Chapter 10

Dan had kept in touch with Penny Buxton in New Zealand by e-mail. She was clearly enjoying herself teaching English at a school at Christchurch. She was also playing hockey and tennis and meeting lots of people. Two years after she left she became engaged. Dan was happy for her. He had always felt that an attractive, intelligent girl like her would be snaffled up quickly. Nevertheless he now felt completely free to enter the marriage market himself. He was in no rush. He was enjoying life at Red Hall and was still managing to play regular rugby and cricket.

After he had been at Red Hall three years Arthur took him aside and asked him what his plans were. Dan replied that his aim in due course was to become the headmaster of a prep school.

"You know Betty and I will be retiring in a couple of years."

"Yes."

"How would you like to take over?"

Dan's eyes lit up. "Very much but aren't I a bit young?"

"That would be for the trustees to decide but I don't think so. Of all the staff here you would be the one Betty and I would choose. The trustees may well have ideas for an external candidate and the position will have to be advertised but if I was to speak up for you now it could increase your chances, I fancy."

"That would be marvellous, Arthur. Would I have to put up any money?"

"Only if you want to. I never did."

"I've got a small cottage, probably worth £350 grand which I let. In many ways I'd like to keep that so that I will have somewhere to live later in life."

"That sounds sensible. Now there's just one thing. I am pretty certain that the trustees will want a married man and as far as I'm aware you have no irons in the fire."

"No," grinned Dan. "I wasn't even considering it yet.

"Well, Heaven forbid that I should rush you into anything like that but you ought to be aware of the way the trustees will think."

"Thank you, Arthur. That will never happen, I assure you, even if it does mean I miss a headship."

"I thought you'd say that. Good."

Dan reported the conversation to Molly and Gina the next time he was home.

"Goodness!" said Molly. "Arthur must think very highly of you. You'll only be twenty-eight."

Dan shrugged self-effacingly. "I think the fact that I'm an Old Boy may have something to do with it too."

"Well certainly you must have absorbed Arthur and Betty's ethos."

"So now we've got to find you a wife," chipped in Gina with a grin.

Dan grinned back. "No. If I'm not married by the time they make the selection and being married is a criterion tough."

"I'll take you clubbing."

"No you won't!"

Gina screamed with laughter. "Stuffy old thing!" she spluttered. "Mind you, who wants to be married to a stuffy old pedagogue?"

"Gina!" expostulated Molly.

They all laughed.

A year passed. There was no sign of Dan being attracted to a girl not that he did not meet a number.

Towards the end of the Summer Term Dan arrived back at his room to find his mobile phone flashing. He always left it there because the children had to switch theirs off and leave them in their lockers during school hours. It would hardly be right if his rang then. It was Molly. He rang her back.

"Hello, Mum..."

"Oh thank God you've rung. Gina's had a frightful accident and is in hospital. I'm there now but she's still in the operating theatre."

"What happened to her?" Dan was frantic with worry.

"I don't know. A hit and run motor-cyclist. She's got a number of broken bones and was brought in unconscious. I don't know any more than that."

"OK, Mum, I'll be there as soon as I can. See you."

"Damn!" he thought. "I would be duty beak. I've got to find someone to take tea and prep." He ran down to Common Room and found Harry Everet and Bob Ramsey there.

"My sister's been knocked down by a motor bike and has been badly hurt. Would one of you guys take over as duty beak? I must go and see her."

"I will," said Bob. "Give her my love."

"And mine," added Harry.

"Thanks. I owe you, Bob."

Bob waved him off. "Off you go but don't have an accident yourself in a rush to get there."

Dan dashed. It was of course rush hour and the journey was slow. Dan ground his teeth in frustration. He found Molly sitting forlornly in Casualty. He sat down beside her.

"No news yet?"

Molly shook her head. "She's been in there three hours."

"Oh, Mum!" He took her hand and squeezed it gently. "We probably won't have to wait long now though."

"I hope not. I feel so helpless."

"There still won't be much we can do, Mum darling. They'll probably move her into intensive care and shoo us off."

Molly nodded miserably.

"When did you last eat, Mum?"

"Lunchtime."

"I'll go and find you a cuppa. Do you want a sandwich or biscuits or something?"

"No thanks. Just a cuppa."

"Back soon."

He was. He gave her a plastic mug of tea and, holding his in his left hand took hers again with his right. They sat in unhappy but companionable silence. At last a doctor came to them.

"Mrs Bentwater?"

"Yes?"

He pulled up another chair and sat down. "I'm Doctor Enwright. Your daughter has been very badly hurt but you'll be pleased to hear that she is not in danger and should recover completely even though it is likely to take some six to eight weeks.

Molly released the breath she had been holding with a whoosh. "Thank God!" she said fervently. "What are her injuries?"

"Well none of them are deep. Her kidneys, liver and spleen are all OK. She has a fractured skull but a scan reveals no brain damage. Her right arm is broken below the elbow and she has two cracked ribs which are going to give her pain for a considerable time. Her right shin is broken and she has extensive lacerations down her right hand side."

"Poor, little Gina," Mary whispered.

"At the moment she is still unconscious but that is the anaesthetic rather than a coma or concussion."

At that moment Cass materialised beside Dan and stood there listening.

"She's in intensive care and frankly I suggest you don't visit her at the moment. It will just add to your unhappiness. Instead, I'll give you the ICU direct line number and if you ring at about ten tomorrow they'll be able to tell you how she is and about visiting."

"Thank you, doctor. Do you know the details of the accident?"

"I don't other than that she was hit by a motorbike on a zebra crossing."