The Country Doctor's Daughter Read online

  Things started to move out of her hands then. Two ambulances arrived, with SAMU, the French equivalent of paramedics. They took over. The girls were quickly checked again, then loaded into the ambulances, Armand and François going with them. Dr Laforge made a brief report on each one and the ambulances drew away. Shortly afterwards, mechanics arrived with a big tow truck and started to work on the minibus. Kelly watched. These people were good.

  And then Dr Laforge came striding across to speak to her. She didn’t know if it was the right or the wrong time.

  Up to now she had been in emergency medical mode, thinking of little but the immediate situation and the most effective way of dealing with it. Emotions had been put to one side. It was a state she knew well, she even enjoyed it. And this had been a comparatively minor incident compared with what she had dealt with in the past. But there was always a downside, a reaction when the work was over. And she wondered if the downside would be worse today. It had been months since she had dealt with even a small emergency. She would really like to get home, to get to the peace of her cottage, where she could become calm.

  Dr Laforge sat by her. ‘Not the way I expected to meet my new doctor,’ he said. ‘I thought that we’d agree a time for you to come to the surgery, that I’d introduce you to everyone, show you around and then we could discuss your work. Instead…’ he waved a hand at the crashed vehicle ‘…we meet at an emergency.’

  ‘I remembered that you lived very near. And although I thought that I could cope, I knew that two doctors would be better than one.’

  She was not going to let him think that she had called him out of panic and desperation.

  ‘Of course, you were quite right. But now, Dr Blackman, may I formally welcome you to France and to the practice?’ He smiled, held out his hand to her.

  She took it. His grip was firm but not excessive. Good, a man who didn’t need to demonstrate his bodily strength to every attractive female.

  ‘I’m looking forward to working with you,’ she said. ‘I hope to be as useful a doctor as Dr Cameron.’

  ‘I’m sure you will be. I took you on Dr Cameron’s recommendation, he spoke very highly of you.’

  She wasn’t quite sure about something. So far Dr Laforge had been courteous, perfectly polite, there wasn’t a thing he’d said that she could object to. But there seemed to be a reserve about him that she couldn’t understand. As if he resented her in some way. And that wasn’t right! He was getting a part-time, skilled, English-and French-speaking doctor for what was a comparatively small salary. Not that that was important, she had money. But as Joe Cameron’s locum she had expected a warmer welcome.

  ‘Perhaps you would have been happier with a male locum, Dr Laforge?’

  That hurt him! She saw the way his mouth hardened, his eyes grow suddenly narrower. But his voice was calm as he said, ‘Not at all. In many ways a female doctor will be more use. You will be dealing with a large number of British holidaymakers, mainly families. Almost invariably the children come in with their mothers. Perhaps a woman doctor is better for them.’

  ‘I see,’ Kelly said. She still felt there was some tiny touch of prejudice in the doctor. But whether it was the fact that she was British, or the fact that she was a woman, she still didn’t know.

  When he spoke again his voice was perhaps a little more friendly. ‘I saw you comforting the girls,’ he said. ‘That was a difficult job and you are not even a native French speaker. But your French is excellent.’

  ‘I spent a year in France when I was sixteen. And I met and worked with French soldiers when I was on duty abroad.’

  He nodded. ‘I read that in your CV, which was very impressive.’

  Kelly said nothing. She knew it was impressive.

  ‘So you managed to calm the girls. That was good.’

  She managed to shrug. ‘Just part of the job.’

  ‘An important part of the job. I think…Perhaps too many doctors disregard the mind. The mind is as important as the body. But because it does not bleed, it does not break, it is easy to think that it does not matter.’

  ‘I used to think that way,’ Kelly said forcefully. ‘Then I found that my opinion changed.’

  Perhaps she had spoken a little too forcefully, given away a little of something about herself. She was aware that the French doctor had turned to look at her, was studying her thoughtfully. ‘I understand that and I sympathise,’ he said.

