by Anne Fraser
‘I would have to look into the possibilities,’ she told him, playing for time.
He nodded. ‘That’s okay. I know this must have come as a bit of a shock to you. But I’m sure you’ll see the sense in it when you’ve had time to think things through.’ He let his glance run over her, causing a wave of heat to ripple through her veins. ‘Perhaps I could take you out to lunch and we could talk things over.’
‘Um…’ She struggled to compose herself. ‘I don’t think so, thanks all the same. I have to attend a couple of meetings this afternoon… I suggest we do that some other time.’
Some time never, she told herself. Sitting down to lunch with him seemed like altogether too intimate an occasion. He even made it sound as though it would be something special, the way his voice softened and his eyes took on a warm glimmer. It would be like going to dinner with a wolf and, with him being the way he was, it gave her more the feeling that she was being stalked by the leader of the pack.
‘As you please,’ he said. ‘Perhaps you’ll let me know what you decide regarding the offer to join your team.’
‘I will.’ She realised that her lungs were tight with suppressed air, and now she pulled in a deep breath to lighten her load. ‘I’m on the late shift tomorrow, but I could let you know the day after, if that would be all right with you?’
‘That’s fine by me,’ he murmured. ‘Reception has my number.’ He smiled. He wasn’t at all fazed by her reticence, and why should he be? He was the one who was in command, and he knew it.
As for Louise, her nerves were shot to pieces.
CHAPTER FOUR
LOUISE wound down the window of her car, allowing the warm summer breeze to caress her cheeks. It was a good feeling, being able to breathe in the fresh air, and with the gentle heat settling around her limbs she began to relax a little as she drove along the country lanes. The view of the vineyards that graced the southern slopes of the Wye Valley was a treat in itself.
Here and there, she caught glimpses of fruitful orchards, where the trees were beginning to develop the crop of apples that would later be turned into the cider that would eventually be sipped in the local inns.
The Wye Valley was a good place to live and work, and she ought to be thankful that she was able to enjoy it. If it wasn’t for the problems that crowded in on her, life might be good. As it was, she didn’t seem to have any choice but to make the best of things, and go on as though her prized A&E unit would be safe for the future.
With that thought in mind, she turned the car purposefully towards the town, heading for the art gallery.
Would the pictures she had admired so much still be available there? They would do so much to cheer up her young patients as they waited to have their injuries tended.
‘Yes, I still have them,’ the young woman at the art gallery told her. ‘I could see how interested you were in them, so I put them to one side for a while, just in case you came back.’
She was a pretty dark-haired girl, with long slender fingers and nails that were beautifully manicured, and she had such a good knowledge of paintings that Louise wondered if she was an artist herself.
‘I do paint the occasional landscape,’ she answered with a smile when Louise gently enquired.
‘Gemma’s very talented,’ a shaky voice put in from across the room. ‘She’s very modest about her work, but she could stand amongst the best.’
Louise turned to face the elderly gentleman who had spoken. ‘Joseph!’ she said in pleased surprise, seeing James’s grandfather seated by a table in the corner. ‘It’s good to see you again. What are you doing here? Are you shopping for artwork?’ He looked even more frail than before, and she couldn’t help thinking that he ought to be at home, resting. Perhaps he had been overcome by fatigue and needed to sit down for a while.
‘I just wanted to spend some time out of the house,’ Joseph explained. He nodded, as though confirming that to himself, and then his eyes drooped slightly as though he was about to fall into a doze.
Louise turned back to Gemma. ‘We met the other day at the park, when he was feeling unwell. Has the same thing happened again? Is that why he’s here—because he needed to rest for a while?’
‘My grandfather is just visiting,’ Gemma said, looking across the room to the old man.
‘Joseph is your grandfather?’ Louise echoed.
