Dr Devereux's Proposal. Margaret McDonagh

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ her landscapes hanging in the surgery’s reception area during his tour with Nick. He had found himself drawn to the paintings even before he had realised they were Lauren’s. She had real talent. He was looking forward to working with her—and to getting to know her better socially. Only his early meeting with Nick had prevented him from joining Lauren for her morning jog. There would be time for that in the days ahead. And, he hoped, for much more. He still intended to be cautious, but any resolve to remain uninvolved had wavered on Saturday and melted entirely on Sunday.

      The sound of chatter coming from the staffroom became louder and drew him from his thoughts. As Nick led the way inside and an anticipatory silence descended, Gabriel’s nervousness at the prospect of meeting his colleagues returned. He’d never experienced this self-doubt about acceptance until recently—until his world had turned upside down after his father’s death and things he had thought he had known about his life, his family, his very identity—had proved to be a lie. Gabriel swallowed the rush of emotions, forcing his private issues to the back of his mind. It was good to know there would be at least a couple of familiar faces here. A quick glance around the room told him that Lauren had yet to arrive and he struggled to mask his disappointment. However, Oliver and Chloe were there, their smiles reassuring him.

      Uncomfortable at being the centre of attention, he hoped his own smile was natural and that he came across as being more relaxed than he felt under the scrutiny he was being subjected to. Thankfully the atmosphere was welcoming, although he imagined some people had similar reservations to those Hazel had exhibited earlier. He remained silent as Nick made the introductions and turned to draw him forward.

      ‘Come on in and join us. Everyone, this is Gabriel Devereux.’ His manner benevolent and paternal, Nick gestured around the room. ‘You already know Oliver and Chloe. And you remember Kate Althorp, our other midwife, from your visit in the summer?’

      ‘But of course. It’s good to see you again, Kate.’ As the older woman rose to greet him, he gave her a Gallic kiss on both cheeks. ‘How is your son Jem?’

      Kate’s smile revealed her pleasure. ‘He’s well. Thank you, Gabriel. Welcome back to Penhally Bay! We are so pleased to have you with us.’

      ‘I am excited to be here.’ He smiled back, grateful for Kate’s warm approach.

      Nick made the other introductions and Gabriel shook hands with the rest of the team. When the formalities were over, Gabriel sat on an empty chair opposite Oliver and Chloe, and accepted the mug Eve Dwyer, one of the practice nurses, handed him.

      ‘We usually start the day with a coffee and a chat,’ she explained, her manner friendly. ‘Milk and sugar?’

      ‘Just a dash of milk, please.’

      As Eve added the milk to his mug and then turned to replace the carton in the fridge, a crash sounded out on the stairway, followed by a string of muffled curses. Gabriel looked round in time to see Nick shaking his head and moving towards the door.

      ‘That must be Lauren.’

      Everyone laughed in response to Nick’s wry comment, but the amusement was affectionate, Gabriel realised with some relief, already feeling protective of Lauren. Then he noted the concern on Oliver’s face, along with the way Chloe’s smile dimmed when she exchanged a glance with her fiancé. Gabriel shared a look with Oliver and as a silent acknowledgement passed between them he felt a shiver of unease. He had known Lauren less than forty-eight hours, but it appeared he was not alone in his impression that something more might lie behind her clumsiness. Gabriel filed the moment away. He would keep his own counsel for now, but Oliver could be the man to talk to if his initial worrying suspicions came to anything.

      Looking adorably flustered, and dressed in a uniform of navy blue tunic and trousers, her hair tied back in a ponytail, Lauren hurried into the room. She was carrying a haphazard stack of files and balancing a round tin precariously on top.

      ‘Sorry I’m late. I was delayed downstairs talking with a patient on the phone,’ she explained, sounding a touch breathless. ‘The waiting room is starting to fill up early—the usual collection of post-weekend crises, no doubt. Hazel is holding the fort and says to carry on without her.’

      ‘Are those some of Hazel’s biscuits?’ someone asked.

      Gabriel watched as Lauren awkwardly juggled the files and manoeuvred the tin so she could prise open the lid. ‘Her Cornish fairings,’ she announced once she had peeped inside. A twinkle of mischief in her smoky grey eyes, she offered him the tin. ‘All Hazel’s home-made food treats are favourites here, Gabriel, so I advise you to take what you can before the rest of this unruly lot devour them.’

      ‘Thank you.’ It was a bit early in the day for him, but Gabriel accepted one of the biscuits to please Lauren. He tried it with his coffee, surprised how much he enjoyed the ginger-flavoured local delicacy. ‘They’re excellent.’

      ‘Tell Hazel that and you’ll be in her good books for life.’ Kate laughed.

      ‘Come on, Lauren, don’t hog the tin. I missed breakfast and I’m starving,’ GP Adam Donnelly called, growling in mock complaint as others grabbed their share of the biscuits before the tin reached him.

      Gabriel was gratified when Lauren chose the chair next to him, her smile and the look in her eyes setting off the zing of awareness he felt every time he saw her.

      ‘A word of warning, Gabriel,’ one of the district nurses joked. ‘Make sure you park your car well away from Lauren’s—if you want to find it in one piece when you go back to it!’

      As the tale of her reversing into a car at a recent wedding was recounted, Lauren smiled, taking the ribbing in good part, but Gabriel could see the flash of hurt and worry in her eyes. The belief that there was something more than Lauren just being clumsy nagged at him but he hadn’t yet put his finger on what it was that disturbed him. Frowning, he remembered her uneasiness leaving the Manor House on Saturday night and the way she had tripped in the dark. She had explained away her stumble by telling him how accident prone she was, but he had sensed she was covering up for something else. More than once in their short acquaintance he had noticed the way she squinted at her mobile phone screen, tilting it around before reading the message. Then there were the moments she displayed an apparent lack of spatial awareness and misjudgement of distances.

      As Nick reclaimed the attention of those in the room, the teasing ceased and Gabriel had to set his considerations about Lauren aside. Instead, he listened with interest as the discussion turned to items of surgery business and any noteworthy out-of-hours incidents with patients. Adam had been called out the previous day to a thirteen-year-old girl with appendicitis who had been admitted to St Piran Hospital, while Kate had attended a mum-to-be who had reported some abdominal pain.

      ‘I’m convinced it is nothing serious but, given her level of anxiety, I’ve arranged for her to see the consultant at the hospital today instead of next week.’

      ‘Better to be safe than sorry,’ Nick remarked, to murmurs of agreement.

      Gabriel watched the interaction between Nick and Kate with interest. The tension between the two had been glaringly apparent during the barbecue at Nick’s house back in July. He had no idea of their history but he thought it went beyond the doctor-midwife dynamic. Thankfully, the atmosphere between them today was less fraught.

      ‘Gabriel is going to be shadowing Oliver this week, especially on home visits and out-of-hours work,’ Nick outlined as the patient reviews came to an end. ‘I’ve also supported his request to spend some time with other staff and СКАЧАТЬ