decided to apply for it.”
“I see …” Helen continued looking at her for a few more moments, then made up her mind - “In that case, subject to references of course, I’d like to offer you the post.”
“And I’d like to accept,” Jo said with a smile that was quite genuine. “When d’you want me to start?”
When could she start? Helen asked.
“A week today?”
“That’d be fine - but don’t you have to give more notice than that?”
“I gave provisional notice as soon as I knew about Mark’s job,” Jo said, and told her how he wasn’t moving for a month. “It’ll give me a chance to look at the housing situation.”
When Helen saw her off a few minutes later, she was feeling so pleased with the way things had gone that she had to stop herself joining in Helen’s greeting to Fraser when he passed them in the corridor.
*
Ten minutes later, Fraser stuck his head round Helen’s door. “Busy?”
“Do I look busy?”
“I can never tell with you,” he said, smiling. “I’ve been thinking - let’s eat out tonight, shall we?”
“But I was going to make a lasagne, I’ve got all the ingredients …”
“I thought it might make a change, that’s all.” The truth was that eating out made it easier to avoid sleeping with her – not that he had done any actual sleeping yet.
“Oh, all right,” she said, “So long as it’s not curry.”
“I’ll pick you up at eight, then.” He made to go, then said, “Who was that you were with just now? New rep?”
“I might have known you’d notice her,” Helen said. Then - “No, as a matter of fact, she’s our new senior staff, starting next week.”
“That’s good news …” He looked at her more closely - “Isn’t it?”
“Ye-es … it’s just that she’s almost too good to be true.”
“Oh?” He tried to sound casual. “In what way?”
“Oh, it’s probably just me. I’ll be checking on her references, though.”
“I’ll see you at eight, then,” he said, deciding to leave it there, although he was itching to know more.
Half an hour later, he went to his room and phoned Jo’s mobile. She answered after three rings.
“It’s Fraser,” he said. “Can you talk?”
“So long as you don’t expect intricate answers, I’m on the train.”
He could hear the rhythm of the wheels and background chatter. He told her quickly what Helen had said.
“Oh, Lor’,” she said. “I wonder what I did …”
“She’s probably just not used to such enthusiasm. I take it your references are OK?”
“Of course they are.” She lowered her voice … “I wonder whether I ought to produce my fiancé, Tom’d probably stand in.”
“Won’t he seem a bit old?”
She laughed. “I won’t tell him you said that.” She continued more seriously, “You’d better tell him what you’ve just told me, though.”
“What can he do?”
“He’ll want to know, he’s very good at assessing risks.”
Fraser rang Tom’s number and told him what had happened.
“Probably doesn’t mean anything,” Tom said after thinking about it a moment. “Just natural cynicism, a lot of nursing sisters seem to have that now.”
“I’m seeing her tonight, d’you want me to try and find out some more?”
“No, for God’s sake don’t do that,” he said quickly, “It’s just the sort of thing that might start her wondering.”
“What if she brings it up?”
“Oh well, you could express mild interest then, I suppose. But be careful …”
Mildly nettled, Fraser rang off.
Chapter 12
But Helen didn’t say anything more about it, so neither did he.
He’d been worried he’d find it difficult talking to her now that his relationship with her was so false, but to his surprise, he didn’t – it was almost as though she, too, realised that something had changed and had adapted herself to it. She’d always been interested in his past life, especially regarding Frances (morbidly so, he thought sometimes) but tonight,
“I see …” Helen continued looking at her for a few more moments, then made up her mind - “In that case, subject to references of course, I’d like to offer you the post.”
“And I’d like to accept,” Jo said with a smile that was quite genuine. “When d’you want me to start?”
When could she start? Helen asked.
“A week today?”
“That’d be fine - but don’t you have to give more notice than that?”
“I gave provisional notice as soon as I knew about Mark’s job,” Jo said, and told her how he wasn’t moving for a month. “It’ll give me a chance to look at the housing situation.”
When Helen saw her off a few minutes later, she was feeling so pleased with the way things had gone that she had to stop herself joining in Helen’s greeting to Fraser when he passed them in the corridor.
*
Ten minutes later, Fraser stuck his head round Helen’s door. “Busy?”
“Do I look busy?”
“I can never tell with you,” he said, smiling. “I’ve been thinking - let’s eat out tonight, shall we?”
“But I was going to make a lasagne, I’ve got all the ingredients …”
“I thought it might make a change, that’s all.” The truth was that eating out made it easier to avoid sleeping with her – not that he had done any actual sleeping yet.
“Oh, all right,” she said, “So long as it’s not curry.”
“I’ll pick you up at eight, then.” He made to go, then said, “Who was that you were with just now? New rep?”
“I might have known you’d notice her,” Helen said. Then - “No, as a matter of fact, she’s our new senior staff, starting next week.”
“That’s good news …” He looked at her more closely - “Isn’t it?”
“Ye-es … it’s just that she’s almost too good to be true.”
“Oh?” He tried to sound casual. “In what way?”
“Oh, it’s probably just me. I’ll be checking on her references, though.”
“I’ll see you at eight, then,” he said, deciding to leave it there, although he was itching to know more.
Half an hour later, he went to his room and phoned Jo’s mobile. She answered after three rings.
“It’s Fraser,” he said. “Can you talk?”
“So long as you don’t expect intricate answers, I’m on the train.”
He could hear the rhythm of the wheels and background chatter. He told her quickly what Helen had said.
“Oh, Lor’,” she said. “I wonder what I did …”
“She’s probably just not used to such enthusiasm. I take it your references are OK?”
“Of course they are.” She lowered her voice … “I wonder whether I ought to produce my fiancé, Tom’d probably stand in.”
“Won’t he seem a bit old?”
She laughed. “I won’t tell him you said that.” She continued more seriously, “You’d better tell him what you’ve just told me, though.”
“What can he do?”
“He’ll want to know, he’s very good at assessing risks.”
Fraser rang Tom’s number and told him what had happened.
“Probably doesn’t mean anything,” Tom said after thinking about it a moment. “Just natural cynicism, a lot of nursing sisters seem to have that now.”
“I’m seeing her tonight, d’you want me to try and find out some more?”
“No, for God’s sake don’t do that,” he said quickly, “It’s just the sort of thing that might start her wondering.”
“What if she brings it up?”
“Oh well, you could express mild interest then, I suppose. But be careful …”
Mildly nettled, Fraser rang off.
Chapter 12
But Helen didn’t say anything more about it, so neither did he.
He’d been worried he’d find it difficult talking to her now that his relationship with her was so false, but to his surprise, he didn’t – it was almost as though she, too, realised that something had changed and had adapted herself to it. She’d always been interested in his past life, especially regarding Frances (morbidly so, he thought sometimes) but tonight,
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