surrender. ‘Okay, I’m mentally closing my eyes here. Tomorrow afternoon, then? One o’clock?’
‘No.’
‘Ginny...’
‘No!’ She hesitated, feeling bad. Feeling trapped. ‘In an emergency...’
‘Isn’t a host of panicked islanders an emergency?’
‘Tell the islanders Squid has something obtuse like delusional encephalitis. Lock him in your quarantine ward until he starts prophesying untold riches instead of earthquakes.’
He grinned at that. ‘It’d need back-up medical opinion to confine him. You’ll sign the certificate?’
She smiled as well, but only faintly.
‘I can’t sign,’ she said gently. ‘I don’t have New Zealand registration and I don’t intend to get it.’
‘Not if...?’
‘No.’
He gazed at her for a long, long moment, reading her face, and she shifted from foot to foot under his gaze. He knew her too well, this man, and she didn’t like it.
‘Ginny, if I’d known you were having such an appalling time...’ he said at last.
‘I wasn’t. Don’t.’
‘I should have written.’
‘I told you not to.’
‘And I listened,’ he said obtusely. ‘How dumb was that?’ He shrugged. ‘Well, you’re home now. There’s no need for letters, but I won’t pressure you. I’ll cope. Meanwhile, just see if you can open up a little. Let the island cure you.’
‘I’m not broken. I’ve just...grown up, that’s all.’
‘Haven’t we all,’ he said, and his voice was suddenly deathly serious. ‘Even Button. Cuddle her lots, Guinevere Koestrel, because growing up is hard to do.’
* * *
It was a night to think about but Ginny didn’t think. She didn’t think because she was so tired that by the time she hit the pillow her eyes closed all by themselves, and when she woke up a little hand was brushing through her hair, gently examining her.
It was morning and she was a mother.
She’d taken Button with her into her parents’ big bed, fearful that the little girl would wake up and be afraid, but she didn’t seem afraid.
She was playing with Ginny’s hair and Ginny lay and let the sensations run through her, a tiny girl, unafraid, sleeping beside her, totally dependent on her, bemused by her mass of red curls.
She hadn’t had a haircut since James had died—she hadn’t been bothered—but now she thought she wouldn’t. James had liked it cropped, but Ben...
She’d had long hair when Ben had known her. Ben had liked it long.
Ben...
It was strange, she thought. She’d been such good friends with Ben, but she’d barely thought of him for years.
She didn’t want to think of him now. The sensations he engendered scared her. She’d fought so hard to be self-contained, and in one day...
It wasn’t his fault she’d been landed with Button, she told herself, but she knew the sensations that scared her most had nothing to do with Button.
Button...Button was here and now. Button was her one true thing.
She found a brush and they took turns brushing each other’s hair, a simple enough task but one Button found entrancing. Ginny enjoyed it, too, but she didn’t enjoy it enough to stop thinking about Ben. To stop feeling guilty that she’d refused to help.
If she’d agreed... She wasn’t sure about Australian doctors working in New Zealand but she suspected there’d be no problem. She might even be able to do more than write scripts.
She’d thought she wasn’t missing medicine but yesterday, watching the diverse group of islanders come through her door, she’d thought...
She’d thought...
Maybe she shouldn’t think, she told herself. The thing to do now was just whatever came next. It was her turn to brush Button’s hair.
She brushed and it felt good. Making Button smile felt good. Sharing her home with this little girl felt....right.
She thought of last night, of Ailsa’s table, and she thought homes were meant to hold more than one.
Button was winding her curls around her fingers. ‘Red,’ she said in
‘No.’
‘Ginny...’
‘No!’ She hesitated, feeling bad. Feeling trapped. ‘In an emergency...’
‘Isn’t a host of panicked islanders an emergency?’
‘Tell the islanders Squid has something obtuse like delusional encephalitis. Lock him in your quarantine ward until he starts prophesying untold riches instead of earthquakes.’
He grinned at that. ‘It’d need back-up medical opinion to confine him. You’ll sign the certificate?’
She smiled as well, but only faintly.
‘I can’t sign,’ she said gently. ‘I don’t have New Zealand registration and I don’t intend to get it.’
‘Not if...?’
‘No.’
He gazed at her for a long, long moment, reading her face, and she shifted from foot to foot under his gaze. He knew her too well, this man, and she didn’t like it.
‘Ginny, if I’d known you were having such an appalling time...’ he said at last.
‘I wasn’t. Don’t.’
‘I should have written.’
‘I told you not to.’
‘And I listened,’ he said obtusely. ‘How dumb was that?’ He shrugged. ‘Well, you’re home now. There’s no need for letters, but I won’t pressure you. I’ll cope. Meanwhile, just see if you can open up a little. Let the island cure you.’
‘I’m not broken. I’ve just...grown up, that’s all.’
‘Haven’t we all,’ he said, and his voice was suddenly deathly serious. ‘Even Button. Cuddle her lots, Guinevere Koestrel, because growing up is hard to do.’
* * *
It was a night to think about but Ginny didn’t think. She didn’t think because she was so tired that by the time she hit the pillow her eyes closed all by themselves, and when she woke up a little hand was brushing through her hair, gently examining her.
It was morning and she was a mother.
She’d taken Button with her into her parents’ big bed, fearful that the little girl would wake up and be afraid, but she didn’t seem afraid.
She was playing with Ginny’s hair and Ginny lay and let the sensations run through her, a tiny girl, unafraid, sleeping beside her, totally dependent on her, bemused by her mass of red curls.
She hadn’t had a haircut since James had died—she hadn’t been bothered—but now she thought she wouldn’t. James had liked it cropped, but Ben...
She’d had long hair when Ben had known her. Ben had liked it long.
Ben...
It was strange, she thought. She’d been such good friends with Ben, but she’d barely thought of him for years.
She didn’t want to think of him now. The sensations he engendered scared her. She’d fought so hard to be self-contained, and in one day...
It wasn’t his fault she’d been landed with Button, she told herself, but she knew the sensations that scared her most had nothing to do with Button.
Button...Button was here and now. Button was her one true thing.
She found a brush and they took turns brushing each other’s hair, a simple enough task but one Button found entrancing. Ginny enjoyed it, too, but she didn’t enjoy it enough to stop thinking about Ben. To stop feeling guilty that she’d refused to help.
If she’d agreed... She wasn’t sure about Australian doctors working in New Zealand but she suspected there’d be no problem. She might even be able to do more than write scripts.
She’d thought she wasn’t missing medicine but yesterday, watching the diverse group of islanders come through her door, she’d thought...
She’d thought...
Maybe she shouldn’t think, she told herself. The thing to do now was just whatever came next. It was her turn to brush Button’s hair.
She brushed and it felt good. Making Button smile felt good. Sharing her home with this little girl felt....right.
She thought of last night, of Ailsa’s table, and she thought homes were meant to hold more than one.
Button was winding her curls around her fingers. ‘Red,’ she said in
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