Greek Doctor Claims His Bride

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CHAPTER THREE

FROM somewhere in the distance Tanya could hear a cock crowing. She was hotter than usual. Where was she? She stirred in the strange bed and opened her eyes. Wooden rafters above her…where was the window?

The mists of her mind suddenly cleared. She was at Grandmother Katerina’s, snug in the big bedroom at the top of the house. For several seconds she went back in time. She couldn’t remember the end of the evening. She’d been in Giorgio’s and…It was almost as if she’d been transported back here in the mythical fairy coach. There was a feeling of happiness tinged with sadness in the air.

And then she remembered. That kiss…that wonderful kiss! She’d murmured something to Manolis, held her face ready for another kiss, practically thrown herself at him. What did a woman have to do to make it obvious she would be putty in his hands? Oh, no! How humiliating to be rejected like that. Like what? She couldn’t remember the details. Only the feeling that she’d expected Manolis to take her in his arms and…

She squirmed with embarrassment as she remembered how he’d made it clear that the kiss had been a one-off, the sort of thing that happened between old friends when they met again after a long time. Oh, he hadn’t said that, in so many words. As far as she could remember, he hadn’t said anything apart from suggesting they should get back.

At that point, the jet-lag she’d been holding off while she’d assisted at the birth of Helene’s baby came back with a vengeance and she’d found herself agreeing with him. He’d held her hand but only in a courteous way so that she wouldn’t slip on the treacherous cobblestones. As they’d reached Chorio, the upper town, they’d passed the door of Giorgio’s Taverna where the door was closed but the revelry was continuing as always well into the night, and she’d found herself hoping Manolis would suggest they go in and join in the fun.

But they had kept on walking until he’d delivered her to her door and said goodnight. Not even a peck on the cheek! She told herself it was best they hadn’t got emotionally involved. Too much too soon. Yes, Manolis had been very wise and she’d been stupid to think they could turn back the clock. There was too much between them to jump straight into any kind of relationship other than professional.

She began to doubt now whether she’d been too negative in her reaction to the idea of working at the Ceres hospital. She hoped that Manolis would put her name forward as soon as possible because, having worked with him last night and having had time to reflect on the proposition, she realised it would be ideal.

Her thoughts swung back to that idyllic period in her life when she and Manolis had lived together in Australia. The key stages of their relationship came flooding back to her. Their initial friendship when they’d first met again in the hospital, she a medical student, he a well-respected doctor. He’d asked her to have a coffee with him so she could tell him what she’d been doing since he’d last seen her on Ceres when she’d still been a schoolgirl of sixteen and he’d just qualified as a doctor at the grand old age of twenty-four.

She’d looked around her as they’d entered the staff common room she remembered. Seen the envious glances of the female staff as she was escorted in by this fabulously handsome, tall, athletic, long-limbed, highly desirable doctor. She and Manolis had seemed to be on the same wavelength right from the start of their new adult relationship. That evening he’d taken her out to a Greek restaurant near the hospital, wined and dined her, and she’d fallen hopelessly in love.

Four weeks later, at his suggestion, she left her hospital accommodation and moved into his apartment. It was pure heaven! Somehow she managed to keep her mind on her medical studies and clinical work during the day but, oh, the nights! In that amazingly luxurious bed that always looked as if a herd of elephants had trampled over it in the morning!

She never really worked out why the contraceptive pill she was taking at the time failed. Whatever had caused it, she was totally unprepared when she realised her period was late. She remembered the shock as the result of her pregnancy test came out positive.

She experienced the awful conflicting emotions of wanting a baby with Manolis, yet wanting to plough on unencumbered to reach her goal of becoming a doctor as soon as possible. And then she realised that she could have both of these dreams. Many women had careers and children as well. She went to talk it over with her mother, who was truly delighted at the prospect of becoming a young grandmother.

She remembered the characteristic way her mother ran her hands through her still beautiful, shiny, long, auburn hair and pulled a wry face. “Not very good timing, Tanya, with your medical exams to get through, but don’t you dare tell me you’re not going to have my first grandchild! I’ll take care of him or her while you’re studying and working in the hospital. There won’t be a problem…”

She saw the tears of happiness in her mother’s eyes as she hugged her. When they separated her mother dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “You go for it, my darling, and I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“What will Daddy say?” Tanya asked tentatively.

