Enjoy Reading --Moon Witch -Complete- Pg..17 - Page 6

Then driving as fast as he was able , nearly blinded by the snow , he finished the journey to Malthorpe Hall. J.K. himself was waiting in the hall and stared in horror at Shanaya , shivering with cold and shock , wrapped in Jarron's overcoat .

Behind her Jarron held up his hand ," Look .' he said , before you start , Shanaya needs a hot bath , and a warm bed and you'd better call a doctor just in case .'

" I do not need the doctor ,' she said ." I'm alright ,' but her teeth chattered .

" Come on ,' said Jarron impatiently . " Did you hear what I said J.K.? Oh bring some brandy , too , will you ?' then he swept her off her feet again and made for the stairs .

After that everything got a little blurred , Mary , the upstairs maid , was roused from her bed , and it was she who ran Shanaya's bath and helped her into it . Jarron had deposited her in her room , and left her , and although she saw J.K. several times , and the doctor , she saw no more of Jarron that night .

In the morning , a cold grey winter's morning , she felt much worse , and when Mary brought her some breakfast on a try , Shanaya was breathing hoarsely , and coughing quite a lot . Despite the brandy and medication she had received the night before , she had caught a shill, and when J.K. arrived in answer to Mary's summons , he immediately recalled Doctor .

Shanaya couldn't have cared less who they called . She felt hot and cold in turns , and even the hot water bottles wedged on either side of her did little to ease the iciness of her feet and back . She sneezed and coughed , and took medicines automatically , wishing she could go to sleep and wake up better.

Once she saw Jarron beside the bed , but he didn't speak to her , and later in the day another man arrived , who examined her thoroughly , before putting her in the charge of a white- clad nurse .

Sleeping and waking alternatively, Shanaya was unaware that her condition almost deteriorated into pneumonia , and only the constant care she received , saved her from that . She did not do much talking , and ate nothing even though Hester kept bringing trays of light food in the hope that the nurse could persuade her .

Eventually her temperature subsided , and the fever was broken , and then she began to feel more like herself . On the morning of the fourth day after her chill, she really felt more normal , and the watery sun penetrating her curtains made her feel good to be alive .

Nurse smiled at her cheerfully when she came to see her patient ." You're feeling much better , aren't you , Miss Robins?' she said , nodding ." I must let Mr. Kyle know . He's been very worried about you , you gave us all a nasty turn , you know ."

Shanaya managed a weak smile ," Which Mr. Kyle do you mean ?"

" The older one , of course . He's your guardian , isn't he ?"

Shanaya was about to protest , but then decided it didn't really matter what the nurse thought , and she hadn't the strength to say a lot . She ate a little of the poached egg the nurse brought on a tray and afterwards , when her face had been washed and her hair combed , Doctor appeared with J.K. and he sat down beside her on the bed , taking her hand .

" Oh , Shanaya , you do not know how good it is to see you looking so much better . Nurse tells that you slept peacefully at night and the fever is gone . Do you know you have been verging on pneumonia for four days ? It's been hell , believe me !"

" Has it been so long ?' she looked surprised. " I don't remember a lot , just feeling hot and uncomfortable , and having difficulty with my breathing ," she frowned , " Where - where is Jarron?"

" He returned to London last night ." replied J.K. shortly ." there was to be an emergency meeting of board today . He had to attend ."

" Oh , I thought I hadn't seen much of him." She nodded .

J.K. looked annoyed ." Nor you have !The idiot ! He could have killed you !"

" Killed me ? she echoed ." Oh, no ! It wasn't his fault . I was sitting - practically sitting anyway , on the back bumper when car moved . I just fell in deep water and slush , that was all ."

" Ridiculous ! But that still does not explain why you had to stop in the first place - getting bedded down in the slush like that !"

"J.K. ---- began the doctor warningly , but she shook her head .

" It's alright Doctor , I can explain ."

J.K. ground his teeth together ." What's to explain ? The son of mine will have been fooling around as usual , I suppose !"

" Fooling around ? With me ?"

J.K. clenched his fists ." I could kill him !" he muttered .

" Oh, don't be silly ," said Shanaya tiredly ." He didn't touch me . He stopped to say something to me , that was all . Heavens , as I recall it , we were arguing , as usual ."

J.K. frowned ." Is that the truth ?"

" Of course . Didn't Jarron tell you ?"

" Almost the same story ," nodded J.K. snorting ," I didn't believe him . He stayed here , against my better judgment , to assure himself , that you were going to be okay , but I wouldn't let him near you !"

" Oh, J.K. I told you . Jarron does not see me like that ! shanaya sighed heavily . " I wish you wouldn't jump to conclusions . It was all perfectly innocent !"

J.K. had the grace to look a little ashamed , and Doctor said :" you should go and give him a call . Tell him Shanaya's on the mend properly now , and apologize for being a mean , suspicious old man !' he smiled

J.K. got off the bed , patting Shanaya's hand , " Do you think I should , Shanaya ? "

Shanaya gave him an exasperated look. " Yes, I do . You're always jumping to conclusions where he's concerned !"

" I know , I know . But sometimes I've cause . All right Doctor . I'll leave you with your patient !"

