Prescription-One Bride

CHAPTER SIX

JESS fed her babies at five a.m. and then set her alarm for seven. It didn’t have a chance to go off. Fifteen minutes before it was due there was a series of loud thumps on the door from hospital to flat and then the sound of crutches across the kitchen floor.

‘Can I come in?’

Jess surfaced reluctantly from troubled sleep. There was a small face peering round her bedroom door. ‘Paige?’

The child was still in her nightdress. She clumped across to the bed and stared down at Jessie’s nose emerging from the quilt.

‘I knew you’d be awake,’ she said triumphantly. ‘Daddy said, “Go away it’s not even morning,” but I told him everyone would be awake. So then he said I could go and find out whether everybody really was awake all by myself and I did.’

‘Everybody meaning me?’

‘Especially you.’ Paige beamed as though signalling a very special honour.

‘Your daddy is a very generous person,’ Jess said drily.

‘I didn’t have a nightmare.’ Paige laid her crutches on the floor and put both hands on the bed to support herself. ‘It’s cold out here,’ she said hopefully.

‘Well, you’d better come in.’ Jess pushed back her quilt invitingly and the child scrambled up. In seconds she was cocooned against Jessie’s body, her cold toes on Jessie’s legs.

‘Ooh, you’re warm.’

‘That’s more than I can say for you, twerp,’ Jess smiled and obligingly put her arms round the child and cuddled.

It seemed that human contact was all Paige wanted. To be cuddled. To draw maximum warmth from this strange, fearful adult world.

‘Daddy’s very pleased I didn’t have a nightmare,’ the child announced. ‘Are you?’

‘Very pleased.’

‘He says we might stay here again. Lots of times. That means I can visit you every morning.’

‘Wow!’

‘You’ll like that?’ The child was suddenly anxious, sensing the laughter in Jessie’s ‘Wow’, and Jess gave her thin body a squeeze.

‘It’ll be delicious,’ she agreed. ‘Much better than an alarm clock.’

‘It sort of seems better here than at the farm,’ Paige confided. ‘When I’m here…I play a game…’

Her voice was suddenly shy, as if about to confess something she wasn’t sure about

‘What sort of game?’

‘That I have a mummy.’

Jess closed her eyes. Instinctively she pulled the child closer. ‘Paige, you don’t have to pretend,’ she said softly. ‘You do have a mummy. Your mummy’s travelling at the moment but she left you with some lovely people who found your daddy for you.’

‘You’re talking about Karen,’ Paige said scornfully. ‘She’s not my mummy.’

‘Paige, she is…’

‘No.’ The child’s voice hardened as if she was reciting a well-learned lesson-one she didn’t like a bit ‘Karen says I’m not to call her Mummy. She says only bourgeois children have mummies and I have to learn to be ind-independent and stand on my own two feet She says the sooner I learn not to need her all the time the better it’ll be for me and for her but I sort of think…’

The child’s voice was a strange mixture of adult and confused child and Jessie’s heart melted. ‘You sort of think what?’

Paige sighed and snuggled close. ‘Well, it’s really, really nice to at least have Daddy. But Mummy sounds even better.’

‘Lots of kids only have either a mum or a dad,’ Jess said evenly, biting back anger at the unknown Karen. ‘And Karen is still your mum, even though she wants you to call her Karen. It doesn’t make her any less your mum. So you have a caring daddy and a travelling mummy. Exciting, really.’

‘I don’t think it’s very exciting,’ Paige said bleakly. Then she pulled away from Jessie’s hold and sat bolt upright in the bed. ‘Jessie, I can hear Harry. Harry’s awake.’

So could Jess. The big dog was whimpering against the door of his cage. Their talk had disturbed him but he was making it known that he was uncomfortable, to say the least The whimper rose to a whine.

‘What’s wrong?’ Paige almost tumbled out of bed in her haste to reach him. ‘Is he hurting?’

He wasn’t hurting. Jess reached the cage door just behind Paige’s speedy crutches and nodded as she inspected the cage.

‘I see,’ she said slowly, smiling down at the Border collie. ‘Ever the gentleman, aren’t you, Harry?’

‘What’s wrong?’ Paige demanded.

