Deep in thought he let his mind go back to when they’d first met. They hadn’t been on the best of terms during the first few days of their acquaintance, yet he’d not been able to keep away from her, and once he’d got to know Kate she’d warmed his cold heart with her kindness and compassion.
And what had he given her in return? Not a lot. Just the odd melting moment that had always ended in drawing back on his part, and must have made her feel used and insecure.
She might find it hard to believe, but she wasn’t the only one who was moving on, though he might be doing it at a slower rate than she was. But he was getting there, and the last thing he needed was his own space. He wanted her, Kate, in his space for ever and always, and if in the end she tired of the uncertainty, it would serve him right.
It was boring in The Poacher’s Rest, Kate thought as the evening dragged on, with village small talk all around her. She would much rather be with Daniel in the cosy sitting room at Jasmine Cottage while Alex slept safely up above.
What had she hoped to prove by coming here? That she was a free agent? If that had been the idea, she was crazy, because she wasn’t. Without Daniel she would be lost.
When she got up to go, Keith, the fellow from the narrowboat who’d seen her at the surgery the other day, called across and said, ‘You’re not going yet, surely?’
‘I’m afraid so.’
‘I’ll walk you home.’
She shook her head, ‘No. Thanks just the same.’
He shrugged. ‘Fine. Suit yourself.’ And turned back to the bar.
When she arrived back at Jasmine Cottage Daniel was seated at the kitchen table, going through some paperwork that he’d brought home from the practice. He looked up and said casually, ‘Did you enjoy the change of scene?’
‘Not really. For one thing, your friend from the canal moorings came on to me. Wanted to walk me home.’
He frowned angrily. ‘That guy has some nerve. Your mother phoned while you were out and when I told her you’d gone to the pub she said she’d ring back.’
‘I’m going upstairs to hang my jacket up, so I’ll phone her while I’m up there, and then I think I’ll turn in,’ she told him. ‘It’s been an exhausting day with all sorts of highs and lows, and amongst the highs were the flowers. I’m not sure if I thanked you properly for them. If I didn’t, I’ll say it now. Thank you.’
It sounded stilted but she couldn’t help it. She wanted to know where their relationship was going, and from where she was standing the answer seemed to be nowhere. At that moment the phone rang and she dashed upstairs to answer it.
‘Ah, so you’re back,’ her mother’s voice said in her ear.
‘Yes,’ she informed her listlessly.
‘What’s wrong?’
‘It’s Daniel.’
‘Daniel? In what way?’
‘In the way that he is. He brought me flowers after we’d had a few skirmishes, and I was most ungrateful because I have a formidable rival for his affections.’
‘I’m not with you,’ Ruth said. ‘You are in love with that delightful man and you have a rival?’
‘Yes, to both questions, and to make it worse she’s not of this world.’
There was a moment’s silence at the other end of the line and then her mother said slowly, ‘Ah, I see. It’s Lucy, the girl he was going to marry, isn’t it? He can’t forget her.’
‘You have it in a nutshell, Mum. Why do I always have to fall in love with men who don’t know their own minds?’
‘It is their loss,’ Ruth said comfortingly. ‘Craig you are well rid of, but Daniel Dreyfus is another matter. It’s to his credit that he is capable of loving so deeply, and if he ever gives his heart to another woman, it won’t be without a great deal of sincerity and commitment on his part. I suggest that you ease your friendship along gently and maybe one day…’
Kate sighed. ‘I can’t see it happening. We were getting along famously until I fell in love with him, and now we seem more like strangers than friends.’
‘Does he know you care?’
‘I think he guesses and is poised for flight all the time. But enough of me. How is Gran, and is she still keen to move in with Great-Aunt Lydia?’
‘Yes. I’m busy packing up for her and dealing with solicitors and estate agents. Is there any further news on Alex’s father?’
‘He seemed to be making good progress when we saw him over the weekend, but has still some way to go. Daniel and Alex speak to him each evening before Alex goes to bed, and the two of them are going to visit him again on Saturday.’
