Page 43 of New Dreams for the Village Nurse
‘Dr Stokes?’
‘Is he staying? Lavender says he might.’
‘Lavender would,’ Ottilie said wearily. Of course Lavender had been gossiping all over Thimblebury about him. ‘I don’t have a clue. I don’t even know whether it’s been discussed.’
‘Lavender says it has. Says they were in there today talking about it.’
‘If they were, it’s more than I know. Fliss could have been signing his agency timesheet for all anyone knows, Lavender included.’
‘Is he foreign?’
‘No.’
‘Only Lavender says he’s only recently come to England.’
‘He’s only just comebackto England.’
‘Oh. So is he any good?’
‘Brilliant, actually. I think Thimblebury could do a lot worse than him offering to stay. But he drives in from Liverpool every day so I don’t know how feasible that would be long-term.’
‘Couldn’t he buy a house here?’
‘He could try, but knowing how little there was for sale when I was buying I don’t think it’s quite as simple as that. I suppose he could move a bit closer if it was worth his while.’ Ottiliesipped at her tea. ‘You’re very interested in our locum doctor all of a sudden.’
‘I like to know who’s going to be looking after me in my dotage, that’s all.’
‘It might well be Fliss, so I wouldn’t worry about it yet.’
‘Lavender says she wants to retire.’
Ottilie let out an impatient sigh.Bloody Lavender…
‘That doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. She talked about it – that’s all.’
‘I don’t expect she can manage nowadays. At her age.’
‘She’s not that old!’
‘Hmm. Everyone says the new man is very young.’
‘I think he’s about forty, so not especially.’
‘He looks young.’
‘I suppose he must be lucky then.’
‘Good-looking too.’
‘I suppose so, if you like that sort of thing.’
‘Must be nice to have him decorating the place all day long.’
‘What do you mean – decorating?’
‘You know, must be easy on the eye. Nice to look at.’
Ottilie held back another deep frown. ‘I don’t think what he looks like has anything to do with it. He works hard and we’d have sunk without him when Fliss went off.’
