Page 33 of A Zephyr Rising
“Oh, that’s wonderful.”Ginger smiled.She was genuinely glad for him—if not a little jealous.“That reminds me—I must give back those nursing uniforms you arranged for me to borrow.”How foolish she’d been, borrowing uniforms to have her own tailor-made.She hadn’t thought her father would make it so impossible for her to join.“I’ll send them over with one of my aunt’s servants.”
“Whenever you have the chance.”James’s posture bent, as though he was accustomed to trying to make himself smaller for private conversations.“Are you certain your father won’t reconsider?”
“I don’t think he will.”Her throat tightened, frustration bubbling too close to her heart.The wound was still too fresh for her to dwell on it here, though.She gave him as bright a smile as she could muster.“I’m certain you’ll do us all proud, Dr.Clark.”
“Well,” the corners of his eyes crinkled.“I don’t know what wartime surgery will be like, but I hope I can be useful to our Tommies.With the first wounded already arriving, the time has come for me to get over there, where I can have a greater impact right away.”
His sense of duty and bravery were commendable.“Then you’ll go to the front lines?”
“That’s my wish.”
How wonderful it must be to act as one wished.Her resentfulness marred her ability to be fair right now.Their steps echoed as they entered a stairwell and made their way down.Despite only having known him for a few days, James felt more like a confidant than even some of her closest friends—if only because she could talk about something like nursing training with him.He didn’t find the idea scandalous or strange.
“Perhaps as the war goes on, my father will relent and allow me to train to be a nurse.It may be easier once he sees the need.”The heaviness of her heart told her it was also a wistful dream.Her father wouldn’t be likely to be persuaded if she disregarded his wishes and didn’t agree to marry.
“And your father really insists you must be engaged beforehand?”James adjusted his glasses as they stepped out into the bright August morning.
“Yes.”She shook her head with a chortle.“But getting engaged with the stipulation I’ll wait until the war is over to marry may be a great deal to ask of a man.”She doubted Stephen would find that acceptable.Something had even tempted her to tell him yes, just to get what she wanted—and break it off with him later.But it would just be deferring the problem.Her father wasn’t likely to react kindly to being deceived.
Unless Stephen happened to die in battle, which even she couldn’t think of as a solution.What a horrid thought, Ginger.
“I suppose it depends on the man.Some might be willing to wait.”They reached the edge of the pavement and Ginger stopped.James flagged a taxi cab approaching them and it stopped a few feet away.
Ginger grinned and a breeze ribboned past, scattering a few leaves from the trees near the entrance to the hospital.“Thank you for all your help, Dr.Clark.”Holding out her hand, she offered it to him.“And thank you for all your help with Charlie.Godspeed to you in the army.I’ll keep you in my prayers.”
He bowed and then kissed the back of her hand.“Please do call on me for anything.I don’t know how much longer I’ll be at St.Thomas’ but I’m happy to help while I can.”
Ginger left him and made her way to the car.By the time she’d settled in her seat, he’d gone back into the hospital.With a pang of her heart, she sighed deeply and stared forward as the car drove away.Leaving Charlie in the hospital didn’t feel right to her, but she was glad James could still see to his care.
The trip to Madeline’s house was short, but it gave enough time for her to find the composure to face her father.She was disappointed with his lack of support for her ideas, but more than anything, he’d hurt her.When Stephen had proposed and her father had made it clear he wished for her to accept, she’d still felt he would respect her choice.Now it was clear he meant to punish her if she didn’t do what he wanted.Had she missed the signs of his control before?She’d always thought him to be more reasonable and interested in her happiness before now.
As the car slowed, the verdant trees and grasses threw a yellowish green hue into the windows from Hyde Park.She inhaled the familiar scents of city life—the mixture of smoke and petrol with food and warm summer air, tinged with sweat.When would she next be able to appreciate a London summer?
She paid the driver and stepped out of the car, feeling lost and yearning for…something.The feeling of purpose, she decided, as she stared at the couples strolling down the pavements.Young men in their army uniforms, their wives or sweethearts at their sides.Across the country, it seemed the olive uniforms popped up more and more each day.
She didn’t want to belong to the war—a garish thought.But to the mission of serving others, of putting her own life to the side.
The stone balustrade was cool to her touch as she ascended the steps to her aunt’s house.Violet had come out with her father and his valet a few days earlier—hopefully she would have packed Ginger’s things.Now that she was going, Ginger didn’t want to delay any longer than necessary.
Giles opened the door for her, and she thanked him, hurrying through to the foyer as she slipped off her gloves.
“My lady, Lord Stephen Fisher is here to see you.He’s in the library with your brother now,” Giles informed her.
Ginger halted mid-step and caught her balance on a console table.Embarrassed by her lack of grace, she stiffened and gave Giles a sheepish smile.“Ah, well, in that case—lead the way.”
Had her father said something to him?His appearance here so early seemed more than well-timed.What if her father had told him she meant to refuse him?
She hadn’t prepared herself mentally to see Stephen this morning.Her argument with her father from the night before wasn’t sufficiently behind her to not feel her resentment toward Stephen unfurl in the flare of her nostrils and snake its way up her gut.She wasn’t in the mood to entertain him.Or pretend she had any desire to consider seriously marrying him.No matter how much he’d helped with the Martins.
Her anger subsided when she saw Henry first.He and Stephen were in the middle of an animated conversation.Henry’s infectious laughter filled the space.She had to be reasonable.Careful.If not for herself, then for the sake of Henry’s relationship with Stephen—and Angelica.
The two men composed themselves when they saw her.Stephen flashed her a dazzling smile.“Ginny, darling.How lovely you look this morning.”
His term of endearment made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.Not today.Today she couldn’t take it.
Ginger smoothed her hands on her walking skirt.She had dressed for travel, not for company.Still, Stephen had always been quick to compliment her.“I’m surprised to see you here.”Ginger approached them and folded her hands.“It’s so early.”
Henry and Stephen exchanged a look.“Shall I tell her?”Stephen smiled more broadly this time and came forward, taking her hands.“I’ve just had news from David Peterson—first thing this morning.He’s arranged the naturalization for John Martin, and it looks as though we may stop the repatriation of Friedrich Martin for now.He’s being kept in internment, but not sent to Germany.”
