Wedding Bells for the Village Nurse

by Abigail Gordon

  The two men valued each other’s friendship and rarely mentioned the women who had once been in their lives and were now part of their pasts, but each was aware that the inward hurts of broken relationships were still there, and for his part Lucas was only too happy to be there for Ethan should he need him to help with practice matters.

  Both at a loose end, they went to the pub that evening and as they chatted Lucas found the opportunity to question his friend about Jenna’s addition to the staff.

  ‘She’s a great girl,’ Ethan enthused, ‘and Barbara will be on cloud nine to know that another member of her family has joined the staff of The Tides. Jenna is going to work mornings and if you are agreeable will assist you in your clinic two afternoons a week.’

  ‘That sounds fine,’ he said immediately, omitting to mention that he’d already heard about it from the nurse in question. ‘When is she due to start?’

  ‘Tomorrow morning,’ Ethan informed him, ‘which will mean that instead of just having the faithful and very experienced Lucy at one end of the scale, and young trainee Maria at the other, we’ll have three practice nurses, which we’ve needed for some time.’

  ‘Sounds good,’ Lucas commented, and wanting to satisfy his curiosity further asked, ‘So why didn’t Jenna come into the practice when she graduated?’

  ‘She wanted some freedom away from her mother. There was a big fallout because she wouldn’t toe the line and off she went. But she would never have gone if her mother had told her how increasingly difficult it was to keep going with the rheumatoid arthritis progressing as it was. Some of the locals who feel Barbara Balfour can do no wrong were very critical of Jenna at the time, but those who knew and liked her understood.’

  ‘I see,’ he said dryly, as another of his suppositions went by the board. Yet he’d been half expecting it ever since he’d got to know the golden girl better.

  As Lucas went for his paper the next morning to the busy general store at the far side of the surgery, Jenna was cycling towards him in the early morning sun, a smiling vision in her nurse’s uniform.

  ‘Hello, there!’ he said as she stopped beside him. ‘I’d forgotten that you are about to join the fray. How does it feel?’

  ‘Scary,’ she told him wryly. ‘I wasn’t exactly the most popular person around here when I went away. It would seem that a lot of people knew that Mum wasn’t coping, but no one thought to tell me, and of course Mum hid it from me, though I was so wrapped up in my own plans I wasn’t entirely blameless.’

  ‘So your father didn’t say anything?’

  She smiled. ‘Dad less than anyone. He wanted me to get away for a while for reasons that I won’t go into, but not so much that he didn’t send for me when he thought it was time I knew what the situation was.’

  The smile was still there and Lucas was surprised when she went on to say, ‘You see, I was brought up with one and a half parents.’ And before he had the chance to comment further she placed her foot back on the pedal and prepared to ride the last few yards to the practice with a parting comment of, ‘I’ll see you on Thursday afternoon, Lucas, if you still want me at the clinic.’

  ‘It is Ethan’s decision that you work with me, and you might find it hard to believe…but I don’t bite.’

  She was already moving off so he didn’t know if she’d heard the last bit, and he thought grimly if that was what she thought, he’d asked for it by being so smugly critical of someone he’d had no yardstick to measure by. There was Philippa, of course, who’d betrayed him, but to compare Jenna with her just because she was beautiful would be an insult that she didn’t deserve.

  The morning was going too quickly. Lucy had greeted her with open arms, and Maria, the young trainee practice nurse, who was Ronnie’s eldest daughter, had flashed her a shy smile when Jenna had presented herself at the the nurses’ room.

  Ethan had popped in for a moment to greet her in his usual pleasant manner and she’d felt that at least there was no criticism here. They were her friends, and even Lucas had been pleasant when they’d met unexpectedly outside the busy little store.

  She’d watched while Lucy had treated the first few patients and noted that they were more concerned about their health than the fact that there was a newcomer amongst the practice nurses. When Lucy needed to go to the storeroom for supplies she said, ‘I’ll leave you to see to the next patient, Jenna. Maria will help you out with any surgery routine that you’re not sure of.’ And off she went.

