Chapter 8

Everything went according to plan the next morning. Wendy was told to bring the car round to the front door of the hospital and Tim was brought down in a wheelchair. There was no problem when they arrived home. Tim swivelled in his seat, Wendy pulled him to his feet, handed him his crutches and he made his way into the house.

She settled him in his chair in the drawing room and made sure everything was within reach before making them each a mug of coffee.

"Golly! I'm glad to be home," said Tim. "I know it was only a short time but I loathe hospitals. I know they're busy and it's all necessary but on a public ward it's all bustle and noise. Wendy dear, thank you for everything. I said so yesterday evening but I meant every word of it and it needs saying again. Bless you."

Wendy went pink with pleasure but said nothing, merely smiling at him.

"Well," went on Tim. "No riding, no golf, no gardening, I'm liable to become an old grump. If I am you'll have to smack me, Wendy."

Wendy giggled. "I'll ask Mr Phillips to come round and cheer you up."

"Don't you dare."

Wendy laughed. "And all your girlfriends."

"What?"

"Betty and Christine," her eyes twinkled mischievously. "What a pity Henrietta's gone."

"Wendy!"

She pealed with laughter. He joined her.

"If I wasn't seriously wounded I'd put you across my knee, young lady."

That set them both off again.

There was a 'yoo-hoo' from the kitchen.

"Betty!" exclaimed Wendy. "Here comes the first of them," and giggled again.

"Wendy!"

She met Betty, her cheeks still wet with tears of laughter.

Betty was immediately concerned. "Are you all right dear? You've been crying."

Wendy started laughing again. "No!" she gasped. "I was telling him all his girlfriends would be round to comfort him and then you called and I said, 'Here's the first of them.' He's threatening to put me across his knee." Her laughter redoubled. Betty could not but join her.

"Leave the shopping for the moment," she said. "I can see he needs speaking to."

She marched into the drawing room. "Timothy Richards, I understand you have been threatening this young lady with violence."

Tim sucked in his cheeks and widened his eyes. "Yes, ma'am."

Betty grinned. "Just what she deserved I've no doubt. Has she been bullying a poor wounded warrior?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Betty turned to Wendy. "I think you'd better kiss and make up," she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am"

She knelt beside Tim's knees and craned forward. She kissed him softly.

"Thank you for making me laugh, Wendy," he said. His arms went round her and he held her for a moment.

"I said 'kiss' not 'snog' said Betty loudly.

They both parted with big smiles.

Betty bent over him and gave him a kiss. "Nothing much wrong with you, my boy," she smiled at him. "Now, are you going to pour me a nice, big gin after all I've done for you?"

"Yes, Betty, my dear. Of course."

Wendy immediately moved forward to pull him to his feet.

"No, Wendy dear," he smiled at her. "I've got to learn to do things on my own."

He grasped the arms of the chair and pushed himself up.

"There!" he said triumphantly. Wendy handed him his crutches.

"Right, Wendy dear. Let's bring your shopping in while he's busy."

They did that, stacking it on the kitchen table. Tim, in the meanwhile poured gins and tonic including one for Wendy, even if it was not Christmas Day and she rarely touched alcohol, other than the odd lager.

"You two go through," ordered Wendy, "while I put this lot away and get some lunch on the table instead."

Betty carried Tim's glass as well as her own and put it on the table beside his chair.

"Betty, I need your advice," Tim said immediately.

"Go on."

"I think Wendy's got a thing about me."

Betty smiled inwardly at his avoidance of the word 'love'.

"Go on."

"Um, well, when I came to after the fall yesterday, she had my head resting on her thigh. She was crying and stroking my face and ... and ... I'm sure I heard her call me 'Tim darling'.

Betty smiled gently at him. "I'm sure you did too, Tim dear."

Tim's eyes widened.

"That evening when you came round to supper and I teased you and warned you about being a target do you remember the way she blushed when I intimated that she might be one of the women with designs on you."

"Yes but she said in the car on the way home that it was just shock."

"And she said to me later that it was because of what you might think."

"Oh!"

"We talked about my list of 'suitoresses' and at that stage there were three. OK Henrietta's fallen out but I think that Christine Moir may now be on it."

"What?"

"She rang me ten days ago to, amid a lot of flannel, find out about you."

"Oh Lord!"

"Don't worry. It's early days."

"Who are the other two?"

"Wendy and me."

"Betty!"

She smiled fondly at him. "Don't worry, Tim dear. I'm not really serious. All right, if, in the fullness of time you asked me to marry you I'd consider it seriously. You're a nice chap and I'm very fond of you. We'd probably enjoy each other but I'm used to living on my own now and rather enjoy it. It's not as though I'm a nympho. Well not anymore!"

"Betty!" Tim smiled. "You are incorrigible."

"Glad you didn't say 'incorruptible'."

Tim laughed. "As I say, you're incorrigible."

"Good!" thought Betty. "He's being a little less intense."

"Anyway, to go back to my list, I didn't think that Henrietta actually stood a chance despite her turning on the sex appeal."

"Dead right."

"No, Tim, it was little Wendy. "I realised that she had fallen for you and knew that she was fighting the social barriers as well as your faithfulness to Jane. I wanted her to start to fight her own corner. It was clear you'd become very fond of her."

"I have," Tim admitted. "I've told her that she has become a companion and a friend."