Page 25 of New Dreams for the Village Nurse
How are you doing? How’s the new doc? X
‘Sorry…’ Ottilie began to type a reply. ‘Don’t mean to be rude but I need to quickly reply to this…’
‘Don’t mind us,’ Corrine said.
Fine, holding up. No news on Charles yet. New doctor very good and a nice guy. X
Good. So I hear. Not bad to look at either?????
Ottilie had to smile at the leading row of question marks in Stacey’s reply. She had clearly already been told Simon was handsome. And now that she thought about it, he was. Not her type, but she could appreciate good looks as well as anyone, and he’d been blessed in that department with dark hair and dark eyes, broad shoulders and quite an attractive gravelled tone to his voice.
Her reply would need to be longer and it would have to wait until she’d left Victor and Corrine. Perhaps she’d call on Stacey on the way home for a chat and fill her in on the latest gossip.
Ottilie sent Stacey a brief text as she left Daffodil Farm. Victor had insisted on running her down the hill in his old Land Rover before going over to check on Ann and Darryl. Stacey had replied quickly, happy for Ottilie to call. She had lasagne in the oven and enough for an extra plate anyway, and so the arrangements to stay for dinner had been made with Ottilie barely noticing.
But when she arrived, she realised gossip would have to wait as she walked in to see Magnus and Geoff already in the kitchen.
‘We were just talking about the next film club,’ Geoff said, getting up to give Ottilie a brief kiss on the cheek, Magnus following suit. ‘We’re struggling to know what to show this time. I think we should go with an old classic. I thoughtKramer vs. Kramer.’
‘I’ve never seen it,’ Ottilie said.
‘It sounds depressing,’ Stacey put in.
‘It’s desperate,’ Magnus agreed. ‘I’d have to miss film club for the first time ever if that was on.’
‘You’ve never even given it a chance,’ Geoff said. ‘You never give my films a chance.’
‘I do. Wasn’tOn Golden Pondyours? And it was bloody miserable!’
‘Well, what do you want?’ Ottilie asked Magnus. ‘Could we find something somewhere in the middle?’
‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert.’
Geoff rolled his eyes. ‘Talk about cliché! We’re gay but we don’t have to be camp!’
‘It’s a brilliant film!’ Magnus said in a sullen tone. ‘Whether you think it’s camp or not makes no difference.’
‘We’re not putting it on. Can you imagine Flo sitting down to watch that?’
‘Flo hates every film we show anyway, so why worry about that?’
‘He’s got a point there…’ Stacey handed Ottilie a glass of wine.
Ottilie hadn’t intended to drink, but now that it was in her hand and in the face of the argument about to erupt between Magnus and Geoff, perhaps it wasn’t such a bad idea.
Geoff rounded on Stacey. ‘Whose side are you on?’
‘Nobody’s. Is it actually your turn to choose?’ she asked.
‘It’s Lavender’s, but she said she was too busy to think of one.’
‘Perhaps she ought to try again, if only to save your marriage…’ Stacey shook her head and turned to Ottilie. ‘How’s it gone today then?’
‘Oh, you know, there’s not much to say other than what I texted you. The locum is lovely, seems to know what he’s doing and is settling in very fast. We couldn’t have asked for better in the circumstances. And I’m waiting to hear from Fliss.’ She checked her watch. ‘Visiting time ought to be over soon, so I expect she’ll message with an update.’
‘You’ll let her know we’re thinking of her, won’t you,’ Magnus said, and Geoff nodded.
‘It’s an awful shock.’