“Oh, don’t you worry about your father. I can handle him. He’s a pussy cat really, although he may find it a bit irregular. Now, you run along and get back to that wonderful man of yours and tell him…well, break it gently. Men can be a bit strange at times like this but he’ll come round to the idea if you give him time. I’ve known Manolis since he was a child and he’s a good man. He’ll stand by you. After all, it’s not as if you got pregnant by yourself. It takes two to tango…”

When Manolis arrived back that evening she waited until after supper, having cooked one of his favourites, a chicken casserole. Then she told him the news. Oh, the shock on his face! She told him to sit down because he looked like he might faint. Then she joined him on the sofa. She told him she was definitely going to go through with it.

He said, “Of course you are!” Then he paused as if he was weighing his words. “And, of course, we must get married.”

It was his tone of voice that had made her think he was simply doing the dutiful thing. He was still in a state of shock. She remembered her mother’s words. He’s a good man. He’ll stand by you. Did she really want someone who was simply being dutiful?

“I don’t think we should rush things,” she told him.

“Are you saying you don’t want to marry me?”

She took a deep breath before saying, “It’s not as straightforward as that. I’m going to have a baby. Let’s do one thing at a time. For the moment I want to make my preparations for being a good mother and also I need to get on with my studies.”

But nothing prepared her for the agony of her miscarriage at fourteen weeks. It was all such a blur now. The sudden bleeding, Manolis driving her to hospital, being told she’d lost the baby, rushed into Theatre for a D and C.

She stifled the sob that rose at the back of her throat and looked out at the bright sunshine beyond the bedroom window, breathing deeply to calm herself again.

She had a sudden vision of Manolis standing by her hospital bed, telling her that he wanted to take care of her until she was well again. He was again asking her to marry him, to be his wife so that he could look after her. His voice had been so tender and kind. But she remembered the feeling of panic. Her hormones had been in control of her body, not she. She couldn’t make decisions at a time like this when she was grieving for the baby that had died inside her. Couldn’t commit to anything so life-changing as marriage.

So she’d looked up at Manolis and said she couldn’t marry him. That it was best they separate until she didn’t feel so confused. They’d only been together for a few months and everything had happened so quickly.

She turned her head to look around Grandma Katerina’s bedroom, her bedroom now, and decided that was enough reminiscing for today. Time to get back to the present and continue with her new life.

No time for nostalgic reflection now! It was high time she got herself moving and sorted out her clothes. Just in case Manolis phoned to say she should go down to the hospital for an interview.

* * *

In the house next door Manolis stared up at the ceiling. He couldn’t believe he’d passed up the opportunity of a night with Tanya. How often had he dreamed that she’d come back to him, that they were together again?

She had obviously been aroused by his kiss last night. Or had she just been pretending so as not to hurt his feelings? He could never be sure with Tanya. He’d lived with her for a few months, loved her, conceived a child with her and mourned with her when their unborn child had died in the womb. But he still couldn’t understand her!

He remembered the night she’d told him she was pregnant. The shock of it had almost taken his breath away. He’d felt so guilty at giving her an added burden to the load of getting through her studies and exams. He had been so worried it would all be too much for her that it had only been in the next few weeks that he’d had time to begin anticipating how wonderful it would be to have a child with Tanya. She’d seemed so happy, and so capable of handling the situation that he’d begun to relax with her again.

She’d made it quite clear this was what she wanted, a child and a medical career. He’d realised that life was going to be wonderful when they were a family and not just a couple.

Then had come the awful evening when she’d started to bleed. She had been fourteen weeks, he remembered. He’d driven her to hospital, made sure she was admitted immediately but there had been nothing anyone could do to save their baby.

He swallowed hard as the awful sadness of their loss hit him again. His grief had been almost impossible to bear. But he’d forced himself to stay strong for Tanya. He wanted to protect her, to take care of her while she’d been weak and vulnerable. That was when he’d made the mistake—he realised it now—of again asking to marry her. He’d told her that he wanted to look after her, to make sure as a doctor that she had the best treatment until she was strong again. He’d told her not to rush herself with her answer. He would wait until she was stronger.

But she’d looked at him as if he was a stranger. Her eyes had been blank, he remembered. This wasn’t the girl he knew and loved. He’d worked in obstetrics and witnessed how hormonal a woman could be when she’d lost a child. But it would pass—surely Tania would realise that her current situation was temporary.

