and said he could only stay a minute.
In the living room he looked round and said, 'I must say this all looks very nice.' It was as though he'd been expecting a shambles.
'I'm so sorry that your friend couldn't come,' said Yona, stung afresh by his attitude.
'Which friend would that be?' he asked, sounding genuinely puzzled.
'I put "and partner" on all my invitations,' she reminded him.
'But I don't have one,' he returned briefly.
'Is there anybody here whom you don't know?' Yona tried next in her best hostessy manner. She wanted to remind him there was supposed to be a truce between them.
Mike looked round again. 'No, I don't think so. You've gone to a lot of trouble,' he said, on noticing the buffet.
Yona saw no reason to tell him she'd employed a caterer. 'Please, help yourself,' she was saying as Gil strolled in.
He knew nobody but Mike and had to be introduced all round, though whether he'd remember so many names was doubtful. Not that it mattered because Nonie latched on to him right away.
'They make a good pair,' said Mike, suddenly appearing at Yona's side some time later.
'Nonie and Gil? Yes, they're very alike in some ways.' She shot him a quick sideways glance under her lashes. 'Kind to strangers, full of life—and great fun.'
He took that personally, as she'd meant him to, but rather than get into an argument she said quickly, 'Please, excuse me—it looks like time for me to go and make some coffee.'
'And it's time I was going,' he said, but he followed her into the kitchen.
'It was good of you to come at all when you're on call,' said Yona, to hide her disappointment at the shortness of his stay. 'And thank you for the present—that was very kind.'
'Routine,' he insisted. Then he asked her abruptly how she liked working at the Royal.
She was surprised. 'Very much, thank you.'
'You're not homesick?' he persisted.
'There's not been much time for that so far. Why do you ask?'
'Meg told me that you knew nobody in Salchester before you came.'
'That's true, but, then, I came to Salchester to further my career.'
'Which is very important to you.'
'Is that bad?' asked Yona, wondering where all this was leading.
'No—of course not. Only most women value their private lives more than their work.'
'Does that not depend on what work they're doing?' she asked, more puzzled than ever. 'I think I enjoy my leisure as much as the next woman, but doctoring isn't like—well, say, doing part-time work in an office or shop for a spot of extra cash. To medicine, you have to give your all— especially if you're a woman. Too many men still secretly see medicine as an all-male preserve.'
'If that was meant personally, let me tell you that I've nothing against women doctors,' he said sharply.
'Really? Then I've been misinformed,' Yona said quietly. She'd had hopes of this conversation when he'd followed her into the kitchen, but they had long since faded.
'So that's why you've been so hostile,' he said.
'Me—hostile? Forgive me for asking, but is it not the other way round? I'm not the one whose good friend was pipped at the post for a job.'
He didn't flare up as she'd half expected. 'I thought I'd already made my position clear on that point,' he said quietly. 'I ask you how you like Salchester and whether you're homesick—as I would ask any new colleague—and in return, I get a feminist lecture on sex discrimination. I really don't know why I bother. Nor can I see why the Burnleys and others find you so enchanting!' he added for good measure, before wheeling round to collide with Meg in the doorway. He muttered a hasty apology, told Meg he'd be in touch and left.
'What was that all about?' asked Meg, her eyes bright with speculation.
'I wish I knew,' Yona sighed honestly. 'That man is a closed book to me.'
'Mike? But he's one of the most straightforward men I know!' Meg exclaimed in astonishment.
'I'll have to take your word for that, Meg, dear,' said Yona, 'because he's keeping his good side well
In the living room he looked round and said, 'I must say this all looks very nice.' It was as though he'd been expecting a shambles.
'I'm so sorry that your friend couldn't come,' said Yona, stung afresh by his attitude.
'Which friend would that be?' he asked, sounding genuinely puzzled.
'I put "and partner" on all my invitations,' she reminded him.
'But I don't have one,' he returned briefly.
'Is there anybody here whom you don't know?' Yona tried next in her best hostessy manner. She wanted to remind him there was supposed to be a truce between them.
Mike looked round again. 'No, I don't think so. You've gone to a lot of trouble,' he said, on noticing the buffet.
Yona saw no reason to tell him she'd employed a caterer. 'Please, help yourself,' she was saying as Gil strolled in.
He knew nobody but Mike and had to be introduced all round, though whether he'd remember so many names was doubtful. Not that it mattered because Nonie latched on to him right away.
'They make a good pair,' said Mike, suddenly appearing at Yona's side some time later.
'Nonie and Gil? Yes, they're very alike in some ways.' She shot him a quick sideways glance under her lashes. 'Kind to strangers, full of life—and great fun.'
He took that personally, as she'd meant him to, but rather than get into an argument she said quickly, 'Please, excuse me—it looks like time for me to go and make some coffee.'
'And it's time I was going,' he said, but he followed her into the kitchen.
'It was good of you to come at all when you're on call,' said Yona, to hide her disappointment at the shortness of his stay. 'And thank you for the present—that was very kind.'
'Routine,' he insisted. Then he asked her abruptly how she liked working at the Royal.
She was surprised. 'Very much, thank you.'
'You're not homesick?' he persisted.
'There's not been much time for that so far. Why do you ask?'
'Meg told me that you knew nobody in Salchester before you came.'
'That's true, but, then, I came to Salchester to further my career.'
'Which is very important to you.'
'Is that bad?' asked Yona, wondering where all this was leading.
'No—of course not. Only most women value their private lives more than their work.'
'Does that not depend on what work they're doing?' she asked, more puzzled than ever. 'I think I enjoy my leisure as much as the next woman, but doctoring isn't like—well, say, doing part-time work in an office or shop for a spot of extra cash. To medicine, you have to give your all— especially if you're a woman. Too many men still secretly see medicine as an all-male preserve.'
'If that was meant personally, let me tell you that I've nothing against women doctors,' he said sharply.
'Really? Then I've been misinformed,' Yona said quietly. She'd had hopes of this conversation when he'd followed her into the kitchen, but they had long since faded.
'So that's why you've been so hostile,' he said.
'Me—hostile? Forgive me for asking, but is it not the other way round? I'm not the one whose good friend was pipped at the post for a job.'
He didn't flare up as she'd half expected. 'I thought I'd already made my position clear on that point,' he said quietly. 'I ask you how you like Salchester and whether you're homesick—as I would ask any new colleague—and in return, I get a feminist lecture on sex discrimination. I really don't know why I bother. Nor can I see why the Burnleys and others find you so enchanting!' he added for good measure, before wheeling round to collide with Meg in the doorway. He muttered a hasty apology, told Meg he'd be in touch and left.
'What was that all about?' asked Meg, her eyes bright with speculation.
'I wish I knew,' Yona sighed honestly. 'That man is a closed book to me.'
'Mike? But he's one of the most straightforward men I know!' Meg exclaimed in astonishment.
'I'll have to take your word for that, Meg, dear,' said Yona, 'because he's keeping his good side well
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