Page 106 of New Dreams for the Village Nurse
‘Fifty-one, because I’m famished,’ Flo said. ‘Don’t worry – we’re dishing up now. Go and sit down.’
‘I can’t; I’ve got to do the opening.’
Ottilie tried not to laugh, and then Stacey leaned over and whispered what she’d been thinking.
‘Anyone would think it was the Oscars, not a harvest dinner in a village hall.’
‘It had crossed my mind,’ Ottilie said. ‘But it’s nice to see he cares, and we shouldn’t be too hard on him.’
Magnus hurried back out, and they heard him announce that dinner was arriving and say a garbled sort of grace that wasn’t really grace at all, and then he apologised for the grace in case anybody didn’t like that sort of thing, and then he put some classical music on and the people in the kitchen who’d wanted to eat earlier went to take their places, leaving Ottilie, Heath, Simon and Stacey to take all the food out to the tables. Ottilie couldn’t help but notice a look pass between Heath and Simon, and it was one that pleased her. It seemed as if whatever problem Heath had seen with Simon before had been forgotten. She couldn’t be sure, but it looked very much like an olive branch.
‘I see things have changed a bit for you,’ Heath said to him.
Simon smiled and glanced fondly at Stacey. ‘You could say that. Definitely for the better.’
‘Congratulations, mate. My gran told me you’d got together. I, um…well, I don’t want you to think I’ve ever been prying, but I know a bit about…Well, I’m glad you found someone.’
Simon gave a short nod of understanding and then began to load terrines and dishes full of glistening, steaming food onto a hostess trolley. Once it was full he went out with it, followed by Stacey with one of her own.
Ottilie was busy filling her own when she heard Heath’s voice close by.
‘You don’t mind me being here today?’
‘Of course not. Why would I? I’m never going to complain about an extra pair of hands for a good cause…In fact, I’m pleased you decided to come. You didn’t always…’
Her sentence petered out. Perhaps it was better not to bring up old stories again.
‘I know, I didn’t always want to help. You must have thought I was such a dick sometimes.’
‘I told you then the same as I’ll say now – I understood it wasn’t so easy for you. You don’t live in Thimblebury.’
‘I’ve missed it. Didn’t realise that until today when I came back.’
‘Really? I suppose Flo has missed your visits.’
‘She was sick of being dragged out to a neighbouring town every time she wanted to see me, that’s for sure. Has she been all right?’
‘You’d know that better than me, wouldn’t you?’
‘Thank you.’
‘For what?’
‘For still being so kind to her after…Well, nobody would have blamed you if you’d cut ties with her altogether. I appreciate that you didn’t – she’d have missed you. She thinks a lot of you.’
‘I think a lot of her, and it was never her fault.’
‘No, it was mine and I go over that on a bloody loop. How stupid I was, I mean.’
‘Look…’ Ottilie drew a breath. Much as she wanted to have this conversation, it wasn’t the moment. ‘I think…well, this lot is getting cold. Perhaps we ought to…’
‘Oh, right, sure. Sorry. Making it about me again, aren’t I?’
‘A bit.’
Ottilie went out with her trolley and he followed. By now the hall was alive with good-natured chatter, the clanking of cutlery on china and the warm aromas of their food on the air. The sun was lower in the sky and the hills beyond the windows were ablaze with its light. Simon and Stacey were at the far end of the hall serving out the contents of their trolleys, and so she and Heath started at the top end near the stage. Ottilie noted thatCharles and Fliss had done a far better job of the harvest display than she could ever have done.
Once everyone was eating, Ottilie took her trolley back to the kitchen and Heath did the same with his. Simon and Stacey had already taken theirs through and had joined the diners. Ottilie began to stack the dishwasher.