  So far she had only glanced at him, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground between her feet. But now she looked at him directly. With a slight shock, she realised that he was a very attractive man. Then there was a larger shock—how long had it been since she found any man attractive? Why should she start with this one? And one who seemed to have doubts about her—though she still didn’t know why.

  She guessed he was about her age—early thirties. He was dressed casually, a dark blue T-shirt, white cotton jeans and espadrilles over bare feet. She wondered if he was going boating. Whatever, the outfit did nothing but enhance a broad-shouldered, obviously muscular body.

  His face was pleasant without being excessively good looking. More importantly, it was mobile—she had seen it flick from thoughtful to happy in a half second. Was that a good thing for a doctor? Having everyone able to see instantly what you were thinking? She decided that probably he had learned to mask his feelings when it was necessary.

  ‘You are to work for me for three months, Dr Blackman. I hope you enjoy your stay—but do you have any plans after that? Perhaps a permanent job in France?’

  This was getting a little personal. Usually she would have backed away from answering the question. Now she realised that she wouldn’t mind answering this particular man—except that she had no answer. ‘My plans are a little vague at the moment. I’ll just have to see what turns up.’

  She wondered if this wasn’t a particularly impressive answer. Doctors of her age usually had a very clear idea of what they wanted to do next. A lack of ambition was unusual. So she went on, ‘I’m not going back into the army, I’m looking for something new. Some job where my particular skills would be useful. I’m thinking of applying for a job in New Zealand.’

  She looked warily at the doctor. He was obviously considering her answer and she had that thought again that he was seeing far more than he revealed. But his next comment surprised her and made her feel defensive.

  ‘You will enjoy your stay in Riom, Dr Blackman. You will not be lonely. The village is popular with the English, there are many of them here for you to visit.’

  She answered without thinking. ‘So I believe. And I’m ready for more company—I’ve been a bit solitary for a while.’

  ‘Sometimes solitude is a gift. At times I…’

  Another vehicle drew up in front of them, two men in uniform got out. Dr Laforge sighed. ‘And now more paperwork. I spend half my life filling in forms, now I see we will have to fill in a few more. Well, it has to be done. I think we both had—’

  ‘Dr Laforge, am I really needed here? As you said, I’m not even insured yet. Could you take care of all the paperwork?’

  He looked at her curiously. ‘Of course, if you wish. But people may want to thank you, they will be curious who was so helpful.’

  ‘Doing the job was thanks enough.’ Kelly scrambled to her feet. ‘We’ll have to meet formally later. Shall I phone you on Monday—perhaps arrange a time when I can come and look around the surgery?’

  The doctor rose to his feet too. ‘As you wish.’ Again, he held out his hand. ‘Dr Blackman, I look forward to working with you.’

  Kelly shook his hand, turned and left.

  For a moment Luc watched as she walked down the road. She moved well, her legs striding like an athlete’s, like someone who was accustomed to walking. He thought he liked the way she moved.

  He shrugged, turned to deal with the officials. Now there would be no end of forms to fill in.

  But as he worked with them, his thoughts kept returning to Dr Kelly
Blackman. It was unlike him to think so much about a woman he had just met and usually he considered that he had had his fill of Englishwomen. Or of one Englishwoman. He knew it was foolish to generalise.

  He also knew that he could have been more welcoming. And Dr Blackman had felt this, had reacted to it. Now he felt slightly guilty. Dr Kelly Blackman had impressed him.

  Dr Joe Cameron was a semi-retired British doctor who came to Brittany every summer, lived in his little whitewashed cottage and worked part time at the Merveille surgery. In summer the population of Merveille doubled—mostly with British holidaymakers. Having an English doctor made things so much easier in the surgery.

  This summer Joe was going to visit his son in New Zealand. But he had said he just happened to know of the perfect replacement and Luc had trusted Joe’s judgement. He hadn’t wanted an English woman doctor but Joe had said this one was perfect for the job. Was she too perfect? Luc wondered.