‘Well, Harry is a very well-trained dog,’ Jess smiled. ‘For the last two days I’ve had newspaper in the base of the cage for when he needs to go to the toilet-and he’s been too sick to go anywhere else. Now, though, he’s starting to feel well enough to remember it’s not at all proper to go to the toilet in someone’s kitchen. See the newspaper? It’s not soiled at all and it’s eight hours since I changed it.’

‘What will we do?’ Paige asked anxiously. The dog was trying to paw the cage with his uninjured leg and whimpering when his weight went onto the injured pad.

Jess had pulled on her warm dressing gown. She slipped back into the bedroom and returned with a thick fleecy jacket.

‘Let’s put this on you,’ she told Paige. ‘You’ve slippers for those feet? Good. OK. I’m going to carry Harry out to the back lawn. Want to come?’

‘I sure do,’ Paige said triumphantly. ‘I knew everyone except Daddy was awake.’

Daddy…

Niall Mountmarche…

For about ten whole minutes the image had faded but now the remembrance of last night flooded through Jess with a rush of fierce sensation.

How could she have let him make love to her?

The man was so close. A corridor away, sleeping while she entertained his small daughter.

Maybe she’d better put half a dozen advertisements for locums in each medical journal, Jess thought grimly. How on earth could she face the man now?

Jess carried Harry gently out to the back lawn of the hospital, where the headland ran right out to the sea beyond. It was a magic spring morning, the sun already holding a promise of warmth, and there wasn’t a breath of wind. The only sound was the surf from the distant sea.

Jess set the dog down on the grass and Harry did what he had to do with an almost audible groan of relief. Then they watched while Harry proceeded to sniff his way round unknown territory.

He hopped on three legs, carrying his injured pad high, Jess was pleased to see, and not attempting to bear weight on it yet. The bandaged pad seemed almost a trophy. Harry’s bright eyes cleared and he looked around with the air of a dog almost content with his lot.

Almost.

There was a hint of unease.

Jess had saved his life but Jess wasn’t his master.

‘He looks like he wants something,’ Paige said, and Jess nodded.

‘He wants someone.’

‘Like his mummy?’

‘Like his dad.’ The voice came from the hospital door and made Jess jump. All three-child, woman and dog-turned to face the voice. Niall Mountmarche was standing on the top step, surveying them with complacency.

‘I thought you’d run away,’ he told his little daughter with a smile.

‘I wouldn’t!’ Paige’s face was appalled as if she couldn’t imagine doing something so stupid. She clutched Jessie’s hand as if for support and Jess realised that Paige still wasn’t completely relaxed with her father.

Niall was a strange new man in the child’s life. Who could blame Paige for her mistrust?

Who could blame Jessie for the same mistrust?

‘I only went to Jess,’ Paige whispered.

‘On her father’s recommendation, I understand,’ Jess managed. Instinctively she pulled her robe more tightly closed. ‘See if the world’s awake, did you tell your daughter? And if they’re not then wake them up.’

‘I like sharing the joys of parenting,’ Niall said easily. Unlike Jess, he was showered and dressed-in casual slacks and open-necked shirt. He strolled across the lawn towards them, pausing as he came to welcome Harry’s curious advances.

A man content with his lot. At ease with the world.

He smiled at Jess and the force slammed back.

‘He’s…Harry’s better…’ Jess whispered. Dear heaven, why did she react like this?

‘I see that.’ Niall gave the dog a final pat and straightened. He smiled down at Paige. ‘You’ve been helping Dr Harvey look after him?’

‘Dr Harvey’s name is Jessie,’ Paige said solemnly. ‘She doesn’t like anything else. Jess is pretty.’

‘She is at that,’ Niall smiled, and his eyes moved back to Jess. ‘And some!’

Jessie flushed bright crimson.

‘I…I’ll leave your daughter with you,’ she stammered. ‘Harry’s been out for long enough. I’ll take him back to his bed by the fire.’

‘Frank’s awake.’

Jessie’s eyes flew to his.

‘Why don’t we take Harry in to see his master?’ Niall said easily, smiling down at her flushed face.

‘I’m not even dressed,’ Jess told him, grabbing the gown and pulling it tighter.

‘So I see.’ His eyes laughed at her, watching the defensive measure of her hands. ‘But you look great to Paige and I-and Frank will have eyes only for his dog.’ He turned his attention to Harry who’d sat down at Niall’s feet as though waiting. His bandaged paw was still held out in front. ‘Does Harry need to be carried?’

