Their Very Special Marriage by Kate Hardy Page B

stay at home? ‘Rachel, she’s your locum. She’s only staying as long as we need her there.’
    â€˜Right.’ But Rachel didn’t look any happier. Sometimes, Oliver thought, he really didn’t understand his wife.
    â€˜You, um, look lovely tonight,’ he said. Not that she needed make-up. He’d always thought her beautiful enough without it. Always would.
    She didn’t seem flattered by his comment. Suspicious, if anything. He gave up. ‘I’ll have a shower and see you downstairs in about fifteen minutes, OK?’
    * * *
    When was the last time they’d been out together without the children? Rachel wondered as they drove to the restaurant. They usually went out as a family. On the few weekends when Oliver hadn’t been working—which meant any Sunday before he got called out—they’d gone to the beach or a castle somewhere, then eaten at a family restaurant. They always celebrated birthdays as a family, rather than as a couple.
    Maybe they should make more of an effort. But when would they get the time? Between work, the children, Oliver’s course and her PTA commitments, there wasn’t much left. And she didn’t like to keep asking Ginny to babysit all the time, even though she kept an eye on Ginny’s son Jack sometimes in return.
    It would be different if they lived in Newcastle—her mother or sister would suggest it before she could even ask them. But Oliver’s family wasn’t like that. Rachel had the strong impression that Isabel didn’t like children very much. She tolerated the children’s visits, but only just. Rob usually had his nose in a book so he was too quiet to irritate hisgrandmother, but Sophie was loud and would get an A+ for being demanding, attention-wise. Which was why Rachel didn’t ask Isabel to babysit.
    â€˜Sophie’s definitely on the mend,’ Oliver said when they’d sat down and given their order to the waiter.
    â€˜She’ll be back at nursery on Monday. Mum’s going home on Friday afternoon,’ Rachel told him.
    â€˜Right.’
    For the first time she could remember, she actually felt awkward with Oliver. As if he were a stranger. Weird. They’d always been able to talk.
    Until Caroline Prentiss had come back on the scene.
    â€˜I saw one of your patients today.’
    She frowned. ‘I thought my locum was seeing my patients?’
    â€˜She is. But I noticed that Paula Russell was on the list, and I thought you’d want to know how things were going, so I switched her over to me.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘I’m not sure if she was more relieved to get a diagnosis at last or shocked to realise it’s JIA. I think I embarrassed the poor kid, though—telling her about the drawbacks of methotrexate, especially when it comes to alcohol and sex.’ He smiled ruefully. ‘I think you’d have handled it better.’
    â€˜So I’ll be the one doing the birds-and-bees talk with Rob, then?’ she asked, smiling back.
    â€˜I think so. Anyway, I’ve told her to ring us at any time if she has questions, and I gave her the number of the local support group you found for her.’
    â€˜Thanks.’ Rachel wished Oliver would show the same care to his family as he did to his patients. She thought about telling him—but something stopped her. If she told him how she felt, it might push him too hard. Worse, it might push him to Caroline. Or ‘Cally’, as he called her. The kind of pet name people gave to the people they loved: it was a dead give-away.
    Maybe it was time she met Caroline for herself. Not a direct confrontation: she wasn’t stupid enough to give Oliver an ultimatum. But maybe if they invited Caroline to dinner, it would give the other woman a chance to see Oliver at home with his wife and children. Then maybe Caroline would realise what she was asking him to give up—and maybe she’d do