Chapter Four

The tunnel had collapsed seconds before she would have been free and Katharine was trapped from the waist down to her feet.

She felt waves of sickness pass over her as the pain shot through her body. She willed herself not to faint and tried to concentrate on Jim. He knelt before her, his voice husky with anguish.

‘Oh, Katharine, I should have pulled you clear, if only – oh my God, what a mess.’

‘Jim – Jim,’ she gasped, full realisation hitting her. ‘The package – where is it?’

‘You dropped it on the floor.’ He bent to pick it up.

‘It’s here. It’s all right – not broken.’

‘Tom …’ she started to say, but Jim interrupted her.

‘I’m getting you out first.’

‘Jim – you must – give it to Tom.’

‘But, Katharine …’

‘Please, Jim. I’ll tell you what to do.’

Dimly, she saw Tom struggle to sit up on the far side of the cave.

‘Jim – Jim, what’s happening,’ he called, his voice muffled and tremulous. She knew instinctively that he was racked with pain and fever, barely conscious of the happenings around him. He must receive the medication immediately.

‘It’s Katharine, she’s trapped by a fall, just as she got back,’ Jim replied.

‘My God – is she – all right?’

‘Fine, Tom, just fine,’ Katharine tried to call brightly. ‘Jim,’ she added urgently, ‘get that injection into him, will you?’

‘What injection?’ Tom asked, as Jim moved reluctantly across the cave towards him.

‘It’s the drug I went for, Tom. It’ll kill the pain for you.’

‘No – I don’t want to now, Katharine. You must have it, it’ll help you.’

‘Don’t–’ she paused and gasped as fresh pain surged through her body, threatening to engulf her. ‘Don’t be silly, Tom. It’s nothing that can help me. Now be a good chap and take it, or else it’ll all have been in vain.’

Jim came back and knelt beside her and took her hand in his.

‘Let me try to get you out, please?’

‘No,’ she said far more firmly than she felt, for the panic at being trapped welled up in her and she had to bite her lips not only to stop herself from crying out in pain but to prevent herself from begging Jim to get her free as quickly as possible.

Reluctantly, Jim turned away and knelt beside Tom. In calm tones Katharine explained to him how to give Tom the much-needed injection. She watched with admiration in the dim light as Jim’s hands, with unexpected gentleness and deftness, administered the morphia. He was a man of character, she mused, forgetting for a moment her own pain.

Her task of instruction completed, she shut her eyes and allowed herself a soft moan. Unfortunately, Jim, returning to her, heard her and immediately began to reproach himself for obeying her instead of trying to free her first.

‘I should not be wasting time. Katharine, I should …’

‘Nonsense,’ she said opening her eyes again and willing herself to keep her groaning in check.

Jim began methodically to dig away the rock around her with his bare hands. Though he worked quietly and calmly, Katharine knew he held himself in check with great effort. She felt, without him saying the actual words, that his natural reaction was to tear frantically at the rocks to free her. She warmed to him for this feeling for her. But his common sense told him, she knew, that by so doing he would probably only make matters worse.

The pain in her back grew worse. The whole of her spine seemed to be on fire, and beads of sweat broke out on her forehead. She tried to concentrate on Tom’s condition. She asked Jim to take his pulse, to feel his head and report to her on his general colour. Tom himself was sleeping now and Katharine felt this to be the best thing. Her journey had not been in vain for without the injection he would have been conscious and in terrible pain. She only wished that she herself were unconscious too, instead of suffering as she was now.

Patiently Jim worked to free her whilst she concentrated on biting back the groans which rose naturally to her lips. His anxious eyes told her that he was not ignorant of her suffering. He worked until his breath came in painful gasps, until at last he had, even with his great strength, to take a moment’s rest, leaning heavily against the rough rock.

At last he was able to give her some hope.

‘Katharine, there’s a huge piece of rock resting on your back. The only way I can get you out is to hold this up, whilst you struggle free.’

‘I – don’t know whether I can move, Jim,’ Katharine said in all truthfulness.

He took her hand in his.

‘Try, Katharine, just try. I can’t hold t’rock and you as well.’

She nodded.

‘I’ll try.’

Jim braced himself and eased the rock from resting on her, his strong fingers torn by the jagged edges, his muscles straining to their utmost.

‘Right,’ he gasped.

Katharine tried to pull herself forward with her hands. Her legs were numb, there was no feeling from her waist downwards at all.

