said modestly, 'and he felt that I was!'
‘The best what?'
‘Troubleshooter. ’
'I was under the impression that Mr Howard didn’t have any troubles. That his factory was a
model of the way factories should be run ?'
'So it is. I mean trouble with his
rivals. It's my job to keep pace with what they're doing and to prevent them
finding out what
we
are doing. You'd be amazed at the amount of
double-dealing that goes on in industry.'
'Then amaze me,' she said. I’m so
ignorant about business I think it's time I learned something about it.'
'You've come to the right person,’
he said happily. 'But don't blame me if I bend your ear back. Once I get
started on the subject I never know when to stop.' They had reached a rustic
arch set back off the grass verge and Dermot drove the car through it and
parked in front of a gabled country house. Expecting something brash and modem,
Kate was pleasantly surprised and liked the chintzy interior. The dining room
was discreetly lit by candles that shot a pale lemon glow over snowy white
linen. If the food was as good as the atmosphere then she was in for an enjoyable
evening.
Her hopes were not unfounded, for
the meal was excellent and the service efficient. 'I never expected to find a
.place like this in Llanduff,' she commented.
There's another one similar to it a
few miles down the road. If you go to them frequently enough you'll meet
everyone who's anyone in the district.'
'I suppose in time that could
become tedious. If's one of the drawbacks to living in a small town.'
'One gets used to it. 'I never
thought I would settle down here but when I go to London now, I can't wait to get
back.'
'Yet you still live in lodgings?'
‘Wait till you meet my Mrs Hughes. She looks after me as if I were her son—with
the added advantage that she doesn't watch over me like a mother!'
Kate laughed and Dermot looked at her
appreciatively. ‘Do you know you're beautiful when you smile?’
'I might get you to put that in
writing so I can read it on my miserable days.'
'I don't believe you have miserable
days. Yon look far too sane for that.'
She bit back a sigh, knowing he
would Und it difficult to believe that in the last three months there had been
days when her mood had been one of black despair. But she must not think about
it. She was embarking on a new Me and the past had to
be forgotten, at least until she could think of it without the distortion of
fear.
'If you're so worried about finding
small towns claustrophobic, how come you elected to settle here?' Dermot's
question was valid, but she was still reluctant to tell him the truth. To do so
might make her sound as if she were touting for sympathy.
'I wanted a change,' she fibbed.
'I've always worked in London and—and before I made up my mind whether or not
to settle permanently into a group practice, I decided to give myself a trial
period in something more intimate.'
'I'd hardly call taking care of
eight hundred lumbering men intimate!' '
'In London we had nine thousand
patients.'
'But more than one doctor, surely?'
'Of course. But we still had to work extremely hard.'
'Have you never wanted to specialise?'
She nodded.'-'I believe many
illnesses are psychosomatic in origin, and I would like to study it in depth.
In a smaller practice I'll have more chance to do so.'
‘I can't see our men suffering from
psychosomatic illness—malingering more likely!'
That's an illness too.'
‘I don't let Mr
Howard hear you say that I think he mollycoddles his staff to a
ridiculous-degree, but he hasn't yet jumped on the American bandwagon of declaring
ninety per cent of our troubles to be due to deprivation at our mothers'
breasts!'
She gave a slight smile. I'd better
stay off the subject of Freud with you.'
'I can think of far mote
interesting subjects we can talk about.'
The smile he gave her was warm, and
relaxing after a good meal and excellent wine, she was able to see him with
fresh .eyes. He was young, attractive
‘The best what?'
‘Troubleshooter. ’
'I was under the impression that Mr Howard didn’t have any troubles. That his factory was a
model of the way factories should be run ?'
'So it is. I mean trouble with his
rivals. It's my job to keep pace with what they're doing and to prevent them
finding out what
we
are doing. You'd be amazed at the amount of
double-dealing that goes on in industry.'
'Then amaze me,' she said. I’m so
ignorant about business I think it's time I learned something about it.'
'You've come to the right person,’
he said happily. 'But don't blame me if I bend your ear back. Once I get
started on the subject I never know when to stop.' They had reached a rustic
arch set back off the grass verge and Dermot drove the car through it and
parked in front of a gabled country house. Expecting something brash and modem,
Kate was pleasantly surprised and liked the chintzy interior. The dining room
was discreetly lit by candles that shot a pale lemon glow over snowy white
linen. If the food was as good as the atmosphere then she was in for an enjoyable
evening.
Her hopes were not unfounded, for
the meal was excellent and the service efficient. 'I never expected to find a
.place like this in Llanduff,' she commented.
There's another one similar to it a
few miles down the road. If you go to them frequently enough you'll meet
everyone who's anyone in the district.'
'I suppose in time that could
become tedious. If's one of the drawbacks to living in a small town.'
'One gets used to it. 'I never
thought I would settle down here but when I go to London now, I can't wait to get
back.'
'Yet you still live in lodgings?'
‘Wait till you meet my Mrs Hughes. She looks after me as if I were her son—with
the added advantage that she doesn't watch over me like a mother!'
Kate laughed and Dermot looked at her
appreciatively. ‘Do you know you're beautiful when you smile?’
'I might get you to put that in
writing so I can read it on my miserable days.'
'I don't believe you have miserable
days. Yon look far too sane for that.'
She bit back a sigh, knowing he
would Und it difficult to believe that in the last three months there had been
days when her mood had been one of black despair. But she must not think about
it. She was embarking on a new Me and the past had to
be forgotten, at least until she could think of it without the distortion of
fear.
'If you're so worried about finding
small towns claustrophobic, how come you elected to settle here?' Dermot's
question was valid, but she was still reluctant to tell him the truth. To do so
might make her sound as if she were touting for sympathy.
'I wanted a change,' she fibbed.
'I've always worked in London and—and before I made up my mind whether or not
to settle permanently into a group practice, I decided to give myself a trial
period in something more intimate.'
'I'd hardly call taking care of
eight hundred lumbering men intimate!' '
'In London we had nine thousand
patients.'
'But more than one doctor, surely?'
'Of course. But we still had to work extremely hard.'
'Have you never wanted to specialise?'
She nodded.'-'I believe many
illnesses are psychosomatic in origin, and I would like to study it in depth.
In a smaller practice I'll have more chance to do so.'
‘I can't see our men suffering from
psychosomatic illness—malingering more likely!'
That's an illness too.'
‘I don't let Mr
Howard hear you say that I think he mollycoddles his staff to a
ridiculous-degree, but he hasn't yet jumped on the American bandwagon of declaring
ninety per cent of our troubles to be due to deprivation at our mothers'
breasts!'
She gave a slight smile. I'd better
stay off the subject of Freud with you.'
'I can think of far mote
interesting subjects we can talk about.'
The smile he gave her was warm, and
relaxing after a good meal and excellent wine, she was able to see him with
fresh .eyes. He was young, attractive
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