He looked up at the ceiling as he tried to bring his emotions back under control. He hadn’t been prepared for her rejection of him. She’d asked him to leave her.

He remembered going out through the ward door. Her mother had been coming towards him down the corridor. She’d put out her hand and taken hold of his. “It’s best you leave Tanya alone for a while, Manolis. She’s very confused. We’re going to take her home for a while until she’s strong again.”

After she’d sent him away, rejecting the love he wanted to give her for the rest of his life, he’d felt he would never understand her. Not in a million years!

But last night, as he’d kissed her, he’d felt the desire rising in him as she’d snuggled against him and he’d felt that it might be possible to take this embrace to its obvious conclusion. But the old fears of rejection had nagged him. No, he’d been deluding himself, elated by the successful conclusion of a working partnership when they’d safely delivered Helene’s baby together.

Oh, yes, she might have gone to bed with him. But he wanted more than a no-strings relationship with Tanya. But he could tell she valued her freedom. He could understand that now. She’d worked hard to become a qualified and now experienced doctor. She didn’t need marriage.

Not like he did. As a young man he’d had two ambitions—one, to become a doctor and, two, to raise a family with the woman of his dreams. He’d had several no-strings relationships before he’d gone to Australia to take up a post in the hospital where Costas had been working. Meeting up with Costas’s sister Tanya again when he’d been twenty-eight and she was a promising medical student of twenty-two had been like a bolt of lightning.

He’d been amazed when he had seen her for the first time for six years. The last time he’d seen her had been just before her father had taken the family out to Australia. He’d just spent his first year as a qualified doctor in the London hospital where he’d trained and had come over to Ceres for a short break. Tanya had been with Costas one time when they’d all walked down from Chorio to the harbour for drinks together as night fell.

He’d noticed she was growing into a very attractive young lady. But she had just been his friend’s sister and far too young for him. But when he’d met her again six years later in Sydney he’d realised she was mind-blowing, with her fabulous, flowing, long auburn hair! Beautiful, attractive, intelligent, everything he’d ever dreamed of.

He remembered looking into her eyes, realising that she admired him too. Four weeks later he’d asked her to move into his apartment with him. They’d been idyllically happy until she’d told him she was pregnant. He’d been so worried about her, but he’d come to terms with it and relaxed, finally beginning to look forward to being a father. Then she had miscarried and their lives had changed completely. He had been totally rejected by the woman he adored at a time when he’d wanted to give her all his love and take care of her for ever.

The only way out of the impossible situation had been to start a new life and try to forget her.

“Papa!”

The sound of his daughter’s voice brought him back to the present. She was downstairs, having come from his mother’s house to see if he could take her to school. He always took her to school if he wasn’t already working at the hospital. The school wasn’t far away and the path was perfectly safe, but he liked to go with her.

“Chrysanthe, I’m coming, my love!”

* * *

The pile of clothes Tanya had brought from her suitcase to the bedroom could wait until she’d had some breakfast. She’d hardly eaten any supper at Giorgio’s. She set off to walk round to the baker’s to get some bread. As she stepped into the street, she caught a glimpse of Manolis turning the corner and the sound of his daughter’s chatter. If she hurried she could catch him up before he reached the main street. No, she needed to cool down. She wasn’t sure how she was going to face him today.

She lingered a while to make sure he was well on the way to Chrysanthe’s school. She wasn’t ready to face him just yet. Not until she’d made a cafetière of strong coffee and had some breakfast. He would probably phone later from the hospital and ask her down to discuss the job. At least, that was what she was hoping.

But he didn’t! She spent the entire morning doing more cleaning, organising the kitchen, organising the bedroom, hanging up clothes, neatly placing her pants and bras in one drawer, her T-shirts in another, her swimwear in another…

“He should have phoned by now!”

She realised she’d spoken out loud. Maybe that was what happened to people who lived by themselves. She needed to get out more! The sun was shining outside. To hell with him! She wasn’t waiting around any longer. She knew she really wanted this job now and so if he wasn’t going to contact her she would go to the hospital and ask for it herself. Her father had been one of the founders of the new hospital, for heaven’s sake! She would go in there with her head held high and ask to see the chairman of the board, whoever he might be these days.