‘Go – on,’ Jim commanded.

Katharine grappled with the floor of the cave, her fingers feebly clutching for something on which to pull herself forward. Inch by inch her arms pulled the leaden weight of her useless body forward. With agonising slowness, Katharine moved forward whilst all the time Jim stood, like Hercules, above her holding up, Katharine thought, a ton of rock.

At last, she was clear and thankfully Jim eased the rock back into place carefully so that more rock above would not be displaced too quickly to come crashing down to engulf all three of them. He turned to Katharine and knelt by her side. He was breathing heavily, but there was a triumphant look in his eyes. At the sight of her face, Katharine saw the look die and anxiety return.

‘My dear girl – is it – very bad?’

His kindness threatened to overwhelm her and she felt dangerously near to tears. She must not let him see her weep, see her weakness now. She merely nodded and bit her lip.

‘There’s nothing you can do,’ she said anticipating his next words. ‘It’s maybe – not as bad as it feels.’

‘I pray to God not,’ Jim said in his deep tones.

‘Please, have a look at Tom now.’

Jim moved across the cave.

‘He’s still asleep. Looks a much better colour, and,’ he said, putting his hand on his brother-in-law’s forehead, ‘ he’s not so hot.’

Katharine closed her eyes, thankful that at least all her efforts, and her own injury, had not been in vain. It sounded, from Jim’s heartening report, as if Tom was going to be all right.

How long she slept, she had no idea, but Katharine woke to the blackness of the cave and a stabbing pain in her back. Fear threatened to overwhelm her, but then she remembered Jim was with her.

She tried to sit up, but found it impossible.

Her movement must have aroused Jim, for immediately the light illuminated the cave and his anxious face was bending over her. ‘Katharine, are you all right?’

‘I think so, but I can’t move.’

‘What?’ His question was a whisper, full of fear.

‘I can’t feel my legs and I can’t sit up.’

‘My God,’ his voice was hoarse.

Immediately, Katharine realised his anguish, which, for some reason she could not now understand, far exceeded her own.

‘It’ll be all right, it’s just – temporary, I should think,’ she added, willing it to be so.

Jim did not answer, but in the dim light she could read the disbelief on his face.

He feared the worst, she could see, and blamed himself.

‘Listen,’ Katharine said suddenly.

Distantly, they heard the tap-tap sound of the rescuers.

‘They must be getting very near now,’ she said. ‘How long is it, how long was I asleep?’

‘About twelve hours.’

‘Twelve hours! I slept all that time? How’s Tom? You should have woken me.’

She twisted her head trying to see Tom.

‘Lie still. Tom’s all right. He roused round once, said he felt a lot better and dropped off again.’

‘You should have woken me,’ she repeated.

‘You needed the rest.’

Now she saw for the first time the dark shadows beneath his eyes. This was a terrible ordeal for Jim Kendrick. It was his quarry. His own brother-in-law was badly hurt and now he had her injury on his conscience as well.

‘Jim,’ she said hesitantly. ‘Jim, I want you to know that what has happened is in no way your fault. You’re not to blame yourself. I came of my own free will to attend an injured man. What has happened to me I brought about myself.’

‘Luke should have stopped you.’

‘He couldn’t – apart from forcibly holding me. And you couldn’t expect him to do that.’

‘You would not have come if I had been up there.’

Even through the pain, Katharine could smile.

‘The conceit of the man! You’d have, had a fine fight on your hands, I can tell you, Jim Kendrick.’

The sounds of their rescuers grew louder. Soon they heard Luke shouting.

‘Jim, you there Jim?’

‘Ay, Luke. You’re not so far off now, lad, but go easy or you’ll have the lot down on top of us.’

‘We’ll mind it.’

There was silence in the cave as they listened to the sounds of the workmen. The chipping of the rock followed by the scraping of shovels as they carefully cleared away each portion. What an endless task it was for them, Katharine thought. How tired they all must be. Now that help was near, she forgot some of her pain in listening to the progress they made. A light shone into the cave from the rescuers’ lamps.

‘What are they doing, Jim? How have they reached us?’

‘I imagine they’ve had to dig it all away up as far as that big stone, then perhaps they’ve just made this last piece of tunnel larger, probably shoring it up as they go along.’

Pieces of rock began to fall into the cave and Jim leant over Katharine protectively.