‘Yes, and I love him dearly. He’s been more like a father to me.’ Gemma’s grey eyes were troubled as she turned back to Louise. ‘So you must be the doctor he was telling me about.’ She smiled in acknowledgement, and then, in an undertone, she added, ‘Unfortunately, he’s taken to wandering about these last few weeks, and my brother thought he would be better off sitting here with me for an hour or so. That way, I can keep an eye on him. He’s not at all well, but he loves to look at the work on display, and talk to some of the artists who come in from time to time.’
So this was James’s sister? Louise looked at her more closely, to see if there was any resemblance she could discover… Possibly the angular cheekbones and the eyes that were an unusual mix of grey-blue were the tell-tale features. ‘I can imagine he would like to do that. I expect he’s a lively old soul usually, isn’t he?’
Gemma nodded. ‘Usually, but of late he’s becoming more and more fragile. I have to confess that I’m worried about him. There seems to be quite a lot of fluid in his chest and he gets very short of breath, and runs out of energy quite fast. James says it’s because his heart is failing.’
Louise nodded. ‘It must be difficult for you, not knowing how you can help him if his medication isn’t doing the trick. He isn’t at all overweight and I expect he already watches his diet and cuts out salt as much as possible. All you can really do is to be here for him and make sure that he isn’t in any pain.’ She looked fondly at the old man. ‘Is he staying with you all day?’
‘No.’ Gemma kept her voice low. ‘At least, he wasn’t meant to be staying. My brother was supposed to come and fetch him some time ago, but he’s swamped with work and rang to say that he couldn’t make it. I must say, I’m more than a little concerned about him just now. He’s been quite poorly this morning. It’s so sad to see. He used to be so energetic and full of life, but now he seems to be failing fast.’
‘I’m sorry.’ Louise frowned. What was James thinking of, letting his grandfather down? Fair enough, he was a busy man, but his family ought to come first and if he had promised to come and fetch him, he should be here, shouldn’t he? How was it that he was able to offer to come and work with her when he couldn’t spare the time to be with his grandfather?
‘Anyway, enough of my troubles.’ Gemma put on a bright smile. ‘You say you’d like to buy these paintings?’
‘I would.’ Louise looked down at the oil paintings that Gemma had propped up on the counter. ‘They’re so cheerful and child-friendly, with the bright scenes of children playing. I love the way the beach looks golden and inviting in that one, and how the puppy peeps through the shrubbery in this one.’ She was smiling as two small girls came running into the room and came to peer at the landscapes.
‘I like the one with the puppy best of all.’ The older child who spoke up was the image of Gemma. Her dark hair was silky and swung from side to side as she turned her head. ‘He makes me want to stroke him.’
‘Me, too. He’s adorable, isn’t he?’ Louise looked from one child to the other and guessed that they were sisters; they had similar features.
‘Are these your children?’ she asked, glancing at Gemma.
‘Yes, they are. Nicola and Anne-Marie.’ Gemma indicated each of them in turn. ‘Nicola’s five years old, and Anne-Marie is six, going on seven.’ She winced. ‘They have to spend time with me here during the school’s summer holidays. It isn’t an ideal situation, but at least there’s a patch of garden out back where they can play.’
‘That’s something anyway, and it means that they can be with you while you’re working.’
Did that mean tha
t Gemma had no parents or in-laws she could call on to babysit for her from time to time? That was a sad situation, but it was one that Louise could identify with, since she had lost her own parents at a young age and could barely remember them. As for James, he had never mentioned any family, other than his grandfather, but then the question had never arisen, had it?
‘So,’ Gemma murmured, ‘where would you like me to deliver these paintings, or will you be taking them away with you?’
‘They’re for the hospital, for the children’s A&E unit. I’ll take them with me. Would it be all right if I pay for them by card?’
‘Of course. Perhaps you could give me your home address, for my ledger? There is an insurance cover on them that will last for six months. I’ll transfer it to your name.’
‘Thanks.’ Louise began to write in the ledger that Gemma put before her. ‘I live at Watermead House in Brooklea village.’
Gemma’s head lifted. ‘I think I’ve heard that name…’
‘What’s that? What did you say?’ Joseph appeared to have woken up with a start. He blinked, gathering himself together.
