does sound kind of blue.’
‘You never heard it before?' Matt grabbed her elbow. 'It’s famous – Kind Of Blue! C’mon we can smooch to this. ’
Jenni wrenched herself from his grasp. That comment about Ross reminding this medical student of his father only emphasised Matt's youth and inexperience. Encouraging the crush he was in danger of developing on her would be downright mischievous. She checked her watch. 'Shouldn't you be doing a round right now? Bea'll have your scalp if you’re late.’ Turning the corner, Jenni saw the doctor and smiled to herself. He had set a deckchair and table plonk in the middle of the square. A half-burned candle guttered on the table, and a small cd player was placed near his elbow. Ross leaned back with his hard-muscled legs stretched out and his hands clasped behind his head. His eyes were shut. He hadn't seen her. And there was no sign of Sylvia.
Quietly Jenni opened her door and gathered her washing things. To get to the bathroom she must cross where Ross was sitting, or take the chicken route, creeping round the verandah to escape notice.
The keening melancholy sound concealed the flip-flap of her espadrilles as wrapped in her black-rose kimono Jenni sauntered past Ross in his deckchair. His back was towards her. Neither acknowledged the other.
Sylvia was in the showers. Jenni called out, 'Good night, Sylvia,' and heard the spray switched off, followed by a friendly enough, 'Night, Jen!' that lifted the younger girl's spirits.
Ross's presence had turned a two-minute stroll into a minefield. Wasn’t it typically egotistical to switch off the outside lights and park himself smack in the middle of the open square so one had to weave one's way round him in the darkness. His candle had burned away now to the merest glimmer, but the doctor was so engrossed in his mood music and his reverie that he hadn't noticed. A penny for your thoughts, she'd have liked to offer. Ross drew deeply on his cigar. The glowing point intensified and above it his eyes suddenly glittered in the darkness. You demon Doctor, thought Jenni with a shiver of fascination.
It was still Kind of Blue; he hadn't changed the cd and the combination of music and starlight was sheer magic…
All of a sudden it came to her, the most amusing idea. Dr Boss seems to need cheering up tonight. I'll ask him to dance with me! Why not? He can only bite my head off! And if he turns me down then I'll know for sure that man is inhuman—for who could resist a slow dance beneath the stars on a night such as this?
Hardly dressed for it, are you, you brazen hussy, pointed out the voice of common sense. You haven't even got your knickers on. Remember what Matt said? They're all sex-mad. You'll get thrown into the bushes and—
'Good night, Dr McDonnell,' she murmured as she passed, her eyes demurely downcast, biting her lips to control the laughter rippling through her voice.
'Ah ... good night—' His eyes dwelt on the slender figure, a sylph mingling with the velvety night.
He seemed momentarily to have forgotten who she was, preoccupied by his own deep thoughts. Jenni's mood altered on the instant. Her laughter faded from her lips. She was glad she hadn't intruded with that silly impetuous suggestion. What was it Bea had once said? That she sensed a great unhappiness in Ross's past. At the time, not knowing the man very well and not liking what little she did know, Jenni couldn't have cared tuppence. But now she sensed that he was feeling sad, and she was sorry.
Concealing herself behind one of the wooden posts, Jenni watched the lone figure. Cigar smoke spiralled upward through guttering candlelight just to the right of the shadowy head.
Yes, Ross could be rude and impossible and casual; but these in themselves were provocative qualities and set the adrenalin flowing in a most exciting way. And of course, he was an admirable doctor, she reminded herself as she let herself back into her bedroom.
Every night her hair must
‘You never heard it before?' Matt grabbed her elbow. 'It’s famous – Kind Of Blue! C’mon we can smooch to this. ’
Jenni wrenched herself from his grasp. That comment about Ross reminding this medical student of his father only emphasised Matt's youth and inexperience. Encouraging the crush he was in danger of developing on her would be downright mischievous. She checked her watch. 'Shouldn't you be doing a round right now? Bea'll have your scalp if you’re late.’ Turning the corner, Jenni saw the doctor and smiled to herself. He had set a deckchair and table plonk in the middle of the square. A half-burned candle guttered on the table, and a small cd player was placed near his elbow. Ross leaned back with his hard-muscled legs stretched out and his hands clasped behind his head. His eyes were shut. He hadn't seen her. And there was no sign of Sylvia.
Quietly Jenni opened her door and gathered her washing things. To get to the bathroom she must cross where Ross was sitting, or take the chicken route, creeping round the verandah to escape notice.
The keening melancholy sound concealed the flip-flap of her espadrilles as wrapped in her black-rose kimono Jenni sauntered past Ross in his deckchair. His back was towards her. Neither acknowledged the other.
Sylvia was in the showers. Jenni called out, 'Good night, Sylvia,' and heard the spray switched off, followed by a friendly enough, 'Night, Jen!' that lifted the younger girl's spirits.
Ross's presence had turned a two-minute stroll into a minefield. Wasn’t it typically egotistical to switch off the outside lights and park himself smack in the middle of the open square so one had to weave one's way round him in the darkness. His candle had burned away now to the merest glimmer, but the doctor was so engrossed in his mood music and his reverie that he hadn't noticed. A penny for your thoughts, she'd have liked to offer. Ross drew deeply on his cigar. The glowing point intensified and above it his eyes suddenly glittered in the darkness. You demon Doctor, thought Jenni with a shiver of fascination.
It was still Kind of Blue; he hadn't changed the cd and the combination of music and starlight was sheer magic…
All of a sudden it came to her, the most amusing idea. Dr Boss seems to need cheering up tonight. I'll ask him to dance with me! Why not? He can only bite my head off! And if he turns me down then I'll know for sure that man is inhuman—for who could resist a slow dance beneath the stars on a night such as this?
Hardly dressed for it, are you, you brazen hussy, pointed out the voice of common sense. You haven't even got your knickers on. Remember what Matt said? They're all sex-mad. You'll get thrown into the bushes and—
'Good night, Dr McDonnell,' she murmured as she passed, her eyes demurely downcast, biting her lips to control the laughter rippling through her voice.
'Ah ... good night—' His eyes dwelt on the slender figure, a sylph mingling with the velvety night.
He seemed momentarily to have forgotten who she was, preoccupied by his own deep thoughts. Jenni's mood altered on the instant. Her laughter faded from her lips. She was glad she hadn't intruded with that silly impetuous suggestion. What was it Bea had once said? That she sensed a great unhappiness in Ross's past. At the time, not knowing the man very well and not liking what little she did know, Jenni couldn't have cared tuppence. But now she sensed that he was feeling sad, and she was sorry.
Concealing herself behind one of the wooden posts, Jenni watched the lone figure. Cigar smoke spiralled upward through guttering candlelight just to the right of the shadowy head.
Yes, Ross could be rude and impossible and casual; but these in themselves were provocative qualities and set the adrenalin flowing in a most exciting way. And of course, he was an admirable doctor, she reminded herself as she let herself back into her bedroom.
Every night her hair must
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