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An ambulance came towards them, lights flashing, and stopped a few yards behind. The men came at a run, took in the situation at a glance and politely asked Emma to stand out of the way.
The police were only a moment behind. They took a statement from Emma, but were kind, if a little dry-toned on the subject of dogs. They looked at her car, and pronounced it fit to drive. When she asked if she might follow the ambulance to the hospital, they looked at each other, then nodded.
The children had been permitted to accompany their mother to the hospital. Emma found them sitting in the office of the ward Sister, sipping hot cocoa and nibbling biscuits. The eldest hailed her almost as a long-lost friend. In this unfamiliar setting she was a link with their mother, in a funny sort of way.
'How is she?' Emma asked the Sister discreetly out of the hearing of the children.
'Comfortable enough, considering,' she was told. 'She broke two ribs and has a slight concussion. She was lucky. Her passenger came off worst—three broken ribs and a nasty head wound. They'll both recover quickly, though. In neither case was the damage permanent.'
'Could I see her?' Emma had already explained how she came to be involved, and the ward Sister looked dubiously at her.
'Well, I don't think…'
'Please, I want to help, and I might set her mind at rest.'
'For one moment, then,' the Sister nodded. She herself led Emma into the small side ward, and stood at the door as Emma went up to the bed. There was a bandage round the pale forehead now, but the blue eyes recognised Emma, and the young woman smiled faintly. 'Hallo, again!'
'You don't mind me coming to see you? I wanted to see if there was any way I could help. The children, for instance…could I help there? Please, say I can—I feel so guilty.' Emma smiled at her, brown eyes appealing.
'You mustn't feel guilty,' the other woman said weakly. 'But thank you for offering to help, Miss…?'
'Emma Leigh, and do please call me Emma!'
'Emma…lovely name,' smiled the other woman. 'I'm Judith Har
t.'
The ward Sister, reassured that all was well, slipped out of the room. Judith Hart gestured to a bedside chair. 'Do sit down.'
'Thank you,' Emma said. 'Have they notified your husband, by the way?'
'They can't,' Judith Hart said sadly. 'He's in Turkey.'
'Turkey?' Emma's brown eyes opened wide.
'We're archaeologists, Tim and I,' Judith explained. 'Since I started having children, Tim has been careful to take on work only in this country, so we could have the children with us, but now that they're getting older he suggested we both accept to work in Turkey for the summer. My brother has a large cottage down here in Dorset, and Nanny agreed to bring the children down here to stay with him while we were away. Ross, my brother, has a very good housekeeper, so it was perfectly respectable.' Judith grinned. 'Nanny's French, and very concerned about her reputation!'
'And what will happen now?' Emma asked. 'Will your brother's housekeeper take on the children?'
Judith sighed anxiously. 'I doubt it. She isn't too keen on children, apparently. It was only because Nanny would be in charge of them that the arrangement was possible.' She bit her lip. 'I don't know what's going to happen.' Her eyes filled with helpless tears. She brushed a hand over them crossly. 'I'm sorry…don't take any notice of me. It must be the shock.'
'Let me look after them,' Emma said impulsively.
Judith stared at her, astonished.
Emma laughed at her expression. 'I'm serious. I'm a freelance artist. I've come down here to do some sketches for a job I'm doing…a book. I could easily stay with the children while you're in hospital. From what the Sister said it won't be long, anyway. You aren't badly hurt. I'm down in Dorset for a few weeks, and I have no arrangements to be upset…it won't inconvenience me at all.'
'But do you know anything about children?' Judith asked. 'Mine aren't angels, I'm afraid. They can be perfect terrors when they're in the right mood. Do you think you really want to take on such a responsibility?'
'It would make me feel a lot easier,' Emma said frankly. 'I've been feeling terribly guilty since it happened. It would ease my mind.'
'Then there's my brother,' Judith said, with the air of one who means to be absolutely fair. She looked at Emma meaningfully. 'Not to put too fine a point upon it, he's a male chauvinist of the worst sort. He isn't married, and never will be, I suspect, because he has such a high standard, and no mere woman could ever reach it.' She grimaced. 'Ross and I never got on, to be honest. He doesn't understand why I should want to get back to archaeology. He thinks I should stay with the children. He only agreed to take them when Tim talked to him about it.'
Emma squared her slim shoulders and drew a determined breath. 'I shall cope with your brother, don't worry.'
Judith looked at her, torn between hope and misgiving. 'Oh, it would be wonderful…but I don't know…'
'Is there anyone else who could take the children? Your mother?'
