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CHAPTER TWO (#ud78790e3-2b84-5303-b6c2-f7f892f9f0c3)
‘BASICALLY, WHAT I’D like you to do, Beth, is help her settle in. Every practice has its own way of doing things and I think it would help if Eleanor was shown the ropes rather than simply being thrown in at the deep end.’
Daniel leant back in his chair, wondering if his partner had any idea how important it was to him that Eleanor wasn’t put under any pressure. Even though he couldn’t understand why he felt this way, he knew that he wanted to make the move to The Larches as stress-free as possible for her. Maybe she had appeared supremely confident at the start of her interview but it had soon become clear that it wasn’t the case. There was a vulnerability about Eleanor Munroe that had aroused all his protective instincts.
‘Of course.’ Beth Andrews smiled at him. ‘It will be a big change for her, working here. Just basics, like the fact that we’re almost an hour’s drive from the nearest hospital, will be a challenge for her. We’re far more hands-on when it comes to our patients than a lot of practices.’
‘Exactly.’ Daniel breathed a little easier when Beth gave no sign that she considered his request strange. Maybe it wasn’t either, he mused. After all, if Eleanor was unable to do the job she had been hired for then it would impact on him. The last thing he wanted was to have to put in more hours at the surgery when Nathan was in his final year at sixth form college.
When Camille had died four years ago, his son had gone completely off the rails. He had dropped out of school and fallen in with a bad crowd too. Daniel had been afraid that Nathan would never get his act together but, after a lot of heartache, he’d come through. However, if Nathan was to achieve the grades he needed for university, he had to stay focused, and to do that he needed to be there to support him. Little wonder that he had been so worried about his new locum, was it? The thought reassured him, helped to settle his mind. If he was honest he had felt more than a little concerned that Eleanor Munroe had occupied his thoughts so much lately. He had lost count of the times she had popped into his head and it was good to know why it had been happening.
‘Thanks, Beth.’ Daniel smiled as he pushed back his chair and stood up. ‘I really appreciate it.’
‘No problem.’
Beth grimaced as she levered herself up off the chair. She was eight months pregnant and Daniel guessed that she was finding it difficult to get around. He remembered how tired Camille had been when she had been expecting Nathan and she had stopped work well before this stage. However, as a soon-to-be single mother, Beth didn’t have the luxury of leaving work early. She had opted instead to continue working and take the bulk of her maternity leave after her baby was born. Nevertheless, Daniel made a note to ask Marie, their head receptionist, to redirect as many of Beth’s patients as possible to him. He didn’t want Beth pushing herself too hard during her final week, neither did he want Eleanor being placed under too much pressure. It would be better if he took up the slack for now.
Once again Daniel found himself worrying how his new employee would fare. Oh, there was no doubt about her ability—her CV was proof of that. However, would she be able to deal with whatever had led her to leave her previous post? he found himself wondering as he made his way to Reception. Although he knew nothing about Eleanor on a personal level, instinct told him she had suffered some kind of major blow and recently too. Had she been let down in love, perhaps? Treated badly by some man?
Daniel was surprised by how angry the idea made him feel. Bearing in mind that he had met her only the once, and that it hadn’t been the most auspicious of meetings either, it shouldn’t have had this effect on him. Nonetheless, the thought of some guy hurting her made him feel extremely angry and it was completely out of character for him to react that way. His expression must have been unusually grim as he stopped at the reception desk because Marie looked at him in surprise.
‘What’s wrong?’ she demanded. In her forties, with two grown-up sons, Marie had worked at The Larches ever since Daniel had taken over the practice and didn’t believe in standing on ceremony. ‘Has something upset you? Because I have to say that you could turn the milk sour with a face like that!’
‘Sorry.’ Daniel dredged up a smile. Admitting that he was upset at the thought of their new locum being unlucky in love would have caused no end of questions, most of which he couldn’t have answered even if he’d wanted to. He swiftly changed the subject because he really and truly didn’t want to start searching for explanations at that moment. ‘I know it’s short notice, but can you redirect as many of Beth’s patients as possible to me? I don’t want her tiring herself out by doing too much in her last week.’
‘Of course. But what about the new doctor? What’s her name again? I wrote it down somewhere...’
‘Eleanor Munroe,’ Daniel said promptly, and felt a little thrill course through him as her name rippled off his tongue. He glanced at the clock above the desk, needing a moment to collect himself. The last thing he wanted was Marie suspecting how he felt. ‘She should be here any minute...’
‘Good morning.’
