Shell Shocked

By Victoria Chatham

It is the closing months of World War 1 and Lady Serena Buxton is on her own. Her home, Buxton Hall, is now a hospital. With her husband Randolph fighting at the front, the quartermaster, doctor and matron become her allies. Her household staff rally round her, all except the housekeeper who seems more and more detached. What is her problem?

The human problems on the home front escalate and then Randolph is reported missing in action. Fighting her own emotions while she solves one issue after another, Serena is barely holding her own. And then Randolph comes home.

She married for love. But the man who returns to her is not the man she married. How will she survive this devastating event? And will her love be strong enough to hold everything she holds dear together?

• Language: English
• Publisher: BWL Publishing Inc.
• Release date: Jun 13, 2015
• ISBN: 9781771453448

Victoria Chatham

Being born in Bristol, England, Victoria Chatham grew up in an area rife with the elegance of Regency architecture. This, along with the novels of Georgette Heyer, engendered in her an abiding interest in the period with its style and manners and is one where she feels most at home.Apart from her writing, Victoria is an avid reader of anything that catches her interest, but especially Regency romance. She also teaches introductory creative writing. Her love of horses gets her away from her computer to volunteer at Spruce Meadows, a world class equestrian centre near Calgary, Alberta, where she currently lives.

Book preview

Shell Shocked

The Buxton Chronicles, Book 3

By Victoria Chatham

Digital ISBNs

EPUB 978-1-77362-208-8

Amazon 978-1-77362-209-5

WEB 978-1-77362-210-1

Copyright 2014 by Victoria Chatham

Cover art by Michelle Lee

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book.

* * *

Dedication

To brave souls everywhere who have given their lives for their countries.

Chapter One

Buxton Hall

March, 1918

Lady Serena Buxton’s fine grey eyes opened wide in dismay at the scene before her. Pairs of medical orderlies carrying stretchers filed through the pillared entrance of Buxton Hall and deposited their burdens on the gleaming marble floor.

Dear Lord, will this never end?

She counted the stretchers, twelve in all. The silence of some of the heavily bandaged patients unnerved her. She could not begin to imagine the wounds the dressings protected. A few of them moaned and were quickly attended by the orderlies.

Her head spun with the logistics of how they were to house them all and breathed a sigh of relief when the quartermaster in charge of the hospital walked in.

Captain Parry. She hurried towards him keeping her voice low and urgent. Where are we to put them all? We simply do not have enough beds.

Sorry, Lady Buxton, but Gloucester Hospital is splitting apart at the seams. We’re bringing in extra beds right now. I’ve also brought you two new recruits from the Voluntary Aid Detachment. The captain gave her an encouraging smile but the strain of this latest emergency showed in his eyes. Serena couldn’t help but notice how his uniform hung on his now spare frame. Best I could do on short notice, but I’ll round up a few more as soon as I can.

That would be much appreciated. Serena turned to the two girls who stood nervously before her and smiled at them, hoping to put them a little at ease. Neither girl responded.

Maybe this was their first sight of wounded soldiers.

Maybe they were stunned by the size and opulence of the entrance hall with its high, painted ceiling sporting nymphs and cherubs. The scope of the design never failed to impress visitors, but Serena realized the newcomers were not admiring their surroundings at all. They were simply awaiting instruction from her.

Come with me. I’ll take you to Matron.

The girls followed her in silence as she headed into what had been an elegant ballroom with polished oak floor, mahogany paneling, exquisite chandeliers, and walls hung with family portraits. Now, it was a busy hospital ward.

Mentally registering how many patients the room already contained as she took the new girls to the matron’s station, Serena noticed that the nurses and VAD’s were already pushing beds closer together.

I have two new recruits for you, Matron, Serena said as she halted her little party in front of a desk stationed in the centre of the ward.

Matron Sally Light looked up, the expression in her eyes as bright and crisp as her starched collar and cuffs.

And not a moment too soon. The matron stood up, giving both girls a quick, eagle-eyed assessment, taking in their tidy uniforms and neatly bobbed hair. Names, please.

Kathleen Hardisty, Matron, lisped the first young woman, holding her head high and inspecting the matron as closely as she was being inspected.

Rebecca Browning, whispered the second, peeking shyly from beneath heavy brown bangs.

