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‘No.’ She scooped a little more potato onto her fork then hesitated. Daniel held his breath, hoping that she would find something else to say. If the next few weeks weren’t to be an ordeal for them both, Emma needed to meet him halfway.
‘To be frank, I don’t know how Uncle Jim copes on his own. It was obvious from the number of people we saw tonight that it needs more than one doctor to run this practice.’
Daniel felt like punching the air in relief, but managed to control the urge. Two sentences didn’t make a conversation. And they definitely didn’t make up for past hurts. ‘I agree. The workload is way too much for one person, especially when that person has health issues of his own,’ he agreed soberly, trying to ignore the pang of guilt he felt. He had never set out to hurt her, far from it. He’d done what was necessary to safeguard her happiness and he had to remember that, even though it was hard.
‘We have to find a way to make Uncle Jim understand that.’ Emma sighed. ‘It won’t be easy, though. You know how independent he is and admitting that he needs help will be extremely difficult for him. Then there’s the problem of finding someone suitable who’s willing to work here. That will be another major hurdle.’
‘Jim told me once that he’d not had much luck finding a replacement after his partner retired,’ Daniel said quietly.
‘No. There were very few applications when the post was advertised, so he wasn’t exactly spoiled for choice. And the couple of candidates he interviewed changed their minds when they discovered what the job actually entailed.’ She shrugged. ‘It takes a certain type of person willing to go out to a call at one of the farms in the middle of winter.’
‘Not many doctors are as dedicated as Jim is, but he has to face facts. He’s not getting any younger. Even without this operation, he would have had to think about at least scaling back even if he doesn’t intend to retire. Quite frankly, he can’t go on working as hard as he’s been doing.’
‘We know that, but convincing Uncle Jim is another matter. The practice means everything to him,’ she added worriedly.
‘I know it does, Emma, but somehow we have to make him see that he needs to think about himself for a change. And about your aunt, too. She must be worried sick about him.’
‘She is.’ Tears welled to her eyes and she looked away.
Daniel reached out and laid his hand over hers, hating to see her looking so upset. ‘We’ll work something out, Emma. Promise.’
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, his heart lifting when he felt her fingers curl around his for a moment before she pulled away. Picking up her cutlery, she started eating again and he knew that the all too brief moment of togetherness had passed. They finished the meal as it had begun, in silence. Daniel knew there was no point trying to draw her out again, even if he’d had the heart to try. Emma was deliberately shutting him out and although it hurt like hell, he understood why. She didn’t trust him after what had happened and he couldn’t blame her.
Emma refused both dessert and coffee. Her nerves were stretched so tightly by then that she would have been sick if she’d consumed anything else. She stacked her plate and glass in the dishwasher then went upstairs to her room. Daniel had mentioned something about watching television in the sitting room, but she had no intention of joining him. Dinner had been enough of an ordeal.
She sighed as she lay down on the narrow single bed. The thought of having to spend the next few weeks making stilted conversation wasn’t appealing, but what choice did she have? If she asked Daniel to find somewhere else to live it would only arouse her aunt and uncle’s suspicions that things weren’t right between them. Although Aunt Margaret and Uncle Jim knew that she and Daniel had spent a lot of time together five years ago, they had no idea just how serious the relationship had been or, rather, how much it had meant to her. As far as the older couple were concerned, it had been nothing more than a summer romance and she didn’t intend to disabuse them of that idea. She and Daniel would have to muddle through as best they could, although one thing was certain—if he tried to touch her again, she would make it clear that he was overstepping the mark.
Emma tried to ignore the tingle that shot up her arm as she recalled the warm grip of his fingers. She got up and went to the bookshelves, selecting a well-worn copy of Black Beauty, a childhood favourite. Curling up on the bed, she proceeded to reacquaint herself with the familiar characters. She must have drifted off to sleep at some point because the next thing she knew, the telephone was ringing.
She got up and hurried out to the landing, but Daniel had beaten her to it. He had already lifted the phone off its rest and was holding it to his ear. Emma felt her breath catch when she discovered that all he was wearing was a pair of pyjama pants resting low on his narrow hips. His chest was bare, the thick, dark hair outlining the solid strength of his pectoral muscles before it arrowed down to disappear tantalisingly beneath the waistband of his pants. It was only when he dropped the receiver back onto its rest with a clatter that she managed to drag her gaze away.
‘That was Harry Groves from High Dale Farm. Apparently, his wife has gone into labour and the midwife is at another call. Harry has phoned for an ambulance but it will be at least an hour before it gets there,’ Daniel explained. ‘I said I’d go over there straight away.’
‘High Dale Farm is right up in the hills. It’s a long drive even from here, so no wonder the ambulance will need time to get there,’ Emma agreed worriedly.
‘Is it marked on the map?’ Daniel asked, referring to the Ordnance Survey map they kept in the surgery.
It showed the location of every farm in their catchment area, with the roads leading to it marked in red.
‘It should be. It’s certainly one of the most difficult places to find if you don’t know the area.’ Emma hurried back into her room and slipped on her shoes. ‘I’ll fetch it while you get dressed.’
‘Thanks. Oh, and can you bring me a printout of Mrs Groves’s most recent notes? I don’t want to go unprepared.’
‘Will do.’
Emma ran down the stairs. There was a set of keys for the surgery on the hook by the door and she picked them up then snatched her coat off the peg. Although it was the end of March, the air felt frosty as she made her way to the surgery and let herself in. Once she’d turned off the alarm, she found the map and checked that the farm was marked on it. She groaned as she traced her finger along the route. As she’d thought, it was one of the most difficult places to reach.