‘So you’re not going with them this time?’
‘Er, no. I’ve decided not to. The more involved I am in Daniel’s life, the more it will hurt when I’m not. In any case, it is those two that Tom will want to see, not me.’
‘Does Daniel know that you’re not going?’
‘Not yet. I’ll tell him nearer the time. I intend to go shopping while they’re gone. I need a new outfit for Sarah’s wedding, and guess what? She has bought my wedding dress from the charity shop.’
‘Never!’
‘I’m afraid so, and the good news is I don’t mind. I’m pleased that it’s going to be Sarah’s bridal gown, instead of it being worn by a stranger. She’s thrilled to bits with it, so there we are.’
‘And what about you?’ her mother said. ‘It is time something good happened to you.’
Kate sighed. ‘Something good has happened, but I’m not sure how to deal with it.’
When Kate didn’t come downstairs again Daniel decided to go to bed himself, but first he went to check on Alex, and when he went into his bedroom he found her standing beside his bed in a long white nightdress, looking tenderly down at the sleeping child, and as the moment took hold of him he thought that this was the kind of thing he’d been denying himself, family life. His own family. Lucy would not want him to deny himself a wife to cherish and children from the love they bore each other.
He’d been the one who wouldn’t break faith, and until he’d met Kate it had been easy enough. But all the time he was with her she was enchanting him and feelings long dead were coming back to life.
He’d told himself she wasn’t his type when they’d first met, and it had been true. She hadn’t been. But that had been before he’d got the true measure of her and now she filled his every waking thought.
He reached down and straightened a cover that Alex had kicked off in sleep and when he turned to face her she’d gone noiselessly back to her own room without a word spoken between them.
It would seem that the moment hadn’t got to Kate as it had to him. Maybe her being so hard to pin down during the evening had saved him from making a fool of himself.
It turned out to be a funny sort of week. Kate’s enjoyment at being in general practice was increasing as her relationship with Daniel faltered. They had no problems while in the surgery. Both were keen and dedicated and they shared the workload harmoniously with Miriam, who was now a much happier person. But when their working day was over there was a constraint between them that hadn’t been there before.
Amongst the rest of the staff at the practice there was the buzz of excitement that a wedding always brought, and as the event drew nearer Sarah found to her relief that the scan that Kate had arranged showed no signs of anything to be concerned about with her digestive tract.
And when Jenny announced one morning that her future son-in-law’s parents had relented and would be at the wedding, Kate felt that with those two items of good news to brighten her young life, Sarah’s vomiting might subside.
When she told Daniel on Thursday night that she wasn’t going with them to see Tom he hid his disappointment and told himself that Kate was entitled to a life of her own, and she hadn’t had much of that since she’d become bogged down with his affairs.
‘Fine,’ he said. ‘We won’t be staying overnight this time as I have appointments with a couple of people up at the house on Sunday to discuss ideas for
the interior. I don’t suppose you’d fancy coming along to give your opinion? It sometimes helps to have another point of view.’
‘I might say the wrong thing,’ she told him, and without either a yes or a no, he didn’t pursue it.
On Saturday morning Kate went out onto the drive to wave Daniel and Alex off. When she’d given Alex a big hug and a kiss, and he was smiling up at her through the open window of the car, she said, ‘Give my love to your dad, won’t you?’
She looked at Daniel. ‘As far as Mum and I are concerned, it is still on about Tom coming here to stay when the hospital discharges him, if he will accept our hospitality. She’s hoping to be home soon and is looking forward to meeting him and Alex. Mum admires the way that Tom is accepting what the fates have doled out to him and is getting on with his life.’
It was a veiled rebuke for the man in the driver’s seat, and as soon as she’d said it Kate wished she hadn’t, but as with all words, once said they were there to stay, and the long, level look that Daniel was sending in her direction said that he’d tuned into their meaning. Without any comment he started the car and drove off.