Choosing the right clothes when you wanted to impress had always been a problem, because she preferred a casual look. Somewhere in the middle? Her cream linen suit? With a pale pink silk shirt underneath in case the heat got to her? Yes, that looked fine.

She sat down at her grandmother’s dressing table. Looking in the mirror, she smiled at herself to remove the worry lines that had appeared on her forehead. At twenty-eight she needed to take care not to get real wrinkles settling there. The light tan she’d had since she’d gone to live in Australia needed very little makeup. A little foundation cream and a dash of lipstick was all she’d use. There!

Several strokes of the hairbrush smoothed out the long auburn hair and made it shine. She was glad she’d taken the time to wash it that morning. She could, of course, coil it up so that she looked more professional. Yes, that would definitely impress the chairman of the board, the old boy she was going to see. He was bound to be old, wasn’t he? These types always were.

She piled her hair up on top and stuck it in place with several pins and grips. Over the years she’d practised this so often that it wasn’t difficult for her. She immediately felt more efficient, intelligent, a better doctor, somebody that the chairman would take seriously.

“In short, Dr Tanya,” she told her reflection, “you are the perfect candidate we’ve been looking for. The job is yours.”

She smiled. “Thank you, sir. I accept.”

* * *

Outside, the midday sun was stronger than she’d realised and the smart court shoes were hardly conducive to the cobblestones. Still, by the time she’d gone through the upper town and tried to persuade a taxi to collect her it would be quicker and easier to simply make her way on foot down the kali strata.

Halfway down, the door to Helene’s house was wide open. Helene’s grandmother was standing on the step and called out to her.

They chatted together. Tanya explained that she was on her way to the hospital and wouldn’t come in for a drink. Yes, she would try to see Helene at the hospital and was glad that all was well with her. With praise ringing in her ears about the way that she and Manolis had delivered the baby, she continued on her way.

It was marginally cooler as she walked through the narrow streets of Yialos, the town by the harbour. The hospital, referred to by everybody as the New Hospital, was set back from the harbour near the church. It had started off as the doctors’ surgery, she remembered, and had then been extended a great deal to qualify as a real hospital. It had certainly grown since she was last here.

She walked in through the front doors that led from the area where a couple of ambulances were parked. The reception area was very smart and, luxury of luxuries, it was air-conditioned! She really hadn’t expected anything quite so grand here on Ceres. She began to feel slightly overwhelmed. And definitely overdressed. And the fact that she’d assumed she could just walk in and demand to see the chairman of the board was perhaps a little…

“Can I help you?” an English voice asked.

She moved forward to confront the white-uniformed receptionist who, unsmilingly, didn’t seem as if she wanted to help at all.

“Actually, I was hoping to see…I’d like to make an appointment to see the chairman of the hospital board.”

The young woman frowned. “Could you give me some details, Miss…?”

She cleared her throat and straightened her back. “I’m Dr Tanya Angelapoulos.”

“Tanya!”

She turned at the sound of Manolis’s voice—his most welcome voice! For a moment she felt like the young girl who’d craved his attention. No, she was all grown up now and didn’t need his help—did she?

He came towards her, looking so handsome in his theatre greens, a mask still dangling round his throat, that she was sure her heart missed a beat.

“I’ve been in Theatre all morning. I was going to call you when I got a moment to spare about the job. I haven’t been able to contact any of the board. Wheels run slowly out here and now everything closes down for lunch. Why are you here?”

“I just happened to be down in the town, shopping, and I thought I’d drop in to…er get the feel of the place, see if I might like to work here,” she improvised.

He looked taken aback, she thought, and wished fervently that she hadn’t arrived unannounced. He didn’t seem at all pleased to see her.

“Look, come along to my office. I’ll fill you in on what’s involved with the job.” He turned to looked at the receptionist, who was desperately trying to find out what was going on. “It’s OK, Melissa, I’ll look after Dr Tanya.”

He put a hand on her back as he guided her out of Reception. He hadn’t even noticed she was smiling.

Tanya could feel the gentle, soothing touch of Manolis’s hand in the small of her back as they walked along the corridor. He was pushing open a door that led into a spacious room. He was obviously very important here. She’d noticed the sign on the door that read “HOSPITAL DIRECTOR.” He was the one who’d got her interested in this job. Surely he could bypass the usual rules and sign her in?