‘I’ll carry him,’ Jess said. ‘I don’t want him overdoing it yet.’

‘He needs to borrow your crutches, Paige.’ Niall smiled and scooped the big dog up into his arms. ‘Border collies are supposed to be the smartest dogs in the world but they’ve never managed crutches. It just shows how smart little girls are. OK, ladies, let’s pay a social visit to Mr Reid.’

He strode into the hospital with his black and white burden and there was nothing for Paige and Jessie to do but follow.

The reunion was all that Jess could have wished.

Frank had slept most of yesterday, like his dog, exhausted by his body’s ills. He hadn’t asked to see Harry and Jess hadn’t offered, unsure of Niall’s reaction.

There was no asking now. By the time Jess and Paige reached Frank’s ward the dog was a bundle of shivering delight on the bed with Frank and practically licking him to death. There were grassy footprints on the bedcover. Geraldine would have a fit but it was hard to know who was more pleased to see the other-man or dog.

‘What do you think of bringing Harry’s bedding in here while there’s no one else in the ward?’ Niall suggested to Jess. He was grinning down at man and dog as if he’d engineered the whole reunion. ‘We can open the French windows and Harry can wander in and out at will.’

Jess stared. ‘And the Health Commission?’

‘Are a long way away, I think you said, Dr Harvey,’ Niall smiled. ‘And I can think of no better tonic for Frank.’

Jess looked down at the elderly farmer’s shrunken frame and her eyes clouded. ‘He’s still ill…’ Frank was muttering endearments to his dog and was out of hearing.

‘If I could find Lionel Hurd I’d be tempted to kick him further than he’s gone,’ Niall said grimly. ‘The diabetes has run out of control for months-and it’ll take a while to settle. I can’t judge long-term damage. But…’ he shrugged ‘…at least now…’

‘At least we have a competent doctor.’ Jess bit her lip. ‘I…We do appreciate it.’

‘I’ll bet.’ He cast a curious look at her. ‘Breakfast, Dr Harvey?’

‘Jessie,’ Paige corrected and Niall smiled.

‘Breakfast, Jessie?’ he amended his question but Jess shook her head.

‘I haven’t showered.’

‘Cook says breakfast is at seven.’

‘I eat my breakfast alone,’ Jessie told him and turned away abruptly. ‘Send…send Paige down to me when she’s ready. I’ll be in my flat-or over in the clinic. She’ll find me…’

‘Alone?’

‘Yes.’

‘Is that the way you want it, Dr Harvey-Jessie?’ he asked and his eyes gently mocked her.

‘Yes,’ she said again and walked quickly out of the room.

Jess didn’t see Niall again for the rest of the day-and that was how she wanted it.

It took trouble to organise. The hospital building was too small by far.

Niall’s presence filled it. Even if she couldn’t see him she could hear him, joking with the nurses, giving orders, moving out into the waiting-room to collect another patient…

It was as if he’d been the island doctor for all his life and not just for two days.

Two days…

She’d known him one more day than that, Jess thought fearfully. So…

So she didn’t know him at all. She knew him less than she’d known John Talbot when first she’d gone out with him.

And that had come close to costing Jess her Jife.

So…

So keep yourself away from him, she told herself fiercely. You know what happened last time. This man has a life of his own-a medical career in England and a life I know nothing of. Even his daughter doesn’t trust him.

Maybe it wasn’t Niall Mountmarche she didn’t trust. Maybe it was the reactions of her own wayward body.

Jess sent Paige to the hospital kitchen for lunch but ate alone. She did when she was busy.

She wasn’t busy today. She just didn’t want to spend any more time with Niall Mountmarche’s eyes on her.

Afterwards she expected Paige to return. Instead Jess did the small animal clinic on her own, working through a stream of animal ills until four o’clock.

As she emerged from seeing her last patient-one egg-bound chook-Niall and Paige were seated in her small waiting-room.

‘C-can I help you?’

It was a crazy question to ask but Jessie’s head wasn’t working normally. There were things going on that she didn’t understand and didn’t like. Not one bit.

