Page 91 of A Helpin g Hand for the Village Nurse

‘I was hoping you’d say that,’ Lavender said. ‘That locum was all right, but she didn’t half pull her face every time you asked her to do something.’

‘Well we can’t all be brilliant,’ Ottilie said with a smile.

‘You’re telling me! Fliss is thrilled to have you back and so am I. At least we’ll have some actual work done.’

‘Is Fliss in yet?’

‘Walked in two minutes before you – I don’t know how you didn’t see her.’

‘In her office?’

‘In the kitchen making coffee.’ Lavender grinned. ‘She went to visit Charles last night, so I expect it was a heavy one.’

Ottilie didn’t need to ask what Lavender meant. She didn’t think she’d ever get her head around Fliss’s marital arrangements, but they seemed to work for her and Charles because they were one of the happiest couples Ottilie had ever met.

‘I’ll go and say good morning,’ Ottilie said, leaving Lavender to continue setting up for the day.

Fliss was sitting at the kitchen table nursing a mug, though she brightened considerably as she looked up to see Ottilie coming in. ‘Welcome back!’

‘Thanks,’ Ottilie said. ‘And thank you for being so understanding about the time off.’

‘Have you got everything done?’

‘Not yet, but it’s habitable at least. I’ll get the rest done as and when.’

‘And you’ve forgotten that silly business of leaving Thimblebury?’

Ottilie gave a sheepish smile. ‘I never wanted to leave. It was the only way I could see at the time.’

‘That’s what happens when you don’t talk to people. I hope you’ve learned your lesson.’

‘Absolutely!’ Ottilie said, glad to be back on good terms with her boss. Fliss had been so offended by Ottilie’s resignation notice that she wondered if they’d ever get to this point again. Lavender had since told her that Fliss took things like that personally. One thing was certain, it wasn’t an episode she wished to repeat.

‘Ready to heal the sick of Thimblebury?’

‘Ready as I’ll ever be.’

‘I couldn’t agree more,’ Fliss said, putting down her empty coffee cup and leaving her seat with a faint look of regret. ‘I suppose we’d better go and see what Lavender has in store for us.’

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Victor had been quiet as they’d moved her belongings back into Wordsworth Cottage. Ottilie was pained to know she was the reason, but she was sure he and Corrine would be glad to get their house back.

She was surprisingly glad to be back in hers too. It was far from finished and not exactly the height of luxury, but it was hers. She’d missed its cosy, low, weirdly wallpapered ceilings, the odd angles of corners and walls that weren’t straight, and door frames that seemed as if they would collapse at any moment, and the peeling paint on the windowsills and the odd clanking the cold tap upstairs made when she turned it. Victor had been right about one thing, though – as the sun went down it was chilly. With the electric back on but no radiators yet attached to the walls downstairs, Ottilie would have to get creative.

As luck would have it, Stacey had messaged her as she’d unloaded the last of her stuff from Victor’s car to see whether she was settled in yet, and with her reply, Ottilie had asked whether she had a spare electric heater she could borrow.

The scent of newly sawn wood was strong as Ottilie went to get the door to find Stacey there.

‘It’s looking better in here,’ she said, giving the new hallway floor an approving once-over.

‘Isn’t it?’ Ottilie said.

‘Heater’s in the car. I could do with a hand to bring it in.’

‘How did you get it in the car in the first place?’ Ottilie asked as she followed Stacey back down the path.

‘Chloe helped me.’

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