‘We were talking about Watermead House, Grandad,’ Gemma told him. ‘It’s where Louise lives.’
‘Watermead… That’s a seventeenth century house, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, it is.’ Louise glanced at him, noticing that he was frowning, as though he was trying to jog his memory. The little girls went over to him to give him a hug and he put an arm around each of them. Louise could see that there was a lot of affection between them.
‘I haven’t lived in the house for all that long,’ she added. ‘Just around a year, I would think. It took me quite some time to decide on where I was going to stay, but there was a certain appeal to the property that made me want to buy it.’
Joseph nodded. ‘It’s a listed building, isn’t it, one that the local authority wants to preserve. I think I have a picture of it somewhere.’
Louise lifted a delicately arched brow. ‘You do?’
He nodded. ‘One of my ancestors had a keen interest in all the old buildings in the area—Brooklea is made up of a number of quaint cottages and the like, isn’t it? He built up quite a collection of items to do with local history. Anyway, he bought sketches and paintings of the ones he was particularly fond of. I’m sure I have a painting of your property around the house somewhere.’ He coughed a little and Louise could hear the wheezing sound his chest made. ‘You’ll have to let me show it to you.’
‘Thank you, I’d like that,’ Louise murmured. ‘I’m surprised anyone would have taken the trouble to make a painting of it—it’s just a small place and nothing spectacular, although I suppose there’s an appealing old world character about it.’ She had managed to pick it up at a reasonable price, given that it needed work doing on it to restore it to its former glory.
‘That’s it, I think. It blends in so beautifully with the surroundings.’ The old gentleman looked weary, and she wondered if he was going to have to stay here all day until Gemma was able to close up shop and take him home. He looked as though he ought to be in bed, propped up with lots of pillows, instead of sitting in an upholstered chair in his granddaughter’s art gallery.
Just then, though, the main door opened and James walked purposefully into the room. He was tall, loose limbed and energetic, and looked as though he was ready for action. Louise gathered herself up, compelled by the sheer magnetism of the man to follow his every movement, but conscious, at the same time, that she needed to shore up her defences.
Gemma smiled at him. ‘I’m glad you managed to get here,’ she said softly. ‘Grandad’s not feeling at all well.’
‘I came as soon as I could,’ James acknowledged, glancing to where his grandfather was sitting, and then letting his gaze drift over Louise. ‘I’ll give him one of the ACE inhibitors his GP prescribed. That should help reduce the strain on his heart and help him to feel better.’
‘Good. I’ll go and fetch a glass of water so that he can swallow it down. And then I’ll perhaps be able to concentrate on wrapping up these pictures.’ Gemma went over to an annexed room to fetch the drink.
James nodded, then looked properly at Louise, sending a smile in her direction. ‘I hadn’t expected to see you here.’ Then he glanced at the paintings on the counter and inclined his head as though all had become clear. ‘I expect those are intended for the hospital, aren’t they? You mentioned that you wanted to brighten up a couple of the treatment rooms.’
‘Well, someone has to think about the patients,’ she said. She delivered the words with a faintly caustic glance in his direction. She would not let him get to her. It was difficult enough getting used to the idea that he had the power to bring down the axe on her department, but the fact that he had let his grandfather down again was bothering her.
For a moment, he looked as though he was taken aback by her barbed comment, but just then his two young nieces claimed his attention, clamouring to be hugged, and he responded by lifting each one up in turn, swinging them around. He laughed as they squealed in delight.
Then, steadying Nicola down on the floor once more, he went over to his grandfather. ‘I’m sorry to hear that you’re not feeling too good,’ he said. ‘Shall we get you home, then? I expect you could do with a bit of a snooze and the daily paper to keep you company.’
‘Everyone fusses too much,’ Joseph muttered. ‘I keep telling all of you, I’ll be fine.’
‘Of course you will. It’s just that we don’t want you to overdo things.’ He studied his grandfather’s face. ‘Are you ready for me to take you out to the car?’
