and Piers grinned.
“ Right first time, and I don ’ t doubt you ’ re also aware that I was married today. It only takes a blasted cat to upset one ’ s arrangements, doesn ’ t it? ” he said, but the doctor frowned. There had been photographs in plenty of the future Mrs. Merrick, and she bore little resemblance to this uneasy-looking young girl who was now demanding anxiously whether or not the cat had been black.
“ How the devil should I know? ” Piers retorted irritably. “ Everything looks black in the dark. The main thing is to find out how much damage has been done to the car and get going again if we ’ re able. ”
He began to struggle out of the driving seat and the doctor said with crisp authority:
“ You ’ ll come straight to Lexiter Hospital with me, young man. That wound must be stitched, and until you ’ ve been X-rayed and okayed, you won ’ t be going anywhere, so let that be clearly understood. ”
“ What in hades has it got to do with you? ” The old arrogance was back in Piers ’ voice, even though he reached a little unsteadily for-support on the car door as he stood up.
“ I happen to be a doctor, which, if I may say so, was your good fortune, ” the other man said. “ Now you can walk as far as my car, I think. When I ’ ve settled you in safe hands I ’ ll instruct a garage to send out for your car. Mrs.—er—Merrick will of course accompany us. ”
This time Piers noticed the hesitation and his grin returned.
“ Oh, she ’ s my wife all right, but I can understand your confusion, Doctor. All will be revealed to you in the Sunday press, I don ’ t doubt, ” he said ambiguously, but he allowed himself to be helped into the doctor ’ s car without further protest, and lay back with closed eyes.
“ You ’ re remarkably calm, Cinderella, ” he observed to Lou sitting silently beside him. “ No feminine tears? No expressions of thankfulness that you ’ re not so soon a widow? ”
“ Your wife has an admirable control of her feelings, ” the doctor snapped from the driving seat. He did not understand the reactions of this uncomfortable pair, presumably on the first stage of their honeymoon, and was anxious to be rid of them.
“ Yes, hasn ’ t she? ” Piers rejoined, adding in a soft aside that only Lou could hear: “ Or perhaps she just doesn ’ t care. That could be it, couldn ’ t it, Cinderella? ”
“ I wish, ” said Lou, beginning to feel very tired and inclined to be tearful after all, “ you wouldn ’ t go on calling me that. It isn ’ t true any longer, anyway. ”
“ No, I suppose it isn ’ t. The slipper having fitted, the kitchenmaid becomes a princess. ”
“ I was never a kitchenmaid, ” Lou protested with the unthinking absurdity of someone too exhausted to be rational any longer.
“ Don ’ t be so literal—or so sharp, my poor child, ” he retorted, but she found her hand suddenly taken in a clasp of assurance. “ Our good Samaritan will think we ’ re quarrelling. ”
The doctor did, although, he could not hear what they said above the noise of the engine. His first suspicions of Lou were, perforce, laid to rest, but he found himsel f taking a profound dislike to this dark, bitter-tongued fellow who claimed to be her husband. He was not at all sure that the girl hadn ’ t been suffering from shock, after all, declaring half - wittedly that she didn ’ t know where they were going to, and apparently more concerned about a cat ’ s color than her bridegroom ’ s lucky escape. He wished the hospital staff joy of them; young Merrick, he shrewdly suspected, was too accustomed to getting his own way to be detained against his will without creating a scene.
II
Piers was, with the one exception that he seldom found it necessary to create scenes. He found no necessity now, when, having submitted gracefully to medical attention, he was pronounced reasonably whole but advised to stay the night for observation and a further
“ Right first time, and I don ’ t doubt you ’ re also aware that I was married today. It only takes a blasted cat to upset one ’ s arrangements, doesn ’ t it? ” he said, but the doctor frowned. There had been photographs in plenty of the future Mrs. Merrick, and she bore little resemblance to this uneasy-looking young girl who was now demanding anxiously whether or not the cat had been black.
“ How the devil should I know? ” Piers retorted irritably. “ Everything looks black in the dark. The main thing is to find out how much damage has been done to the car and get going again if we ’ re able. ”
He began to struggle out of the driving seat and the doctor said with crisp authority:
“ You ’ ll come straight to Lexiter Hospital with me, young man. That wound must be stitched, and until you ’ ve been X-rayed and okayed, you won ’ t be going anywhere, so let that be clearly understood. ”
“ What in hades has it got to do with you? ” The old arrogance was back in Piers ’ voice, even though he reached a little unsteadily for-support on the car door as he stood up.
“ I happen to be a doctor, which, if I may say so, was your good fortune, ” the other man said. “ Now you can walk as far as my car, I think. When I ’ ve settled you in safe hands I ’ ll instruct a garage to send out for your car. Mrs.—er—Merrick will of course accompany us. ”
This time Piers noticed the hesitation and his grin returned.
“ Oh, she ’ s my wife all right, but I can understand your confusion, Doctor. All will be revealed to you in the Sunday press, I don ’ t doubt, ” he said ambiguously, but he allowed himself to be helped into the doctor ’ s car without further protest, and lay back with closed eyes.
“ You ’ re remarkably calm, Cinderella, ” he observed to Lou sitting silently beside him. “ No feminine tears? No expressions of thankfulness that you ’ re not so soon a widow? ”
“ Your wife has an admirable control of her feelings, ” the doctor snapped from the driving seat. He did not understand the reactions of this uncomfortable pair, presumably on the first stage of their honeymoon, and was anxious to be rid of them.
“ Yes, hasn ’ t she? ” Piers rejoined, adding in a soft aside that only Lou could hear: “ Or perhaps she just doesn ’ t care. That could be it, couldn ’ t it, Cinderella? ”
“ I wish, ” said Lou, beginning to feel very tired and inclined to be tearful after all, “ you wouldn ’ t go on calling me that. It isn ’ t true any longer, anyway. ”
“ No, I suppose it isn ’ t. The slipper having fitted, the kitchenmaid becomes a princess. ”
“ I was never a kitchenmaid, ” Lou protested with the unthinking absurdity of someone too exhausted to be rational any longer.
“ Don ’ t be so literal—or so sharp, my poor child, ” he retorted, but she found her hand suddenly taken in a clasp of assurance. “ Our good Samaritan will think we ’ re quarrelling. ”
The doctor did, although, he could not hear what they said above the noise of the engine. His first suspicions of Lou were, perforce, laid to rest, but he found himsel f taking a profound dislike to this dark, bitter-tongued fellow who claimed to be her husband. He was not at all sure that the girl hadn ’ t been suffering from shock, after all, declaring half - wittedly that she didn ’ t know where they were going to, and apparently more concerned about a cat ’ s color than her bridegroom ’ s lucky escape. He wished the hospital staff joy of them; young Merrick, he shrewdly suspected, was too accustomed to getting his own way to be detained against his will without creating a scene.
II
Piers was, with the one exception that he seldom found it necessary to create scenes. He found no necessity now, when, having submitted gracefully to medical attention, he was pronounced reasonably whole but advised to stay the night for observation and a further
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