Read In Falling Snow for Free Online Page B

The porter went off to get help with the mattresses, and the woman came over. I stood. We were about the same height, a rare enough experience for me. I had been the tallest in my class all through school.
    â€œYou’re a marvel,” the woman said. “If I don’t get their beds on the train, my girls will have another rough night of it. Frances Ivens.” She held out her gloved hand, which I took.
    â€œIris Crane.”
    â€œYou’re not English.”
    â€œAustralian.”
    â€œWhere on earth did you learn to speak French?” Before I could answer she was looking beyond me to the mother and child.
    â€œHave you nursed babies? This child is sick,” I said. “I didn’t look after children very much in my training.”
    â€œYou’re a nurse to boot,” she said. “Why don’t you come with me?”
    â€œWhat?” I said. “Where?”
    But Miss Ivens had moved on to the child and his mother. She smiled and I felt a great sense of relief. “My bag’s over there, dear one,” she said, placing a hand on the young woman’s shoulder. “I’ll be back,” and she strode off, returning directly with a little leather case. When she opened it up, I saw the stethoscope and instruments, and that was when I realised she was a doctor, not a nurse.
    â€œI really didn’t expect to see a woman doctor,” I said to Violet now.
    â€œYou’re lucky Frances didn’t bite your head off. I shouldn’t think she’d like being mistaken for a nurse. She’s even particular about women doctors being employed as nurses. That’s what they do at some of the hospitals, employ women doctors but only to nurse. Frances says we’ll never do that at Royaumont.”
    Miss Ivens sat down beside the mother and confidently took the sleeping boy into her own arms and examined him while I recounted the symptoms.
    â€œAnd what did you conclude?” she said, looking at me so intensely I felt nervous and unsure.
    I told her what I’d told the couple. “The rash,” I said.
    â€œWell done. It’s roseola. Reassure this poor woman her child will live.” Miss Ivens smiled at the mother. “She must make sure he takes in fluid while he has the diarrhoea. She should give him sugar water. Where are they from?”
    I asked the woman. “Senlis,” she said.
    â€œThat’s near enough,” Miss Ivens said. She took out a pen and scrap of paper and wrote down an address. “Tell them that’s a hospital where they’ll always find a doctor who can help them.” I told the woman, who thanked us both, tears streaming down her face. “Tell her she must bring him when he’s well so we can see if he needs extra care. The seizure has probably done no harm, but . . . we don’t need to worry about that just yet.”
    I interpreted as confidently as I could. “You need to bring your baby to the hospital when he’s better,” I said. “No urgency.”
    â€œWhere did you say you were going?” Miss Ivens asked me when the couple left us.
    â€œSoissons,” I said. “My train has just arrived.” I was disappointed, to be honest, to see the Soissons train running. I’d hoped for another day in Paris.
    â€œThat’s no good,” Miss Ivens said. “I need an interpreter. Come to Royaumont.”
    â€œWhere’s Royaumont?”
    â€œThat way,” Miss Ivens said, pointing north. “Not far. And much more exciting. Where are your things? Here’s the porter with the mattresses and the train will be off soon. Hurry now or we’ll miss it and I don’t know when there’s another.”
    â€œBut I have orders.”
    â€œI’ll take care of those.”
    â€œAnd so, here I am,” I said to Violet. We’d arrived at the station in Viarmes. Violet pulled around and brought the car to a sudden stop next to