Daniel swung round when he recognised Eleanor’s voice. In a fast sweep his eyes ran over her from the severely styled hair to the sensible shoes on her narrow feet and he felt his nerves start to tingle. What was it about this woman that affected him so much? he wondered dizzily. As an eligible widower, he’d had his share of women pursuing him over the past four years. However, he had never taken them up on their invitations to lunch and dinner, or whatever else had been on offer. The fact was that he hadn’t been interested in them.
Not once had he felt that spark, that flicker of desire ignite inside him, yet as he looked at Eleanor, he felt it now. And in a big way too. Why it was happening was a mystery but he couldn’t lie to himself, couldn’t pretend that he didn’t feel it. He was attracted to her and it couldn’t have come at a worst time either. If she had been let down, as he suspected, the last thing she needed was to embark on another relationship, especially with him. He didn’t have time for a relationship. He needed to focus on Nathan: his son’s future had to take priority over everything else.
Daniel took a deep breath, clamping down on the surge of disappointment that rose inside him. There was no question about what he was going to do. He was going to ignore all these crazy feelings and be there for Nathan.
* * *
Ellie could feel her tension mounting as Daniel continued to stare at her without uttering a word. Was he having second thoughts? she wondered anxiously. Regretting whatever impulse had led him to offer her this job?
She bit her lip, unsure what she was going to do if that proved to be the case. She had given up the lease on the flat in Kent, sold all her furniture, and got rid of everything that reminded her of Michael. One of the main attractions about this job was the fact that it came with accommodation. There was a furnished flat above the surgery, which had seemed like a godsend. However, if she lost the job then it was going to be extremely difficult to start all over again. She had been living off her savings for the past months but they certainly wouldn’t stretch to cover the costs of renting a flat and furnishing it. The prospect of not only having to find herself another job but somewhere to live as well was daunting to say the least.
Ellie breathed in deeply when she felt her eyes prickle with tears. Since her interview, she had found herself breaking down all too often. It was as though Daniel’s kindness that day had opened the floodgates and all the hurt she had held at bay kept flooding out. However, there was no way that she intended to break down again in front of him. He might think she was playing the sympathy card and that was the last thing she wanted.
‘Hi, Eleanor. Nice to meet you. I’m Marie, the head receptionist and general factotum around here.’ The middle-aged woman behind the desk leant over and offered Ellie her hand.
‘Good to meet you too,’ Ellie replied automatically, shaking hands. She glanced at Daniel, wishing he would say something. If he was having second thoughts, it would be better if he said so rather than standing there, looking at her...
‘Sorry.’ Daniel suddenly roused himself. He smiled apologetically as he offered her his hand. ‘I was wool-gathering. Welcome to The Larches, Eleanor. It’s good to have you on board.’
Ellie felt relief wash over her as she reached for his hand. She had completely misread the situation, it appeared. Daniel wasn’t thinking of rescinding his offer after all. His hand closed around hers and a frisson ran through her when she felt the strength of his fingers envelop hers. For some reason she couldn’t explain, it felt right to have him hold her hand, right and wonderfully reassuring. Even though she knew nothing about him, she felt safe with him. Safe and cherished.
‘It’s good to be here,’ she murmured, quickly withdrawing her hand. She dredged up a smile, needing to rid her head of such nonsense. Daniel Saunders was her employer, no more and no less than that. He wasn’t going to have any impact on her life outside work.
‘So where would you like to start? I imagine you’d like to see the flat first.’ Daniel’s voice held no trace of anything yet Ellie felt herself flush when he addressed her. It was so unlike her to react that way that she found herself stammering.
‘I...ahem... Whatever suits you best, Dr Saunders.’
‘It’s Daniel,’ he reminded her, his blue eyes holding hers fast for a moment before he turned away. ‘Maybe we can leave the flat till later then. I’ve had a word with Beth and she’s going to show you the ropes so you can get an idea of how we do things around here.’
‘I’m sure that won’t be necessary,’ Ellie said swiftly, wanting to put an end to the pleasantries. The sooner she got down to work, the more comfortable she would feel. It was the newness of it all that was unsettling her, of course, not Daniel per se. It was a relief to have found an explanation and she hurried on. ‘I’ve been a GP for some time now and I’m completely up to speed when it comes to all the paperwork and everything else that comes with the job.’
‘I’m sure you are. However, every practice has its own way of doing things and The Larches is no different, so I’d appreciate it if you would indulge me on this point.’ He smiled thinly, making Ellie wish that she hadn’t said anything. The last thing she wanted was him thinking that she was someone who made a fuss.
‘Of course. I...I just didn’t want to waste Dr Andrews’s time,’ she explained lamely. ‘I’m sure she must be very busy.’
