Phoebe stared at Louis’s crumpled letter in her hand.
Dear Phoebe,
I trust you are keeping well. I have wanted to write to you many times over the past sixteen months but didn’t know what to say. I understand that you might have been embarrassed by what happened but please know that there is no reason to be. There have been many times over the years when Archie and I have been mistaken for one another and so it is hardly surprising that you did the same thing when I surprised you like I did.
I hope that enough time has passed since the last time we met that you will now be able to think of me as your friend. I want you to know that you have my friendship always and hope that you will, if not now then at some point in the future, feel able to turn to me for help should you ever need it. If you do not feel that is possible then I ask you to try and find it in your heart to contact Mrs Dunwoody at this address should you ever need to. She still keeps the house ready for Archie’s return and sorts any post that has been received and I know that she would wish to see you again and maybe speak to you about Archie and answer any questions you might have about him.
I am returning to my unit today after ten days’ leave and I felt compelled to contact you before I go to let you know how much I would value your friendship. To be able to share stories of my brother with you – someone who loved Archie as much as I did – would mean so much to me. You are all that my brother wanted in a wife and I hope that we can move on from any awkwardness and become the friends he would have wished us to be.
Wishing you all good health.
Until we meet again,
Your friend,
Louis
She scanned his words once again. Louis was right, they should be friends. Didn’t she want to know all that there was about her darling fiancé?
Phoebe decided she would give her reply to Louis some thought, but she would write to him. It was unfair of her to let him go back to fight still worried about what had happened between them.
* * *
Phoebe was on her way to the laundry room when she saw Geoffrey Sutherland coming towards her along the boardwalk. He wasn’t smiling.
Geoffrey was staring at her as he neared and Phoebe pushed her hand into her pocket to ensure the letter was well hidden. He glanced down at her hand and Phoebe realised she needed to distract him in case he asked what she was concealing.
Seeing another nurse nearby, Phoebe made a point of addressing him by his professional name. ‘Hello, Doctor Sutherland,’ she said when he stopped in front of her.
‘Nurse Robertson.’ He smiled at the passing nurse before turning his focus back to Phoebe. ‘I was hoping to speak to you,’ he said, lowering his voice.
‘You were?’
‘Yes. Do you mind if we talk for a moment?’
Phoebe nodded, aware that to refuse would seem rude. ‘What about? Is something the matter?’
He took her lightly by the arm and led her away from the walkway to stand by a tree. ‘That’s what’s troubling me.’
He wasn’t making any sense. ‘Sorry?’
He sighed. ‘Phoebe, I’m concerned about you.’
She wished he wasn’t. Now he was going to ask her questions that she wasn’t sure she could answer honestly. ‘You are?’
He frowned. ‘Are you all right?’
‘What do you mean? Of course I am.’
‘Phoebe, I thought you trusted me.’
‘I do, Geoffrey,’ she insisted, aware her cheeks were reddening and revealing her lie.
‘I thought we were friends.’
She looked into his eyes and guilt coursed through her. Geoffrey was her friend. Hadn’t he been there whenever she had needed him? If she couldn’t trust Geoffrey, then who could she trust?
‘Phoebe? Please speak to me. I know you’re suffering and I understand why.’
Do you? she wondered.
‘I can’t ignore that you’ve lost weight, far more than is healthy for anyone, let alone a busy nurse.’ He took her gently by the shoulders. ‘I understand if you can’t speak about Archie. But I feel the time has come when I can’t ignore what’s happening to you and not step in to do something.’
She stared at him, frightened to imagine what he might be about to say. ‘Geoffrey, please. I … I promise I’ll try to do better.’
‘Oh, sweet girl,’ he said, looking distraught. ‘I don’t want promises from you. I want you to leave here and go to stay with Jocasta. You need time away from all these reminders of Archie.’ He stared at her silently for a few seconds. ‘You must see him each time you walk in the ward where he used to be. Don’t you?’
‘I do,’ she admitted, barely able to contain her relief. He didn’t suspect anything. ‘Geoffrey, you are the sweetest man,’ Phoebe said, taking a steadying breath. ‘I don’t know what I would have done without you and Jocasta this past year.’
‘Does that mean you’ll do as I ask? My sister is worried and said that despite her writing and offering for you to go and stay with her in Cornwall, you never have.’
‘I didn’t like to take advantage of her kindness,’ Phoebe admitted. ‘Jocasta has enough to deal with, bringing up Bryony by herself.’
‘Nonsense. She has me supporting her and you are always welcome to stay with her. Surely you know that?’
She thought about what he said and nodded. ‘I suppose I do.’
‘Phoebe, the time has come when you need someone else to take charge.’ His expression softened. ‘Please tell me you’ll at least consider my suggestion?’
Phoebe realised that apart from Archie’s immediate return, all she really wanted was to go home to England and be with her friend Jocasta once more. ‘I’ll do more than that, Geoffrey,’ she said. ‘I thought that coming back here after he went missing would keep me busy and be the best thing for me, but I think you’re right that all I’m doing is tormenting myself, being in the same place where Archie spent those months.’
