‘Didn’t you want to have lunch with me?’
She snatched her hand away. ‘Of course I did—what are you doing, holding my hand here? It’ll be all round the hospital by half-past one!’
‘So? Are you ashamed to be seen with me?’
She sighed, and smiled at him. ‘No, of course I’m not ashamed to be seen with you.’
‘Good. Look, I’m operating until after six tonight—have you got a car?’
‘Uh-huh. Just a little Fiesta, but it does OK. Why?’
‘Can you remember the way to the cottage?’
‘Of course!’
He fished in his pocket and came up with a set of keys. Taking one off the ring, he slid it across the table towards her. ‘Here, let yourself in and start supper—I’ll be home about seven. Is that OK?’
She nodded and slipped the key into her pocket. ‘Anything in particular you fancy?’
His smile widened, and she blushed a fiery red.
‘I thought we were going to talk about that later?’ hesaid, a thread of laughter in his voice, and she shook her head in despair.
‘You won’t behave, will you?’
He chuckled. ‘Life’s too short. I must go, I’ve got a clinic and I need to go through the notes. See you later.’
He stood up, leant forward and dropped a kiss on her startled lips.
‘Well, well! What have we here?’
‘Oh! Hello, Lizzi. How are you? Got over the dunking?’
‘Oh, that! Yes, I’m getting used to it! Mind if I join you? Ross is still in Theatre.’
She settled herself beside Clare, turned towards her and studied her thoughtfully. ‘You look different,’ she said finally, and Clare felt her skin heat again.
‘Sorry,’ Lizzi said contritely. ‘It’s just that in all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never had that smug, mellow look you have now.’
‘Snap.’
Lizzi laughed. ‘Oh, well, mine’s due to love, among other things.’ She prodded the food around on her plate. ‘So, are you and Michael seeing each other?’
Clare was suddenly struck by the need to tell someone of the momentous events of the weekend. Only then, she felt, would it all become real.
‘I spent the weekend with him,’ she stated bluntly.
‘Good God,’ Lizzi said quietly. ‘Was that wise? You hardly know him!’
‘Probably not. It was all pretty sudden. He asked me to marry him.’
Lizzi’s fork stopped in mid-air. ‘He did
what
?’
‘Asked me to marry him. I said yes. See.’ She fishedin the neck of her uniform and pulled out the ring, suspended on the gold chain that had held her locket.
‘Oh, Clare, it’s beautiful! Oh, love, I am so pleased for you!’
‘Don’t tell anyone yet—I’m not sure how public he wants it just yet.’
‘Can I tell Ross?’
‘Tell Ross what?’
Ross, still dressed in Theatre greens, pushed Michael’s plate out of the way and sat opposite them.
‘Hello, darling. Nothing. You’ll have to wait.’
‘How boring. Have you missed me?’
‘In four hours? Dreadfully!’ Lizzi laughed.
Once again, Clare felt as if she was intruding, and excused herself to hurry back to the ward.
As soon as she was off duty she ran up to her flat, showered and changed, and put a clean dress into a carrier bag for the morning—just in case. She arrived at the cottage just after five, fed the cat, threw together a casserole and took a cup of tea in the garden to wait for Michael.
He was back just before seven and found her pulling up weeds in the shrubbery.
She sat back on her heels and smiled at him. ‘Hi! You’re early!’
‘Easier than we thought. Makes a change. How’s my favourite girl tonight?’
She stood up, brushed her grubby hands on her jeans and kissed him. ‘Wonderful. Are you hungry? There’s a casserole in the oven.’
‘Fabulous. Let me shower and change and I’ll be right down. Would you like to open a bottle of wine?’
Over the meal he asked her if she had told her parents about him yet.
‘No, I haven’t. I wasn’t sure how public you wanted to make it yet.’
‘Public as you like, darling.
She snatched her hand away. ‘Of course I did—what are you doing, holding my hand here? It’ll be all round the hospital by half-past one!’
‘So? Are you ashamed to be seen with me?’
She sighed, and smiled at him. ‘No, of course I’m not ashamed to be seen with you.’
‘Good. Look, I’m operating until after six tonight—have you got a car?’
‘Uh-huh. Just a little Fiesta, but it does OK. Why?’
‘Can you remember the way to the cottage?’
‘Of course!’
He fished in his pocket and came up with a set of keys. Taking one off the ring, he slid it across the table towards her. ‘Here, let yourself in and start supper—I’ll be home about seven. Is that OK?’
She nodded and slipped the key into her pocket. ‘Anything in particular you fancy?’
His smile widened, and she blushed a fiery red.
‘I thought we were going to talk about that later?’ hesaid, a thread of laughter in his voice, and she shook her head in despair.
‘You won’t behave, will you?’
He chuckled. ‘Life’s too short. I must go, I’ve got a clinic and I need to go through the notes. See you later.’
He stood up, leant forward and dropped a kiss on her startled lips.
‘Well, well! What have we here?’
‘Oh! Hello, Lizzi. How are you? Got over the dunking?’
‘Oh, that! Yes, I’m getting used to it! Mind if I join you? Ross is still in Theatre.’
She settled herself beside Clare, turned towards her and studied her thoughtfully. ‘You look different,’ she said finally, and Clare felt her skin heat again.
‘Sorry,’ Lizzi said contritely. ‘It’s just that in all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never had that smug, mellow look you have now.’
‘Snap.’
Lizzi laughed. ‘Oh, well, mine’s due to love, among other things.’ She prodded the food around on her plate. ‘So, are you and Michael seeing each other?’
Clare was suddenly struck by the need to tell someone of the momentous events of the weekend. Only then, she felt, would it all become real.
‘I spent the weekend with him,’ she stated bluntly.
‘Good God,’ Lizzi said quietly. ‘Was that wise? You hardly know him!’
‘Probably not. It was all pretty sudden. He asked me to marry him.’
Lizzi’s fork stopped in mid-air. ‘He did
what
?’
‘Asked me to marry him. I said yes. See.’ She fishedin the neck of her uniform and pulled out the ring, suspended on the gold chain that had held her locket.
‘Oh, Clare, it’s beautiful! Oh, love, I am so pleased for you!’
‘Don’t tell anyone yet—I’m not sure how public he wants it just yet.’
‘Can I tell Ross?’
‘Tell Ross what?’
Ross, still dressed in Theatre greens, pushed Michael’s plate out of the way and sat opposite them.
‘Hello, darling. Nothing. You’ll have to wait.’
‘How boring. Have you missed me?’
‘In four hours? Dreadfully!’ Lizzi laughed.
Once again, Clare felt as if she was intruding, and excused herself to hurry back to the ward.
As soon as she was off duty she ran up to her flat, showered and changed, and put a clean dress into a carrier bag for the morning—just in case. She arrived at the cottage just after five, fed the cat, threw together a casserole and took a cup of tea in the garden to wait for Michael.
He was back just before seven and found her pulling up weeds in the shrubbery.
She sat back on her heels and smiled at him. ‘Hi! You’re early!’
‘Easier than we thought. Makes a change. How’s my favourite girl tonight?’
She stood up, brushed her grubby hands on her jeans and kissed him. ‘Wonderful. Are you hungry? There’s a casserole in the oven.’
‘Fabulous. Let me shower and change and I’ll be right down. Would you like to open a bottle of wine?’
Over the meal he asked her if she had told her parents about him yet.
‘No, I haven’t. I wasn’t sure how public you wanted to make it yet.’
‘Public as you like, darling.
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