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‘Yes, I try to do between three and five miles a day.’
‘I can see it keeps you fit.’
The knot in her stomach tightened as he looked her over, the expression in his melting brown eyes letting her know that he liked what he saw. ‘I try.’ She swallowed the restriction in her throat, a tingle running through her as his thumb began to brush across her palm and wrist once more. ‘I’ve done a few triathlons in the past but I don’t get the chance to compete much these days.’
‘Do you prefer to run alone, or do you enjoy company?’
‘Company is good,’ she murmured, hoping that meant he might join her one day. ‘If you still play football, you should talk to Oliver. He’s organising a charity match next weekend to raise money for the flood relief fund.’
‘That’s an excellent idea, I’ll do that. Lauren—’
Whatever Gabriel had been about to say was halted by the sudden beep of her mobile phone announcing an incoming text message. Lauren jumped at the intrusion, disappointed when her hand was released. Already she missed the contact between them. Beside her, Foxy stirred at the noise, stretching and yawning before rising to his feet and nudging her leg. Absently, she stroked his head with one hand while rummaging in her bag with the other to find her phone.
‘Sorry about this.’
‘Don’t worry,’ Gabriel reassured her, but he looked as regretful for the interruption as she was.
Sighing, Lauren tilted the phone, frowning as she concentrated on reading the message, aware it was harder to see the small letters illuminated on the screen than it had once been. Again, she pushed the concern away, unable to face the implications. The text, she discovered, was from her friend Chloe MacKinnon.
‘Worried you aren’t home yet. Any problems? Oliver says supper ready in an hour. Love C x’
Shocked, Lauren looked towards the windows and saw how dark it was outside. She glanced at her watch, stunned to discover the time. ‘Oh, my gosh!’
‘Everything all right?’ Gabriel asked.
‘I’d no idea it was this late. I’m so sorry, I’ve taken up all your afternoon!’
Laughing, his hand brushed her arm. ‘I’ve enjoyed every moment with you, Lauren. Thank you. I am the one who should apologise for detaining you.’
‘It’s fine. I just didn’t say I was delayed. I was expected home ages ago.’
‘I see.’ Gabriel moved back from her, disappointment dulling his eyes.
Her breath caught as she realised what he thought. ‘I’ve told you about my friends Chloe and Oliver, midwife and GP at the surgery?’ she asked, and he nodded. ‘They’re engaged and Oliver’s been living at Chloe’s cottage in Fisherman’s Row since the end of July. They were flooded out and have been staying with me since then,’ she rushed to explain, gratified to see relief lighten his expression.
‘So there’s no boyfriend waiting for you?’
‘No. There’s no one.’ She responded to his blunt question with equal clarity. ‘But I’d better get back.’
‘Of course.’
Reluctantly, she rose to her feet, unhooked her bag from the back of the chair and looped the strap over her shoulder. ‘Is there anything else I can do? Do you have all you need?’
She looked around the kitchen, hoping she had remembered everything.
‘It’s fine, Lauren. You have done so much and I appreciate it.’
‘If you think of anything…’
‘I’ll let you know,’ he promised with a smile.
‘I wrote out some phone numbers for you.’ Including her own, she added silently, pointing to the fridge where a piece of paper was held firm by a colourful Penhally magnet. With nothing else to prevent her leaving, she slipped on Foxy’s lead and turned towards the door. ‘I’d better go, then.’
She was acutely conscious of Gabriel following close behind her as she walked out of the kitchen. Pausing a moment, she formed a picture in her mind of the dim, unlit hallway and the route to the front door, trying to remember if there was anything in the way. She didn’t think so…provided she avoided the bottom tread of the stairs that stuck out a few inches on her left. Anxiety gripped her as she was faced with her failing night vision. She could fumble for an unseen light switch and risk drawing attention to her problem, or take a chance the hall was clear. She chose the latter.
