City Doctor, Country Bride

by Abigail Gordon

  He’d made light of it when she’d phoned him for her sake. It was difficult enough for her, one of the children being ill while she was looking after them, without her having a guilt trip about their arrangements being cancelled.

  When he arrived Keiran was ready with spending money and a packed lunch, and raring to be off. ‘I’ll pick him up at seven o’clock when the coach gets back in case you are still housebound with Mollie,’ he said. ‘Where is she?’

  ‘Still in bed. She’s sleeping now and seems cooler, but I’m not going to be taking my eyes off her. Do you think I should tell Pamela that she’s not well if she phones?’

  ‘I wouldn’t mention it unless she gets worse. Your sister is far away and it would be a shame to alarm her unduly.’

  She was wearing the silk robe and nightdress that she’d worn the night the cows had come, and in her present harassed state wasn’t aware of how desirable she looked.

  ‘We’ve got a few moments before we need to set off,’ he said, bringing his thoughts back to the matter in hand. ‘Let me see Mollie before I go. A second opinion always comes in handy.’

  As she led him up the wide curving staircase Henrietta caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror and shuddered at the reflection that looked back at her. Hair tangled, dark smudges beneath her eyes, having been awake most of the night thinking about him, and dressed only in the flimsy lingerie that would normally only be seen by herself.

  He felt Mollie’s pulse and then carefully placed his hand on her temples, and when she saw the gentleness in his glance as he looked down at the sleeping child, Henrietta knew that if she ever had children she would want him to be their father.

  ‘She feels cool enough now,’ he said, ‘but give me a ring if anything else develops. I don’t want you to have to face this worry on your own.’

  ‘I don’t want to break into your day again if I can help it,’ she told him. ‘You’ve already offered to pick Keiran up this evening. If Mollie is well enough, I’ll collect him myself. I’ll let you know if I’m going to do that.’

  ‘Do you have to be so damned independent?’ he said tightly. ‘I’m trying to help, as I would for anyone in this sort of situation caring for children.’

  He turned to Keiran, who was more than ready to go. ‘Let’s be off, then, shall we, Keiran? Say goodbye to Henrietta.’ And taking Keiran’s hand in his, the man and boy went down the winding staircase together.

  The rain had cleared by the middle of the morning and the sun had returned, warm and welcoming. And even more cheering, Mollie was much better by lunchtime. Whatever it was that had been wrong with her, it seemed to have cleared. Her temperature had gone down and she was no longer feeling sick.

  And as a brighter picture presented itself Henrietta wondered how they could spend the rest of the day that had started so badly. She was longing to see Matthew again. After he’d sent Keiran off safely he would have gone to do the Saturday surgery and what then? Maybe he’d stuck to their original plan and gone into town for lunch. After the early morning phone call she didn’t want to ring him again. Yet he would be wondering how Mollie was and she wanted him to know that she was better.

  There was the cricket match that was to take place on the village green, she thought, if the turf wasn’t too saturated after the rain. It was one place where she would be sure to find him. She could watch the cricket while Mollie played. It wouldn’t exactly be the prime time together that they’d planned, with half the village on the team and the other half watching, but at least she would be where she could see him.

  Apart from taking the surgery Matthew hadn’t been anywhere. After it was over he’d gone home and spent the rest of the morning painting. He was upset that Henrietta wouldn’t let him help. He was always there to sort out the troubles of the rest of the village, but when it came to the one who really mattered she didn’t want to know. Yet he was the one she’d phoned early that morning, so what had changed since then?

  When he’d gone upstairs he’d seen his cricket whites laid out neatly on the bed and thought wryly that Kate must have decided that after lying unused for so long a wash and press was required. The way the day was going it looked as if the match was going to be the only thing not cancelled, subject to the pitch not being waterlogged.

  When he arrived the general activity told him that it wasn’t and he smiled. Bails were being placed on stumps. Food and drinks were being carried into the pavilion for those requiring refreshments, and the seating around the village green was filling up.