At that moment Luke crawled through the narrow hole and stood up in the cave. He looked around and took in the situation at a glance, Katharine knew. She also guessed what was in Jim’s mind. So forestalling him she said,

‘Please take Tom out first. He needs medical attention urgently.’

‘No, Katharine …’

‘Please do as I ask?’ she said firmly.

She heard Jim sigh.

‘Katharine, you will be taken out first, whether you like it or not.’

There was no more she could do. Jim’s word was law and whilst she was helpless she had to obey him. Gently Jim picked her up in his arms. Luke scratched his head thoughtfully.

‘I don’t quite know how we’re to get her out, master Jim. We’ve only made a narrow tunnel this end. Didn’t like to waste no more time making it larger, besides the risk o’ further falls.’

‘Have you any blankets?’ Jim asked.

‘Yes the women have brought dozens up.’

‘Good, get about three, we’ll make a sort of sling.’

Luke turned back into the tunnel. In the few moments he was gone, Jim made no move to put Katharine down again. He stood there with her in his arms, looking down at her.

‘You’re as light as a feather, lass.’

Katharine noticed his lapse into the Yorkshire dialect – unusual in Jim. She brushed a wisp of hair from her eyes.

‘I must look ghastly,’ she said knowing she looked white and drawn after all the pain, which even now stabbed constantly in her spine.

‘Tha’s–’ he paused the compliment coming awkwardly, ‘beautiful.’

The word was a whisper so that she hardly heard it and later was to wonder if she ever had.

Jim and Luke wrapped her in the blankets using the third as a hammock-type of stretcher. Carefully they entered the tunnel, now considerably shorter than when Katharine had crawled through it on her own. Luke took one end of the blanket and Jim the other. The tunnel was much larger now, but even so, it meant that the two men, especially Jim with his giant proportions, had to crawl on their hands and knees and in some places, where they had been unable to enlarge it much, Luke was forced to wriggle out backwards and Jim forwards, both on their stomachs. Katharine, although wrapped in the blankets, was bumped and bruised however carefully the two men tried to move her. It was an impossible task to do otherwise.

As they emerged the villagers clustered round, their chatter in a lighter, happier tone now that they knew their men would soon be safe.

Anthony was to the forefront, and was soon stooping over Katharine.

‘My dear Kate, what have they done to you?’ His voice was hoarse with emotion and Katharine felt the surprise of the villagers as their chatter died away, their eyes directed towards the two doctors and also Jim who knelt on the other side of Katharine.

‘The tunnel fell on her just as she got back to us …’

Anthony’s face reddened.

‘And could you do nothing?’ he said between his teeth, his blue eyes, usually so jovial, flashing in anger.

‘Jim did everything possible, more, if truth be known, than could be expected,’ Katharine said weakly.

‘I’m sorry, Kate,’ said Anthony swiftly, ‘arguing here when we should be getting you home – but,’ he turned back to Jim. ‘I’m not through with this yet.’

Jim turned away, but not before Katharine had seen the hurt in his eyes. After all, he looked upon Anthony as his closest friend. Jim Kendrick already blamed himself, not only for the hurt suffered by Tom, but also for Katharine’s injury.

Jim and Luke disappeared down the tunnel again, and Anthony gave orders for Katharine to be carried to his house. He must wait for Tom to be brought out, he explained to her, but he would return home as quickly as possible. Anthony had already arranged, it seemed, for Tom to be taken to the cottage hospital in the town some ten miles over the moors. It would be a painful journey and a cold one for it was now early morning.

As the village menfolk carried her up the steep ladders of the quarry and down the track towards the village, Katharine could not help but admire their devotion and single-mindedness for their small community. All the men, she was sure, and a good many of the women-folk as could be spared away from young children, had spent the night either in the quarry itself or making frequent trips between the village and the quarry carrying blankets and warm drinks to the workers and watchers.

Soon she was back at the house and laid carefully on the bed. With great difficulty and no little pain, she undressed and rolled beneath the covers. Mrs. Rigby, unbending from her aloof manner, helped her.

‘’Ave they got Tom out, then?’ she asked.

Katharine nodded.

‘Yes, but his leg’s badly injured.’

‘Will ’ee lose it?’

Katharine marvelled that in her impatience for news of Tom Gifford, Mrs. Rigby forgot herself sufficiently to ask Katharine’s opinion.