A short while ago she had breezily told Gabriel about her altered working hours. What she had not told him was how she had used the cover of the flood disaster and completion of the new physio room to make her changed schedule permanent. A flicker of guilt assailed her for the deception and for hiding her real reasons from Nick and everyone else. She was afraid to venture out after dark and, with each passing autumn day, dusk was falling earlier. The only journey she felt able to make at night was from the surgery to her cottage, a route she knew so well she could cover every inch of the short distance with her eyes closed. Which was how it had felt lately in the dark. She was scared what it meant, but was unable to face the fact that something strange was happening to her sight. At some point, if it got worse, she would have to. She would never put other people in danger. But for now she could still cover it up.
After she had negotiated the hallway slowly but safely, Gabriel reached round her to open the door, momentarily bringing their bodies into close proximity and firing her blood once more. Before he could put on the outside light, she moved forward, missing her step, unable to see. For a second, she teetered off balance, then Gabriel’s arm was there to steady her. The light came on and she blinked, disoriented for a second, aware, when her vision sharpened, of the frown on his face.
‘Are you OK?’
‘Yes, fine,’ she assured him breathlessly. With caution, she stepped out of his hold and down the steps to the gravel drive. Needing to disguise her latest mishap, she turned back to smile at him. ‘There is something you should know about me before you hear it from anyone else.’
The wariness returned to his eyes and she could sense his tension. ‘What’s that?’
‘I’m renowned for being impossibly clumsy.’ She managed a passable laugh, trying not to think of her catalogue of stupid incidents. Unfortunately they seemed to be happening more and more often, her most recent examples being the moment she had inexplicably reversed into a parked car at the church after Jack and Alison’s wedding, and the way she had stumbled and fallen in the rubble the day after the flood. ‘Everyone teases me for being an accident waiting to happen.’
‘I’ll consider myself warned,’ Gabriel replied, his answering laugh not completely masking his confusion.
Eager to leave on a more positive note, Lauren lingered. ‘If you have nothing else planned, would you like to come for lunch tomorrow? You can meet Chloe and Oliver…get to know them before work on Monday.’
‘I’d love to.’ A teasing glint flickered in his eyes. ‘Not the roast beef?’
‘No! Chicken and all the trimmings. And Chloe is doing one of her special puddings,’ she told him, laughing back.
‘What time?’
‘About noon?’ She tried to sound casual, but already she was brimming with excitement at seeing him again.
‘I’ll be there,’ he promised, making her pulse race. ‘Would you like me to walk you back?’
She would, but she didn’t want him witnessing her tripping again. ‘Thanks, but there’s no need.’
‘Until tomorrow, then.’ His voice dropped to a rough murmur. ‘Au revoir, chérie.’
‘Bye.’
She felt him watching her as she walked carefully down the drive, Foxy well behaved at her side. Silently, she counted her steps, having made this journey before. She knew that when she reached the curve, the lights in her cottage would guide her home, but the knowledge that she was seeing less and less at night filled her with silent fear. How long could she hide her secret?
A sigh of relief escaped when her cottage came into view and she picked up her pace, more sure of herself, keen to tell Chloe and Oliver about the exciting new doctor. It was awful that the flood had driven her friends from their home. Chloe had been more upset at her missing cats, but one of the members of the rescue team had found Pirate and Cyclops unscathed on top of a wardrobe upstairs as the waters receded. In the days since they had moved in, Foxy and the cats had negotiated a cautious stand-off.
Until Chloe and Oliver found a suitable new home, Lauren was happy for them to stay with her. She enjoyed their company. But she wondered if things might get a bit awkward should anything develop between herself and Gabriel. There was plenty of time to worry about that, she reassured herself, knowing she shouldn’t get too excited even though their first meeting had left her in no doubt about the connection between them. However foolish, she sensed that something unusual and important could evolve in the days and weeks ahead.
‘We were going to send out a search party!’ Chloe teased when Lauren let herself in, took off Foxy’s lead and walked into the living room.