‘She is.’ Daniel placed his hand under her elbow as he led her away from the desk.
Ellie drew in a quick breath, trying to stem the nervous fluttering of her heart, but it refused to quieten down. It was as though Daniel’s touch had set off a chain reaction, ripples of awareness flowing from where his fingers lightly gripped her arm and spreading throughout her entire body. It was hard not to show how alarmed she felt when he stopped and looked at her.
‘However, between you and me, Eleanor, I’m trying to cut down the amount of work Beth is doing. She’s eight months pregnant and this is her last week in work before she goes on maternity leave, so I don’t want her overdoing things and making herself ill. If she’s showing you the ropes, at least I know that she isn’t rushing around all over the place.’
‘Oh, right. I see.’ Beth carefully withdrew her arm, stifling a wholly ridiculous feeling of disappointment. Of course Daniel was more concerned about his long-time colleague than he was about her!
‘I knew you’d understand.’ Daniel treated her to a strangely intimate smile before he led the way along the corridor. He stopped at one of the doors, tapping lightly on the beechwood panels before opening it. ‘Beth, I’ve got Eleanor with me. If you can show her how we do things, as we discussed, that would be great.’ He gestured for Ellie to step forward, winking at her as she passed him. Ellie felt a rush of warmth engulf her. It was as though they were two conspirators sharing a secret and she had to admit that she rather liked the idea. She was smiling when she stepped into the room and the pretty, fair-haired woman seated behind the desk smiled back.
‘Hi, Eleanor. It’s good to meet you. Come on in and make yourself comfortable.’ She chuckled, her hazel eyes filled with mischief as she glanced at Daniel. ‘This is going to be your room next week, so it will give you a chance to try it out for size. Anything you don’t like tell the boss. I’m sure he’ll do everything possible to sort it out!’
‘Don’t go putting ideas into Eleanor’s head,’ Daniel retorted. ‘She’ll be giving me a list of things she wants before I know it.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘Like that singer who demanded a basket of kittens to play with in her dressing room before she would go on stage and perform!’
‘Oh, you don’t need to worry about finding me any kittens,’ Ellie said, completely deadpan. She waited a beat then grinned at him. ‘I much prefer puppies!’
Everyone laughed, Eleanor included, and it was such a shock that she found it hard to believe what was happening. She couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed, couldn’t recall when she had felt so light-hearted. Ever since that dreadful day when she had found Michael and Stacey together, her world had been filled with darkness, but all of a sudden it felt as though the gloom had lifted and it was all thanks to Daniel. Even if they were destined to be no more than colleagues, Ellie knew that she would be grateful to him for ever for that.
* * *
The morning flew past. Ellie was surprised by how differently things were done at The Larches. Although there were all the usual forms to fill in, the surgery offered a range of services to its patients that hadn’t been available on-site where she had worked before. She mentioned it to Beth when they stopped to drink the coffee Marie had made for them.
‘It’s all down to our location,’ Beth explained, blowing on the hot liquid to cool it. ‘It takes almost an hour to reach the nearest hospital on a good day and far longer than that if the weather’s bad. A lot of patients both here at The Larches and at Hemsthwaite can’t undertake that kind of a journey. That’s why Daniel fought so hard to secure funding to provide more facilities on site.’
‘So what else do you offer?’ Ellie asked as Beth paused to sip her coffee. ‘You said that several consultants from the hospital hold clinics here—did you mention something about a dentist as well?’
‘Yes. That’s right. We have an arrangement with a dental practice—they see patients here once a week. The same goes for the optician—patients can make an appointment to see him here on a Wednesday,’ Beth explained and grimaced. ‘Dratted Braxton Hicks contractions. They woke me up this morning. I was not pleased either as it was the first time I hadn’t had to get up through the night to go to the loo.’
‘What a nuisance,’ Ellie said sympathetically. ‘Daniel said that you only have a few weeks before your baby is due.’
‘Hmm, three, although first babies are notoriously late.’ Beth wriggled around, trying to get comfortable, and Ellie frowned.
‘Are you sure they’re Braxton Hicks? You do seem to be in a lot of discomfort.’
‘Oh, I’m sure it will pass,’ Beth said, levering herself up off the chair. She let out a gasp as water suddenly gushed out from between her legs.
‘I doubt it!’ Ellie exclaimed, jumping to her feet. Putting her arm around Beth’s waist, she helped her to the couch and got her settled. ‘It looks as though it’s the real thing so let’s get you out of those wet undies and have a look. If your waters have broken then it won’t be long before your baby’s on its way too.’
‘I can’t believe this!’ Beth exclaimed, wriggling out of her sodden underwear. ‘I should have another three weeks before the baby arrives.’