‘I hope not,’ she answered soberly. ‘But the delay in proper attention will not have helped, I fear.’

Mrs. Rigby sniffed.

‘I s’pect there wasn’t much you could do when you got down there, miss.’

‘I did my best,’ replied Katharine, and closed her eyes. She was too exhausted to be angry or hurt.

Mrs. Rigby left the room and Katharine fell into a restless sleep disturbed by racking pain and fear that the injury to her back might be exceedingly serious. Before, she had not had time to dwell on the fact. Her attention had been on Tom, her patient. But now, with Tom safely in other hands, the possible magnitude of her own injury began to assert itself. As she drifted again towards sleep, her last thoughts were of Jim. The strong, masterful Mr. Kendrick, but for whom she would most likely still be pinned down beneath that awful rock. She smiled in spite of the pain as she thought of his last command, when he had overruled her and brought her out first. Master of all he surveyed, undoubtedly …

When Katharine awoke, the sun was high in the sky. As consciousness returned, so did the pain. Anthony rose awkwardly from a chair near the window and hopped towards the bed.

‘Now, Kate old girl, we’d better have a look at that back. Do you want Mrs. Rigby in whilst I examine you?’

‘Of course not, Anthony.’

After a thorough examination, Anthony said:

‘There doesn’t seem to be any serious damage done, no broken bones. The pain you’re getting is probably bad bruising and temporary muscle dislocation.’

Katharine sighed with relief.

‘The pain feels better already now you’ve told me that.’

‘You’ll have to rest for a few days …’

‘What about Tom?’ Katharine interrupted.

‘Everything’s fine there. He’ll be laid up a long, long time, but with a bit of luck, he won’t lose his leg. Thanks to you, I might add.’

She smiled sheepishly.
‘It’s no more than anyone would have done.’
‘It’s a great deal more than a lot of folk would have done, Kate

my dear, and now, believe it or not, the villagers realise it too.’
‘They do?’ Katharine could not keep the surprise from her voice.
‘They want you to stay, Kate,’ Anthony said softly.
Katharine twisted her head away and frowned.
‘Anthony, please, you know I have vowed to dedicate my life to medicine.’

She heard him sigh but he did not speak and it was not until she heard the door close softly that she realised he had left the room, had given up the fight and was letting her have her way.
Dear Anthony, she thought, he was a good friend and she was fond of him as such, but she could never love him with the passion she anticipated one should feel for a man with whom one wanted to spend life. The man she would give her heart to, she mused, would be of a much stronger, sterner character than Anthony. A giant of a man, who would quell even her rebellious spirit.

And unbidden, the face of Jim Kendrick flashed into her mind.
Katharine slept.

After three days in bed, Katharine was anxious to be up and moving about.

‘Please let me get up, Anthony?’

‘I think you should stay where you are another day or so, Kate.’

‘The pain’s much easier, really. I feel the exercise would be the best thing now.’

Anthony grinned.

‘All right, Dr. Harvey. Have your own stubborn way.’

But he succeeded in extracting a promise from her that the drawing-room chaise-longue was to be the extent of her travels and there she would remain until returning to bed.

‘We look a pretty pair of physicians, I must say,’ Katharine remarked as she settled herself comfortably on the sofa and looked across at Anthony now sprawled again in his leather armchair, his injured ankle resting on a footstool. He was dressed, as ever, in comfortable country clothes. His blue eyes twinkled back at her merrily through the curling blue pipe smoke. He certainly did not appear to be suffering the pangs of unrequited love on account of her refusal to marry him.

‘Much faith we shall inspire in our patients, eh?’

At that moment Mrs. Rigby entered.

‘Mr. Kendrick is here, sir.’

‘Ah,’ said Anthony with expression. Katharine noticed immediately that his face lost some of its expression of jollity and solemnity shadowed his eyes.

For a moment she could not understand, but then with sudden clarity, she knew.

Anthony and Jim had presumably not met again since their encounter in the quarry and Anthony still held Jim responsible for the accident involving Katharine.

‘Anthony …’ she began, but at that moment Jim came into the room and further conversation between herself and Anthony was impossible. Instead Katharine smiled brightly at Jim, whose eyes had immediately sought her on entry. Katharine prayed silently that Anthony would follow her lead, but it was not to be, for before Jim or Katharine could speak, Anthony said,

‘Ah, Jim. Come to see the damage you’ve caused …’

‘Anthony,’ cried Katharine, ‘ that’s unjust and you know it.’

