Beneath Still Waters. Alex Archer

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      ‘The thought of having two days to myself before going back to work on Monday morning seemed like precious gold in my busy working life. It isn’t often that I get my priorities wrong, but maybe I did this morning, and I’m sorry.’

      ‘When you appeared I felt that you were heaven-sent but could hardly be described as angelic.’

      He laughed. ‘That is fair comment. I’m known more as a tartar than an angel in my working life.’ In reality work was the only life he had these days since his catastrophe of a marriage. ‘So, do you accept my apology?’

      ‘Yes, of course,’ she replied.

      ‘So what about the bike? Did you have time to call in at the garage to have it collected?’

      ‘They’re picking the bike up but won’t be sending you the bill. I’ve paid it.’

      He frowned. ‘That is not what I asked of you.’

      ‘Maybe, but that is what I’ve done as I felt that I was partly to blame for not insisting that my group walk in single file. It was because they were all over the road that the young guy on the bike lost control.’

      ‘Even so,’ he protested.

      ‘Please don’t make an issue of it,’ she told him steadily. ‘I did what I felt was right and don’t want to discuss it any further.’

      ‘All right, so be it,’ he agreed. ‘Have you eaten since you got back?’

      ‘I haven’t yet,’ she replied cautiously.

      ‘I was planning to eat at the restaurant at the hotel by the river in a while. If you won’t let me pay for the removal of the motorcycle, can I take you for a meal to make up for it?’

      ‘I’m afraid not,’ she told him, imagining the gossip that would spring up at the hospital if word got out she’d been seen dining with her boss.

      ‘A friend of mine who works full time at the community centre should have taken the kids on the walk today, but I had to take her place as she’d picked up some sort of a flu virus and sounded quite ill when we spoke this morning. So I need to go round to see how she is and look after her. I will have something to eat while I’m there, but thank you for the invitation.’

      ‘Of course. Maybe we’ll meet again some time and I’ll be able to make amends, as I do like to repay my debts.’

      ‘You don’t owe me anything, please believe me! It was the least I could do for the poor young guy and compared to what you’ve done for him it was nothing.’

      * * *

      When Leonie arrived at Julie’s studio flat, she found that her friend was feeling much better. She was sitting up and taking notice as Leonie made them a meal and was wide-eyed with astonishment to hear about Callum Warrender’s invitation.

      ‘Weren’t you the lucky one!’ she gasped. ‘Was he surprised to know that you are one of the staff on the orthopaedic unit?’

      ‘No, because I didn’t tell him,’ Leonie told her. ‘I said I was a nurse, but either he wasn’t interested or in fairness to the man he was too tuned in to the injuries of the motorcyclist to get involved in chit-chat.’

      ‘So on Monday morning all will be revealed between the two of you.’

      ‘Maybe, maybe not,’ Leonie said. ‘He almost didn’t recognise me earlier this evening, out of my walking gear. The uniform might really throw him off track, and anyway, they say that Warrender isn’t a woman chaser. That he’s had a bad experience that’s put him off relationships.’

      ‘In what way?’ Julie questioned.

      ‘I don’t know any details. I haven’t been on the wards all that long. He seems like the kind of doctor who will only see nurses as a pair of hands without their faces registering.

      ‘Anyway, enough about Callum Warrender. How have you been feeling while I’ve been up on the moors?’

      Julie shook her head. ‘I do feel a lot better now.’

      ‘Is Brendan coming round later?’

      ‘Yes. We’ve started making wedding plans. I’d be delighted if you’d agree to be my chief bridesmaid, along with my young sister, if that is all right with you, Leonie. It won’t bring back past heartache, will it?’

      ‘No, of course not. The past is the past,’ she told her evasively. ‘I’m over that and if Brendan is coming to talk about wedding arrangements I’ll be off as soon as I’ve tidied the kitchen. I don’t need to tell you not to go to the centre tomorrow. I know what Sundays are like there with every kid in the neighbourhood turning up, but you aren’t fully recovered yet.’

      ‘I’ve already phoned in to say that I won’t be there,’ she replied, ‘so don’t worry about me, Leonie, but do let me know what happens on Monday with you know who.’

      ‘I can give you the answer to that now,’ she said laughingly. ‘Nothing is going to happen. Callum Warrender is not my type.’

      * * *

      Back at home Leonie felt at a loose end. Julie’s reference to the affair she’d had with one of the senior anaesthetists at the London hospital where she’d been employed before coming to Heatherdale had brought back vivid memories of the pain and heartache she’d felt on discovering that he was married. But that had been nothing compared to the raw agony of losing the baby that she’d been expecting.

      Since then she’d been wary of any other relationships as the hurt of being deceived in such a way hadn’t yet healed; it was still new and agonising. Moving to Heatherdale had been about making a fresh start, but that couldn’t erase the memories of the past.

      Still, she was genuinely thrilled for Julie and Brendan. They made a strong and devoted couple. However, it was difficult to imagine ever being in that situation herself.

      To be asked to be a bridesmaid was a different matter. She was honoured that her friend had asked her and she’d be proud to support her on her big day. She wondered what sort of dress Julie had in mind.

      Her reverie was interrupted by the couple from the yurt next door, who were having a few folks round for supper. They asked if she would like to join them. As she accepted the invitation her glance was on the hotel on the opposite side of the river and the memory came back of the one she’d turned down and was now wishing she hadn’t.

      It would have given her the chance to tell Callum Warrender what she did for a living, instead of him discovering on Monday morning in front of all the ward staff of the orthopaedic unit of Heatherdale Children’s Hospital that their acquaintance was not going to be a fleeting thing. Now she still had that doubtful pleasure to come.

      * * *

      Callum sat in the hotel lounge, having a nightcap before returning to his apartment.

      He should have been feeling content but he wasn’t. The night before he’d been full of the pleasure of being back home and enjoying the weekend ahead, but the day that would soon be over had been full СКАЧАТЬ