Is this your first appointment? Sally asked them.

Both girls nodded hesitantly, unsure of themselves under the matron’s intense scrutiny and Serena’s heart sank a little. She hoped they would have the stamina needed to cope with the busy day that lay ahead of them.

I take it you know how to make beds? Serena saw the matron relax a little as each girl in turn both agreed that they did. Good. I’ll have Sister Serena show you where the linen room is. We need sheets, blankets, and pillows, for twelve beds. Hurry along now.

Serena took Kathleen and Rebecca with her across the hall to a staircase that led below stairs.

Do be careful, Serena warned as she reached the top stair. We’re fortunate to have electricity, but it isn’t very bright on these stairs. The switch is on the right, just here.

The girls clattered down the stairs behind her and she led them along the corridor to the linen room where she opened the door and showed them in. Kathleen and Rebecca looked around the well stocked room with interest.

Hold your arms out and I’ll load you up with sheets. Weariness seeped into Serena’s bones, making her weak. Her arms trembled as she lifted down sets of sheets and stacked them on the girls’ outstretched arms.

They were interrupted by a light knock on the door which stood half open. Serena opened the door all the way to reveal her butler standing in the hallway.

Yes, Jenkins, what is it?

Sorry to disturb you, Milady. His voice wavered and he avoided eye contact with her.

Serena stepped outside the room, noting the pallor in his normally ruddy cheeks and the tightness of his jaw. He said nothing, but proffered a silver salver upon which sat a tell-tale envelope.

Serena’s breath caught in her throat as crazy images spun in her mind.

This could not be happening to her.

This couldn’t possibly be the news every household dreaded.

The slow and steady drum of her pulse quickly speeded up to a fevered throb in her wrists and pounding in her temples until she thought her head would explode. Her vision wavered and she wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the chill racing up her spine. The movement caused her to breathe again, an exhale that rasped through her throat and deflated her lungs, causing her to gasp.

She looked again into Jenkins’ face; saw the compassion in his soft brown eyes before he lowered his gaze against the intensity he no doubt saw in hers.

She glanced once at the telegram lying in the centre of the tray. The incongruity of such a plain envelope being served in such a pretty fashion was not lost on her, but that thought evaporated as her hand, almost of its own volition, reached out. She had no sense of her brain sending a message to her fingers and watched in surprise as her almost disembodied arm hung woodenly in the air. Then her chilled fingers connected with the envelope.

As reality crept back into her consciousness, she saw that one edge of the rain-speckled missive bore a smudged finger print. Could it be ink from the telegraph operator, or just the post boy’s grubby thumb? She picked up the telegram and turned it over in her fingers before lifting the flap and hesitantly removing the slip of paper it contained.

Holding her breath, she opened the single sheet and scanned the contents. Her searching gaze skimmed over the words ‘Priority’ and ‘Deeply regret’ until one word jumped out at her.

Missing, she whispered. Tears of relief welled in her eyes but she blinked them away, stood straight and tall, and cleared her throat. She took another deep breath to be sure she was steady enough to speak. His Lordship is reported missing, Jenkins. Please tell the post boy, if he is still waiting, there is no reply, and tell Mrs. Griffiths I shall come and speak to you all in the servants’ hall after lunch.

Jenkins bowed his head, relief evident on his face, and retreated. Serena stood as still as one of the columns supporting the entrance portico to her home. She clutched the telegram in her hand, squeezing her eyes shut to stem the tears, then remembered the new girls waiting uncertainly behind her. She swallowed her fear and composed herself.

Kathleen, Rebecca, please go ahead. She stood to one side so they could pass by her. I’ll bring the blankets and pillows.

This was not the time to be weak. This was not the time to allow panic to control her. She could not, must not focus on her own woes while they had so many new patients to tend.

She pushed the offending missive into the pocket of her apron, collected as much bedding as she could carry and made her way upstairs.

* * *

Captain Parry’s men brought in and set up the extra beds, making the ward a hive of activity. Matron Light took no chances with Kathleen and Rebecca, pairing them up with the more experienced VAD’s in order to get the beds made quickly and correctly.

Michael Sands, the resident doctor, assessed his new patients as each was transferred from the stretcher to a bed. Serena noticed that both Kathleen and Rebecca paled as they heard a man cry out in