‘Let Jim defend himself. He’s never needed to shelter behind a woman’s skirts and not likely to start now. Well, Jim?’

The two men faced each other angrily.

Then suddenly the anger died on Jim’s face, his shoulders slumped and he sat down heavily on a nearby chair.

‘You’re right, of course, I must take full responsibility.’

Katharine could almost have laughed, if the moment had not been so serious, at the incredulity on Anthony’s face.

‘You do? Well – er – I’m glad to hear it. What do you propose to do about it?’

Jim spread his hands helplessly.

‘What can I do? You tell me and I’ll do it.’

‘Er – well – um,’ Anthony rubbed his chin. Then Katharine allowed herself to laugh, relieving much of the tension.

‘Come on, you two. Acting like a pair of schoolboys. There’s nothing to be done.’

But the worried frown on Jim’s face would not be laughed away.

‘You must have the best medical attention, of course, and anything I can do to compensate …’

‘Say no more about it, I shall be as fit as ever in a day or so,’ she replied, with far more conviction than she felt.

Anthony sighed and then grinned sheepishly.

‘Well, I suppose if Kate is prepared to acquit you of all blame, I must do the same.’

‘I shall never forgive myself, though,’ Jim said softly, his sober eyes on Katharine’s face. Katharine laughed, though not unkindly.

‘Nonsense, in a few months when I’m back in London, you will have forgotten all about me.’

A startled look crossed Jim’s face and he looked first from Katharine to Anthony and then back to her face.

‘You’re leaving? But I thought – the villagers thought …’

‘Thought what?’ Katharine asked.

Jim shook his head.

‘It doesn’t matter. I thought you’d be staying. Now, especially.’

‘I don’t understand,’ she said.

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Jim repeated, so Katharine changed the subject.

The three of them talked for some time about the village life, about the country’s situation in general and the increasing popularity of the motor car.

‘I think I shall have one eventually, perhaps when they’ve improved upon the design a little,’ Jim said.

‘It would be a remarkably useful object for a doctor,’ mused Anthony. ‘But I’m sure the price in my case would be prohibitive.’

‘I see you agree with progress then, Jim – mechanically, that is,’ Katharine added with meaning.

He had the grace to laugh.

‘You insinuate that there are matters in which I do not like progression?’

‘Women doctors, for example,’ she said mischievously.

‘I’m rapidly changing my mind on that point,’ he said quietly, his eyes smiling in a way she had not seen before on the usually solemn face of Jim Kendrick.

‘Jim was the first in the district to install the steam crane at the quarry, Kate.’ Anthony said.

‘But didn’t the villagers object? I always thought that the country folk hated change of any sort and mistrusted these new inventions.’

‘They do – to a certain extent. But I was lucky in first having established a good relationship with my men, and discussing it fully with them beforehand. They felt that they had been consulted, you see, that their opinion mattered.’

‘Come off it, Jim, they eat out of your hand. If you told them they could fly like birds if they jumped off the top of the quarry, they’d do it,’ Anthony laughed.

Jim laughed too.

‘Not quite as bad as that, I hope. I’ve no desire to become a dictator.’

Jim called several times during the course of the next few weeks and an easy relationship developed between Katharine and Jim. Anthony, Katharine thought, looked upon their friendship with growing concern. Whilst he did not entertain the idea of Katharine involving herself with Jim, he obviously felt that Jim was rapidly becoming fonder of Katharine than was wise.

‘Don’t string him along, Kate.’

‘Anthony, really! You make me sound a regular Jezebel.’

He smiled wryly.

‘You underestimate your own feminine powers, my dear, so intent are you in competing in a man’s world.’

She was silent for she could think of no retort.

It seemed the whole village were following Jim’s lead, and were trying to make amends for their previous behaviour. Mary visited her carrying a huge bouquet of flowers from the villagers. Katharine was undoubtedly their heroine now.

‘We’ll never forget what tha’s done for us,’ Mary said shyly.

‘Oh Mary, it was no more than anyone would have done had they been able.’

‘We think it is, doctor.’ Mary’s soft voice, so gentle and shy, held a note of firmness. But Katharine wished that it had not taken a tragedy to win over the people of Brackenbeck. She had far rather they accepted her for her own self and not just because she had shown bravery. However, she was thankful that their opinion of her had changed, whatever the instrument of change had been.