‘No, no, not yet. I want to ask Louise if she’s going to come with us. I want her to see the picture.’ He made a shaky movement with his hand, as though to move his grandson to one side so that he could see her better.
‘The picture?’ James was puzzled.
‘Watermead House. I have a watercolour of it somewhere… or it might be a sketch.’ The old man frowned, trying to get his breath.
James looked in Louise’s direction, throwing her a questioning glance.
‘It’s where I live,’ she said. ‘It really isn’t necessary for your grandfather to put himself out. I don’t mean to disturb him. I don’t want to trouble him in any way. I can see that he’s very tired.’
‘I thought she might like to have it,’ Joseph said, looking up at James as though he expected him to take over and deal with the situation.
‘Oh, but I can’t let you do that,’ Louise protested, realising his intent. ‘I wouldn’t dream of taking your picture from you.’
‘I’ve no need for it. I have so many.’ Joseph’s voice became firm, and Louise caught a glimpse of the man he must once have been, a man with all the power and authority that now, in turn, James possessed. He was used to having his own way.
‘Do you have time to come with us?’ James asked, giving her a direct look. ‘Only I think he will just become more agitated if we go against him on this. It’s such a small thing, and I don’t like to see him going into a decline if it can be avoided.’
Louise couldn’t let that pass. She said in a stiff, low tone that only James could hear, ‘If that’s the case, then perhaps you should have come and taken him home some time ago, instead of claiming to be too busy. How do you expect to come and work with me if you can’t even take care of your own grandfather?’
He gave her a startled look. ‘I don’t know what information you have, but my brother, Robert, was supposed to be coming to fetch him. I only came because Gemma called me and said that Robert couldn’t make it. As it is, I’ve had to come away from a meeting in order to pick him up.’
‘Oh, I see.’ She was instantly deflated as the breath left her lungs and she felt a tide of warm colour flood into her cheeks. She had done it again, hadn’t she? ‘I didn’t realise that you had a brother. I’m sorry. I can see that I had everything wrong again.’
James’s grey gaze captured hers, not allowing her to look away as
she would have liked. ‘I dare say you could redeem yourself by coming back with us to the house,’ he remarked, sliding an arm around her shoulders. ‘You’re not on duty until mid-afternoon, are you? I could bring you back, so that you’ll be able to collect your car.’
Louise tried to ignore the way he was folding her to him. It was altogether too distracting. She thought about what he’d said and then slowly nodded. What choice did she have? ‘As long as I’m back in time for my shift.’
‘I have to be back at work too.’ His expression wryly amused, he let her go. He knew full well that he had won that one all too easily. ‘There should be enough time for us to collect the picture and have a bite of lunch.’
‘All right.’ She was subdued and throughout the process of installing Joseph comfortably in the Mercedes she remained quiet. Gemma and the girls came outside to see them off and Louise waved and gave them all a brief smile.
She was seated in the front of the car, next to James, as he drove them away, and after a while the silence began to get to her. ‘I don’t think you mentioned your brother Robert before this,’ she said.
‘No, perhaps not. He normally looks after our grandfather, because they live together up at the house. Mostly, during the day, Robert has to work on running the farm, but he manages to keep an eye on Grandad.’
‘Gemma said that he was overwhelmed with work today. Is something out of the ordinary going on?’
‘They’re harvesting some of the crops, and I gather that one of the animals has fallen sick. He had to call the vet to come and take a look.’
‘Oh, I see.’ She was still uncomfortable at the depth of her misunderstanding, and James wasn’t giving her any indication as to whether he had forgiven her or not. Glancing around, she saw that in the back of the car Joseph was sleeping peacefully.
‘It must be difficult for you,’ she murmured, ‘having to take care of your grandfather, and coping with your own workload. How did you manage when you were away in Europe?’
‘I’m afraid the burden fell on my brother and on Gemma. I came home every now and again and took over for a while so that they could have a break, and of course they were always in touch with me in case there were any problems. You’re right, though, it hasn’t been easy for any of us.’
