by Lucy Clark
‘It’s quiet anyway,’ Tori called after them as they left the clinic, heading out to walk in the sunshine. It was then that Daisy started to feel an enormous weight lift from her shoulders. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d done something just for herself.
The fact that they did the house calls together certainly raised a few more eyebrows and really set the tongues to wagging. Daisy was certain that by that night’s movie session the entire community would have settled their bets.
‘We are most definitely the talk of the town,’ Oscar said to her as they headed home to shower and change for the evening’s festivities. ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if they all cheer and clap when we arrive together, hand in hand.’ He took her hand in his and gave it a little squeeze.
Daisy smiled at him, caught up in the brightness of his eyes. She wasn’t sure if she would ever get tired of gazing into them. Oscar really was such a handsome man and one who seemed to understand her completely. It seemed odd that they’d only known each other for such a short time and yet it seemed as though she’d been waiting for him her whole life. He’d gently but firmly smashed down the walls she’d erected over the years to protect herself and now he looked at her as though she were the most beautiful, wonderful and incredible woman in the world. How could any woman not be affected by that?
She started to laugh, unable to stop the giggles.
‘What?’
‘It’s nothing.’
‘You’re just laughing for no reason now?’
Daisy couldn’t help it. Her smile increased and she giggled again. ‘It’s just that…well… I’m happy.’
His smile was wide and bright and he leaned forward to kiss her. ‘I’m sure you deserve to be.’ He opened the door to their residence. ‘After you, Lady Daisy.’ He affected a small bow.
Annoyance hard and fast burned through her, destroying her happiness as though someone had smashed a glass window with a hammer. ‘Please don’t call me that.’ Even she heard the haughtiness of her tone and when Oscar gave her a puzzled smile, she shook her head. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so snappy.’
‘It’s OK.’ As they headed into the cool of the house Oscar sensed it wasn’t the right time to press her for answers. Oscar was taken with her, even though he’d done his best to fight it. He knew he needed to ease the tension he could see in her shoulders and he quickly started talking about the food everyone would bring to tonight’s barbecue.
‘We’re bringing a salad,’ he said. ‘So chop-chop, Dr Daisy. Literally,’ he said, handing her a bunch of carrots. Slowly, as they worked side by side, the tension in her shoulders began to ease and the smile began to reach her eyes once more.
Oscar continued to chat, to tell her about the delicious goodies other people in the town would bring.
‘Glenys is making her famous all natural ice-blocks. My favourite is peach and blueberry.’
‘Ice-blocks?’
Oscar nodded. ‘Of course. Being from England, you wouldn’t often eat ice-blocks, now, would you?’
‘Hey!’ She scolded. ‘It gets hot over there. Not as hot as here, but it still gets hot enough that we eat iced lollies.’
‘Well, you’ll love these. Glenys purées fruit, mixes it together and then freezes it in her moulds so you have the perfect ice-block on a stick with no added nasties. It’s like perfect sunshine in an ice-block. You love strawberries, right?’
‘How do you know that?’
‘Uh…because I’ve seen you eat them and you seem to savour them in the same way that my sister used to eat chocolate.’
‘Oh.’ She’d had no idea he’d been observing her. She couldn’t blame him though, as she’d been observing him as well. She knew he didn’t like mushrooms but was more than happy to cook them for her in the morning when he made breakfast. She knew he drank his coffee black with two sugars and she knew he had a marvellous baritone voice because he often sang in the shower.
They talked a bit more about the fruit ice-blocks Glenys made and the homemade lamingtons Erica would be bringing and by the time they were changed and ready to walk down to the town hall, Daisy’s stomach was already grumbling.
True to Oscar’s description, there were tables laden with food, the ceiling fans and air conditioner in the hall working overtime as they all joined together, laughing and eating and having a brilliant time.
Naturally, Daisy and Oscar were subjected to a lot of knowing looks and smiles and pats on the back and handshakes regarding the change in their relationship from colleagues to…more than colleagues.
