Judith [070-4.0 ] By: betty neils. Synopsis: He trusts her to care for his mother properly? y-burly of the big London hospital id been working, Judith found it a : change to be offered a private job a charming patient, Lady Cres swell, District. Her patient gave her no trouble-which was more than could be said for the patient's son, the disagreeable Charles Cres swell. He seemed to have taken a dislike to Judith on sight--a dislike it must be confessed, Judith returned. And now he was turning up to leas ant holiday in Portugal as well! UK 2. 99 ISBN 0-263-79914-X 9"780263"799149"> Dear Reader, Looking back over the years, I find it hard to realise that twenty-six of them have gone by since I wrote my first book Sister Peters in Amsterdam. It wasn't until I started writing about her that I found that once I had started writing, nothing was going to make me stop and at that time I had no intention of sending it to a publisher. It was my daughter who urged me to try my luck. I shall never forget the thrill of having my first book accepted. A thrill I still get each time a new story is accepted. Writing to me is such a pleasure, and seeing a story unfolding on my old typewriter is like watching a film and wondering how it will end. Happily of course. To have so many of my books re-published is such a delightful thing to happen and I can only hope that those who read them will share my pleasure in seeing them on the bookshelves again. . and enjoy reading them. Back by Popular Demand A collector's edition of favourite titles from one of the world's best-loved romance authors. Mills & Boon are proud to bring back these sought after titles and present them as one cherished collection. BETTY NE ELS: COLLECTORS EDITION 1 THE DOUBTFUL MARRIAGE 21 ALL ELSE CONFUSION 2 A GEM OF A GIRL 22 NEVER SAY GOODBYE 3 A GENTLE AWAKENING 23 THE PROMISE OF 4 RING IN A TEACUP HAPPINESS 5 OFF WITH THE OLD LOVE 24 SISTER PETERS IN 6 STARS THROUGH THE MIST AMSTERDAM 7 THE MOON FOR LAVINIA 25 A GIRL TO LOVE 8 PINEAPPLE GIRL 26 THE HASTY MARRIAGE 9 WISH WITH THE CANDLES 27 THE END OF THE RAINBOW 10 BRITANNIA ALL AT SEA 28 A DREAM CAME TRUE 11 CAROLINES WATERLOO 29 THE MAGIC OF LIVING 12 HEAVEN AROUND THE 30 SATURDAYS CHILD CORNER 31 FATE IS REMARKABLE 13 COBWEB MORNING 32 NEVER TOO LATE 14 HENRIETTA"S OWN 33 JUDITH CASTLE 34 MIDNIGHT SUNS MAGIC 15 ROSES FOR CHRISTMAS 35 SUN AND CANDLELIGHT 16 CASSANDRA BY CHANCE 36 A STAR LOOKS DOWN 17 THE LITTLE DRAGON 37 PHILOMENA"S MIRACLE 18 THE SILVER THAW 38 HANNAH 19 VICTORY FOR VICTORIA 39 HEAVEN IS GENTLE 20 THREE FOR A WEDDING 40 A MATTER OF CHANCE JUDITH BY BETTY NE ELS MILLS <sl B 0 0 1ST DID YOU PURCHASE THIS BOOK WITHOUT A COVER? If you did. you should be aware it is stolen property as it was reported unsold and destroyed by a retailer. Neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this book. All the characters ill this hiii)k have no existence outside the imagination of the iiulhor. and have mi relation whatsoever to anyone hearing the . lame name or names. They tire not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all the incidents are pure invention. All Rights Reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II B. V. The text of this publication or any part thereof may nol he reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior consent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. MILLS & BOON and MILLS & BOON with the Rose Device are registered trademarks of the publisher. First published in Great Britain 1982 This edition 1997 Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited, Eton House. 18-24 Paradise Road. Richmond, Surrey, TW9 ISR Betty Ne els 1982 ISBN 0 263 79914 X Set in Times Roman 12 on I2'/i pi by Rowland Photolypesetling Limited Bury St Edmunds. Suffolk 73970945721) Printed and bound in Great Britain CHAPTER ONE half past two o'clock in the morning was really not the time at which to receive a proposal of marriage. Judith Go lightly swallowed a yawn while her already tired brain, chock-a-block with the night's problems, struggled to formulate a suitable answer. She was going to say no, but how best to wrap it up into a little parcel of kind words? She hated hurting people's feelings, although she was quite sure that the young man sitting in the only chair in her small office had such a highly developed sense of importance that there was little fear of her doing that. Nigel Bloom was good-looking in a self conscious way, good at his job even though he did