‘Dear girl.’ The look of sympathy on his face made Phoebe want to cry.
Determined not to, she continued, ‘I’m going to leave here as soon as I possibly can and go to Jocasta.’
He sighed loudly and stunned her by pulling her into his arms and giving her a bear hug. ‘I’m so relieved. So utterly relieved.’
She rested her head against his chest and tried to imagine that the strong arms around her belonged to Archie. Phoebe only managed to fool herself for a few seconds. Geoffrey was not as tall or as broad as Archie. She gently moved away and his arms fell from around her.
‘I have to ask Matron’s permission, though. We’re busier than ever at the moment, so she may decline the request.’
‘I will speak to Matron on your behalf.’
‘Oh, no!’ She tried to quell her panic. ‘I would hate for her to think I put you up to it.’
‘She won’t. I’ll tell her I’ve noticed your weight loss and that I’m concerned that you’re here, around so much illness. She will understand where I’m coming from and won’t dare take it out on you. She’s a good woman, if a little fierce at times.’ He stared at her silently before continuing. ‘In all honesty, I’m sure she’s concerned about you, too. She’ll probably be relieved you wish to go somewhere and recover from everything that’s happened.’
‘Thank you, Geoffrey,’ she said, smiling. ‘I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.’
‘It’s my pleasure,’ he said. ‘I’m very fond of you, Phoebe. You were the first friend I made here and I haven’t forgotten how you put me at my ease.’
‘I did?’ She wasn’t sure how she had done that, but was glad to know that she had helped make his arrival better in some way.
‘Yes. I also haven’t forgotten how you helped Jocasta find her way back to being happier. That, to me, is worth everything.’
‘I’m glad to have had the opportunity.’
He looked down at her pocket. ‘Now, I don’t know what you have in your pocket or why you seemed lost in thought when I bumped into you, but I’ll not keep you a moment longer.’
‘Geoffrey, wait.’
He turned back to her. ‘Yes, Phoebe? What is it?’
‘There’s something I want to share with you.’ He stood silently as she explained what had happened between her and Louis. ‘I thought for a moment he was Archie, but I was mistaken. Then I stupidly ran away because I was so embarrassed and made everything so much worse between us.’
‘But he’s written to you now?’
‘He has. He understands and wants us to be friends.’
She saw Geoffrey’s face relax into a smile. ‘I’m glad.’
‘You are?’
He took her hands in his. ‘Of course I am. You’re a dear, dear friend, Phoebe, and I want you to be happy. I’ve seen how heartbroken you’ve been about Archie.’ He pulled her into another hug. ‘I want you to know that you can always confide in me or come to me for anything.’
‘Thank you, Geoffrey. You’ve been so kind to me.’
‘Don’t. It’s what friends do.’ He kissed the top of her head. ‘I hope you’re going to write to Louis Bailey. I have a feeling he needs you as much as you need him now. Talk to him, tell him about his brother and how happy you were together. Tell him about Archie’s time in the hospital with you. He’ll want to hear everything you’re willing to share with him.’
Geoffrey was right. And for once it felt good to know that she had the power to help someone else. ‘I will write to him. Thank you.’
‘Good.’ He released her from the hug. ‘Now, you run along and carry on with whatever you were doing and I’ll speak to Matron the first chance I get today.’ He smiled. ‘And once I’ve done that I’ll write to my sister. She’s going to be very happy to learn you’ll be returning to Pennwalloe.’
‘That’s very kind of you.’ She leaned forward and kissed his cheek without thinking, horrified when two nurses appeared from one of the nearby buildings and stared at them in surprise.
Phoebe leapt back as if she had been stung.
‘What’s the matter?’ He looked around him and spotting the nurses, sighed. ‘Ignore them. They have enough to be getting on with and won’t think about what they’ve just seen for very long.’
Phoebe doubted he was right. After all, what did he know about how the nurses and VADs gossiped when one of their own became too close to one of the surgeons? ‘I’d better be on my way before anyone else comes along and thinks there’s more between us than there actually is.’
‘Yes, all right. I’ll catch up with you once I’ve spoken to Matron.’ He stared at her thoughtfully. ‘If you decide you wish to return to work and need me to put in a good word for you, either here or elsewhere, please don’t hesitate to ask me.’
‘I won’t,’ she said, grateful for another generous offer from him. ‘Thank you, Geoffrey.’
As Phoebe made her way back to the dorm she thought about her impending return to Cornwall.
It would be strange being back there again, she thought, especially as she and Archie had made such wonderful memories together there. She thought of his proposal and of them buying her engagement ring. Her head swam. She was grateful to Geoffrey for stepping in and insisting she leave the hospital. She was weaker than she had realised and if she didn’t do something to build herself up again, she was in danger of falling ill. Staying in France was no longer an option for her.