When they disappeared from sight she went back inside and stood without moving as her mind went back down the weeks since Craig had done her the favour of pointing her in the direction of Mr Right, who at that time had been convinced he was Mr Wrong, and into the silence she said, ‘I hope you approve of what is happening, Lucy. I love Daniel and know I can make him happy but, please, know that I will always respect his feelings for you.’
Alex had taken a sketching pad and coloured pencils with him to keep him occupied during the journey, and when he produced a drawing of a face with golden hair and a smiley mouth Daniel asked, ‘Who is that supposed to be?’
Surprised blue eyes met his. ‘Kate, of course,’ his surprised youg passenger replied.
‘Yes, I see,’ he said, as if he didn’t know, and thought that her smiles had been in short supply of late and he was responsible for that. Yet he’d been the one who’d been miserable when she’d told him she wasn’t going with them. Maybe she did need some new clothes. He hoped that was the case and that she wasn’t giving him some space again. Space he didn’t want.
Tom’s face lit up when he saw then walking down the ward towards him, but his first comment was, ‘Where’s Kate?’
‘She couldn’t make it this time,’ Daniel told him, ‘but she sends her love.’ He noted that Tom was looking better and brighter. ‘What’s the news on the medical front?’
‘I can manage to get about under my own steam now. Still with the help of two sticks, of course, and it is a slow process,’ he informed him. ‘The good news is I’m going to be discharged in a couple of weeks’ time as long as I don’t have any setbacks.’ His expression sobered, ‘In the meantime, I need to make plans for how I’m going to cope when I get home.’
He was noting Daniel’s concerned expression and said reluctantly, ‘Could I ask you to keep Alex for a little while longer to give me time to get used to coping before I start looking after him again?’
‘I can do better than that,’ he told him. ‘Kate and Ruth, her mother, want you to stay with them until you are more mobile. They have the room, and you would be back with Alex again without any stress involved.’
‘That’s very generous,’ Tom said in amazement. ‘But I couldn’t possibly impose on them like that.’
‘They are generous people,’ he told him, thinking of the smiley curving mouth that Alex had drawn. ‘They’ll love having you at Jasmine Cottage. The offer of some home comforts is completely sincere.’
‘Then I’ll accept it,’ Tom told him huskily as with moist eyes he observed his son. ‘And tell them thanks from the bottom of my heart. I’ve been dreading how I was going to manage during the rehabilitation process and with Christmas not too far away.
‘It’s not my favourite time of year, though I don’t let Alex see that. You aren’t the only one with memories, Daniel, but you are young and free. Don’t waste your life. I keep telling you she wouldn’t want that.’
Her father hadn’t said her name, yet they both knew who he was referring to, and once again it was Kate’s face at the forefront of his mind, with Lucy smiling at him from the shadows.
CHAPTER EIGHT
AFTER a successful search for an outfit for Sarah’s wedding Kate turned her attention to the more basic things and at the checkout of a supermarket found herself behind Miriam, who seemed to be stocking up with gluten-free products.
The third member of the practice was as much of a mystery to her as she was to Daniel, and remembering how he’d asked her to try to find out what was troubling her she said, ‘Hi, Miriam. I’m going for a coffee when I’ve been served here. Do you fancy joining me?’
Surprised by her sudden appearance, Miriam said wryly. ‘Why? So that you can enquire why I’m on gluten-free foods?’
‘Er, no, not really. Unless you want to tell me. I know that Daniel was concerned about you at one time. He thought you mightn’t be very well. But I know lots of people who eat gluten-free stuff because they like it.’
It wasn’t strictly true, but she didn’t want to create any waves with Miriam. She had no idea what went on in her life away from the practice, but had a feeling that it wasn’t much.
‘So how is life treating you these days, Miriam?’ she asked casually when they’d found a table in a nearby coffee-bar. ‘We never seem to have time to talk at the surgery, do we?’