A few mornings later, Anthony, his ankle now much improved allowing him to take up his duties once more, came into the dining-room at breakfast time, holding a long, thin envelope in his hand.

‘This has arrived for you, Kate, from London.’

With trembling fingers she opened it and read with excitement that she had been accepted as a doctor attached to the children’s wing of St. Bernadette’s hospital in London. It was the appointment for which she had longed.

Day by day she grew stronger and her back ceased to pain her so much.

The day before she was due to leave Brackenbeck, she walked down to the village to say goodbye to the Giffords, to the other villagers and to Jim Kendrick.

Her welcome at the Gifford household was exuberant. Tom, home now from the hospital, was the centre of the household. From his bed in the small living-room, he ran the life of the home. Young Tommy romped by, on and under his father’s bed, whilst Mary looked on with her adoring, gentle eyes.

‘Tha’s not leaving us, now, lass, surely?’ said Tom.

‘There’s no reason for me to stay here, Tom. And I’ve obtained the appointment in London, which I wanted.’

She saw Tom glance at Mary, saw the latter shake her head slightly, and was puzzled. Tom cleared his throat.

‘Jim wants to see you. Tha’s not going without seeing him?’

‘Of course not,’ she smiled. ‘ When will he be home from the quarry?’

‘He’s home now.’ ‘In the middle of the afternoon?’ ‘He didna want to miss seeing thee. We thought thee might call

today.’
Tom did not look at her so she could not see if he were telling her the truth. Cold fear washed over her. Was Jim ill, injured in

the accident worse than she knew?
She rose from her chair hardly noticing the twinge of pain in her spine.

‘I’ll go now. Goodbye, Tom, Mary and little Tommy. I’ll see you again some time, I’m sure.’

Tom nodded.
‘Ay, we hope so.’
His grasp was warm and strong. ‘Maybe sooner than you think,’ he murmured.

Katharine smiled and left. Next door the smoke curled from the single chimney. Katharine knocked on the brown painted door. Jim opened it, his shoulders bent slightly to adjust to the height of the doorway.

He smiled and for a fleeting moment the frown left his face.
‘I’ve come to say goodbye, Jim,’ Katharine said.
The frown returned swiftly.
‘Katharine, will you walk with me up the dale? Are you strong enough?’

‘Why, I’d love to, Jim. I’ve seen all too little of the countryside during my stay.’

The air was clear and sharp as they left the village far behind and climbed slowly up the slopes of the dale. Higher and higher until the village was far below them, looking as it had on Katharine’s first sight of it. They hardly spoke as they climbed, except when Jim pointed out some difficult piece of ground, giving her his hand in support. Most of the time he was silent, his eyes on the ground, as if lost in his own thoughts.

So his sudden question startled Katharine.
‘Are you going to marry Anthony?’
She stopped in surprise, and looked up at him. His deep brown

eyes looked down at her as he towered above her.

‘Whatever makes you ask that?’

‘The villagers said from the start that you must be going to be married, with you staying there …’

‘I’m sorry if it offends your idea of propriety,’ she laughed.

‘It’s not that,’ he looked hurt and was silent.

‘No, I’m not going to marry Anthony. I’m going back to London. I have obtained a post in the children’s wing of a big hospital. It’s what I’ve always wanted.’

‘For how long?’

‘How do you mean?’

‘How long will you stay there?’

Katharine shrugged.

‘As long as they want me, I suppose.’

‘But you can’t go for good, I mean, you must come back.’

‘Here?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why?’

‘Because – Katharine …’ he stopped again and turned to face her, taking her slim shoulders in his hands.

‘Because I love you, Katharine, I want you to marry me.’

For a long time, it seemed, they stood staring at each other, Katharine in bewilderment, Jim, anxious, now hiding none of the deep emotion he felt. She saw plainly in his face the extent of his feeling for her. This was no idle fancy, this was no gratitude mistaken for love, following the accident.

‘But why?’ she whispered. ‘I thought – I thought you disliked women.’

His grip tightened, drawing her towards him.

‘No, Katharine, I just did not want to fall in love. I didn’t believe in it. But now, I can’t help myself. Me,’ his tone was incredulous, ‘helplessly in love with a slip of a girl.’