After he had gone Doctor looked down at her smilingly ." Poor old J.K. " he said sympathetically ." You see , he and Jarron are too much alike . They always have been . And I'm afraid J.K. judges Jarron's reactions by what his own might have been at the same age ."

Shanaya allowed him to take her pulse ." I do not think that's an entirely kind remark ." she murmured , with some amusement .

Doctor laughed ." You know ,' he said , " Nor do I . However , do you know something ? It was Jarron who called the specialist from London against his father's better judgment . J.K. did not at first think that wa going to be necessary . But afterwards , he realized that Jarron has been right all along . After all , I'm just country G.P. "

" I see."

" Naturally , he knew the best drugs to use and was able to get them . That's why your recovery has been so swift ."

Shanaya considered this . It was typical of Jarron to want the best treatment available . He was impatient with incompetence . Even so, it was just another example of the way he arrogantly got what he wanted .

Within two weeks Shanaya was completely recovered , although her cheeks were not so round and there was no color in them . The weather persisted in remaining cold and damp , and when it was not snowing , a thick mist shrouded the moors behind them , sweeping down on to the house constantly . J.K. got quite worried about her , particularly she seemed without vitality , browsing through the house , reading or listening the records , but showing none of the youthful exuberance she had hitherto displayed .

Jarron had not returned to Malthorpe . He had work to do in London , and instead he telephoned J.K. frequently , always asking about Shanaya's health , but making no attempt to discover for himself if she was alright .

Shanaya had plenty of telephone calls , boys she had met at Howard's party , trying to make dates with her , all of which she refused . Howard himself was the most persistent , once driving over to the Hall to see her , only to find a pale reflection of the girl he had enjoyed dancing with . Shanaya seemed uninterested in everything , and was not particularly tactful when turning down his invitation to take her to theater in Leeds . He went away rather annoyed , but shanaya didn't seem to care much to J.K. chagrin . He liked Howard , and had hoped Shanaya would make friends with him .

A month after the disaster night she was taken ill. J.K. came to decision. He told Shanaya about it while they were having dinner one evening .

" How would you like a couple of weeks in the West Indies?" he asked , surprising her tremendously .

Shanaya's eyes widened and then dropped her gaze ," Do you want to go there ?" she asked , frowning ." I should have thought you would rather go to Continent ."

J.K. gave an impatient exclamation." What ! with floods in Italy and France , and one of the coldest winters recorded behind them ? No, shanaya , the Continent just won't do !" he studied his soup with some intensity ," besides , I wasn't planning on taking you myself !" he sighed ." You know what Doctor is like , he is bit of a worrier , and he does not recommend energetic pastimes like travel just now ."

She frowned . " Then how ?- oh , J.K. , I am not planning to go alone ."

J.K. sighed again ." Stop jumping to conclusions, Shanaya ! I wasn't suggesting that you should go alone . Heavens , if you were to go alone , you could stay a longer than a couple of weeks . But two weeks is all the time Jarron can afford just now !"

" Jarron!" Shanaya's eyes popped out of her head ," Jarron! What has Jarron got to do with it ? "

" Well , everything , obviously . It was my idea , but he will take the responsibility !"

" Oh, no! No!" Shanaya left the table somewhat jerkily ." I don't want to go away with Jarron . Besides , it would not be right ."

" Why?"

" Well , I don't suppose he is all that keen ."

J.K. frowned ." What Jarron says about it is beside the point . It is the least he can do after what happened !"

Shanaya looked at him ." Oh , J.K. ! Have you asked him already ?"

" Of course ."

Shanaya lifted her shoulders helplessly . " What did you do that for , without telling me ?"

" Well!" J.K. frown deepened ." Quite honestly , Shanaya , you're worrying me . You mope around here all the time . You haven't even continued with your driving lessons ! You refuse to go out with young Howard , and you seem completely enervated . I realize that in addition to your illness you may be feeling more acutely now the absence of your grandfather , but nevertheless, the change will do you the world of good !"

Shanaya shook her head as Hester offered her smoked salmon, and perched on the edge of the table in the corner ," Well , really , it is just the after effects of my illness." She protested ." There is nothing absolutely wrong with me ."

" So you say . But I know this weather is depressing and living here with an old man like me is it not exactly exciting , No""he held his hand up when she began to protest ---" no , Shanaya , you need a change of scenery , and Jamaica is a beautiful place ."

" Jamaica?"

" Of course you would stay with Jarron's mother , naturally . Helen would be most upset if Jarron went there and stayed anywhere else . Besides , the house she owns has its own swimming pool and climate is marvelous at this time of the year ."

Shanya felt interest increasing in spite of herself .The prospect of spending two weeks with Jarron had seemed exciting , but disturbing . Jarron had never seemed at all interested in he"conversely in fact . She was nuisance too be tolerated and nothing more .

But staying with his mother was different . She had plenty of natural curiosity , and she would like to meet the woman who had been J.K.'s wife .

" Well?" prompted J,K. , " What have you to say now ?"

Shanaya sighed ." I don't know what to say ."

" Do you want to go ?"

She moved uncomfortably ." Does Jarron wants to go , surely that's more to the point ?"

" Any objections Jarron may have are purely selfish ones." J.K. wiping his mouth with table napkin ." Don't concern yourself with Jarron's affairs . Now , come and finish your dinner ."

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