  Her looks, for a start. He was accustomed to women who made an effort, who would never be seen without make-up, whose hair was always well arranged, whose dress sense was impeccable. Kelly was none of these. She was dressed simply in shorts and a thin black sweater, walking boots on her feet. Her hair was dark, curly, cropped close to her head. Her face was entirely free of make-up. But…figure and face were both the stuff of dreams. He could close his eyes, see her moving…that was it! She looked like a woman who was happy in her body, who was strong and fit.

  He didn’t think about women like this! Not now!

  ‘Now, your signature here, Doctor. Are you all right? That is the third mistake you have made.’

  ‘I am sorry. I was working late last night.’ Luc jerked himself back to reality. In France, if a doctor couldn’t fill in forms, then what good was he?

  Somehow, he managed to complete the rest of the paperwork without more trouble, but then, as he strolled back to his car, he thought of Kelly again. For the past year he had been uninterested in women. He remembered an English saying that his ex-wife had used, one that had irritated him no end. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. What did it mean? Whatever it meant, when it came to women, Luc now had a drawer full of T-shirts.

  But he couldn’t stop thinking of Kelly. There had been nothing that either of them had said that could make him think this way. Their conversation had been formal, stilted even. They weren’t even on first-name terms. But he had felt that perhaps there was some kind of affinity between them. Something to do with the way he had seen her glance at him, something to do with the way that she had been happy for him to hold her hand a little longer than was strictly necessary. But she was cautious, she would not let herself be natural. What was it? The avoidance of intimacy, the wariness in her eyes. But also so much competence in her own work! Kelly had some kind of secret, some load of…guilt? Or hurt? He didn’t know what. But he intended to find out.

  Then he wondered why.

  Of course, he knew why she had left the army, why she had been on sick leave. But he had been told—and now believed—that she was over it. Her fear, whatever it was, didn’t come from her military career or the illness that had followed it.

  But why was he so interested?

  He shrugged, angry at himself. To him, Dr Kelly Blackman was just another doctor. She was an attractive woman—but he was not interested in attractive women. Look where it had got him!

  As she walked away from the accident, Kelly realised she was fully cured. Six months ago she would have been tempted to break into a run. Anything to get away. But now she was comfortable with her usual fast walk. She could feel some tension in her shoulders—but that was understandable. It was a while since she’d practised emergency medicine. And she thought she’d done well.

  Next week she would start work, she decided. It would be her first job in a year. She had no worries about it. She would be dressed in a white coat, have a stethescope round her neck, have a desk between her and whoever she was talking to. She wouldn’t be a person. She’d be a doctor. And she now knew she could do that quite easily. If she needed friends, then she could choose them.

  She had only been there for a week but the cottage had never seemed so welcoming. She kept the shutters closed in the living room, but the sun eased its way through the slats so there were lines of brightness across the stone floor. She loved it here, it was almost like a home to her. Time to be English, she thought. I’ll make myself some tea.

  So she made some tea, sticking to the rules she had decided on. The rules weren’t really needed now, she didn’t need the order in her life. But she’d decided she liked the precision in them.

  There was no wandering around the kitchen, mug of tea in hand, teabag still in the mug. Instead, a tray with a small cloth. A cup and saucer, not a mug. A teapot, milk jug, sugar basin—not that she ever took sugar. And a biscuit barrel and a plate for her biscuit. Silly really, she knew. But the ritual was important. And never eat or drink standing up!

  She sat on the couch, put the tray on the coffee-table and thought about what had happened earlier. And it was strange! She didn’t think of the accident, of the little girls who could have been injured, She thought of Dr Laforge.