‘It’s easy to get confused about the dates,’ Ellie said soothingly, lifting Beth’s skirt so she could examine her.
‘But I’m not confused. I know exactly when I got pregnant. It was the night before Callum went away. It couldn’t have happened any other time because we hadn’t spoken let alone made love for almost a year before that!’
‘Oh.’ Ellie wasn’t sure what to say, and Beth sighed.
‘Callum and I split up last year. We’d been trying for a baby for the best part of three years—ever since we got married, in fact—but it just didn’t happen.’ Her voice echoed with pain and Ellie’s heart went out to her.
‘It must have been difficult for you,’ she said quietly.
‘It was. We tried fertility treatment but it didn’t work, and in the end the constant pressure of hoping that this time we’d get lucky proved too much.’ Beth bit her lip. ‘Callum told me that he couldn’t handle it any more and that he wanted a divorce.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ Ellie said sincerely. ‘It must have been awful for you both, although surely it made a difference when you found out you were pregnant?’
‘I was thrilled, thrilled and shocked that it should have happened right out of the blue like that. As for Callum, well, I’ve no idea how he feels, although I can guess.’ She laughed harshly. ‘I wrote to tell him I was pregnant, you see, but he’s never bothered to reply. I think that says it all, doesn’t it? No, this baby’s my responsibility and no one else’s.’
She broke off as another contraction began. Ellie frowned, wondering how she would have reacted in similar circumstances. She sighed because the likelihood of her having found herself in the same position was zero. Michael had been fanatical about making sure she didn’t get pregnant. At the time, Ellie had thought it was because he had wanted to do the right thing, make sure they were married before they embarked on parenthood. Now she wasn’t so certain any more. Had Michael been desperate to avoid her getting pregnant so that it wouldn’t impact on him?
It was something Ellie knew she needed to think about but not right now. Now she needed to focus on Beth and the baby. She waited until the contraction had passed then examined Beth again. ‘You’re already about six centimetres dilated so your baby’s definitely going to make his appearance very soon.’
‘Oh, no!’ Tears filled Beth’s eyes. ‘It’s too early! I couldn’t bear it if something went wrong now. I’ve waited so long for this child.’
‘Nothing is going to go wrong,’ Ellie assured her, mentally crossing her fingers that she wasn’t tempting fate. Delivering Beth’s baby wouldn’t have posed a problem if they’d been in a fully equipped maternity unit. However, after what she had learned about the nearest hospital being an hour’s drive away, she couldn’t help feeling anxious. She summoned a smile, determined not to let Beth know that she was worried. ‘Now can you tell me what arrangements you’ve made for the birth? I take it that you’re booked into the maternity unit with it being your first child.’
‘That’s right.’ Beth made an obvious effort to calm herself. ‘I wanted to have the baby at home but Polly talked me out of it. She said it would be safer if I had it in the hospital seeing as I’m a first-time mum and that bit older too.’
‘And who’s Polly?’ Ellie asked, needing to be clear about the details.
‘She’s the local midwife—Polly Davies,’ Beth explained. ‘I’ve been seeing her for my antenatal check-ups. In fact, I saw her only last Friday.’
‘And what did she say?’ Ellie asked.
‘Oh, that everything was fine—blood pressure, baby’s heartbeat, et cetera.’ Beth frowned. ‘She did say that the baby seemed to be quite low down, now I think about it.’
‘Probably getting ready to make his exit,’ Ellie said, laughing.
‘Probably. The little rip!’
Beth laughed as well and Ellie was relieved to see that she appeared far less anxious. Good. The last thing she wanted was for Beth to be uptight if they had to deliver the baby here. The thought helped her focus on what needed to be done and she squeezed Beth’s hand. ‘I’ll go and phone the hospital and let them know what’s happening. I’ll also get hold of Polly. With a bit of luck, she’ll be able to lend a hand here. I’ll be as quick as I can. OK?’
Beth nodded, her face screwing up as another contraction began. Ellie hurried from the room and made straight to Reception, knowing that Marie would have all the phone numbers. She was dealing with a patient and Ellie waited until she had finished. Lowering her voice so it wouldn’t carry across the waiting room, she quickly explained what was going on.
‘Really!’ Marie’s mouth dropped open. ‘But she’s another three weeks to go. Are you sure it isn’t a false alarm?’
‘Quite sure,’ Ellie said firmly. ‘This baby is definitely on its way and there’s nothing we can do to stop it. Can you phone the hospital and let them know? We’ll need an ambulance, although I doubt if it will get here before the big event.’
