The Italian Doctor

‘Exactly. I couldn’t have put it better myself. It’s so good to be able to talk to someone who understands, Maggie.’ He grinned crookedly. ‘Maybe it also means that you understand why I behaved like such an idiot when we met and can find it in your heart to forgive me?’

‘There’s nothing to forgive,’ she assured him, feeling her heart lift. It surprised her how pleased she felt to know why Luke had acted the way he had. She laughed when he offered her his hand.

‘Truce, then?’

‘Truce!’ she agreed, placing her hand in his. They let the matter drop after that, joining in the conversation as it flowed around the table. However, she couldn’t deny her relief that there was no longer any reason for her and Luke to be at loggerheads. Why she should be so pleased about the change in their relationship was hard to explain so she didn’t waste time worrying about it. Most likely it was because she hated being at odds with anyone.

They finished their drinks then moved on to the party. It wasn’t far to walk but Maggie was limping by the time they reached the house where her friends, Ruth and Greg, lived. The blister on her heel had broken and each step was pure torture as the sandal strap rubbed against it.

‘Are you OK?’ Luke put a steadying hand under her elbow when she stumbled as she made her way up the steps to the house.

She grimaced as she lifted her foot and showed him her heel. ‘A blister. I should never have worn these wretched sandals. I should have known they would rub.’

‘That looks really nasty. You’re going to need a dressing on it. Let’s see if Ruth has a first-aid kit and get you sorted out.’

‘Oh, I don’t want to be any trouble—’ she began, but he cut short her protests.

‘Doctor’s orders, Staff. No arguing, now,’ he said sternly but with a definite twinkle in his eyes.

Maggie laughed. ‘Oh, far be it from me to argue with you, Doctor.’

‘Well, that’s progress.’ His tone was wry as he helped her up the last step. ‘From what I overheard you saying this morning I didn’t think you would ever agree with anything I said.’

‘I’m sorry—’ she began

‘Only teasing.’ He held up his hand. ‘You had every right to say what you did. It wasn’t your fault that I made such a rotten impression when we met. However, that’s all in the past, isn’t it, Maggie? Let’s move on from there.’

She smiled, feeling her heart going pitter-patter inside her chest. Of course, it was relief at having ironed out their differences that caused it to react like that, she assured herself. But it was hard to believe that was the only reason so she didn’t dwell on it. ‘That sounds like a good idea to me, Luke. I’d like to think that you and I can be friends.’

He smiled but there was the strangest gleam in his eyes as he looked at her. ‘Friends it is, Maggie.’ He bent and kissed her lightly on the cheek then glanced round when there was a burst of exaggeratedly noisy coughing behind them.

‘I hate to butt in but Ruth wants to know what you two would like to drink,’ Angela announced with the biggest grin.

Maggie could feel herself blushing even though the kiss had been no more than a token to seal their new-found friendship. However, she knew that she would come in for a lot of teasing once the news got round that Luke had kissed her.

‘Would you tell Ruth that what we need more than a drink at the moment is a first-aid box?’ Luke appeared unfazed by Angela’s amusement but, then, why should it have upset him? Maggie thought. The kiss had meant nothing when all was said and done.

Her spirits plummeted although she had no idea why. It was a relief not to have to think about it when Angela immediately demanded to know why they needed first-aid equipment. Maggie showed her friend her heel then murmured her thanks when Angela offered to find her something to put on it.

Angela came back a few minutes later with a green plastic box and handed it to Luke. ‘Ruth said to tell you that there’s antiseptic in the bathroom cabinet as well if you need it.’ She glanced round as Robin called her. ‘Right, I’ll leave you to it, then. At least you two should know how to play doctors and nurses properly!’

There was no mistaking what she meant. Maggie shook her head in despair as the younger woman hurried away. ‘Trust Angela to come out with something like that. Sorry.’

‘Don’t worry about it. In fact, it’s given me an idea. But first things first—let’s get you sorted out before I tell you about my brainwave.’

Maggie had no idea what he was talking about. However, it was obvious that he had no intention of explaining until he’d attended to her heel. She slipped off her sandals and went upstairs in her bare feet to avoid making the blister any worse.

The bathroom was surprisingly large so that the vast, claw-footed bath, old-fashioned basin and stately lavatory didn’t look at all out of place. Luke looked round approvingly as they went into the room.

‘I love these old fitments. They were made to be used, weren’t they? Unlike the bathroom suites you get nowadays.’

