‘While I’ve been blind – blind -‘ said Sylvia bitterly. ‘Both of you saw what I never even suspected. I only wondered why Henry had changed so to all of us. It made me very unhappy, but I never suspected the reason.’ She paused, then went on again with a slight change of tone.
‘As soon as Dr Nicholson had told me the truth, I went straight to Henry. I’ve only just left him now.’ She paused, swallowing a sob.
‘Roger – it’s going to be all right. He’s agreed. He will go to the Grange and put himself in Dr Nicholson’s hands tomorrow.’ ‘Oh! no -‘ The exclamation came from Roger and Frankie simultaneously. Sylvia looked at them – astonished.
Roger spoke awkwardly.
‘Do you know, Sylvia, I’ve been thinking it over, and I don’t believe the Grange would be a good plan, after all.’ ‘You think he can fight it by himself?’ asked Sylvia doubtfully.
‘No, I don’t. But there are other places – places not sowell, not so near at hand. I’m convinced that staying in this district would be a mistake.’ ‘I’m sure of it,’ said Frankie, coming to his rescue.
‘Oh! I don’t agree,’ said Sylvia. ‘I couldn’t bear him to go away somewhere. And Dr Nicholson has been so kind and understanding. I shall feel happy about Henry being under his charge.’ ‘I thought you didn’t like-Nicholson, Sylvia,’ said Roger.
‘I’ve changed my mind.’ She spoke simply. ‘Nobody could have been nicer or kinder than he was this afternoon. My silly prejudice against him has quite vanished.’ There was a moment’s silence. The position was awkward.
Neither Roger nor Sylvia knew quite what to say next.
‘Poor Henry,’ said Sylvia. ‘He broke down. He was terribly upset at my knowing. He agreed that he must fight this awful craving for my sake and Tommy’s, but he said I hadn’t a conception of what it meant. I suppose I haven’t, though Dr Nicholson explained very fully. It becomes a kind of obsession – people aren’t responsible for their actions – so he said. Oh, Roger, it seems so awful. But Dr Nicholson was really kind. I trust him.’ ‘All the same, I think it would be better -‘ began Roger.
Sylvia turned on him.
‘I don’t understand you, Roger. Why have you changed your mind? Half an hour ago you were all for Henry’s going to the Grange.’ ‘Well – I’ve – I’ve had time to think the matter over since ‘ Again Sylvia interrupted.
‘Anyway, I’ve made up my mind. Henry shall go to the Grange and nowhere else.’ They confronted her in silence, then Roger said: ‘Do you know, I think I will ring up Nicholson. He will be home now. I’d like – just to have a talk with him about matters.’ Without waiting for her reply he turned away and went rapidly into the house. The two women stood looking after him.
‘I cannot understand Roger,’ said Sylvia impatiently. ‘About a quarter of an hour ago he was positively urging me to arrange for Henry to go to the Grange.’ Her tone held a distinct note of anger.
‘All the same,’ said Frankie, ‘I agree with him. I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that people ought always to go for a cure somewhere far away from their homes.’ ‘I think that’s just nonsense,’ said Sylvia.
Frankie felt in a dilemma. Sylvia’s unexpected obstinacy was making things difficult, and also she seemed suddenly to have become as violently pro-Nicholson as she formerly had been against him. It was very hard to know what arguments to use.
Frankie considered telling the whole story to Sylvia – but would Sylvia believe it? Even Roger had not been very impressed by the theory of Dr Nicholson’s guilt. Sylvia, with her new-found partisanship where the doctor was concerned, would probably be even less so. She might even go and repeat the whole thing to him. It was certainly difficult.
An aeroplane passed low overhead in the gathering dusk, filling the air with its loud beat of engines. Both Sylvia and Frankie stared up at it, glad of the respite it afforded, since neither of them quite knew what to say next. It gave Frankie time to collect her thoughts, and Sylvia time to recover from her fit of sudden anger.