The Doctor's Girl by Betty Neels

Author:Betty Neels [Neels, Betty]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781460896600
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises, Australia Pty Ltd
Published: 2013-07-30T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOUR

IT WAS on Monday morning that she saw the doctor had given himself a day off on Wednesday. She guessed why at once. It would be Charles’s wedding day—a guess confirmed presently when Nurse came. She had a glossy magazine under one arm.

‘Look at this.’ She found the page and handed it to Loveday. ‘Remember Dr Fforde’s young cousin, who came here a few weeks ago? He’s getting married—here’s his picture and that’s his fiancée. Pretty, isn’t she? They are going to live in America, lucky them. The wedding is on Wednesday—a big one—you know, huge hats and white satin and bridesmaids. I must say they make a handsome pair.’

She took the magazine back again. ‘Dr Fforde will go—he’s bound to, isn’t he? They’re cousins, even if he is a lot older.’

‘She’s very pretty,’ said Loveday, and wished that the phone would ring so that she had an excuse not to stand there gossiping. And the phone did ring, so that Nurse went away to the dressing room which was her workplace. Since there was a busy day ahead of them there would be little chance of more chatting. Loveday heaved a sigh of relief and turned a welcoming smile onto the first patient.

But, busy or not, it was hard not to keep thinking of Charles. She knew now that the whole thing had been nothing but an amusing interlude to him, and if she hadn’t led such a narrow life she would have recognised that and treated the whole affair in the same light-hearted manner. But knowing that didn’t make it any easier to forget…

On Tuesday the doctor was at the hospital all day, returning at five o’clock to see two patients in his consulting rooms. It had been very quiet all day, although Loveday had been kept busy enough making appointments. It had been a good opportunity to sort through the papers scattered on the doctor’s desk, tidy them into heaps and write one or two reminder notes for him. Tomorrow he would be away all day, but since he had said nothing she supposed that she would be there as usual, taking calls and messages.

Neither patient stayed long, and it was barely six o’clock when she ushered the last one out and began to tidy up.

The doctor left soon after, but first he stopped to tell her that he had switched on the answering-machine. ‘Anything urgent will be referred to Dr Gregg,’ he told her, ‘and you need only be here between ten o’clock and noon, then again between five o’clock and six. I’ll be in as usual on Thursday.’ He smiled suddenly. ‘Would you do something for me? Would you go to my house in the early afternoon and give Bob half an hour in the garden? Mrs Duckett is nervous of hurting him. He’s managing very well now, but he does need someone there.’ He added, ‘That is, unless you have planned something?’

‘No, no. I haven’t. Of course I’ll go and keep Bob company for a little while.

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