Even Daisy wasn’t one hundred per cent sure what was going on between them. They’d kissed. They’d held hands. They didn’t seem in any hurry to be separated from each other and she liked that he appeared to enjoy being around her all the time. However, deep down inside, she knew it would come to an end. Things always did for her. Nothing ever worked out the way she envisioned it and the fact that they were living in the same house, working at the same hospital and now attending functions together meant that, sooner rather than later, she half expected Oscar to get sick of her company.
‘Ready to come and sit outside and watch the movie?’ Oscar asked her after the sun had gone down. Police officer Henry and a gaggle of others had set up a large screen behind the town hall in order to screen the movie. The flies had all disappeared and the mosquitoes seemed to be giving them the night off, even though several people, including Daisy, sprayed themselves with repellent.
‘Well, I do declare,’ Oscar stated as he came to sit beside her on the rug he’d spread for them. ‘You are becoming quite the local, Dr Daisy.’ They were sitting near the back of the gathered group, some people sitting on beanbags and others having carried sofas and rocking chairs down to the hall from their own houses. Daisy was pleased with the community feel, delighted at the acceptance she felt and thrilled that Oscar thought she was turning into a local.
‘You’re all set. Got your repellent on. Using your event programme as a makeshift fan to cool yourself down and relaxing back on a rug finishing off an ice-block.’
‘This was my third,’ she said softly, whispering her words near his ear. ‘You were right. They’re delicious.’
Her face was tilted towards him, her lips slightly parted, as though begging him to kiss her. He didn’t disappoint and captured her mouth with his. ‘Mmm… Strawberry and apple,’ he remarked after tasting her cool lips. ‘My favourite.’
‘I thought you liked peach and blueberry.’
‘I wasn’t talking about the ice-block,’ he murmured and captured her lips once more in another kiss, this one slow and teasing and igniting the need deep inside Daisy she was finding difficult to ignore. He then shifted closer to her and was delighted when she leaned her head on his shoulder as they watched the movie with the rest of the town.
After the first hour, Daisy eased back, lying propped up on one arm. She’d seen this movie several times before and loved the storyline of how the main protagonists had to work together to solve the mystery…falling in love as the story progressed.
‘If only life were that simple,’ she whispered, and as he heard the pain in her words his protective instinct began to flare. Who had hurt his Daisy? And would she ever trust him enough to tell him about it?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
‘WHAT DID YOU think of the movie?’ Tori asked. ‘I know most people have seen it as it’s a classic but there’s just something about sitting out here together as a community and watching it as one big happy family,’ she continued, not giving Daisy a chance to answer.
‘Oh, I doubt she and Oscar were watching much of the movie,’ Glenys remarked as she walked past. ‘Too busy canoodling, from what I could see.’ She laughed as she carried her picnic rug and chairs to her car.
‘Don’t mind Glenys,’ Tori said as Oscar finished folding up their own picnic rug. ‘The gossip is always rampant when something new and exciting happens in town.’
‘Was Scotty here tonight?’ Oscar
asked but Tori shook her head.
‘He’s still in Darwin with Gracie and her parents, helping out. He calls me regularly with updates.’ The nurse seemed very pleased that she and Scotty were back on speaking terms.
‘That’s right. I thought he was coming back in time for the movie night.’
‘No. Gracie’s doing well, as you both know, but her parents still rely on Scotty to help them out.’
‘Of course. Anyway,’ Oscar stated, slipping his hand into Daisy’s, ‘time to get some sleep, I think. Who knows what sort of emergency we’ll encounter next?’ It was just after midnight as they headed back to the doctors’ residence and Daisy was having a hard time controlling her yawns. ‘Do you realise, my delicious Daisy…’ she chuckled at his name for her ‘…that when you’re tired and sleepy you’re even more irresistible?’
‘I am?’
