He’s great with us kids and with those he meets on the beach.’
‘Yes, I’m sure he is,’ Amelie said with a vision of brief visits to a chilly chateau coming to mind and years of birthday and Christmas gifts sent by mail order.
Breaking into her sombre memories, Maria said, ‘Have you seen Dr Fenchurch with the children who are brought to the surgery? He is fantastic too. Has lots of patience, makes them laugh, yet doesn’t let a single thing escape him medically. Parents with a sick child nearly always ask to see him .’
Amelie swallowed hard. What Maria had said described him exactly. Leo was another man who would make a good father from the sound of it, but he seemed to have doubts about the rest of married life or he would have been spoken for long ago.
It was all becoming just too confusing and when Maria had gone back to the nurses’ room she called in her next patient and so the day progressed.
At six-thirty Leo was still ensconced in his consulting room so she made a quick departure and went back to the house for a snack and a change of clothes before going down to the beach to renew her acquaintance with Ronnie the family man once more.
A short time later, with his day at the practice over now, Leo saw her leave from the window of his apartment and thought that Amelie must feel she had seen and felt enough of him for one day. His presence on the beach this evening would be about as welcome as a rip tide, and, going into his kitchen, he began to make himself a leisurely meal.
A couple of hours had passed and the sun was still high in the sky. He’d been watching for her return and so far it hadn’t materialised. He hoped that Ronnie had sorted something out about getting her employed in the proper sense of the word as a temporary lifeguard and not as a voluntary performer. Giving in to the urge to go and find out, he set off for the headland.
When Amelie had arrived there earlier the beach had been packed with families and teenagers enjoying the sun and the sea as white-tipped breakers surged back to where they’d come from, but now the numbers were lessening as folks went to eat in the café at the top of the causeway, in a restaurant in the village or just went back home for whatever was on offer, and he saw hersitting on a rock, gazing out to sea as she ate an ice-cream cornet.
He smiled. Just seeing her again was making him feel better and he went striding down from the headland to join her, not sure of his welcome but chancing it nevertheless, and noting as he did so that there was no sign of Ronnie anywhere.
As if she sensed he was near, Amelie turned and her heartbeat quickened at the sight of the golden man who had captured her heart and was wishing he hadn’t. Why was he there? she wondered. To carry on where they’d left off in the lay-by yesterday?
‘Hi,’ he said when he drew level. ‘Where’s Ronnie?’
‘Gone back home for a well-earned meal.’
‘So what sort of arrangement is this going to be?’ he questioned. She was so amenable he wasn’t going to allow anyone to take advantage of it, himself included.
‘He’s got permission from the authorities for me to help out in the evenings and at weekends if I so wish. I’m booked onto a refresher course this weekend, so can start immediately after that.’
‘And are they going to be paying you for it?’
She was frowning. ‘What is all this about, Leo? Yes, I will be paid at the rate for temporary employees, and I’m looking forward to being by the sea and being on hand to help anyone who might need me.
‘It must be a wonderful feeling to be needed, though I wouldn’t know. I’d begun to think that was all going to change, but I was wrong, wasn’t I? Should have knownbetter and taken note of what Lucy and Maria have told me—that you have only to give them a glance and half the women of the village would come running.’
That was one for him, he thought, cringing at the implication, but it was only
‘Yes, I’m sure he is,’ Amelie said with a vision of brief visits to a chilly chateau coming to mind and years of birthday and Christmas gifts sent by mail order.
Breaking into her sombre memories, Maria said, ‘Have you seen Dr Fenchurch with the children who are brought to the surgery? He is fantastic too. Has lots of patience, makes them laugh, yet doesn’t let a single thing escape him medically. Parents with a sick child nearly always ask to see him .’
Amelie swallowed hard. What Maria had said described him exactly. Leo was another man who would make a good father from the sound of it, but he seemed to have doubts about the rest of married life or he would have been spoken for long ago.
It was all becoming just too confusing and when Maria had gone back to the nurses’ room she called in her next patient and so the day progressed.
At six-thirty Leo was still ensconced in his consulting room so she made a quick departure and went back to the house for a snack and a change of clothes before going down to the beach to renew her acquaintance with Ronnie the family man once more.
A short time later, with his day at the practice over now, Leo saw her leave from the window of his apartment and thought that Amelie must feel she had seen and felt enough of him for one day. His presence on the beach this evening would be about as welcome as a rip tide, and, going into his kitchen, he began to make himself a leisurely meal.
A couple of hours had passed and the sun was still high in the sky. He’d been watching for her return and so far it hadn’t materialised. He hoped that Ronnie had sorted something out about getting her employed in the proper sense of the word as a temporary lifeguard and not as a voluntary performer. Giving in to the urge to go and find out, he set off for the headland.
When Amelie had arrived there earlier the beach had been packed with families and teenagers enjoying the sun and the sea as white-tipped breakers surged back to where they’d come from, but now the numbers were lessening as folks went to eat in the café at the top of the causeway, in a restaurant in the village or just went back home for whatever was on offer, and he saw hersitting on a rock, gazing out to sea as she ate an ice-cream cornet.
He smiled. Just seeing her again was making him feel better and he went striding down from the headland to join her, not sure of his welcome but chancing it nevertheless, and noting as he did so that there was no sign of Ronnie anywhere.
As if she sensed he was near, Amelie turned and her heartbeat quickened at the sight of the golden man who had captured her heart and was wishing he hadn’t. Why was he there? she wondered. To carry on where they’d left off in the lay-by yesterday?
‘Hi,’ he said when he drew level. ‘Where’s Ronnie?’
‘Gone back home for a well-earned meal.’
‘So what sort of arrangement is this going to be?’ he questioned. She was so amenable he wasn’t going to allow anyone to take advantage of it, himself included.
‘He’s got permission from the authorities for me to help out in the evenings and at weekends if I so wish. I’m booked onto a refresher course this weekend, so can start immediately after that.’
‘And are they going to be paying you for it?’
She was frowning. ‘What is all this about, Leo? Yes, I will be paid at the rate for temporary employees, and I’m looking forward to being by the sea and being on hand to help anyone who might need me.
‘It must be a wonderful feeling to be needed, though I wouldn’t know. I’d begun to think that was all going to change, but I was wrong, wasn’t I? Should have knownbetter and taken note of what Lucy and Maria have told me—that you have only to give them a glance and half the women of the village would come running.’
That was one for him, he thought, cringing at the implication, but it was only
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