Her friend was cuddled up in Oliver’s lap on the sofa in front of a roaring log fire. It didn’t take a genius to know from their rumpled clothes and tousled hair what they had been doing with their extra time alone. Lauren was delighted for Chloe but it was ironic that her friend—who had suffered an abusive past at the hands of her brutal father, and who had remained a virgin until Oliver had come into her life—had enjoyed a more varied and extensive sex life in three months than Lauren had in ten years. She didn’t begrudge Chloe her happiness and pleasure for a moment, but she wouldn’t half mind being as lucky.
An image of a certain scrumptious French doctor filled her mind. Oh, yes! Now, there was a man with va-va-voom, one who would surely know how to make a woman feel special. Unable to stop smiling, Lauren sank into an armchair. Her heart was still pounding.
‘Sorry you were concerned. I got held up. Dr Devereux had just arrived when I took the shopping up to the Manor House. I stayed for a chat.’
‘Some chat,’ Chloe commented with a meaningful grin that had Oliver laughing and Lauren’s cheeks warming. ‘Come on, tell us what happened.’
Nothing…and yet everything. But Lauren didn’t know how to explain that. ‘We talked about the surgery, Penhally and the flood. Gabriel’s coming here for lunch tomorrow. I told him about your football match, Oliver, and he’s keen to play.’
‘Great! Thanks, Lauren. Nick has suggested that Gabriel shadow me next week, so it will be good to meet him in advance.’
‘But what’s he like?’ Chloe persisted.
Lauren leaned back and sighed, unable to keep her smile from broadening. ‘Absolutely divine.’
No way was she going to last out Gabriel’s time here without being a very bad girl.
Hopefully.
CHAPTER THREE
‘THANKS again for coming in early this morning, Gabriel. I think we’ve covered everything,’ Nick Tremayne decided, leading the way back to his consulting room after a tour of the revamped surgery. He returned to his chair and rubbed his hands together. ‘Do you have any other questions?’
‘Is the expansion work nearly complete?’ Gabriel had been impressed with the improvements that had taken place since his previous weekend visit in July.
‘It won’t be long now. Hopefully no more than a week. My daughter Lucy originally worked on the plans for the changes and devised a way to use the dead space we had here to make more room. We’ve rearranged the layout, adding extra facilities as well as increasing consulting-room availability upstairs and down,’ Nick explained. ‘There are a few minor jobs to finish, mostly outside, but we’ve been very lucky…the builders have worked around us so that patient disruption has been kept to a minimum.’
‘The new X-ray and plaster rooms on the ground floor must make life much easier.’
‘Indeed,’ Nick agreed. ‘It means we can handle the less serious breaks and injuries here now, rather than having to send everyone on the half-hour journey to the hospital in St Piran. It benefits the hospital, the patients and ourselves. As does having the new physiotherapy room for Lauren,’ he added. ‘Our workload is increasing all the time—and not just during the tourist season—so your presence here is even more welcome.’
‘Thank you.’
Nick shuffled some papers on his desk. ‘I’ve arranged for you to spend a few days working with Oliver Fawkner. You can take your own consultations, of course—we’ve assigned you one of the new rooms next to Lauren’s—but Oliver will help you learn your way around the district. Is that all right with you?’
‘But, yes, I appreciate it. I have already met Oliver, Chloe and Lauren—we had lunch together yesterday.’
‘Good, good. I’m sure you’ll get on well.’ Nick nodded with approval, then handed over a sheet of paper. ‘Here is this week’s roster. We take turns doing out-of-hours cover so no one is unduly burdened, but we won’t expect you to do your own evening and weekend calls until you are settled in. Again, as Oliver is temporarily living so close to the Manor House, you can share duties with him for a week or two before we add you to the list to do calls alone.’
‘That sounds fine. Maybe I could also make some visits out with other staff?’ Gabriel suggested, following up on the idea Lauren had given him.
Nick glanced up, an eyebrow raised in question. ‘What did you have in mind?’
‘I would be interested in learning how the various disciplines interact here. And it would give me a chance to meet some of the regular patients. Maybe if I spent a morning with the nurses, and also go out on a few home visits with Chloe and Lauren during my first couple of weeks?’