‘Yes. I remember that very first night you arrived. I watched over you as you slept, making sure your temperature didn’t spike.’
‘You did?’
‘Of course I did. I couldn’t have my new doctor checking out before she’d really checked in.’ He pulled her into his arms and looked into her eyes. ‘I love that you’re almost the same height as me. I love the way you throw yourself into whatever situation you face, family, war zones or outback problems. You just…confront whatever is in your own way and I admire that quality in you.’
‘Admire it, please, but don’t love me, Oscar.’ She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his. ‘Don’t love me,’ she whispered.
Initially, he’d only used the word as a throwaway line, in a non-serious context, but seeing her reaction caused him to question further. ‘Why not? You’d be so easy to love.’ And he meant it, he realised. The knowledge should have scared him but, instead, he felt a peace settle over him that holding Daisy close to his heart was the right thing to do.
‘I wouldn’t be easy to love because my life is not a normal one,’ she stated, pain in her tone, but she was more than happy for him to capture her mouth with his, more than happy to lose herself to the sensations he could evoke within her. She tried so hard to kiss him back the same way, to let him know that he made her happy, that she thoroughly enjoyed being with him but…love? How could she possibly know what love was when she wasn’t sure she’d ever received it from anyone else?
‘What’s love got to do with it?’ her father had ranted when she’d begged him to help her mother, the woman he was supposed to cherish and care about.
‘You don’t love Mother?’ she’d questioned.
‘I’m exceedingly fond of her, Daisy, but love is for people with no real power. We have position, integrity and breeding to uphold. Your mother’s antics are disgraceful and, as such, she should deal with them and not drag me down to her level. She can host my parties, but apart from that she can keep out of my way until she can get herself under control. She’s so weak.’ He’d said the last three words with such distaste and at that moment, Daisy had hated her father. He had no compassion, no understanding. All he cared about was how the situation looked to the outside world. It was why he’d been more than happy for her to study medicine because bragging to his friends that his daughter was a qualified doctor had been impressive.
‘Love only brings pain,’ her mother had said when Daisy had once more tried to get her into a rehabilitation facility. Cecilia had already been to one in Spain and for almost a year it had worked. She’d been strong and kept off the alcohol, but when she’d discovered Daisy’s father was having an affair with the woman who had purported to be Cecilia’s best friend she’d returned to the bottle.
Love only brings pain. The words kept repeating over and over in Daisy’s head. Her parents were living proof that the statement was true.
If she dared to allow herself to love Oscar, to really love Oscar, would it bring her pain? Every time she’d tried to love the people in her life, her parents, her brother, her friends…it had indeed brought her nothing but pain. So she’d held herself aloof, wanting to concentrate on her work, on using the skills she’d gained in order to help others. That had certainly brought a sense of satisfaction but here with Oscar, here in his arms, in their lounge room, she wasn’t sure she could take those final steps towards supposed happiness.
She broke free, her breathing ragged as she looked into his eyes. ‘Oscar, where is this going?’
‘Well…’ He raised his eyebrows suggestively. ‘Your room’s probably cleaner than mine.’
‘No, not that. Of course I realise that on an attraction level, on a sensual level, we are indeed compatible, but what’s next? We sleep together? What then? We work closely together. The health and well-being of this town rests on our shoulders. We were scheduled to have this discussion this evening and yet all we’ve done is ignore the conversation we really should have been having.’
‘Daisy.’ He kissed her forehead, then led her over to the lounge, which contained the two wing-back chairs. They sat down together, Oscar holding both of her hands in his. He paused for a moment, then spoke clearly but quietly. ‘I’ve been hurt twice before, my heart ripped up into little pieces, and I swore to myself it would never happen again.’
‘And yet tonight you mentioned love,’ she felt compelled to point out.
‘I know. It stunned me as much as it stunned you but, at the end of the day, the heart wants what it wants even if logically the decision isn’t a sound one.’
