Page 68 of Healing Hazel

“Zhere are lives to save in London, you know,” Dr. Laurent said.

“Ah, now we get down to it.” Jim was defensive. “You are saying I should go after her.”

“I am saying that life is short. And you deserve happiness.” Dr. Laurent pushed himself to his feet, patting Jim’s shoulder as he left him. “Let zhe past go.”

Jim remained on the hospital steps long after Dr. Laurent had gone. He pondered what the man had said, fearing it was alarmingly close to the truth.

Chapter 23

The mood was festive asthe five members of the Blue Orchid Society clinked together their champagne glasses.

In true Dahlia Lancaster style, the party had been a success. The food was delicious, the conversation lovely, and the decorations... Hazel smiled, glancing up at the banner strung above the French doors.

Congratulations, Nurse Hazel Thornton!

The words were painted in large black letters, with small red crosses around the edges of the sign. Dahlia had invited all of their families and some of the other nursing school graduates, and even Captain Bryant had come for a short while. But now the hour was late, the other guests were gone, and it was just the five of them—exactly the way Hazel wished to celebrate, with those who loved her best.

The women took seats on the various sofas and chairs in Dahlia’s parlor. Vivian sat beside Hazel on a sofa. Elizabeth leaned back in a leather armchair on one side, and Dahlia and Sophie sat in a divan facing them.

Servants moved about quietly, cleaning up the remains of the celebration.

“It was a wonderful party, Dahlia,” Hazel said. “Thank you.”

“It’s not every day a young lady graduates from nursing training,” Dahlia said. “An accomplishment like that calls for a celebration.”

“We are so proud of you, dearest,” Sophie said.

“Hear, hear,” Elizabeth said. She raised her glass to make a toast. “To a bright future of lanced boils and fat leeches.”

Hazel and her friends laughed and raised their glasses, joining in the toast. She sat back on the sofa, feeling content and warm, which could partly be attributed to the champagne. Her eyes traveled around the room, revealing flashes of pleasant memories: all the times she and her friends had visited together, laughed, wept, shared secrets... but there was one secret Hazel had kept to herself. She hadn’t told them about Jim.

Of course, she’d mentioned him when she’d described all that had happened in Spain, but those intimate moments—the stolen kisses, the embraces—she kept them locked inside her heart, wanting them for herself alone.

A familiar ache squeezed inside. She’d heard nothing from Jim in the months since she’d returned. Not that she’d expected to—even if he had tried to write, the postal system was unpredictable—but it still hurt to have lost not only him but the hopes of what could have become of the two of them. It was the loss of a future together that hurt the most.

Sophie set down her drink on a low table and crossed the room. “We have something for you.” She took a wrapped package from a cupboard and presented it to Hazel.

Hazel pushed away her sad introspection and sat up straight, setting the box on her lap.

The other women shared excited glances and leaned forward.

Hazel pulled off the ribbon and floral paper and opened the box. Inside, nestled in the box’s felt lining, was a new modern stethoscope. “Oh, thank you,” Hazel gasped, touched by the gift. She didn’t know of any nurses who owned their own medical equipment. The instrument would be very valuable in her new position at the Hospital for Women.

Vivian leaned over to look into the box. “It is the latest model, a binaural version that improves diagnosis by auscultation. See here, the bell attached to the rubber tubing enhances the acoustic performance. And the tips at the other end insert directly into your ears to decrease sound interference.” She pointed to the various parts as she spoke. “May I?”

“Yes, of course.” Hazel could see that Vivian was itching to examine the stethoscope. She grinned as her friend inserted the ear tips and pressed the bell to her own chest to listen.

“This was all so very gracious of you and so thoughtful.” Hazel waved her hand to indicate the room as well as the gift. “It was not so very long ago that we were doing the same thing, a party and gifts. I am very spoiled.”

“It’s been nearly four months since you left for Spain,” Dahlia said. “High time for another party, in my opinion.”

“And look at all that’s happened since then,” Sophie said. “Look at everything you’ve accomplished and all the adventures you’ve had.”

“You completed nursing school,” Dahlia said, holding up a finger.

“You survived a train explosion,” Sophie added, widening her eyes as if she still could not believe something like that could happen to a person she knew.

“You were kidnapped, held prisoner, and rescued,” Elizabeth pointed out.

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