The doctors choice

by Wilde, Hilary

  David and she were alone — if you could call being in the centre of a swarm of laughing, shouting people who were all moving towards the racetrack alone. She looked at David quickly. How hurt and disillusioned he must be.

  If he was, however, he hid it well, for he was smiling at her.

  “I honestly thought you loved Mike,” he said abruptly.

  She looked at him steadily. “I like Mike, but—” She caught her breath. Surely he could see in her eyes… .

  Zoe came to join them, her intense little face worried, as she tugged at David’s arm.

  “Uncle David, I—” Her eyes were wide and she looked frightened.

  “Yes, Zoe?” he said gently.

  “Uncle David, I think you’re going to be very cross with me, because I did something you always told us not to do. I think you should know. You always told me it was dangerous to play with real medicines, but I remembered that when Barry used to keep eating those berries that always upset him, you gave us some powder to make him sick. Remember? And you said it was okay to give him as much as we had to — remember?”

  David was staring at her, his heavily marked brows drawing together thoughtfully. “I remember, Zoe.”

  “Well” – she hesitated and then looked at him almost defiantly – “I had to do something, Uncle David, or she would have taken Barry away, and he’d have been most frightfully miserable, because she doesn’t really love him.” She paused, breathless.

  “So—?” David prompted gently.

  The little girl faced him. I put the powder in Barry’s cold drink. I knew she’d make him sit near her and the powder would make him sick. I had to do it, Uncle David, you do see that?”

  “Yes, I see – in a way, Zoe.” David’s voice was still quiet. “But why did you do it?”

  “Because I wanted you to see her as she really is, Uncle David,” Zoe said earnestly. “I knew if he was sick near her, she’d be cross with him. She always is. If he’s grubby or ill, she always pushes him away. I just wanted you to see what she was really like.” Her voice was uneven. “Are you very cross, Uncle David?”

  He put his arm round her. “I’m not cross at all, Zoe.

  I realize you did it for what seemed to you adequate reasons. You certainly succeeded in opening our eyes, but all the same—” he finished sternly.

  “I know, Uncle David,” Zoe said quickly, “it was a very dangerous thing to do. But honestly, I wouldn’t have used the powder, but I did remember what a lot we used to give Barry, and you had said it was all right, but. I promise never to give anyone anything again without you telling me to. ‘ Zoe turned to look at Clare.

  “We did say we’d have to find a way, didn’t we, Clare?

  We were so worried about Barry, Uncle David, we did so want him to be happy.”

  Impulsively Clare bent and kissed Zoe. “Yes, darling, we did. It was a very bright idea of yours, but—”

  Zoe beamed. “I won’t do it again – ever.“She looked very solemn. “But dangerous situations need dangerous solutions sometimes. You all right?”

  “Yes, Clare’s all right,” David said. “I’ll look after her.”

  Zoe looked up at him. “I got Barry’s shirt quite clean,” she said proudly.

  “Good girl!”

  They watched Zoe’s long thin legs race across the dusty ground, and then David took Clare’s hands in his.

  “You were right and I was wrong,” he said. “Zoe does love Barry.”

  Clare’s eyes filled with tears. “It’s so easy to be wrong. I thought I loved Peter,’ but now I realize—”

  “And I thought I loved Gillian,” David began, but Zoe had returned.

  She skidded to a halt by their side. “Barry’s in tears, Uncle David. Has he got to go with her? He wants to stay with us.” Her young face was almost fierce. “She can’t make him go, can she?”

  “Zoe,” David smiled at her, “tell Barry he’s not going away. We need him at Noorla Station, and when he’s older at Baroona Hospital. Your parents are going to adopt him – he’ll never have to go away.”

  “Oh, goody, goody!” Zoe exclaimed and did a little dance. “He’ll be thrilled!”

  She raced off again. David looked at Clare. “Shall I ever have the chance to tell you everything? I’ve been such a stubborn blind fool, Clare. I thought at Maggie’s that – that maybe you felt as I did, but I was afraid I—”

  “Might have caught me on the rebound? Oh, no, David, it wasn’t that,” Clare told him. “It was then – at Maggie’s – that I knew.”

  His fingers held hers tightly. “‘I knew, too, Clare, bui then, as I say, I hesitated. Then I began to think that you and Mike – Barry’s secret – then Gillian’s lies – the way Mike looked at you. I could see you liked him.”

  Clare lifted her head. “Like being, in this case, the operative word,” she said gaily.

  In the background she heard a roar of voices, and guessed one of the races had started. She gazed at her reflection in David’s grey eyes.

  “David, what are you saying to me?” she asked quietly. She knew and she was so happy that she wanted to dance and sing, but she wanted to hear him put it into words.

  “That I love you, Clare, very much,” David said quietly. “And I want you to be my wife.”

  Her eyes were shining. “And I love you very much, David, and there’s nothing in the world I’d like more than to be your wife.”

  For a moment he looked worried. “It won’t be an easy life, Clare.” He frowned. “Would you like me to give up my work up here? Get a job in a city?”

  “I’d hate it,” Clare said firmly. “I’m really only marrying you because of your work up here,” she said airily.

  She was rewarded by his smile. “Darling,” he said softly, “darling, I—” He paused, looking round ruefully. “Why did I have to choose such an awkward moment? I want to kiss you.”

  “So do I,” Clare told him. “Oh, David, it seemed so impossible – that you – that a wonderful man like you –could ever love me!”

  “I felt the same. I’m much older than you—”

  “All .of ten years – terrible!” she teased, her eyes loving him. She tilted her head. “David, everyone’s too busy watching the horses to look at us.”

  He held her close as she put her arms round his neck.

  His mouth was warm and hard, and she closed her eyes from the sheer happiness of the momoment.

  “Darling,” he murmured, “tonight at the ball we’ll slip away quietly, and in the moonlight, I’ll say all the right things, and—”

  “I can’t wait, David,” she whispered, and kissed him again.

  Through a loudspeaker came an unfamiliar voice, using a familiar name. “Doctor Johnson! Emergency, Doc. The plane is coming in to pick you up. The point at Bayley Creek collapsed. Two people drowned, but a number of people were badly injured as a couple of cars crashed and a truck got out of control. Will you be ready?”

  David let out a long deep sigh as he released Clare.

  “You see what I mean? Bang go our romantic whis, perings in the moonlight,” he said with a rueful smile.

  Clare held his hand tightly. “Maybe I could go with you and help?”

  He shook his head. “Better not darling. I may need all the space I can find to fly back the worst cases to Baroona. I’m sorry about this, so awfully sorry.”

  “Don’t be, David,” she said, standing on tiptoe, kissing him again. “I quite understand.” She was aware that people were looking at them, for the announcement had temporarily distracted attention from the race track. “I don’t mind waiting – for you, David,” Clare said softly. “You see, I know—”

  He held her hand as they walked together through

  “Oh, nothing much,” she told him, her face suddenly bright as she smiled at him. `Just that I love you, and – and that doctors are different.”

  the crowds. He smiled down at her. “You know what?’

  br />   Wilde, Hilary, The doctors choice