‘You’d risk getting hurt for a third time?’
‘If it meant I had memories with you?’ He thought about it for a moment then nodded. ‘I think I would.’
‘But…there’s still so much about me you don’t know, so much that I haven’t told you.’
‘I know enough.’
‘Really? You’d still feel the same way about me if I told you that my family is very wealthy?’
‘Are they?’
‘Yes.’
‘Good for them.’
Daisy let go of his hands and took a few steps away from him. ‘Oscar, my father is an earl. He’s Lord Forsythe-York. My mother is Lady Forsythe-York.’
‘Titled, eh?’
She spread her arms wide at his blasé attitude. ‘How can you not care about this?’
‘Because it doesn’t change the person you are right now, the woman standing in front of me, the woman who paid for Mrs Piper’s surgery.’
‘You know about that?’
‘Timothy told me when we were in Darwin. All it did was make me admire you more.’
‘So it wouldn’t bother you that my official title is Lady Daisy Philomena Sarah Forsythe-York?’
‘Ah.’ It was as though a light bulb clicked on over his head. ‘That’s why you didn’t like it when I called you Lady Daisy. Fair enough, too.’ He grinned at her. ‘Pretty name. So you really are a lady?’
‘I am.’
‘And you have certain societal responsibilities that your family expect you to uphold?’
‘I do.’
‘And yet you’ve stood your ground and demanded that you go to medical school. You worked overseas, you joined the army and went to war! Daisy, you’re amazing and brilliant and brave and so many other things that this news doesn’t change my opinion of you at all.’
Daisy threw her arms up in the air. ‘Why are you being so accepting and complacent about this?’
‘I’m not being complacent, Daisy, I assure you. The last time we had a big turnout to a movie night like that was about three weeks before Lucinda passed away. Tonight brought back many memories of her telling me to find myself again, to not let myself be squashed by my mistakes of the past, to enjoy the life I had. “Life is for living, little brother—so live it…for yourself and for me.” That’s what she said and tonight I remembered that. Tonight, I experienced what those words meant. Sitting there with you, watching the movie with the town, I don’t know…I felt—’ He shrugged one shoulder. ‘I felt happy.’
‘And you haven’t felt that way in a long
time?’
He nodded. ‘See? We’re not so different, Daisy.’
‘Yes, we are! How can I make you understand the very real differences between us?’
‘You like strawberries. I hate mushrooms. Yes, we’re different, but that’s also what makes us unique. However, when we are together, when I hold you in my arms…’ He stood and started walking slowly towards her. She stood her ground, wanting him to be near to her but also wanting to find a way to get it through his thick head that they came from completely different backgrounds.
‘Oscar.’ She put up one hand to stop him advancing but all he did was take it in his and kiss it. ‘Your parents passed away when you were young. You were raised by your sister. You’ve had pain and loss all throughout your life.’
‘I know this.’
‘If you insist on becoming involved with me, then you’ll continue to have pain and loss.’
‘I disagree,’ he murmured, cupping her face and lowering his head to capture her lips. He was rewarded with a sigh and her arms entwining around his neck. How could she say this was wrong? How could she say that what existed between them was only going to bring pain and loss?
‘Something that feels this right,’ he whispered against her mouth, ‘couldn’t possibly be that wrong.’
‘Shut up and kiss me,’ she demanded and he grinned before complying with her wishes. It was only the ringing of her cell phone that stopped them. At this hour of the night, it was imperative they answer all calls.
‘Emergency?’ She extracted herself from his embrace and walked to the table beside the wing-back chair where she’d left her phone.
‘You get the phone. I’ll get the emergency bag.’ He spun on his heel and headed towards the kitchen. He heard her answer the call, ‘Dr Daisy speaking,’ and couldn’t help but smile that she was now calling herself that. She was becoming more of an honorary Aussie every day. Not that he wanted her to lose her haughty Britishness, as he loved that part of her.