The Donation, A Short Story By Site Author Margaret Urwin

The Donation By Margaret Urwin – Read Other Stories From Margaret Here.

Richard tutted when the doorbell rang. He put down his brush and wiped his paint smeared hands on his shirt front. As he walked up the passage from his studio at the back of the house he could see the outline of a female figure through the stained glass of the front door.

He opened the door to see an attractive dark-haired young woman with a toddler in a push chair smiling at him. He felt a sensation of familiarity, but could not place her.

“Good morning Sir,” she greeted him, momentarily displaying an identity badge, “We’re in the area collecting for local children, and I wondered if you might be prepared to make a donation.” She smiled brightly at him.

“Goodness,” thought Richard “she’s really quite charming.

I wish I could remember where I’ve seen her before.”

Aloud, he said to the woman, “Yes, of course. Would you like to just come into the porch out of the rain while I fetch my wallet?”

She pushed the buggy through the door and as he turned to walk down the passage he felt a sharp sting in his neck, and a dizzying darkness overwhelmed him.

He staggered and sank to his knees and he felt the warm blanket of oblivion being drawn over him.

As Richard stumbled to his knees Andrea steadied him so that he would not injure himself as he fell.

She knew that she had done the right thing by injecting him with the sedative as soon as his back was turned. She might not have got another easy opportunity.

Looking at him lying unconscious on the floor she found herself once more admiring his lean athletic frame, thick dark hair and long sensitive fingers. Oh yes – she’d done her research well.

Richard Jenkins’ father was an eminent marine biologist, renowned for his work with damsel crabs off the East coast of Africa.

A couple of years earlier he had become seriously ill shortly after his return from his latest expedition out there and he’d been brought to the medical ward at St Joseph’s, where Andrea was a newly qualified registrar.

It was when Richard had come to visit his father in hospital that Andrea had seen him for the first time and had been struck by his physical perfection.

She had known, at that moment, that he was The One. She had easily been able to find out all she wanted to know about Richard’s pedigree.

As she collected information about his father’s medical history she had managed to discover that his father was the son of an ex cabinet minister, and had studied at Oxford University, where he had met Richard’s mother, who was now a Professor of English there.

The whole family was robustly healthy with not a suggestion of any unpleasant inherited medical problems. Furthermore, money was not an issue, as Richard’s grandfather had left the family very comfortably off.

Richard himself was a bachelor who lived alone. He was a very successful artist with galleries in London and Chester and was a member of the Royal Academy.

“I can’t believe that nobody has snapped him up before now.” thought Andrea to herself.

She pushed the buggy past Richard’s slumped figure up the passage to the studio at the rear. She smoothed her son’s soft cheek.

“Have a little nap now darling, Mummy won’t be long.” she said , as she shut the door of the studio behind her.

She’d have to work quickly now before Richard began to come round from the sedative. She knelt and unzipped his trousers.

Some minutes later Richard began to stir. “What happened?” he asked in confusion.

“Just lie still now. You fainted.” Andrea appeared from the studio. “Don’t worry, I’m a doctor.

Here, have a drink of water. Have you eaten lately? I know what artists are like when they get involved with a new creation.” She placed a cool hand on his forehead.

“You’ll be fine shortly.”

Richard sat on the hall floor, his head in his hands. “I feel very strange.” he whispered.

“Your blood sugar is probably very low. I should have something to eat straight away.” Andrea advised, briskly wheeling the pushchair up the hall past him.

Richard smiled at the baby as he was pushed past. “You’ve been very kind.” he declared to Andrea as she went out of the front door.

“What about the donation?” he called after her as she hurried down the garden path.

“That’s alright, I can call back on another occasion.” replied Andrea, closing the garden gate firmly behind her.

As she turned into the street, a tall handsome looking woman walked to meet her.

“Well, did it work again?”

“Yes, it worked again,” said Andrea, giving her a tender kiss. She bent into the buggy, caressing the baby’s thick dark hair, admiring his slender sensitive fingers. “and young Richard should soon have a new brother or sister. Our little family will be complete.” 

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