Across the Mersey - Annie Groves [93]
The other girls teased her about her relationship with Teddy, wanting to know if they were going steady and then shaking their heads when she told them that it wasn’t something they had discussed.
‘It’s not natural, that isn’t. Stands to reason that if a lad is asking you out all the time he must have summat in mind,’ Iris had told her forthrightly.
‘Teddy knows how important my training is to me, and we know that we have to stay single if we want to be nurses. We’re just friends, that’s all,’ Grace had responded firmly.
She knew, though, that they weren’t entirely convinced and the truth was that she wasn’t entirely convinced herself either. It wasn’t that she wanted Teddy to ask her to be his girl or say that he loved her, but it did seem funny that he never made any attempt to, well, do the kind of things she had heard other girls saying their dates did. Of course, it was a good thing that Teddy respected her and treated her properly, but surely there was nothing wrong in him putting his arm around her in the pictures, or perhaps kissing her good night?
Teddy was a decent sort and she ought to be grateful for that, Grace told herself sternly after they had said their goodbyes and she was on her way back to the nurses’ home.
Because she was now on nights and would be changing shifts with the girls on days, Grace was already eating when Hannah joined her at the table. Whilst the sisters had their own dining room, the junior nurses ate in the same room as the seniors and the staff nurses, although each rank had its own separate area of the room.
‘We’ve had one of the merchant seamen from your ward in theatre today,’ she told Grace as she tucked into her shepherd’s pie. ‘He’d got frostbite in his toes on account of being in the water when his ship went down, and Mr Stewart had to amputate them in case he got blood poisoning. Poor chap, he’s in a very bad way – and not the only one, by all accounts.’
Hannah loved working in the operating theatre, and Grace suspected that she would ultimately choose to specialise in theatre work. Her comments, though, coupled with Grace’s own tiredness, had made Grace feel slightly nauseous.
The rest of their set were filling up the table, all of them, except Lillian, who was also now on nights, chattering about their day.
‘Shepherd’s pie again,’ said Lillian, shuddering as she sat down.
‘Well, with any luck you’ll soon have that new doctor you’ve bin making eyes at all week taking you out for dinner,’ Doreen ribbed her goodnaturedly.
‘What do you mean, making eyes at him? I’ve been doing no such thing,’ Lillian denied sharply.
‘Well, from what I’ve heard, you’ll be wasting your time if you have because he’s already spoken for, and engaged to a girl down in London,’ Jennifer announced, sliding into the last empty seat in time to join the conversation. ‘And I collected your letters for you seeing as I was coming past anyway. Looks like Grace’s brother is still pretty keen on you: there’s three letters here from him.’
‘I don’t know why he keeps writing to me, because I’ve told him I haven’t got time to keep writing back. Some people just can’t seem to take a hint, though,’ said Lillian.
Grace could feel her face burning with a mixture of anger on Luke’s behalf and embarrassment on her own, at the open contempt in Lillian’s voice. She pushed away her unfinished meal and stood up, too angry and upset to trust herself to say anything.
Hannah caught up with her halfway down the corridor, catching hold of her arm and saying comfortingly, ‘That was a rotten thing of Lillian to say, but take no notice. My guess is that she’s made a bit of a fool of herself over this new doctor, and he’s told her that he isn’t interested, so now she’s taking it out on everyone else.’
‘I just wish that Luke had never met her and it’s my fault that he did. I never thought that he’d be silly enough—’ Grace broke off and shook her head. ‘You did warn me, I know, but I thought he’d see through