‘Paige and I are on our way home,’ Niall said gravely. He stood and his eyes were careful-watchful-as though he was trying to figure Jessie’s reactions out. ‘I’ve finished Friday clinic. There’s only Frank in hospital and he’s doing fine-so, with luck, we’ll have the weekend on the farm.’

‘But we’ll come back Monday,’ Paige said anxiously. ‘Daddy promised.’

‘That’s great.’ Jess tried to smile. ‘I…I’ll see you then.’

‘Ask her, Daddy,’ Paige said anxiously. ‘Ask her.’

‘My daughter’s arranging my social life,’ Niall smiled. ‘We wondered if you’d like to come to dinner tonight.’

‘No.’

The word was out before she could soften it. It was as if Jess had put up both hands in fear.

‘Jess, we’ll hardly bite!’ Niall’s words were humorous but there was a question behind his eyes.

‘I…I know. It’s just…I have my animals to feed.’

‘Isn’t there someone you can organise to do that?’

‘Geraldine’s daughter does them sometimes,’ Jess admitted, ‘but I don’t like asking her unless…unless it’s something important.’

‘And dinner with us isn’t important?’

Niall’s dark eyes were smiling but the question stayed.

‘I can’t…Please don’t ask.’

‘I see.’ He nodded. ‘Jess, the first time I met you, you were as scared as Paige. Why, I wonder?’

Jess took a deep breath. ‘Who wouldn’t be?’ she managed lightly. ‘All those signs…And you were carrying a gun.’

‘We’d heard howls coming from the creek.’ Niall leaned back against the wall of the surgery and crossed his arms. He looked like a genie playing a game with his favourite toy. ‘I thought there might have been an injured animal-so I took a gun down in case I had to put something out of its misery. In fact, Hugo and I had decided it must be an injured fox.’

‘There are no foxes on Barega.’

‘I know that now. Frank told me.’

‘Bully for Frank.’ Jess crossed to the door. ‘If you’ll excuse me…’

‘You still haven’t told us why you’re scared.’

‘I’m not scared.’

‘Then why won’t you come to dinner?’

‘Because I’m busy,’ Jessie snapped. ‘I have responsibilities…’

‘Then tomorrow for lunch?’

‘No.’

‘Don’t you like us, Jessie?’ Paige asked sadly and Jess fought to recover calm.

‘Of course I like you, Paige,’ Jess told her, crouching to meet the child’s worried look. ‘But you know I can’t leave my animals.’

‘You do every time you do a house call,’ Paige corrected her. ‘Why don’t you do a house call on us?’

‘Because you’ll get sick of me,’ Jess told her. She straightened. ‘Paige, you live on your farm and I live here. I’ll see you on Monday when your dad does a clinic. But for the weekend…I need to be alone.’

‘Why?’ Paige asked and Jess shook her head.

‘Because,’ she said stubbornly and could think of nothing more to add. It was a child’s excuse-and that was how she felt. Like a scared child. She held the door for Niall and his daughter to leave. ‘I’ll look forward to seeing you both on Monday. But not before.’

Niall nodded slowly. ‘I think we can take the hint,’ he said evenly, scooping his little daughter up into his arms. ‘It’s just you and me for the weekend, Paige. Can you cope with that?’

‘I s’pose so,’ Paige said sadly. ‘But I love Jess.’

‘But Jess doesn’t trust us,’ Niall told her. ‘I guess it’s up to us to figure out how to cure that.’

Jessie had two long days without seeing either Niall or his daughter.

Niall visited Frank briefly on Saturday and Sunday morning, checking his medication and assuring himself that all was well but Jess managed to be safely out of the way both times. The good thing about Niall having a distinctive vehicle was that she could hear it approach and duck for cover.

She was behaving like a frightened schoolgirl, Jess knew, but she couldn’t stop herself.

She’d never been so frightened in all her life.

And for the life of her, she didn’t know what she was frightened of.

Fern and Quinn telephoned from the mainland on Sunday morning for their regular update on the island’s happenings. Dr Fern Rycroft and Dr Quinn Gallagher, husband and wife, were the island’s permanent doctors and were due back at the end of summer.

The couple were appalled to know what had happened.

‘But tell me about Dr Mountmarche,’ Fern demanded as Jess finished outlining the story. ‘Is he a permanent resident on the island? Will we have three doctors instead of two?’