  In line with that comment the teenager went out on to the corridor where patients waited to be seen and came back to report that Mrs Waterson was there.

  Jenna groaned inwardly as she picked up the patient’s records and saw that she’d come for a three-monthly B12 injection to keep anaemia at bay. Mildred Waterson had been a great admirer of her mother and rightly so as Barbara had treated her for various illnesses over the years, all of them serious, and she’d always made a good recovery due to her care. With everyone else Mildred was vinegary and critical and that side of her nature became evident the moment she saw Jenna smiling across at her as she entered the room.

  ‘So you’re back, I see,’ she said. ‘Waited until your mother had gone first, though, didn’t you, and now they’ve taken you on in the surgery. Well, I’ll wait for my injection until Lucy comes back from wherever she’s gone, if you don’t mind.’

  ‘Of course I don’t mind, Mrs Waterson,’ Jenna said quietly. ‘She will only be a moment. Do take a seat.’

  ‘Fine,’ she snapped. ‘I will. And how is your mother?’

  ‘As well as can be expected. I am working mornings mainly so that I can be with her in the afternoons.’

  ‘Yes, I should think so,’ was the acid reply.

  At that moment Lucy appeared and immediately picking up on the atmosphere said smoothly, ‘Isn’t it lovely to have Jenna with us, Mildred?’

  ‘Mrs Waterson would prefer you to give her the injection, Lucy,’ Jenna said quickly, before any other bad vibes were put on display.

  The elderly nurse said calmly, ‘Yes, fine, but in future there will be three nurses in attendance, Mildred, and it will be a matter of which one is free.’

  The next patient was George Enderby, the elderly farmer who had been to Lucas’s heart clinic, and to Jenna’s relief there was a twinkle in his eye when he saw her standing there.

  ‘Hello, Jenna,’ he said heartily. ‘I saw you the other day, didn’t I, when I’d been to see that campanologist fellow?’

  ‘You’ve got that a little bit wrong, Mr Enderby,’ she told him. ‘Dr Devereux is a cardiologist.’

  ‘So what do those others do then, go camping?’

  ‘No, they are the bell ringers. The people in the bell tower who turn out for Sunday church services, weddings and funerals, and now we’ve got that sorted out I see that you’re here for a dressing on your leg, so if you’ll roll up your trousers we’ll have a look at it.’

  The twinkle was still there in his eye as he did as she’d suggested and she said laughingly, ‘You were teasing, weren’t you? Wanting me to think you didn’t know that Dr. Devereux is a cardiologist.’

  ‘I might have been, yet it was worth it if it made you smile. But, then, you’d just had Mildred Waterson in here, hadn’t you? And with regard to the heart man, what a treat to have somebody like him here for us folks. The only thing is that his skills could be wasted in a place like this. I wonder what made him leave Hunters Hill Hospital to come and work in Bluebell Cove?’

  ‘I’m sure there must have been a good reason,’ she replied, as a vision of the awful scar across his chest came to mind, and she started to wonder what the effects of a physical attack and the failed romance she’d heard about could have had on him.

  CHAPTER THREE

  WHEN Jenna left the practice at the end of the morning Lucas was in the garden once more, and after glancing quickly across to where she was mounting her cycle he didn’t attempt to make any eye contact, but what he had seen in that brief glimps
e was enough to tell him that she wasn’t as happy as she’d been when they’d met outside the store earlier, and he wondered what could have made her look so downcast.

  He wasn’t to know that although the farmer’s good-natured teasing had taken away some of the hurt that Mildred Waterson’s acid tongue had inflicted, the pain of being judged unfairly by some was taking away the pleasure of being back in Bluebell Cove.

  She supposed that Lucas could be forgiven for his wrong assumptions after he’d seen her on the beach with Ronnie. From what she’d heard, he might have reason not to be enamoured with the behaviour of the opposite sex. But having had experience of his brusque manner, maybe he wasn’t the easiest of people to get along with and she would have proof if that was so when she started working with him.

  Mildred Waterson was a different matter and if others were judging her in the same way, it was going to be just one more example of being in the shadow of her mother for evermore.

