Reawakened by the Surgeon's Touch by Jennifer Taylor Page B

doesn’t it?’ Matt looked around with an air of satisfaction. ‘Everything is locally made, so it’s a win-win situation. I get to enjoy some home comforts while I’m here and at the same time help to boost the local economy. The best thing we can do to help the people in this country, apart from patching them up, of course, is to provide them with a living. That’s why I’m hoping to get one of the big designer stores on board when I get back to Blighty. I mean, the Chelsea set would go a bomb for stuff like this, wouldn’t they?’
    â€˜They would indeed,’ Jude agreed, thinking how very true that was. Indigenous arts and crafts were very much of the moment with those who had the wherewithal to pay for them. Why, he himself had spent a small fortune on some rugs very similar to the ones on Matt’s floor. He had never given any thought to who had produced them, just liked them and handed over the money for them. How much of it had gone to the people who had made them? he found himself wondering. Probably very little, he decided, and the thought made him feel uncomfortable. Maybe he needed to think more about the ethics of what he bought in future.
    â€˜Right. I’d better go and find myself a room. Is there one free on this floor or should I try the floor above?’ Jude said briskly because he was becoming heartily sick of all these reminders as to his shortcomings.
    â€˜Oh, stick to this floor unless you’re a fan of bats and don’t mind sharing with them.’ Matt grinned. ‘They’re not bad roommates, especially when you’re on nights as they prefer to sleep through the day. However, their personal hygiene does leave a lot to be desired.’ He pointed along the corridor. ‘The end room is free, so help yourself. The women prefer to bunk up together, but we guys don’t go in for communal living in quite the same way. Dinner’s at seven but don’t bother with the black tie. We’re very informal. So long as you’re wearing clothes, you’ll do.’
    Matt went back into his room, leaving Jude to get settled in. He unpacked his bag and laid out his shaving gear on the old marble-topped washstand. He hadn’t noticed a bathroom on his travels but he would track it down at some point. Glancing at his watch, he kicked off his shoes and lay down on the bed as exhaustion caught up with him. He had been on the go for the past twenty-four hours and a nap would help to recharge his batteries. He was certainly going to need them charging too. From what he had seen so far, this definitely wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. No, he would be kept busy from dawn to dusk which wasn’t a bad thing if it stopped him thinking thoughts he had no right to harbour.
    Closing his eyes, Jude let his mind drift, his heart sinking when it immediately sailed off towards the one direction it was banned from taking. Claire was off limits! If he repeated it often enough then surely it would sink in?

CHAPTER FIVE
    D INNER THAT NIGHT was a lively affair. Whether it was the fact that they had someone new in the form of Jude Slater to entertain them, but everyone seemed in very high spirits. Claire collected her plate from Moses, their cook, and carried it to the table. They always ate together of an evening, gathered at one end of the huge refectory table that ran the full length of the dining room. Lesley had lit the storm lantern and she placed it on the table. She grinned when Jude looked at it in surprise as he came back from the serving hatch.
    â€˜It’s less for atmosphere than practicality,’ Lesley informed him. ‘It’s rare we ever get through an evening meal without the power going off, so we follow the old Girl Guide motto and make sure we’re prepared.’
    â€˜Oh, I see.’ Jude glanced round but there was only one seat left, the one next to Claire. His reluctance to sit in it was obvious and