‘I wasn’t kissing him,’ Celia argued, her stomach churning in fear. She knew she was twisting Elsie’s words to try and wriggle out of the compromising position.
‘Don’t lie to me. You might not have been kissing his mouth but you were certainly showing blatant acts of affection.’ Elsie glared at her. ‘There is no excuse for what I witnessed. I’m appalled and … yes, I have to admit it, I’m sickened by what you’ve done.’
Celia moved back to distance herself from Elsie’s venom. The woman’s cruel words felt like a slap on her face. ‘How can you be so mean-spirited?’
‘You dare to call me names?’ Elsie’s eyes pierced Celia’s and she almost had to close hers to block out the fury emanating from them. ‘Do you know what will happen to you if people around here discover what’s going on between you and that …’ she pointed in Otto’s direction and lowered her voice, ‘… that man? Do you?’ she asked, almost spitting out her words in disgust. ‘For pity’s sake Celia, have you lost your mind?’
‘I wasn’t kissing him,’ Celia protested again, hoping that if she argued with Elsie about it enough the woman might think she had imagined what she saw and begin to doubt herself.
‘I know what I saw.’
‘Fine. I forgot myself. I was trying to comfort a man in pain and I simply didn’t think.’
Elsie narrowed her eyes, unsure. ‘He did seem surprised, I’ll give you that.’
Celia stared at her hopefully, then seeing Elsie’s expression return to disgust, saw that she wasn’t going to get away with it that easily. ‘You’re looking at me as though you hate me,’ Celia whispered, her voice catching. She didn’t see Elsie as a friend and could even admit to herself that she didn’t really like the woman, but no one had ever shown such distaste for her before. ‘I’ve done nothing wrong,’ she fibbed, hoping Elsie might believe her. ‘Truly I haven’t.’
Elsie took a slow, deep breath, looked over at Otto once more and then back at Celia. ‘If you don’t know that what you’ve been doing is wrong, Celia, then you know nothing. You should be ashamed to wear that uniform. I’m ashamed of you.’ Celia flinched and for a second saw Elsie’s stare soften minutely. ‘I’m sorry,’ Elsie added, ‘but I am. I think it best if I leave now before I say something I might regret.’
At the word ‘regret’ Celia thought back to her unfeeling response to her sister’s admission about her feelings towards one of the patients at the base hospital. At least he was a British soldier, Celia thought guiltily, once again wishing she could take back that letter she had sent Phoebe and rewrite it.
Elsie reached out and, taking Celia’s shoulder, pushed her sideways away from the door so that she could pass.
‘Elsie,’ Celia called, unsure what she was going to say next but hoping to think of something to stop the woman leaving and reporting her. But before Elsie replied Sister appeared in front of her.
‘What are you doing here, Nurse Baker?’ she snapped.
‘I, er, I came to see if Nurse Robertson needed any help,’ Elsie explained. ‘After the siren sounded.’
Had Elsie come to the ward hoping to catch her and Otto together, Celia wondered. She wouldn’t have put it past her.
‘That’s understandable, but now you’ve seen she’s coping perfectly well, I believe your assistance is better used elsewhere.’ Sister Evans moved to the side to let Elsie leave.
Elsie walked away without a glance back and Celia felt her heart drop. She knew instinctively that making an enemy out of Elsie Baker was a dangerous thing to do.