  He wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for Henrietta, he thought. Not because she’d persuaded him to play again. She hadn’t known he had, but getting to know her had changed his life. Made him want a new start, and he wished she could be there.

  When he looked up she was standing on the boundary, holding Mollie by the hand, and he had to look again to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. Then he strode across to them, smiling his pleasure, looking down at Mollie and asking, ‘Am I to take it that we have a recovery?’

  Henrietta was smiling back. ‘It would appear so.’

  ‘That’s great. You are the last two people I was expecting to see here. Are you sure you won’t be bored?’

  ‘No. I won’t be bored. How could I be?’ she said softly. ‘It will be wonderful watching you getting back into village life again.’

  He reached out and traced his fingers gently across her cheek. ‘We both know who I have to thank for that, don’t we?’ he said, happy that whatever had been upsetting her earlier seemed to have gone.

  They were calling him over to the pavilion as the match was about to start and he said, ‘I’ll have to go. I’m one of the opening bats. Heaven knows why. I’m so out of practice it just isn’t true.’

  As he walked to the crease the answer was there. Everyone present—players, spectators and those preparing the food—began to clap. It went on for minutes until someone shouted, ‘Welcome back, Doc.’ He raised his bat in salute, and the game began.

  Henrietta’s eyes were awash with tears. She hoped that if Joanna could see him she would be as happy for him as she was. Matthew deserved so much better than the life he’d been living in bitterness and solitude. He’d made the breakthrough and she knew that, whatever happened between the two of them, he wouldn’t go back to it.

  Kate had seen them and she came across exclaiming, ‘Why, if it isn’t young Mollie! Are you feeling better?’

  ‘Yes, thank you,’ the little girl said, and with her glance on what was going on inside the pavilion she asked, ‘Can I help you while Aunt Henny watches the cricket?’

  ‘Yes, of course you can, darling,’ Kate told her, and off they went.

  As the afternoon progressed Henrietta was at peace as she watched the game and took in the beautiful setting where it was being played. After the rain the grass was a lush green and against it the white sight screen and players’ clothes really stood out.

  At the other side of the village green was the river and a row of limestone cottages standing out agelessly beneath the darker greens and blacks of the peaks now that the mist had gone.

  It was England at its most beautiful, she thought, and as Matthew flashed her a smile before he hit a ball to the boundary, she knew that the fates had brought her there for a reason and it was only a few feet away. They were meant for each other, if only he could see it.

  The game was over by half past six, which gave Henrietta ample time to meet the school coach to collect Keiran, and while she was waiting to say goodbye to Matthew when he came out of the changing room, she was chatting to Kate.

  ‘It was a shame that your day was spoilt,’ Kate said. ‘I could come up one night if you like, while Matthew takes you somewhere nice to make up for today. Shall I suggest it to him?’

  ‘Suggest what to me?’ his voice said from behind, before Henrietta could reply.

  ‘That I mind the children one night while you take Henrietta out to make up for today.’

  ‘Good idea. What
does she say?’

  ‘Nothing so far, but she might do if we let her get a word in edgeways.’

  Henrietta smiled. ‘That would be lovely if you’re in favour of the idea,’ she told him. ‘It would be my first night out since moving here.’

  ‘That’s settled, then. If you choose a time, I’ll make the arrangements.’ He smiled. ‘Before you go, how did you like the cricket?’

  ‘I enjoyed it immensely.’

  A voice from nearby butted in at that moment and it turned out to be that of Alan Lorimer. ‘All Matthew needs now is to find his trombone and he’s back on course.’

  ‘Not quite,’ Matthew replied. ‘There’s still something missing.’

  ‘It was great, Aunt Henny,’ Keiran said on their way home from the pick-up point. ‘We made sand castles, paddled, went on the Pleasure Beach, had donkey rides and lots of other things.’

  Mollie was in the back seat of the car and Henrietta cautioned in a low voice, ‘You’d better not tell Mollie all of that. Or the tears will be back when she hears what she’s missed. Have you brought her any rock?’

  ‘Yes, I’ve brought two sticks, a pink one and a green one.’