‘Of course.’ Marie picked up the phone, although she still appeared slightly stunned.
‘Oh, and can you get hold of Polly too? Apparently, she’s been responsible for Beth’s antenatal care. It would be a huge help if she could give me a hand.’
‘I’ll phone her first,’ Marie promised. ‘She lives in town so she can be here in no time.’
‘That’s great. Thanks.’ Ellie started to turn away then paused. ‘Daniel needs to know what’s going on. Which is his room again?’
‘First door on the right,’ Marie explained, then turned her attention to the phone. ‘Polly, it’s Marie. You won’t believe what’s happened...’
Ellie left the receptionist to make the calls and hurried back to Beth, pausing en route to tap on Daniel’s door. She popped her head into the room when he bade her to enter. ‘I’m sorry to disturb you,’ she said, smiling apologetically at the young woman holding a fractious toddler on her knee. ‘But can I have a quick word?’
‘Of course.’ Daniel excused himself and stepped out into the corridor. He frowned. ‘There’s nothing wrong, I hope. I thought Beth was showing you around.’
‘She was but we’ve hit a snag.’ Ellie felt decidedly awkward about interrupting him during a consultation but there was really nothing else she could have done in the circumstances.
‘A snag?’ he echoed in a voice that hinted at displeasure. ‘What are you talking about?’
Ellie’s mouth compressed, not enjoying the fact that he obviously thought she was being a nuisance. She prided herself on her self-sufficiency and it stung to realise that he thought she was the type of person who needed constant support.
‘Beth’s baby is coming,’ she explained coldly. She raised her hand when he went to speak. ‘No, there’s no doubt about her being in labour. Marie is arranging for an ambulance and phoning Polly to see if she can come and help. I thought you should know, although I apologise for disturbing you.’
With that she turned away, making herself walk steadily along the corridor even though in truth she felt like running off and hiding. She bit her lip when she felt the far too ready tears spring to her eyes. Maybe it hurt to have Daniel speak to her so sharply but she could live with it. After all, he was her boss, nothing more. It didn’t matter how he spoke to her so long as he wasn’t rude.
It all sounded so sensible in theory but as she opened the door, Ellie realised that it did matter, that it mattered a great deal. For some reason she wanted Daniel to speak to her with warmth and make her feel that she was valued. How pathetic was that!
CHAPTER THREE (#ud78790e3-2b84-5303-b6c2-f7f892f9f0c3)
DANIEL COULD HAVE bitten off his tongue for speaking so sharply to Eleanor. If it weren’t for the fact that he had a patient waiting, he would have gone after her and apologised. Taking a deep breath, he went back into the room and sat down.
‘I apologise for the interruption, Mrs Walsh,’ he said to the woman seated in the chair. ‘You were about to explain how you hurt your arm.’
‘I...I tripped, Dr Saunders. Over...ahem...one of Alice’s toys.’
The young woman ran a trembling hand over her daughter’s wispy blonde hair. Although both mother and child were neatly dressed in expensive outfits, there was something not quite right about their appearance. The little girl’s hair looked as if it hadn’t been brushed and yet Madeleine Walsh had taken the time to apply a heavy layer of make-up. Daniel leant across the desk, using the excuse of reaching for Mrs Walsh’s file while he examined her face more closely. Was that a bruise he could see on her cheek? And another on her neck?
‘I see,’ he said, sitting back in his seat. He smiled at her, although he had a bad feeling about this. It wasn’t the first time that Madeleine Walsh had come to see him after a supposed fall; this was her third visit in the last six months. Although he hadn’t noticed any sign of bruising then, it could be because he hadn’t been looking for it. He needed to get to the bottom of this situation and soon. ‘Did you hurt yourself anywhere else apart from your arm? Your face looks bruised to me—did you bang it?’
‘Oh...erm...yes, I must have done.’ The woman put her hand to her cheek and Daniel could see the fear in her eyes. ‘I’m ever so clumsy,’ she muttered. ‘Always tripping up and banging into things.’
‘Easily done,’ Daniel said evenly. ‘As long as you’re sure that it was an accident. Anything you tell me won’t go any further, Mrs Walsh, I assure you.’
‘Of course it was an accident!’ the woman declared, flushing. ‘I tripped over one of Alice’s toys—one of her dolls, actually—and fell down the stairs. I...I must have put out my hand to save myself and that’s how I hurt my arm.’
‘Let me take a look.’ Daniel got up and came around the desk. Crouching down, he went to examine her arm, stopping when little Alice shrank away from him. ‘It’s all right, poppet,’ he said softly. ‘I just want to look at Mummy’s arm so I can make it better.’