  She had watched him at work, he was calm, confident of his own efficiency. And he had liked the work, he liked relieving pain. Never mind that, what had he meant to her? For the first time in months she felt that she could imagine being close to a man. Being close that way. Not just any man, but this one. She had felt the first traces of attraction and she knew that he had felt as she did. She wondered how such a feeling could be possible when they had said so little to each other. But she knew it was there.

  She shivered. She knew that half her life was now fine. She was cured. But could you be cured of love—or rather the pain that it could bring? That half of her life was still disturbed. Perhaps it was time she should start thinking of her future. She had to have one. She remembered that when she had been on her walk earlier that day she had known that she had got over her illness but she now had to get over Gary. Putting him behind her was hard.

  For some reason she thought of Gary and of Luc Laforge. Put them side by side, compared them. They couldn’t be more different. For a start, Gary was better looking. Incredibly good looking. People in the streets turned to look at him. As he well knew. But Luc was…well, the more she thought of him, remembered him, the better he became.

  Luc seemed to be calm. Life with Gary had to be one long round of excitement. Gary could never be bored. Perhaps it was part of being an actor. Living with him had been energising but exhausting.

  Gary had dropped her, cruelly, suddenly, because he’d said he couldn’t cope—which had been a lie. She had no idea how Luc would behave if he and she were together. But she suspected that he would do better than Gary.

  This was not a good line of thought. Perhaps she had moped long enough, she needed more exercise. She would go for another cliff-top walk.

  She walked for three hours, not stopping once. On and off she thought of Luc, wondering how she would work with him.

  Yes, she thought she did want to see him again. Just out of curiosity, of course.

  Then, thoroughly tired, back to her cottage. A simple evening meal—she never bothered to cook anything too complex—but carefully prepared and properly served. A bowl of home-made vegetable soup. Bread, cheese and salad. An apple and a pear. All ingredients bought from the local market. And a glass of red wine.

  She sat in her living room with cloth on the table and napkin in her lap. It was important to do things properly. Live one day at a time.

  Half an hour to fill before bedtime. She picked up a folder, leafed through the contents. There was a filled in application form and details of a job in New Zealand. Joe had suggested it to her. She’d never been to New Zealand but had always fancied it. And this was a good job—a peripatetic A and E doctor. The work would be hard but enjoyable. She’d be in the open air, plenty of travel, there’d be skiing, climbing, sailing. The salary was good�
��and she had all the qualifications asked for, and more. The starting date was in four months’ time.

  Kelly thought a minute then nodded. Time for decisions now. She tucked the application form into an envelope, sealed it.

  Then to bed. Her last thought was that today her life had changed in some way. Then she slept peacefully.

  CHAPTER TWO

  THE French baker opened very early. Every morning Kelly would walk the quarter mile down to the bakery, buy a baguette and then return for a breakfast of bread, jam from the local market and coffee. Usually taken on the little terrace at the back of the cottage, it was something she really enjoyed. It was one of the rituals that made her enjoy her new life. She didn’t like change.

  However, this morning was to be different. Just as she was finishing breakfast her phone rang and she looked at it thoughtfully. A phone call meant trouble. The only person who knew she was here was Joe, and there was no good reason for him to ring her.

  But it wasn’t Joe.

  ‘Dr Blackman, Dr Laforge here. I hope I’m not disturbing you, calling so early?’

  For a moment she couldn’t speak. He was the last person she had expected to call. But then it struck her…why not? He was to be her employer, there were things they had to discuss before she started work. ‘Not at all, Dr Laforge. I’m an early riser anyway. What can I do for you?’ She hadn’t meant to sound so blunt, so unwelcoming. But the call had come as a shock.

  Fortunately, he didn’t seem to mind. But his voice was a little uncertain as he continued, ‘Well, we’ll have to arrange a meeting at the surgery later in the week. But I was wondering if I might call on you, perhaps some time this afternoon. Not to talk about medical matters but to welcome you to the area. And to tell you more about yesterday’s accident when you did so well. And it so happens that I have a little something for you.’