‘That’s true enough,’ Miriam agreed, ‘but it’s been much better since you came to lighten the load, and in answer to the question, life is treating me better than it was. Around the time that Daniel took over I was far from well. I recognised the symptoms, but like a lot of our patients pretended they weren’t there, which was a poor showing for a doctor. But we medics are apt to think that as the dispensers of health care we’re immune from life’s ills.
‘Anyway, to cut a long story short, I finally behaved sensibly, had the necessary tests and was diagnosed with coeliac disease and now, living a gluten-free life, I’m feeling much better, and as I’ve just said, having you in the practice has made a big difference to the pressure we were under.’
‘Why didn’t you tell Daniel you were ill?’ Kate asked chidingly. ‘He would have done everything he could to lighten your load.’
She shrugged narrow shoulders. ‘He was already having to do that when he took over and found me to be something of a passenger.’
‘But you’re not now.’
‘No, I’m not. And that is how I intend it to stay. So let’s change the subject. Tell me what is going on in your life. I see that you still have the boy staying with you.’
‘Yes. It’s lovely having Alex around. I’ll miss him when he goes. And what are you up to now that you’re feeling better?’
The woman sitting opposite smiled. ‘My sister and her family are coming to stay. I’m really looking forward to that. And there’s a new man in my life too.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes. A four-legged one. I’ve acquired a delightful King Charles spaniel, who is wonderful company.’
‘Good for you. What have you called him?’
‘Monarch.’
‘I get the connection,’ Kate told her laughingly.
And with the smile still there Miriam said, ‘I thought you would.’
It was late when Daniel and Alex got back and his young charge was curled up asleep in the passenger seat when Kate went out to greet them. When she opened the car door Daniel was smiling with pleasure. It was good to be back where most of his thoughts had been during the day, and he was hoping to get a smile in return when Kate heard that Tom would be delighted to stay at Jasmine Cottage for a while.
‘So how was Tom?’ she asked as Alex woke up and gazed around him sleepily.
It was a clear cold night with fronds of frost on the trees, and a winter moon hung over the peaks that surrounded the village. Daniel saw her shiver and said, ‘Let’s
go inside first. This young man won’t need any rocking once he’s had some supper. When he’s settled for the night we can talk.’
Kate nodded but didn’t move. She was looking at the winter wonderland around them. ‘I love this place,’ she said dreamily. ‘Whatever the season, it never ceases to enchant me.’
She had taken Alex by the hand and was moving towards the house and as he caught them up Daniel thought that he too was enchanted by the village, but she enchanted him more.
The memory of finding her standing beside Alex’s bed in her nightdress as they’d floundered in the implications of their attraction to each other was still crystal clear. It had been a family kind of moment, but they hadn’t been a family.
When Kate came downstairs after tucking a sleepy Alex under the covers she said, ‘I have something to tell you about Miriam.’
‘Really? What about her?’
‘I met her buying gluten-free food while I was shopping in town this afternoon. She has coeliac disease. That was what was wrong with her when you took over, and she didn’t want to admit it, either to you or herself.
‘But now she’s had the tests and is facing up to it cheerfully enough on a gluten-free diet. Also she’s looking forward to having visitors which I felt might be a rarity. And wait for it—she has got herself a dog.’
‘You amaze me!’ he exclaimed. ‘You’ve got more information out of Miriam in a matter of minutes than I have during all the months she and I have been working together.’
He felt a rush of bone-melting tenderness wash over him. She was so easy to love, this bright star who had come into his life so unexpectedly.
Observing him, Kate became still. It was there again, she could sense it. The sexual chemistry that was all mixed up with affection, respect and need. But what about love? Where did that come into it? Without it they wouldn’t survive.
Unaware of the questions she was asking herself, he was getting back to basics. ‘You asked me about Tom. He’s doing well and is likely to be discharged soon. I passed on your invitation and he will be delighted to spend some time here. He was concerned about how he was going to manage when he goes home, so being here for a while will give him some breathing space.’
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