‘I wouldn’t think so,’ Jess said shortly. ‘The idea is that he cures his daughter and then goes home.’

‘Back to England?’

‘Back to England.’

‘I see.’ There was a long silence at the end of the line. Then Fern finally continued, ‘Jess, you don’t think he could be talked into changing his mind, do you? If we offered him a permanent job?’

‘There isn’t enough work for three doctors on the island.’

‘There, might be,’ Fern said cautiously. ‘Especially…especially if one of the doctors is pregnant.’

Another long pause.

‘You’re kidding,’ Jess said blankly.

‘Kidding is right.’ There was a chuckle on the other end of the line and Quinn came on. ‘Kidding is right, Jess, love. Kid number one, due next April. Congratulate us.’

‘That’s…that’s wonderful,’ Jess managed.

‘This Dr Mountmarche…Is he good?’

‘It’s too early to say. Better than Lionel Hurd, at any rate.’

‘Well, thank heaven he’s there,’ Quinn told her. ‘Otherwise one of us would have been forced to come home-and we really need to finish these training stints. Jess, find out about him and if he’s OK, talk him into permanence. A part-time medical practice with his winery might suit him and us magnificently. I’ll set some enquiries into motion from this end.’

‘Quinn, I don’t want to.’

Another silence.

‘Why not?’ Quinn asked cautiously.

‘Because…Quinn, I hardly know him.’

‘Well, get to know him,’ Quinn ordered. ‘And talk him into staying. If he’s good we could have the best staffed island in the South Pacific.’

It was easy for Quinn to say.

He didn’t have to work with Niall Mountmarche…

The two men might get on, Jess decided as she tried to think things through without emotion.

It was only Jess who might have to leave if Niall Mountmarche stayed.

There had to be some way she could face him without feeling like…like her world was blowing round her like dandelion seeds in a high wind.

The weekend was medically peaceful. Almost unnaturally so.

Jess had learned to mistrust the peaceful times. It was almost as if the world paused before a crisis so that it could catch its breath.

The calm came to an end as Sunday afternoon drifted to a peaceful close. The telephone rang in Jessie’s flat.

‘Jess…’

Why did her breath do that? Catch in her throat at the sound of Niall Mountmarche’s voice?

‘Yes.’

‘Problem, Jess,’ he said briskly as if he hadn’t heard the sharp intake of breath. ‘Can you come?’

‘Paige?’ Jessie’s breath was suddenly caught in fear and Niall heard it.

‘Paige is fine. It’s an animal problem.’

‘Oh.’

‘I had a call on the mobile phone Geraldine so kindly arranged for me. One of the local fishermen-Ray Benn-do you know him?’

‘Mmm.’ Ray Benn had a five-acre plot just outside Barega township where his wife and kids kept a menagerie of different animals. At any given time there was always an egg-bound chook or a dog with a grass seed in its ear or a cat with kittens. ‘I know the Benns.’

‘There was a local gymkhana this afternoon. One of their kids-ten-year-old Sam-was riding Matilda and came off. He’s given his knee a fair thump and they were worried it’s broken. I’m sure it’s not’

‘But…’

‘I’m out at their place at the moment,’ Niall told her, ‘and I was thinking it’d be an idea if you were to have a look at the horse.’

‘Has Matilda hurt herself?’

Jess had never been asked to treat the horse but she knew her. Matilda was a placid old brown mare, gentle and knowing. An ideal children’s horse.

‘No.’ Niall hesitated as though unsure of his ground. ‘Look, there may be nothing wrong but the family’s worried and I don’t like the look of her. Matilda bucked Sam off and then kicked him while he was down. She seems almost wild-and they all tell me she’s never like this. I wondered if it’d be worth you having a look.’

‘I’ll come.’

Matilda bucking? Jess frowned. There had to be something wrong. Despite the distraction of Niall’s voice, her mind started racing. ‘Tell the Benns I’ll be there in ten minutes.’

‘I’ll wait,’ Niall told her. ‘I’m interested.’

‘There’s no need.’

‘No.’ She could hear the smile on the other end of the phone and Jess flushed. ‘I know there’s no need. But we’re medical partners, after all, and you might want a hand. I’m staying.’

‘I don’t need a hand.’

‘You’ve got one whether you like it or not,’ he said bluntly. ‘I’m staying.’