tend to climb on other people's shoulders to reach the next rung up the ladder, and an entertaining companion. She had gone out with him on quite a number of occasions by now and she had to admit that, but he had no sense of humour and she had detected small meanesses beneath his apparent open-handedness; she suspected that he spent money where it was likely to bring him the best return or to impress his companions. Would he be mean with the housekeeping, she wondered, or grudge her pretty clothes? He had singled her out for his attention very soon after he had joined the staff at Beck's Hospital as a surgical registrar, although she hadn't encouraged him; she was by no means desperate to get married even though she was twenty-seven; she had had her first proposal at the age of eighteen and many more besides since, but somehow none of them had been quite right. She had no idea what kind of man she wanted to marry, for she had seldom indulged in daydreaming, but of one thing she was sure-he would have to be tall; she was a big girl, splendidly built, and she had no wish to look down upon a husband, if and when she got one. She leaned against the desk now, since there was nowhere for her to sit, and remarked with a little spurt of unusual rage, "Why do you sit down and leave me standing, Nigel? Do you feel so very superior to a woman? ' He gave a tolerant laugh. "You're tired," he told her indulgently. "T've been on the go all day, you know, and you didn't come on duty until eight o'clock last evening-and after all, you don't have the real hard work, do you? Two night Sisters under you and I don't know how many staff nurses and students to do the chores. ' had passed, an entire round of the Surgical Wing--ninety beds, men, women and children--every patient visited, spoken to, listened to; the reports from each ward read and noted; at least five minutes with each nurse in charge of a ward, going over the instructions for the night, and all this interrupted several times: two admissions, one for theatre without delay, a death, anxious relatives to see and listen to over a cup of tea because that made them feel more relaxed and gave them the impression that time was of no account, a child in sudden convulsions; housemen summoned and accompanied to a variety of bedsides, phone calls from patients' families--it had been never-ending, and there were more than five hours to go. Her rage died as quickly as it had come; she was too weary to have much feeling about anything, and meanwhile there was Nigel, looking sure of himself and her, waiting for his answer. He must be mad, she told herself silently, asking a girl to marry him in the middle of a busy night. She looked across at him, a beautiful girl with golden hair, sapphire blue eyes and a gentle mouth. "Thank you for asking me, Nigel, but I don't love you--and I'm quite sure I never shall. ' She rushed on because he was prepared to argue about it: "Look, I haven't the time. . . I know it's my meal time, but I wasn't going to stop for it anyway. . . ' He got up without haste. "The trouble with you is that you're not prepared to delegate your authority. "Who to? ' She asked sharply. "Sister Reed's in theatre. Sister Miles is on nights off, there's a staff nurse off sick and Men's Surgical is up to its eyeballs--you've just been there, but perhaps you didn't notice? ' Nigel lounged to the door. "Mountains out of molehills," he said loftily. "i should have thought it would have sent you over the moon--my asking you to marry me. ' He gave her one of his easy charming smiles. "T'll ask you again when you're in a better temper. "i shall still say no. ' His smile deepened. "You only think you will. See that that man who's just been admitted is ready for theatre by eight o'clock, will you? And keep the drip running at all costs. I'm for bed. ' Judith watched him go, but only for a moment; even though she was supposed to be free for an hour she had no time to do more than write up her books and begin on the report for the morning. She yawned again, then sat down behind the desk and picked up her pen. A tap on the door made her give an almost inaudible sigh, but she said, "Come in," in her usual pleas ant unhurried manner, already bracing herself for an urgent summons to one or other of the wards. Her bleep was off, a strict rule for her midnight break, but that had never stopped the nurses bringing urgent messages. It wasn't an urgent message;...
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