‘An excellent idea,’ his new boss agreed. His smile of approval stripped some of the characteristic sternness from his face. ‘The more familiarisation you can gain, the better. I’ll leave you to arrange the details with the staff concerned. You can sort things out to fit your own schedules. I’ll mention it when we all meet and—’ The phone buzzed and Nick frowned, momentarily distracted. ‘Excuse me,’ he murmured. ‘Yes? Of course, Hazel. We’ll be there directly.’
Gabriel visualised Hazel, the practice manager, whom he had met a short while ago during his wander around with Nick. The older woman had been polite while giving him the once-over but appeared to be reserving her judgement about him. He could understand that. Hopefully he would pass muster with her, and the rest of the staff, in time. He was thinking of all he had been told about his new colleagues when Nick set down the phone and reclaimed his attention.
‘Pretty much everyone on duty is here now. Come on up to the staffroom, Gabriel, and I’ll introduce you,’ he invited, rising to his feet.
Glad that their chat had gone well, and looking forward to starting work, Gabriel followed Nick towards the stairs. Although reserved and serious, the senior partner had been welcoming, their discussion informative. Even so, Gabriel was thankful to have had the chance to meet Oliver and Chloe in more informal and relaxed circumstances at Lauren’s cottage the previous day. He had thoroughly enjoyed himself. They had lingered over a delicious lunch and talked long into the afternoon. It had been dark by the time he had walked the short distance back to the Manor House feeling content and more comfortable about his new job.
With dark hair and green eyes, Chloe was kind and gentle, as dedicated to her role as a midwife as Lauren was to hers as a physiotherapist. As for Oliver, dark-eyed and with overlong dark hair, Gabriel had liked him from the first, forming an instant friendship with the handsome, charismatic doctor. Oliver was only three years younger than himself and they had quickly established that they shared many interests in common besides their careers, especially a love of sport. Gabriel did not share Oliver’s and Chloe’s love of motorbikes, however. It hadn’t needed Lauren to tell him that Oliver and Chloe were a couple…that they were madly in love was obvious to anyone who saw them together.
And then there was Lauren herself.
She had been a complete surprise to him and he had not been able to stop thinking about her since finding her in his kitchen on Saturday afternoon. He’d been intrigued to learn she was an accomplished artist. There hadn’t been an opportunity to look around her studio the day before but he had seen a couple of her landscapes hanging in the surgery’s reception area during his tour with Nick. He had found himself drawn to the paintings even before he had realised they were Lauren’s. She had real talent. He was looking forward to working with her—and to getting to know her better socially. Only his early meeting with Nick had prevented him from joining Lauren for her morning jog. There would be time for that in the days ahead. And, he hoped, for much more. He still intended to be cautious, but any resolve to remain uninvolved had wavered on Saturday and melted entirely on Sunday.
The sound of chatter coming from the staffroom became louder and drew him from his thoughts. As Nick led the way inside and an anticipatory silence descended, Gabriel’s nervousness at the prospect of meeting his colleagues returned. He’d never experienced this self-doubt about acceptance until recently—until his world had turned upside down after his father’s death and things he had thought he had known about his life, his family, his very identity—had proved to be a lie. Gabriel swallowed the rush of emotions, forcing his private issues to the back of his mind. It was good to know there would be at least a couple of familiar faces here. A quick glance around the room told him that Lauren had yet to arrive and he struggled to mask his disappointment. However, Oliver and Chloe were there, their smiles reassuring him.
Uncomfortable at being the centre of attention, he hoped his own smile was natural and that he came across as being more relaxed than he felt under the scrutiny he was being subjected to. Thankfully the atmosphere was welcoming, although he imagined some people had similar reservations to those Hazel had exhibited earlier. He remained silent as Nick made the introductions and turned to draw him forward.
‘Come on in and join us. Everyone, this is Gabriel Devereux.’ His manner benevolent and paternal, Nick gestured around the room. ‘You already know Oliver and Chloe. And you remember Kate Althorp, our other midwife, from your visit in the summer?’