  Yet they’d been closer than they’d ever been on the first night she’d been back home, and whatever else her mother lacked it wasn’t integrity. The suggestion that she had left her when she’d needed her would not have come from Barbara. In her usual autocratic way she had wanted her daughter in the practice, but hadn’t been prepared to explain why and so Jenna had refused to obey her demands.

  She’d seen Lucas in the garden over the way and hoped he wasn’t going to come across. On the few occasions that she’d been in his company she’d found it difficult to think straight and it was a new experience for her.

  There had been a few light-hearted relationships with guys she’d met while travelling abroad, and a couple of dates locally, but none of the men she’d spent time with had made her feel as weak at the knees as the lone surfer had on the beach that day. That he turned out to be one of the bigwigs from Hunters Hill Hospital was mind-blowing.

  One thing was certain, he wasn’t going to be turned on by a part-time practice nurse, and as she cycled past his house with eyes averted Jenna wished herself far away from all the worries and uncertainties that had suddenly appeared in her life.

  At that moment she wasn’t to know that all was not going to be gloom. When she arrived home her father met her at the door with a wide smile, and taking her in his arms planted a kiss on her smooth brow. ‘Guess what?’ he said with a chortle. ‘The organisers of the Harvest of the Sea have been on to say you’ve been chosen to be this year’s central figure.

  ‘They asked if you would be available last year, but I had to tell them you were away, and now they must have discovered that you’re back. So what do you think of that?’

  ‘Fantastic!’ she breathed as the clouds in her sky disappeared.

  ‘I hoped you’d say that,’ he replied happily. ‘After all, you’ve taken part ever since you were small, and this year you’re going to be the star.’

  She was laughing, blue eyes dancing at the thought. ‘So what will I be? Not a mermaid squashed into a tail or anything equally uncomfortable, I hope.’

  ‘I don’t know. You’ll find out when you get in touch.’

  ‘What does Mum think about the idea?’

  ‘Why don’t you ask her?’

  She did, and Barbara said in her usual way, ‘Just as long as it doesn’t keep you away from the surgery, it’s a very nice thought, and with regard to the practice, have you seen much of Lucas Devereux so far?’

  ‘I’ve spoken to him a couple of times and will be assisting in his clinic twice weekly, so I’ll have a better idea of what he’s like then.’

  ‘I believe that Lucy has told you of the recent happenings in his life?’ her mother questioned.

  ‘Er, yes, she has, though only briefly,’ she said soberly. ‘How awful to be attacked in the course of treating the sick.’

  ‘Yes, indeed,’ her mother agreed with a mirthless smile. ‘Stress can change people with a short fuse into monsters. But as well as that he discovered that his fiancée, who was also second in command, was after his position as top surgeon on the unit and was prepared to stop at nothing to get it.’

  ‘Ah, I see,’ Jenna said slowly, ‘and as he is no longer at Hunters Hill, did she get it?’

  ‘No, the primary care trust saw to that. They’ve appointed a temporary replacement in the hope that Lucas will soon feel ready to take up the reins again.’

  ‘And do you think he will?’

  ‘Hopefully, yes. It’s great to have him with us but his knowledge could be put to much better use in a big hospital.’

  ‘And what happened to the treacherous fiancée?’ Jenna questioned casually.

  ‘She went abroad, seeking pastures new. We have to remember that there is a hierarchical attitude amongst some of the top medical people.’

  ‘Does that include Lucas Devereux?’

  ‘I wouldn’t think so, considering what the man is doing now. His name was a byword at Hunters Hill, but he has calmly stepped down the ladder without any lessening of his dedication to cardiac patients.’

  Barbara picked up a book that she’d been engrossed in at that point and Jenna went up to her room to get changed with a lot to think about, and what had happened to the man who was far too much in her thoughts came top of the list.

  The rest of the day passed just as quickly as the morning had done, and the sun was setting over a calm blue sea the first time that Jenna had a moment to herself.