  They arrived home and Mollie was delighted when Keiran produced the rock.

  ‘Can I have some now?’ she asked hopefully.

  ‘Yes. You can have a small piece, but not too much. Remember you were sick this morning.’ Henrietta told her.

  Eventually both the children were asleep. Mollie was back to her normal self and sleeping peacefully when Henrietta left her to supervise Keiran’s bathtime, and once he was cleaned up and had enjoyed a sleepy cuddle on her knee, he too was soon in dreamland.

  As the house settled into quietness Henrietta sank down on to the sofa in the sitting room and closed her eyes. When she opened them again the light had gone. The sun was setting on the horizon and the phone on the table beside her was ringing.

  ‘Henrietta, it’s me,’ Matthew said. ‘Is everything all right. It took you a long time to answer.’

  ‘Yes, we’re all right,’ she told him. ‘I’d just fallen asleep after putting the kids to bed. Mollie seems fine now and Keiran went out like a light after all the sun and sea air at Blackpool. Apparently they had a much better day weatherwise then we did.’

  She was conscious that she was making conversation and knew it was because she was so happy to hear his voice. ‘It’s kind of you to phone,’ she told him.

  ‘Kind! What do you mean “kind”. We’re friends, aren’t we?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘And the mainstays in a top-notch medical practice?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘So, I’m doing what I would do for anyone I care for, if you get my drift.’

  She didn’t get his drift at all. Didn’t want to if it meant that she was just one of many.

  ‘I have to go,’ he was saying. ‘I’ve just got back from my Saturday meal at the Goose and am going round to Daniel’s for a couple of hours to play chess, darts or whatever he fancies. Remember you have my mobile number if you need me.’

  ‘Yes, thanks,’ she said softly. ‘Enjoy yourself with Daniel and say hello for me.’ With the warm feeling of having someone caring about her wellbeing, she went upstairs to bed, thinking that it had been a day of ups and downs. Thankfully with more ups than downs.

  On Monday morning Matthew’s first question was, ‘How’s Mollie?’

  ‘She’s fine,’ Henrietta told him. ‘I’ve just seen them both off to school and she seems back to normal.’

  His second question was, ‘Where do you want to go when we have this evening out?’

  ‘I don’t mind,’ she told him tranquilly. It was enough that such an event was about to happen, she thought.

  ‘The theatre maybe, and then a meal afterwards?’

  ‘I’d love to go to the theatre. But a show and then a meal would make us very late back and we would be keeping Kate from her bed. It’s good of her to offer to stay with Mollie and Keiran, but I don’t want to impose on her kindness. Why don’t we go to the Goose? The restaurant will be open on weeknights, won’t it?’

  ‘Yes, I would imagine so, but if we decide to go there, why don’t we go on a Saturday? Then we won’t have the surgery to face the next morning.’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ she agreed, ‘but you don’t have to feel that you’ve got to make it up to me for the Saturday just gone. It wasn’t all disappointments. Mollie soon recovered. The sun came out and there was the cricket. Flashes of white on green, and the thud, clonk and sprint as the batter hit the ball.’

  He was smiling. ‘Wow! You were impressed.’

  She smiled back. ‘Everything about this place impresses me.’ You in particular, she thought.

  ‘So do I take it that you’ll join me at my usual table at the Goose next Saturday night?’

  She nodded. ‘Yes, you do.’

  ‘Fine. I’ll warn them that it will be two instead of one, and hope that there won’t be any clapping there when they see me with a lady for the first time ever. I’ve only gone there since I lost Joanna.’

  ‘People really do care about you, Matthew. It brought tears to my eyes when they clapped you on to the pitch at the cricket match. It was such a touching moment,’ she told him.

  He gave a wry smile. ‘I’m sure there must have been those there who thought my return to sensible living was not before time. But they’re kind people. Most of them at the cricket were friends that I’d shut out of my life while I was grieving, and had eventually given up on me.

