Well, there is no need to describe the Kelseys – the baby was a little love and Mrs Kelsey quite nice, though rather the fretting kind. I enjoyed the voyage very much. I’d never been a long trip on the sea before.
Dr Reilly was on board the boat. He was a black-haired, long-faced man who said all sorts of funny things in a low, sad voice. I think he enjoyed pulling my leg and used to make the most extraordinary statements to see if I would swallow them. He was the civil surgeon at a place called Hassanieh – a day and a half’s journey from Baghdad.
I had been about a week in Baghdad when I ran across him and he asked when I was leaving the Kelseys. I said that it was funny his asking that because as a matter of fact the Wrights (the other people I mentioned) were going home earlier than they had meant to and their nurse was free to come straightaway.
He said that he had heard about the Wrights and that that was why he had asked me.
‘As a matter of fact, nurse, I’ve got a possible job for you.’
‘A case?’
He screwed his face up as though considering.
‘You could hardly call it a case. It’s just a lady who has – shall we say – fancies?’
‘Oh!’ I said.
(One usually knows what that means – drink or drugs!)
Dr Reilly didn’t explain further. He was very discreet. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘A Mrs Leidner. Husband’s an American – an American Swede to be exact. He’s the head of a large American dig.’
And he explained how this expedition was excavating the site of a big Assyrian city something like Nineveh. The expedition house was not actually very far from Hassanieh, but it was a lonely spot and Dr Leidner had been worried for some time about his wife’s health.
‘He’s not been very explicit about it, but it seems she has these fits of recurring nervous terrors.’
‘Is she left alone all day amongst natives?’ I asked.
‘Oh, no, there’s quite a crowd – seven or eight. I don’t fancy she’s ever been alone in the house. But there seems to be no doubt that she’s worked herself up into a queer state. Leidner has any amount of work on his shoulders, but he’s crazy about his wife and it worries him to know she’s in this state. He felt he’d be happier if he knew that some responsible person with expert knowledge was keeping an eye on her.’
‘And what does Mrs Leidner herself think about it?’
Dr Reilly answered gravely:
‘Mrs Leidner is a very lovely lady. She’s seldom of the same mind about anything two days on end. But on the whole she favours the idea.’ He added, ‘She’s an odd woman. A mass of affection and, I should fancy, a champion liar – but Leidner seems honestly to believe that she is scared out of her life by something or other.’
‘What did she herself say to you, doctor?’
‘Oh, she hasn’t consulted me! She doesn’t like me anyway – for several reasons. It was Leidner who came to me and propounded this plan. Well, nurse, what do you think of the idea? You’d see something of the country before you go home – they’ll be digging for another two months. And excavation is quite interesting work.’
After a moment’s hesitation while I turned the matter over in my mind: ‘Well,’ I said, ‘I really think I might try it.’
‘Splendid,’ said Dr Reilly, rising. ‘Leidner’s in Baghdad now. I’ll tell him to come round and see if he can fix things up with you.’
Dr Leidner came to the hotel that afternoon. He was a middle-aged man with a rather nervous, hesitating manner. There was something gentle and kindly and rather helpless about him.
He sounded very devoted to his wife, but he was very vague about what was the matter with her.
‘You see,’ he said, tugging at his beard in a rather perplexed manner that I later came to know to be characteristic of him, ‘my wife is really in a very nervous state. I – I’m quite worried about her.’
‘She is in good physical health?’ I asked.
‘Yes – oh, yes, I think so. No, I should not think there was anything the matter with her physically. But she – well – imagines things, you know.’
‘What kind of things?’ I asked.
But he shied off from the point, merely murmuring perplexedly: ‘She works herself up over nothing at all…I really can see no foundations for these fears.’
‘Fears of what, Dr Leidner?’
He said vaguely, ‘Oh, just – nervous terrors, you know.’
Ten to one, I thought to myself, it’s drugs. And he doesn’t realize it! Lots of men don’t. Just wonder why their wives are so jumpy and have such extraordinary changes of mood.
I asked whether Mrs Leidner herself approved of the idea of my coming.
His face lighted up.
‘Yes. I was surprised. Most pleasurably surprised. She said it was a very good idea. She said she would feel very much safer.’
The word struck me oddly. Safer. A very queer word to use. I began to surmise that Mrs Leidner might be a mental case.
He went on with a kind of boyish eagerness.
‘I’m sure you’ll get on very well with her. She’s really a very charming woman.’ He smiled disarmingly. ‘She feels you’ll be the greatest comfort to her. I felt the same as soon as I saw you. You look, if you will allow me to say so, so splendidly healthy and full of common sense. I’m sure you’re just the person for Louise.’
‘Well, we can but try, Dr Leidner,’ I said cheerfully. ‘I’m sure I hope I can be of use to your wife. Perhaps she’s nervous of natives and coloured people?’
‘Oh, dear me no.’ He shook his head, amused at the idea. ‘My wife likes Arabs very much – she appreciates their simplicity and their sense of humour. This is only her second season – we have been married less than two years – but she already speaks quite a fair amount of Arabic.’
I was silent for a moment or two, then I had one more try.
‘Can’t you tell me at all what it is your wife is afraid of, Dr Leidner?’ I asked.
He hesitated. Then he said slowly, ‘I hope – I believe – that she will tell you that herself.’
And that’s all I could get out of him.
Chapter 3. Gossip
It was arranged that I should go to Tell Yarimjah the following week.
Mrs Kelsey was settling into her house at Alwiyah, and I was glad to be able to take a few things off her shoulders.
During that time I heard one or two allusions to the Leidner expedition. A friend of Mrs Kelsey’s, a young squadron-leader, pursed his lips in surprise as he exclaimed: ‘Lovely Louise. So that’s her latest!’ He turned to me. ‘That’s our nickname for her, nurse. She’s always known as Lovely Louise.’
‘Is she so very handsome then?’ I asked.
‘It’s taking her at her own valuation. She thinks she is!’
‘Now don’t be spiteful, John,’ said Mrs Kelsey. ‘You know it’s not only she who thinks so! Lots of people have been very smitten by her.’
‘Perhaps you’re right. She’s a bit long in the tooth, but she has a certain attraction.’
‘You were completely bowled over yourself,’ said Mrs Kelsey, laughing.
The squadron-leader blushed and admitted rather shamefacedly: ‘Well, she has a way with her. As for Leidner himself, he worships the ground she walks on – and all the rest of the expedition has to worship too! It’s expected of them!’
‘How many are there altogether?’ I asked.