‘We don’t know that he’s engaged to Electra,’ said Meg. ‘I know he was supposed to be making the announcement but I didn’t hear it.’
‘It probably happened while we were trooping over the fields with Lizzie’s dry clothes,’ said Alexandra. ‘Or when we were all coming back.’
‘Wouldn’t Vanessa have said something?’ asked Meg.
‘Why should she?’ said Lizzie. ‘Announcing the engagement was the whole purpose of the ball, after all.’ She sighed. ‘I think it happened. If he’s engaged, he’s engaged. That’s it.’
‘Being engaged isn’t the same as being married,’ David pointed out.
‘I’m not going to ruin his life because of this,’ said Lizzie. ‘How many more times must I say it?’
‘OK,’ said Meg. ‘Changing the subject, who’s hungry?’
‘I’m full of jap cake,’ said Lizzie. Now everyone had stopped nagging her she said, ‘Imagine poor Hugo having to take me to his parents, tummy out here, telling them he wants to make an honest woman of me. Sir Jasper would die. Or kill Hugo. Or both. It’s funny, really.’
No one laughed.
Later that evening, Lizzie telephoned her mother.
‘Mummy,’ she said, after the usual greetings, exclamations and questions had been gone through. ‘I wonder if you could make me a doctor’s appointment?’
There were more questions and exclamations.
‘And could it be with the lady doctor? What I’ve got – it’s a bit – embarrassing.’
‘But, darling, we don’t know anything about the lady doctor. Why don’t you want to see Dr Sharp? We always go to him.’
‘I said, it’s a bit embarrassing.’ Lizzie lowered her voice. ‘It hurts when I spend a penny. And I keep needing to go.’ She and Alexandra had looked up the symptoms of cystitis, so she knew what to say.
‘Oh, Elizabeth! You don’t need to be embarrassed. Doctors know all about these things.’
‘Really! I’d rather see a woman!’ Lizzie didn’t actually care that much if her doctor was male or female but she did want to see one who didn’t know her.
Her mother sighed. ‘I’ll do my best.’
‘Thank you, Mummy. I’m really grateful.’
Chapter Twenty-one
‘Darling!’ said her mother, enveloping her in a Chanel-perfumed hug a few days later. ‘You’re here at last! We were beginning to think you’d forgotten your address you come home so little! And it’s so lovely that you’re staying the night. Your father’s got to go out so we can have a lovely woman-to-woman chat. I’ve got a bottle of wine we can have with our meal.’
Her mother was so delighted to see her that Lizzie felt swamped with guilt that she hadn’t been to visit her parents more recently. She’d had time since the fateful weekend when she’d nearly drowned, but she hadn’t been. She suspected it was because she thought her mother might be able to tell that she was no longer a virgin. How much worse were things now? She hugged her mother back.
‘I’ve managed to get you an appointment with our dear Dr Sharp. He’s looked after you since you were a baby,’ her mother went on.
This was not good news. ‘But, Mummy, I asked if you could get me one with the woman doctor? I can’t remember her name. Wasn’t that possible?’
‘I expect I could have managed it but I thought it was better to see a doctor who really knows you. He was so good when you had measles.’
‘When I was nine!’ Lizzie muttered. ‘I wanted to see a woman.’
‘Don’t be silly. It’s far better to see our family doctor. Now, do you want Daddy to take your case up?’ The subject was closed.
‘No need for that. I’ll take it up now.’ When would her mother treat her as an adult and do what she asked? Lizzie thought. Probably never!
‘When you come down, I’ll open the wine.’
Lizzie went up the stairs wishing two things. The first was that her mother hadn’t made her an appointment with the doctor who was like a grandfather to her, and the second that the thought of wine didn’t make her feel sick. Still, she’d manage. She’d have to.
