People don’t die of even a bad pain.” Immediately Leonie was the calm, competent, infinitely comforting nurse, and Claire her patient. Personal embarrassment between them no longer existed.“Come, let me help you back to bed”—Leonie’s arm was round the other girl, strong and reassuring—”and I’ll get Mr. Pembridge to come and see you.” “Oh, yes—please do.” Neither of them suggested Kingsley Stour for the emergency. “I wanted to tell you about this pain before, Leonie. But somehow—” “I know, darling.” Remorse smote Leonie, even though the estrangement between them was certainly not all of her making. “It hasn’t been easy to talk together in the last few days, has it? But we’ll change all that now.”As she talked, she had helped Claire back across the sitting-room into her own cabin, and now she put her into bed. She was oddly cold, in spite of the warmth of the night, and Leonie wrapped a travelling rug round her.“I won’t be a moment. I’ll get the stewardess to stay with you while—”“Don’t leave me!”