  She’d gone outside on to the headland for a breath of air and when she looked down, Lucas was climbing up towards her from the beach, minus the surfboard on this occasion as the tide was out. He was dressed in just shorts and trainers, with the scar across his chest plain to see, and Jenna felt tears prick at the thought of the hurts he’d received because of his job.

  Yet there was nothing to denote any kind of self-pity when he drew level. In the light of the dying sun he asked in the abrupt manner that she was becoming familiar with, ‘What was wrong when you left the surgery this morning? You didn’t look very happy.’

  His presence beside her made Mildred Waterson’s acrimony seem a million miles away and she answered easily, ‘It wasn’t anything much. A patient had just been commenting about the way I left my mother when she was ill. The fact that I had no idea how serious it was didn’t come into the discussion as far as Mrs Waterson was concerned, but life isn’t all doom and gloom, is it, Lucas?’

  He was raising a dubious eyebrow. He had some reservations about the truth of that. ‘What has happened to make you say that?’ he asked.

  ‘The Harvest of the Sea Committee has asked me to lead the yearly festival that we in Bluebell Cove hold in the fish sheds at the harbour during the first week of September. The vicar is in charge of the service and almost everyone turns out for it. I only found out today that I’ve been chosen and am thrilled to have been asked.’

  He was actually smiling without any effort. ‘So the harvest is of fish instead of produce from the fields and orchards? You’d better let me have the date. What do they do with the fish afterwards?’

  ‘Deliver it to the old, sick and needy. What is left is cooked and we have a fish and chip supper.’

  ‘Hmm, sounds great. What do you wear for this special occasion?’

  ‘It varies from year to year. I’ll be hearing soon as it’s already the middle of August.’

  ‘I’m amazed how different life is here compared with the town. It’s like another world,’ he said, ‘and it’s great to be here for Ethan if he needs me. The poor guy is really missing Francine and the children.’

  ‘I’ve noticed that they aren’t around and as I get the impression that it isn’t a topic for discussion I haven’t asked him why.’

  ‘Francine has taken Kirstie and Ben to live in her parents’ old home in northern France. She inherited what I’m told is a very attractive house in a beautiful village and wanted the children to have the benefit of growing up there, as she did.’

  ‘But what about Ethan?’ she gasped. ‘He hasn’t been senior partner in the p
ractice for long. He wouldn’t want to pack up and wave goodbye to Bluebell Cove just like that.’

  ‘Exactly,’ he agreed dryly. ‘From what I’ve been told, the only reason your mother agreed to retire was because Ethan was going to follow in her footsteps. He was the only one she would trust her beloved practice to, and knowing him he won’t let her down. But he is not the happy guy he might appear. He adores his children and now doesn’t see enough of them.’

  ‘And does he still adore Francine?’

  He shrugged broad shoulders tanned by the summer sun. ‘I don’t know. Maybe not.’ And as he turned to go he said sombrely, ‘Don’t let the hurts that others do to you quench your spirit, Jenna.’

  Then he was gone, striding towards the house he had bought on an impulse and had since wondered if he was going to regret it, and Jenna was left with a strong desire to run after him and hold him close.

  It was almost two o’clock on Thursday afternoon and Jenna had just arrived at the surgery with only seconds to spare.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ she gasped, red faced from a mixture of exertion and mortification. ‘I had a puncture on the way here.’

  ‘I see,’ Lucas said coolly, his pleasure at seeing her again concealed by his tone. ‘Perhaps a more reliable form of transport is needed.’

  ‘Such as?’ she questioned. ‘I haven’t yet had time to look for a car and when I do it will have to be something very basic until my bank balance improves.’

  ‘There’s one on my drive you can borrow.’

  ‘What? Not the bright red sports car, surely? You wouldn’t trust me with that…would you?’ she exclaimed.

  ‘Yes. Why not? I don’t use it. I bought it for someone else and they’re not around any more, so feel free. And now are we going to get on with what we came to do? There are patients waiting who have much more important problems than a punctured bicycle tyre.’

  ‘Yes,’ she said meekly, and he turned away to hide a smile.