Questions of Trust A Medical Romance - By Sam Archer Page 0,21

as he was, around five feet ten in her heels, her gaze was level with his.

‘This could get very, very nasty, Tom.’

‘It already is.’

Her tone became soft, as close to menacing as he’d ever heard her.

‘You have no idea what I’m capable of. No idea.’

‘I’m starting to get an inkling.’ He held out an arm towards the front door. ‘Go, Rebecca. Please.’

He watched her stalk off towards the Mercedes and disappear in a squeal of tyres. She didn’t look back.

Tom closed the front door and leaned heavily against it, his eyes closed. He felt utterly drained, more so than he had after some of the thirty-hour shifts he’d done as a junior hospital doctor.

You have no idea what I’m capable of.

What had she meant by it? He supposed it was bluster, empty threats. Yes, she had a point that the courts tended to favour the mother in custody battles. But he was of excellent character, and had a steady, respectable job. And, as he’d reminded her, she had voluntarily ceded custody of Kelly to him at the time of the divorce.

Feeling light-headed and a little shaky, Tom got ready to return to work.

***

‘No bother at all,’ said Mrs McFarland, studying Jake fondly as he toyed around Chloe’s legs. The two women were seated at Mrs McFarland’s kitchen table having a cup of tea. Chloe had entered the cottage to the sounds of her son’s raucous, uninhibited laughter, and Mrs McFarland said he’d been in high spirits all afternoon.

Margaret wanted of course to know all about Chloe’s “assignment”, as she called it. Chloe said she couldn’t reveal many details, which intrigued the older woman all the more. In the end Chloe let slip that she was going to try to interview a senior member of the town council about something, and this inflamed Mrs McFarland’s curiosity to the point where Chloe, laughing, had to put her hands up and insist that she really couldn’t say any more, and that was that.

A thought seemed to occur to Margaret and she leaned across the table conspiratorially. In a low voice she said, ‘Oh. Bit of gossip. Jill Bryson phoned just before you got here to tell me she’d seen Rebecca Carlyle at the petrol station earlier.’

‘Rebecca Carlyle? Who’s that?’ But Chloe thought she knew.

‘Dr Carlyle’s ex, dear. Nobody’s seen her around town for ages. She came to pick up the little girl once, several months ago, but that was the last time. And there she was, according to Jill, getting into her car after filling up. Done up to the nines, she was, too. Though she always was a stylish girl.’

Chloe felt something gnawing at her, deep in her stomach. ‘What does she look like?’

‘She’s – why?’ Mrs McFarland’s glance was sharp and shrewd.

‘Oh, I just think I might have seen her too.’

‘Tall, very pretty. Long blonde hair. Takes care of herself. Not that you don’t, dear,’ the older woman added hastily, patting Chloe’s hand.

Chloe stared off in silence until Mrs McFarland said, ‘Well?’

‘What?’

‘Is she the one you saw earlier?’

‘Yes. Yes, I think so. Visiting Dr Carlyle.’ As she said it, Chloe felt the sensation spreading through her chest. She couldn’t identify it, exactly. She just knew it was making her struggle to breathe.

‘Ah.’ Mrs McFarland drew the syllable out knowingly. ‘Now that’s interesting. You don’t think – no.’

‘What?’

‘You don’t think… they might be getting together again?’

Chloe said nothing. But yes, that was precisely what she’d been thinking.

Mrs McFarland was off, seeming not to notice Chloe’s discomfort. ‘It would be lovely, you know. We were all so sorry to hear of the divorce, even though young Tom wasn’t living here at the time. And it would be so good for little Kelly as well, to have both parents around again. We didn’t know Rebecca well in Pemberham, but Tom brought her up from London a few times while he was courting her, and she seemed like a nice girl.’ She rubbed her hands, clearly delighted at this latest morsel of gossip she was going to be able to share with her circle. ‘So what did it look like to you? Did you see him kiss her?’

‘No, no.’ Chloe waved a hand, trying to appear nonchalant. ‘I was driving past his house and I just saw her go up to the door, that’s all.’

‘Ah.’ Mrs McFarland seemed disappointed. ‘Still, I’m sure we’ll find out more soon enough.’

I bet you will, thought Chloe wryly. But her mind was on other things.

She made small talk for