  ‘And as for you, Henrietta, I don’t ever want anything connected with me to make you cry. I want you to be happy and content. I just hope I can make you feel like that.’

  At that moment one of the receptionists appeared, calling for help, and the two doctors hurried to where a middle-aged woman was lying on the floor in front of Reception.

  There was a film of perspiration on her face and her lips were blue. ‘It looks as if we have a heart attack on our hands,’ he said, as he knelt beside the unconscious woman.

  Henrietta checked the woman’s tongue wasn’t blocking her airway and she nodded.

  ‘Ring for an ambulance,’ Matthew told the receptionist, ‘and close the waiting-room door while we’re attending to the patient. We don’t want an audience.’

  ‘It’s only eight o’clock,’ she reminded him. ‘There’s no one in there so far.’

  ‘Right. Well, when they come, redirect them in through the back door. So what happened with this lady?’

  Henrietta was unbuttoning the cotton blouse the patient was wearing while Matthew checked her pulse and heartbeat.

  ‘This is Valerie Seddon. She came in to make an appointment. She’s new in the area and hasn’t been on our list for long,’ the receptionist said. ‘We were chatting when suddenly she clutched at her chest, started fighting for breath, and then collapsed.’

  ‘She’s still breathing,’ Matthew told Henrietta, ‘but it’s very shallow. These first moments with a cardiac arrest are so important. We need the ambulance fast.’

  ‘It was chest pains that she’d come about,’ he was told.

  ‘Not without cause, it would seem. They’ll check for arrhythmia once she’s on the coronary unit and if there is anything of that nature, treatment can begin immediately, but delay can be fatal. We might have to resuscitate her.’

  A car door slammed outside and a fast-response doctor came racing in, carrying oxygen equipment. ‘Have we still got a pulse?’ he asked, dropping to his knees beside the two doctors.

  ‘Just about,’ Matthew told him.

  ‘Good.’ He started to give the patient oxygen. ‘This should help. The ambulance wasn’t far behind me.’

  ‘Have we an address for Ms Seddon?’ Matthew asked, and the receptionist scribbled it down for him.

  ‘There is only one better place to collapse than in a doctor’s surgery, and it’s inside the hospital,’ the fast-response doctor commented as the sound of the ambulance si
rens broke into the peace of the countryside.

  ‘That was a good start to the week,’ Henrietta said soberly when the ambulance had set off for A and E with all speed with Valerie Seddon, and the fast-response medic had gone to his next urgent callout.

  ‘There could be someone waiting at home who is going to be getting anxious if she doesn’t show up. Shall I ask the staff to phone to see if there’s anyone there?’

  ‘No. I’ll do it myself,’ Matthew said. ‘Her relatives will feel more reassured if I talk to them and explain exactly what happened and that she’s on her way to hospital.’

  The waiting room had been filling up with patients coming in the back way and casting curious glances at what was going on at the other end of the passage, and he said, ‘If you’ll get started on the morning surgery, I’ll make the phone call and then join you.’

  There had been a husband expecting his wife back from the surgery, and when Matthew phoned the number that was on Valerie Seddon’s record card, Mr Seddon listened to what he had to say in dismay.

  Then the man had rallied and said, ‘Thank you, Dr Cazalet, for letting me know. I’ll set off for A and E immediately.’

  ‘How many times has that happened? A patient being sent to hospital straight from the surgery?’ Henrietta questioned when they were having a coffee and a sandwich before setting off on the house calls.

  ‘More times than you’d think,’ he told her. ‘We’ve had to send for the ambulance when someone has collapsed from over-anxiety or delayed in coming to see us until whatever problem they had was so serious they were taken ill on the premises.’

  ‘That poor man! Receiving that kind of news out of the blue.’

  ‘Yes, but what about his wife? She’s the one we should be sorry for. Let’s hope she’s responding to the treatment they’re giving her.’

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  NOTHING was going to stop him from taking Henrietta out on Saturday night, Matthew vowed as the days went by. When he’d told Alan at the match that there was still something missing in his life, he’d been watching her expression and been disappointed because it had told him nothing.