When she woke., Thomas was sitting beside her.
‘Michael?’ she whispered.
‘Sorry, love, he’s with a patient. How do you feel?’
‘I had this strange dream,’ she began, then closed her mouth. It hadn’t been a dream. Her mouth felt full of dry wool. ‘Can I have some water, Thomas?’
‘Certainly, love. A moment, there isn’t any up here. I’ll be right back.’
Of course there wasn’t any water here. That’s why she’d dragged herself downstairs
earlier. And heard them talking, Michael and Del Saxton.
After she’d drunk her fill, Thomas said, ‘You look like one of those skinny little lizardfish, all pale and limp.’
‘Thank you, brother,’ she said.
‘Saint filled in all the things I didn’t know about Wilkes,’Thomas said. ‘There have been a good dozen people in and out of here all morning. I think half the male population of San Francisco is looking for that bloody bastard.’
She looked at him hopefully. ‘Do you think he’s really gone for good?’
‘I don’t know,’ Thomas said thoughtfully. He gently stroked her hair back from her forehead. He tried a crooked grin. ‘How he could want you – a tangled little raggamuffin well, it’s beyond me.’
He wouldn’t want me if I were pregnant. She said, ‘Tell me about the ball. Did you have a good time?’
‘After what happened to you, very little. Del and I kept it under wraps, so not many people know.’
‘I thought you said people were trooping in and out all morning.’
‘I mean friends, not acquaintances.’ ‘Michael has a lot of friends,’Jules said. ‘And so do you, love.’
I)PA
‘Thomas?’ ‘Yes?’ ‘Have you ever made love to a girl?’ ‘Good grief, Jules! … Ah, Saint, you’re
just in time to save me from embarrassing questions!’
‘What embarrassing questions?’ he asked, smiling from Thomas’ rueful expression to his wife’s flushed face.
‘I asked him if he’d ever made love before,” Jules said, thrusting up her chin, ‘to a girl.’ ‘Shall I leave, Thomas, so you can say what
you will to this inquisitive wife of mine?’ ‘No,’ Thomas said hurriedly. ‘Actually, Saint_, I think that knock on her head must have addled her wits.’
‘I think that happened a long time ago,’ Saint said, and sat down on the bed beside her. ‘How is my impertinent patient?’Why, he wondered, had she asked such a question of her brother? He decided that he really didn’t want to know.
Jules managed a shy smile. ‘I’m all right,’ she said. ‘Truly, even though I do look like a tangled raggamuffin.’
‘That sounds suspiciously like a brotherly description.’
‘Sure was,’ Thomas said. ‘Now, Jules, you behave yourself and do as Saint tells you. I’ll leave you to her, Saint. I’m off to see Bunker
,10’7
Stevenson. Of all things, the old buzzard wants to talk to me about my future.’
‘Bunker? What future? He’s not a doctor.’ ‘Lord only knows,’Thomas said, grinning. ‘If I’m not here for dinner, don’t miss me, all right?’ He strode from the room, whistling, his walk cocky.
‘That young man,’ Saint said, ‘is going places.’
‘I think this must have something to do with Penelope. Thomas was marvelously nasty to her last night.’
‘Intrigued the little twit, huh?’
‘Thomas did say that she needed a man to teach her manners. It seems he’s decided he’s just the man to do it.’
Saint laughed. ‘What a pair you two are. Now, Jules, let’s see how that lump is doing.’ She expected an explosion of pain, but
there was only a dull throbbing at his touch. He was very close to her’ his eyes intent
– his doctor’s look, she thought. She felt his warm breath on her cheek. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said.
‘So you should be,’ he murmured, still intent on his examination. ‘But we won’t speak of it again for a while. Not until you’re back in top form.’
‘I’m going to be twenty next month,’ she said.
I)QQ
‘Are you, now? I’d forgotten.’
‘I’m not fourteen anymore, Michael.’
His hand stilled for a moment. He said slowly, ‘No, you’re not. You want to know something else, sweetheart? You’ve got a very colorful jaw.’
She didn’t want to talk about her wretched head or jaw, she wanted to talk about being celibate, but she was so drowsy, her head fuzzy. ‘When I’m in top form,’ she said, her voice slurred, ‘then I’ll do