He went to the sink and turned on the tap, talking over his shoulder. ‘My hotel room has everything you’d expect but the bath is minute. I’ve given up all hope of having a lovely, long soak while I’m staying there because it’s just too uncomfortable.’

Maggie laughed as she closed the lavatory lid and sat down. ‘I suppose it’s difficult when you’re tall. I never gave much thought to how long a bath needed to be, to be honest.’ She frowned as a thought struck her. ‘But why are you staying in a hotel? I should have thought you would prefer to rent a place of your own while you’re over here.’

‘I would. But it’s not been easy finding anywhere suitable.’ He took a pack of sterile gauze from the first-aid box and ripped it open. He wetted the gauze with warm water then crouched in front of her and washed her heel. His hands were so gentle that she barely flinched despite how sore it was.

‘I’ve not had time to look around since I got here because I’ve been too busy working. I called a couple of agents and they’ve sent me details of various properties but it’s actually finding the time to go and see them that’s proving difficult.’

‘It must be awkward. I’m surprised that Roger Hopkins wasn’t able to find you a place to stay, though,’ she said thoughtfully, referring to the hospital’s manager. ‘He’s usually so helpful and I know that he’s found accommodation for people in the past.’

‘He did offer when he first contacted me about taking up the post here, but nothing came of it.’ Luke got up and went to rummage through the first-aid box. ‘I haven’t mentioned it to him since because he’s got enough to do with the rebuilding programme the hospital is undergoing.’

She sighed. ‘That’s true. We’ve been waiting for the area health authority to give the go-ahead for ages. There’s no doubt that Dalverston General needs to have its facilities upgraded. The trouble is that it’s going to cause such upheavals.’

‘It is. But look on the bright side—you’ll have a wonderful state-of-the-art hospital to work in once the programme is completed. I’ve seen the plans for the new surgical wards and, believe me, they are going to make a big difference to everyone’s lives—patients and staff alike.’

‘I know and I’m not really moaning. It’s about time this town had the best facilities available to it.’

‘Amen to that.’ He suddenly frowned as he opened the bathroom cabinet and took out a small bottle of antiseptic. ‘Mind you, the best facilities in the world aren’t worth a cent unless you have the best staff to work in them.’

‘You’re thinking about what happened at lunchtime, aren’t you?’ She saw his surprise and sighed. ‘Robin told me what had gone on with that motorcyclist. He said that it was only thanks to you that the poor fellow made it.’

Luke’s face was set as he poured a little of the antiseptic onto a fresh pad of gauze. ‘It was touch and go, all right, but it should never have happened. Something is going to have to be done about Dr Jefferson soon. The hospital can’t afford to take any more chances like that.’

Maggie agreed, although she didn’t say so. She sat quietly while Luke deftly swabbed her heel with the antiseptic. He taped a lint pad over the blister then stood up. ‘Right, that should help but you won’t be able to put your shoes back on.’

Maggie sighed as she looked at the dainty sandals with their wickedly high heels. ‘I should have gone for sensible rather than glamorous. It’s not really me, is it?’

‘Oh, I wouldn’t say that. You look fabulous tonight, Maggie. I love your hair like that.’

His tone was so warm that she felt a tide of heat sweep through her in response to it. ‘Oh…well, thank you,’ she murmured. ‘I don’t often wear it loose because it tends to get everywhere!’

He laughed as he picked up a long dark curl and gently ran it through his fingers. ‘I guess that’s because it’s so fine and silky.’

She couldn’t possibly have felt him touching her hair! It was a scientific impossibility. Yet there was no other explanation for the tingle that seemed to race right up the curl and across her scalp.

She took a steadying breath and moved towards the door, effectively forcing him to release her. ‘I suppose we’d better get back to the fray before they send out the cavalry.’

‘Or start wondering if we’re having a party of our own, perhaps?’

There was something in his voice that made her pause and she sighed ruefully. ‘Don’t take any notice of Angela, will you? She was only teasing.’

‘It doesn’t bother me in the least.’ He shrugged. ‘Look, Maggie, I told you that I’d had a brainwave, didn’t I? See what you think about it, but to my mind it could be the answer to both our prayers. How about if you and I let it be known that we were an item?’

‘An item?’ she repeated, not sure what he meant. Her heart leapt and she stared at him with huge dark eyes. ‘You mean that we…that you and I…?’

‘Should pair up. Or at least let our families think that we had.’ He laughed deeply. ‘It would be the perfect way to stop them trying to marry us off all the time, wouldn’t it? If they believed that we’d fallen for each other then they would stop trying to run our lives. So, what do you think? Is this the solution to our problems or not?’