Page 77 of The Winter Bride

‘But you’ve already done all you can,’ Annie pointed out.

Jamie agreed to go home to let his parents know he was safe but vowed to be back soon.

But Marie shook her head. ‘We are going nowhere until we know what ’as become of Nancy, and we would not dream of leaving you alone,’ Marie told her firmly.

And so, after Jamie left, they settled down as best they could to begin what was to become one of the longest nights of their lives.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Throughout the night Marie and John dozed intermittently in the fireside chairs while Annie paced the room like a caged animal. And then at last at almost seven o’clock in the morning someone knocked at the shop door and Annie flew downstairs to answer it.

She found two uniformed police officers there and before they could say a word she asked shakily, ‘Have you found her?’

‘We’ve had a report of a young woman who fits the description you gave us who has been badly beaten and admitted to St Bartholomew’s,’ the older of the two told her. ‘She was found unconscious in an alley off Dock Road. Would it be possible for you to go and identify her?’

‘Of course, but how bad is she?’ Annie asked tremulously.

The officer shook his head. ‘That I can’t tell you, miss. Do you have a means of getting to the hospital?’

‘Yes, she does, I’ll take her in my car.’ John had come down to stand behind her. ‘And of course as soon as we have ascertained if the person is Nancy or not, we shall let you know.’

‘Thank you, sir.’ The policeman tipped his helmet as John led Annie back upstairs to get her coat.

‘But I can’t leave Adam alone,’ Annie panicked.

‘I will stay with Adam. Come, get ready quickly and get to the ’ospital,’ Marie urged.

The city was coming to life and the journey seemed to take forever as they crawled through the traffic.

‘But why would anyone want to harm Nancy?’ Annie said as they drove along. ‘She’s so inoffensive!’

‘It was probably just down and outs after her bag,’ John said sensibly. ‘It happens all the time. I’ve even known people to be robbed of their clothes and shoes, so don’t be surprised if your lovely new coat is missing. That’s if this person is Nancy.’

‘I don’t care about my coat! I don’t care about anything so long as she’s all right,’ Annie said tearfully. She couldn’t bear the thought of Nancy being hurt.

At last, they arrived at the hospital and after parking the car rather haphazardly they entered the foyer. It took some time for the person on the reception desk to trace where Nancy had been taken but at last they were directed to a ward where they were met at the door by a stern-faced sister in a stiff navy uniform.

‘I’m afraid visiting times are not until this evening,’ she told Annie in a snooty voice.

John stepped in. ‘Excuse me, Sister, but we are here at the police’s request to see if the person who has been admitted is someone we’re searching for. Would you like me to tell them you refused us entry?’

The sister’s chest swelled as she rose to her full height. ‘In that case, I suppose I shall have to allow you in,’ she said. ‘But only for five minutes. I must think of the wellbeing of my other patients! Follow me.’

John gave Annie a reassuring wink and took her elbow as they followed the sister down the ward. Along each side of the room were rows of beds full of patients whose blankets were tucked in so tightly about them that it was a surprise they could breathe. They came to one bed with the curtains drawn around it and the sister told them stiffly, ‘This is the young person that was admitted. I’m afraid she hasn’t gained consciousness yet.’ She yanked the curtain aside and as Annie forced herself to look at the figure on the bed a sob caught in her throat.

‘Oh Nancy, my poor little love,’ she gasped. Nancy’s face was so swollen and bruised that she was almost unrecognisable and she was lying so still that Annie feared she was already dead.

‘I gather this is the person you were looking for?’

Annie nodded numbly, too full of emotion to speak.

‘There was nothing to identify her in her belongings,’ the sister told them, nodding towards Nancy’s clothes and bag that had been placed neatly on a chair at the side of the bed.

John frowned. If Nancy’s coat, hat and bag were there, it meant that whoever had attacked her hadn’t done it to steal.

Annie sat beside Nancy and took her hand gently. Very slowly the girl opened her eyes.

‘Ah, it looks like she’s coming round, I’ll go and fetch the doctor. Could you wait outside the ward please?’ The sister hurried away and Annie and John reluctantly followed.