He drew her to him and bent his head to kiss her. There, high on the hillside, with only the sky and the birds as witness, he declared his love. And as he kissed her, Katharine felt herself respond.

Suddenly she broke away as passion threatened to overwhelm her.

‘No – no, Jim. It’s no use.’

She turned away and began to run down the hill.

‘Katharine, Katharine,’ his voice bounced over the breeze.

Tears blinded her as she rushed on heedlessly. She tripped and stretched out her hands helplessly. But his strong arms caught and held her, and she clung to him. But her words belied her action.

‘I can’t marry you, Jim, I can’t.’

‘My darling Katharine, why not?’

‘Please try to understand. I’ve dedicated my life to medicine. I’ve vowed. They’ve given me years of training. They extracted my promise that I would never waste it.’

As he threatened to protest, she laid her fingers gently against his lips.

‘Don’t you see? I cannot allow myself to fall in love. I cannot love you Jim, I am not free.’

‘Katharine, you cannot mean it, you cannot be so blind, so stubborn. No one can hold you to such a promise.’

Katharine shook her head slowly.

‘You wouldn’t be asking this of a married woman, Jim. You wouldn’t ask this of a nun, who is married to the Church. Then can’t you understand that I am married to medicine?’

Anger darkened Jim’s face.

‘You cannot be serious, Katharine?’

Katharine sighed.

‘I am. Maybe in twenty or thirty years’ time a woman will have the right to have a career and marriage as well. But through man’s blindness and stubbornness, a woman is supposed to sit at home all day and let life pass her by.’

‘Her life should be her husband and children.’

‘For some, perhaps. But why should not those with the ability contribute something to this world? It’s not so perfect, run by men, that it couldn’t do with improvement.’

Jim was silent. His grip on her shoulders relaxed and his arms fell loosely to his sides. He turned away. Katharine caught at his arm.

‘You do understand, Jim?’ He shook his head and said slowly, ‘I understand only that you don’t care for me.’ ‘I’m not in a position to allow myself to care – for anyone. If I

did – then – then it would be for you,’ she added softly.
He turned back swiftly.
‘Then let yourself care, Katharine, dearest.’
Tears blinded her again at the ardour in his voice. Her heart cried out against the rejection of the love he offered.

‘Do you want to spend your life alone?’ Jim said softly.
Katharine’s chin hardened.
‘It was my choice. It was no good sitting around waiting for a man who might never come. I did not think I would ever fall in love – or – or be loved.’
Despite the gravity of their conversation, Katharine saw a small smile play at the corners of his mouth.

‘You are the most lovable creature I ever knew.’
He made to pull her to him again, but Katharine resisted, afraid that she would give way beneath the power of this man.

‘Katharine, Katharine,’ Jim’s voice was hoarse. ‘Have I to beg

you?’
Katharine shook her head.
‘My answer’s no, Jim. It must be, and will be.’
They returned from the hillside in silence. They reached the village and Jim escorted her to Anthony’s house.

He turned to face her at the gateway.
‘Then that is your final answer?’
She nodded, afraid to speak.
‘Very well,’ he said, his voice flat and emotionless now.
Jim Kendrick turned and walked away and Katharine watched him out of sight. But he did not look back.

The next morning, she left Brackenbeck early. Anthony wanted to take her over the hill to the station, but she told him she preferred to go alone. For some reason, she wished to leave the valley as she had arrived. On foot and alone.

She was passing through the village as the quarrymen were leaving for work. Their good wishes echoed in her ears. Their exhortations to ‘come back soon, doctor’ were proof of her final conquest over their initial antagonism. But still her heart was heavy and her feet taking her away from the village were like lead.

Jim emerged from his cottage, and stopped when he saw her only a few yards from him. They looked at each other. Katharine went to him.

‘Jim I’m sorry. Please try to understand and forgive me?’

At first he did not answer. She could not read the expression on his face. The frowning mask she had seen on her arrival in Brackenbeck was back, his eyes unreadable depths.

Where was the love that only yesterday had shone from his face?

He shook his head slowly.

‘I cannot,’ he said.

Slowly, she turned and walked down the cobbled street away from him. She climbed the long hill out of the village. But before she lost sight of Jim’s cottage, she turned round. He was still standing just as she had left him, watching her out of sight.

She lifted her hand in farewell, but there was no answering wave from him. He could not forgive her.

Katharine left Brackenbeck and Jim Kendrick with bitterness in his heart.