted to Salisbury Infirmary so it was possible that they would see more of each other, if he so wished. He snorted. If he wished? He would show her, he would ring later that day to arrange a date when they could meet.
Sister Mary Miller arrived at Salisbury Infirmary and quickly settled into her new quarters and into her job as Ward Sister. On her third day she visited the Almoner’s office on the second floor and, having finished her business, turned to go when a voice said, “It’s Mary Miller isn’t it?”
She turned to see who had called her name and, recognising the face, exclaimed, “Ruth Rowdon! Why I haven’t seen you since we left South Wiltshire School. How are you? We must meet to have a chat. We can’t talk here. Can you meet me tonight about seven o’clock at the White Horse pub, then we can have a real good session.”
“Yes, that’s fine – seven o’clock it is. Take care till then,” smiled Ruth.
As Mary left the office, Ruth explained to the Almoner that Mary had been her best friend for the whole of the six years at school. Later, Ruth told her mother about meeting Mary and she too was delighted for Ruth’s sake. It could help to bring Ruth out of her sombre moods. When Ruth first arrived at the pub, she was very apprehensive as she had never been in a pub alone before; girls just didn’t do that. A few minutes later Mary arrived, apologizing for being late. They embraced and, after ordering drinks, sat down and began talking. They talked and talked and talked. The evening was well gone when Mary asked her if she had a boyfriend. Ruth hesitated and then, urged on by Mary told her the whole story.
“It all began when Alex, a young chap from County Durham was posted to Winterbourne, Dawntsey. He had met my mum in Salisbury and, in fact, he protected mum from a drunken soldier in the bus station. Mum invited him to the church hall. She told him that there was table tennis and refreshment for soldiers.”
“Did he come to the hall or did you meet him elsewhere?” asked Mary watching Ruth’s face whenever she mentioned the young man.
Ruth shook her head. “No, I met him in the hall.”
“Did your mother approve of all this?” said Mary.
“She was in the hall the night we met,” replied Ruth. “Alex asked me to play table tennis with him. We played and afterwards Alex asked if he could see me home,” said Ruth.
“And did he take you home?” questioned Mary.
“Yes! I went to ask my mother if she objected and when she saw who it was she immediately agreed. She liked him from her first meeting.”
“So that was the beginning of the romance?” queried Mary.
“Yes, that was the beginning but the longer it went on the closer we became. He wrote lovely letters from France and even wrote poems to me,” confessed Ruth.
“He sounds a nice boy to me,” said Mary after a lull in the conversation.
“Oh yes Mary, he was such a gentleman. He was polite, well-mannered and gentle.”
“You say he loved you! Did he tell you so?”
“Of course he did! Every time we met he told me of his undying love! I believed him too. Now I wonder if it was all lies.” Ruth sighed.
Mary sat bolt upright. “Of course it was true! From what you say he must have worshipped you!”
“If that’s the case why has he cut me off now,” replied Ruth.
“Tell me what happened next,” said Mary.
Ruth paused, then continued her story. “A young officer who attended the dances in the hall offered to find out what had happened to Alex, as he hadn’t written for weeks.”
“Was this young officer a friend of yours too?” asked Mary.
“Well, yes, I suppose he was. Mum told him the story so he offered to help to find him.”
“That was kind of him. Perhaps he was hoping to take his place by being nice to you.” Mary looked hard at Ruth and saw her blushing.
“No! He just wanted to help and he did help, he found out that Alex was in a hospital in Barnstaple!”
“Good! Did you go and see him in hospital?” inquired Mary.
“Eventually I did!??
? Ruth’s voice hardened. “I took the trouble to go all the way to Barnstaple, and what did I find?”
“Well, what did you find?” persisted Mary.
“I found him lying in a bed with the minimum of clothes on, and a nurse was massaging him,” said Ruth, “and they were laughing together.”
“Well! What did you expect to find,” teased Mary, “don’t forget that he was a hospital patient and one would expect him to be in bed.”
“Maybe so,” replied Ruth, her face scarlet and her breast heaving. “But why was the nurse massaging him, and why hadn’t he written to me?”
“What was wrong with him,” inquired Mary.
“According to Lieutenant. Johnson, he had fallen down a cliff and was paralysed.”
“Well then that was why the nurse was massaging him. No doubt she did it daily!” pointed out Mary.
“Oh, yes! That’s what the nurse told me when I saw her afterwards. She told me that Alex still loved me, but had no wish to burden me with a cripple for life, so he wanted me to forget him!”
“Did he tell you that too?” questioned Mary.
“Of course he did!”
“Well! It seems to me that he still loves you. He loves you enough to ensure that you will live a normal life and not spending every moment caring for him,” said Mary.
“No! I think that the nurse is more than a nurse to him! However, I will try to get on with my life without him, now I know what has happened to him!” said Ruth, wearily.
“You know Ruth, I think you were a little hasty. It sounds as if he was really thinking of you. Let’s face it Ruth, would you be prepared to give up work to spend all day nursing him. At your age you would have no life and he knew it. I think that he loves you.”
“What about that lovely nurse Jane?”
Mary laughed. “I’d say she was an excellent nurse. She had to cheer up her patient and of course, if he was paralysed then she would have to massage him in an effort to get the spine, nerves and muscles working again.”
Ruth nodded, was silent for a moment then said, “Well it’s over now but I will never forget him.”
“Have you no other admirers?” asked Mary, “I would have thought a lovely girl like you would be fighting them off.”
“There is Lieutenant Johnson, who is keen to take me out but I keep him at a distance.”
“Well dear, you can’t live in the past. If your romance with Alex Waters is over, then encourage your new beau.” She raised her glass. “Here’s to a happy ending,” and Ruth joined her.
They left each other that evening determined to continue their friendship now that it had been rekindled. At their next meeting, Ruth asked Mary if she had a lover.
“Well I have a good friend. We have been friends for nearly twenty years but I seldom see him as he is a doctor at Shaftsbury Military Hospital and I have been working in Newcastle. I hope, now that I am in Salisbury, we will see more of each other, if he is willing.”
They continued to meet regularly and at one meeting she brought Melvyn with her to meet Ruth. It was a lovely evening and everyone got on well together. Mary had told Melvyn the story of Alex and Ruth. Ruth thought Mary and Melvyn were a lovely couple and she enjoyed the tales of their childhood days. Mary had told Ruth of the background of her friend and Ruth was most impressed by his gentlemanly ways.
She smiled to herself as she thought of Alex’s description of his background and how much it contrasted with Melvyn’s. Then she frowned. She must forget about Alex and continue her life without him. She was seeing more of Fred Johnson now, although she had made it plain that there was no chance of a romance. He had accepted this and had not even attempted to kiss her. Her mother encouraged the new situation. Fred had always been a gentleman in her eyes and she secretly hoped that one day her daughter would accept that Alex had gone and Fred had come to stay.
Mary had also met Fred and thought that he was a very nice young chap but neither encouraged or discouraged the romance. She knew that Ruth, although having told Alex the romance was over still thought about Alex quite a lot and indeed probably hoped that one day he would reappear. Mary decided that she would keep the conversation away from the subject and let nature take its course.