‘But of course. It’s good to see you again, Kate.’ As the older woman rose to greet him, he gave her a Gallic kiss on both cheeks. ‘How is your son Jem?’
Kate’s smile revealed her pleasure. ‘He’s well. Thank you, Gabriel. Welcome back to Penhally Bay! We are so pleased to have you with us.’
‘I am excited to be here.’ He smiled back, grateful for Kate’s warm approach.
Nick made the other introductions and Gabriel shook hands with the rest of the team. When the formalities were over, Gabriel sat on an empty chair opposite Oliver and Chloe, and accepted the mug Eve Dwyer, one of the practice nurses, handed him.
‘We usually start the day with a coffee and a chat,’ she explained, her manner friendly. ‘Milk and sugar?’
‘Just a dash of milk, please.’
As Eve added the milk to his mug and then turned to replace the carton in the fridge, a crash sounded out on the stairway, followed by a string of muffled curses. Gabriel looked round in time to see Nick shaking his head and moving towards the door.
‘That must be Lauren.’
Everyone laughed in response to Nick’s wry comment, but the amusement was affectionate, Gabriel realised with some relief, already feeling protective of Lauren. Then he noted the concern on Oliver’s face, along with the way Chloe’s smile dimmed when she exchanged a glance with her fiancé. Gabriel shared a look with Oliver and as a silent acknowledgement passed between them he felt a shiver of unease. He had known Lauren less than forty-eight hours, but it appeared he was not alone in his impression that something more might lie behind her clumsiness. Gabriel filed the moment away. He would keep his own counsel for now, but Oliver could be the man to talk to if his initial worrying suspicions came to anything.
Looking adorably flustered, and dressed in a uniform of navy blue tunic and trousers, her hair tied back in a ponytail, Lauren hurried into the room. She was carrying a haphazard stack of files and balancing a round tin precariously on top.
‘Sorry I’m late. I was delayed downstairs talking with a patient on the phone,’ she explained, sounding a touch breathless. ‘The waiting room is starting to fill up early—the usual collection of post-weekend crises, no doubt. Hazel is holding the fort and says to carry on without her.’
‘Are those some of Hazel’s biscuits?’ someone asked.
Gabriel watched as Lauren awkwardly juggled the files and manoeuvred the tin so she could prise open the lid. ‘Her Cornish fairings,’ she announced once she had peeped inside. A twinkle of mischief in her smoky grey eyes, she offered him the tin. ‘All Hazel’s home-made food treats are favourites here, Gabriel, so I advise you to take what you can before the rest of this unruly lot devour them.’
‘Thank you.’ It was a bit early in the day for him, but Gabriel accepted one of the biscuits to please Lauren. He tried it with his coffee, surprised how much he enjoyed the ginger-flavoured local delicacy. ‘They’re excellent.’
‘Tell Hazel that and you’ll be in her good books for life.’ Kate laughed.
‘Come on, Lauren, don’t hog the tin. I missed breakfast and I’m starving,’ GP Adam Donnelly called, growling in mock complaint as others grabbed their share of the biscuits before the tin reached him.
Gabriel was gratified when Lauren chose the chair next to him, her smile and the look in her eyes setting off the zing of awareness he felt every time he saw her.
‘A word of warning, Gabriel,’ one of the district nurses joked. ‘Make sure you park your car well away from Lauren’s—if you want to find it in one piece when you go back to it!’
As the tale of her reversing into a car at a recent wedding was recounted, Lauren smiled, taking the ribbing in good part, but Gabriel could see the flash of hurt and worry in her eyes. The belief that there was something more than Lauren just being clumsy nagged at him but he hadn’t yet put his finger on what it was that disturbed him. Frowning, he remembered her uneasiness leaving the Manor House on Saturday night and the way she had tripped in the dark. She had explained away her stumble by telling him how accident prone she was, but he had sensed she was covering up for something else. More than once in their short acquaintance he had noticed the way she squinted at her mobile phone screen, tilting it around before reading the message. Then there were the moments she displayed an apparent lack of spatial awareness and misjudgement of distances.
