Page 86 of Christmas for the Village Midwife
‘I wouldn’t hold your breath for any improvement in relations there,’ Ottilie said, following Zoe’s gaze.
‘I’m hoping she’s forgiven me,’ Zoe said. ‘She wasn’t happy about me going off earlier.’
‘She grumbled a bit, but she understood your situation and she seemed to be all right with that. You’ll have to make it up to her over New Year’s. She’ll be having a party, and if I were you, I’d drop everything to go.’
‘Otherwise no two-scoop specials afterwards?’
‘I wouldn’t hold my breath for many more of those anyway. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them isn’t gone by the new year.’
Zoe stared at her. ‘You think it’s got that bad?’
‘One doesn’t let go of grudges easily, and the other doesn’t care who has a grudge against her. Neither of them are very good at backing down. One could probably get a job anywhere at a pinch, and one doesn’t need to work really. Why would either of them put up with it?’
‘Do you think we have to do something?’
Ottilie shrugged. ‘Like what?’
‘I don’t know. Talk to them both, try to mediate.’
‘Good luck with that. I don’t think you could find two worse people for that.’
Zoe had to admit Ottilie had a point. It was like Lavender and Emilia were enjoying the conflict because neither of them wanted to give an inch. She might have been tempted to suggest that Lavender should back down because she was, after all, employed by the surgery and, therefore, by Emilia, but Ottilie was spot on – Lavender didn’t need that job. She cared about it and she enjoyed it – at least she had when Fliss had been the senior GP – but there had to come a point where it wasn’t worth the constant warfare. ‘I wish they’d sort it out, that’s all. I feel like we’re all caught in the crossfire all the time.’
‘Maybe it will settle after Christmas,’ Ottilie said.
‘You just said you think one of them will go.’
‘Well, I can only be wrong or right, can’t I? For the sake of today, let’s choose to be optimistic after all.’
Simon and Stacey came in next. Chloe wasn’t with them, but Stacey had Mackenzie in her arms.
‘He’s getting so big so fast,’ Ottilie said, an unconscious hand going to her own belly. ‘Right now, I feel like this will never end…’
‘And before you know it, you’re waving them off to their last day at school,’ Lori said, giving Heath a fond look. ‘It flies – enjoy every moment while you can.’
‘Some of us never had that luxury,’ Flo snipped. ‘Some of us had their grandsons whisked off to Manchester without a by your leave.’
‘Florence,’ Lori said, eyeing her solemnly. ‘You know I’ve never said how sorry I am that you missed out. I’m going to say it now. I’m sorry.’
Flo’s mouth dropped open, and she stared at Lori. It seemed for the first time in her life – certainly the first time Zoe had ever witnessed – she was speechless. Heath looked quite moved,while his dad gave a vague smile and Ottilie looked confused by the whole thing. Zoe exchanged a glance with Alex, seeing amusement in his eyes. They’d dissect the evening later together, and it would be interesting to see what he’d made of all these interactions, but, for now, it would have to wait.
The doors to the church closed, so all the drama going on along the pews would have to wait.
‘Welcome!’ the vicar said, holding up his arms like he was playing to a packed-out Wembley. ‘May all the blessings of the season be upon you. If you’d like to turn to the first hymn in the programme, we will begin.’
‘Hymn?’ Alex whispered to Zoe. ‘I was promised catchy Christmas carols, not hymns.’
‘It’s a nice hymn,’ Zoe said, looking at the page. ‘It’s sort of Christmassy. I’m sure the carols will come later.’
They began, and Zoe wasn’t a bit surprised to hear Alex had a good voice. She’d already considered him just about perfect, so of course he could sing too. For her part, she could hold the tune well enough, but she didn’t imagine anyone would be signing her up for the choir. But what most of them lacked in technique, they more than made up for in enthusiasm. Even Flo was belting it out, despite looking sourly up and down the pews as she did, while Heath’s parents seemed to be having the time of their lives. Their voices echoed around the space, and there was an immediate sense of community in the air, so tangible it took Zoe quite by surprise. For a startling instant, she understood how everyone belonged here, how easily the people of Thimblebury took even those who had only recently arrived to their hearts. She’d never been a part of something so open and welcoming, and for all the problems, for all the drama in people’s lives, that warmth was one constant. She’d wondered since her arrival if she could ever feel truly at home here, and not even meeting Alex had completely settled the question. But this evening, sharingthis song with the rest of the village in their beautiful church, she finally had her answer.
26
There was no other scent quite like it. Spicy, sweet and heady. Zoe could smell the mulled wine before she could see it. As a teenager visiting a Christmas market in Germany with her mum, she’d indulged far too much, but the temporary dislike that incident had brought on hadn’t lasted. Now it was one of her favourite things about Christmas markets, or any other type of festive gathering, for that matter – as long as she remembered she had limits. Easy to think, harder to do when it tasted so nice.
‘I’ll get it,’ Alex said. ‘You go and chat. People want you more than they want me.’
‘I don’t think that’s true, but if you say so.’