After printing out a copy of Sarah Groves’s notes, she ran back to the house. Daniel had started his car and was ready to leave by the time she got there. Emma hurried round to the passenger side and opened the door. ‘Turn left as soon as we leave here, then right at the crossroads.’
‘You don’t need to come, Emma. So long as I have the map, I should be able to find the place.’
Emma shook her head as she slid into the seat. ‘You can’t map-read and navigate these roads. They’re little more than cart tracks in places.’
She fastened her seat belt, hoping that he wasn’t going to argue with her as she really didn’t feel like a confrontation at this time of the night. It was a relief when he put the car in gear and headed out of the drive.
‘Seeing as you’re here, can you read through Mrs Groves’s notes,’ he suggested as soon as they were on the road. ‘Her husband said that it had been a textbook pregnancy so far, but I’d like to be sure. There’s a torch in the glove box. You can use that instead of turning on the interior light.’
Emma nodded as she found the torch. It would make it easier for Daniel to see where he was going if he didn’t have to contend with the glare from the interior lights. She shielded the end of the torch with her hand as she quickly read through the notes that had been made when Sarah Groves had last visited the surgery.
‘There’s nothing here to indicate a problem,’ she told Daniel as they reached the crossroads and turned right. ‘She was seen last week and her BP was fine. Nothing showed up in her urine sample either, and there was no sign of oedema.’
‘How many weeks is she? I asked the husband but he was in such a state he couldn’t remember.’
‘Thirty-five,’ Emma told him, checking the woman’s chart.
‘That’s not too bad, is it? I know that technically a baby is considered premature if it’s born before thirty-seven weeks, but it should be a decent enough weight by this stage.’
‘I wonder why she’s gone into labour. Did the husband say if she was bleeding?’
‘No. I did ask him, but he was almost incoherent and didn’t seem to be taking much in. He just kept asking how soon I could get there.’ She felt him glance at her. ‘You’re wondering if there’s a problem with the placenta?’
‘Yes.’ Emma felt a shiver run down her spine when he correctly interpreted her thoughts. Once, the fact that they’d been so much in tune had delighted her, but now it filled her with alarm. She didn’t want to share that kind of closeness with him ever again.
‘It’s one of the causes of premature labour so we certainly can’t rule it out.’ He slowed down and peered through the windscreen. ‘There’s another junction coming up. Which way now?’
‘Straight on for about ten miles then we’ll need to turn off the main road and head into hills,’ she told him, checking the map.
‘That’s when the fun really starts, is it?’ he asked with a laugh as he picked up speed again.
‘It will be fine.’
‘Spoken like someone who’s used to tearing around the back of beyond. Jim told me that you’ve done several stints overseas in the last couple of years. How did you get into that sort of work?’
‘Richard suggested it. He worked for an aid agency when he was a junior registrar and said it was invaluable experience.’
‘Richard?’
‘Richard Walker, my boss,’ she explained.
‘You obviously get on well with him,’ he observed, and she frowned when she heard the edge in his voice.
She had the impression that something had displeased him, but had no idea what it could be.
‘Yes, I do,’ she said a shade defensively. ‘All the team think very highly of him, in fact.’
‘I see.’ He changed gear then glanced at her and there was no sign of anything other than friendly interest on his face. ‘Working overseas must be challenging, I imagine.’
‘Sometimes.’ She shrugged. ‘It all depends where you’re working. If you’re based at a clinic, like the one I’ve just worked in, then it tends to be easier. The facilities are better, and there’s usually more staff to help out than if you’re working at a field hospital.’
‘And do you enjoy surgery as much as you thought you would?’
Emma frowned. She had the strangest feeling that her answer was important to him and couldn’t understand why. Why should it matter to Daniel if she was happy or not? He certainly hadn’t cared about her happiness five years ago, had he?
The thought pierced a hole right through the protective shell she had built around her heart. It was an effort to respond when it felt as though it was in danger of cracking wide open. It was only pride that gave her the strength to carry on, pride plus a desire not to let him know how badly he had hurt her.
‘Yes, I do. It’s everything I hoped it would be.’ She laughed wryly. ‘I suppose I should thank you, Daniel. If you hadn’t been so committed to your own career, I might have turned down the chance to become a surgeon and that would have been a huge mistake. I don’t doubt that in time I would have come to regret my decision.’
CHAPTER FOUR
DANIEL drew up in front of the farmhouse and switched off the engine. Emma hadn’t faltered as she had directed him along a series of increasingly narrow tracks. He knew that he would have had a much harder time finding the farm without her help but, contrarily, wished that she had stayed at home. At least then he wouldn’t have to face up to the realisation that he had been right all along. Their relationship would never have survived if she had given up her dreams to be with him.
‘I’ll let Harry know that we’re here.’ She got out of the car and ran over to the house. The door was open and she didn’t waste time knocking before she hurried inside.
Daniel got out and took his case out of the back. He also lifted out the pack of medical supplies that Jim kept ready for just such an emergency as this. There was no sign of Emma when he let himself into the house but he could hear voices coming from upstairs so headed in that direction and soon found himself in the main bedroom. A fair-haired man in his thirties, whom he assumed must be Harry Groves, was holding the hand of the woman lying on the bed. She was very pale and obviously in a great deal of pain. Emma was in the process of checking her pulse so Daniel left her to deal with that while he introduced himself.
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