Questions of Trust A Medical Romance - By Sam Archer Page 0,27

complete strangers greeting her, and she realised she was becoming known around Pemberham, and accepted into its community. She was both gratified and mildly alarmed by this, as she was a city girl by upbringing and had never been part of the fabric of a close-knit community before. She didn’t find it unpleasant; quite the opposite, in fact. But she worried that her city ways might make it more difficult for her to integrate, to adjust to expectations and responsibilities to which she wasn’t accustomed.

Peering over the hood of the pushchair, Chloe saw that Jake had dozed off. She decided to continue her walk since the afternoon was so pleasant. She headed up a hill which offered one of her favourite views of the town, and once at the top paused and basked. Pemberham nestled below her, soaked gold in the sunlight, resembling a whimsical portrait from a tourist brochure.

Yes, I can see us calling this place home, she thought. An image of her late husband rose in her mind and she felt the now familiar sting of pain. But although he was with her, always, he didn’t belong here. Their life together had been in London. This was a new life, hers and Jake’s, and she had to make of it something worthwhile and useful in its own right, not live it as a constant tribute to Mark.

She had a home, and a job at which she was already proving a success. The next step was to cultivate some friendships. She had Margaret McFarland. Now she’d see if friendship was what Tom Carlyle wanted.

Chloe set off for home once more, deciding that she’d take the first step and approach Tom, ask him if she could be of any help.

Chapter Six

Rebecca ambushed him the instant after he’d climbed into the driver’s seat of his car.

Tom had asked the child minder, a local teenager, if she could stay half an hour later that evening to look after Kelly as he needed to catch up at work. After collecting Kelly from Chloe’s cottage, Tom had spent the next three hours with her before reluctantly handing her over to the babysitter. He was still uneasy about letting his daughter out of his sight, but decided that if he didn’t break this feeling of paranoia right now it would take hold. So he’d secured the teenager’s agreement to stay a little longer, and had headed back to the surgery.

At half past nine, Ben having already gone home, Tom helped Tracey the receptionist to lock up, then headed across the car park to his Ford. He was behind the wheel, considering whether to cook something at home or get a takeaway en route, when a tapping at the passenger window made him start. Ducking his head to peer out, he saw Rebecca glaring at him through the glass.

Without invitation she opened the door and climbed in beside him.

‘Rebecca,’ he said. ‘How long have you been –’

‘I knew it was your evening surgery so I arrived a few minutes ago,’ she said. ‘I kept out of sight because I didn’t want people coming up and saying hello, or wondering what I was doing here.’

‘And what are you doing here?’

‘Who is she, Tom?’

He turned to stare at Rebecca. Her eyes were narrowed, her lips compressed.

‘Who –’

‘That woman who picked my daughter up from nursery today. Who is she? Your girlfriend?’

‘You –’ There were so many things Tom needed to say and ask that they crowded for space in his throat. ‘You were watching the nursery?’

‘I drove past in the morning to see if I could get a glimpse of my daughter, yes. And what do I see? This strange woman helping her into her car, both of them smiling and chatting as if they’re old friends. If there’d been room I would have pulled over and confronted her, I can tell you.’

‘What are you doing in town anyway?’

‘Tell me who she is. That woman.’

Tom stared at his ex-wife, then took a deep breath, counting slowly to defuse his anger. ‘She’s a friend. Nothing more. Not that it’s any of your business. I asked her to pick Kelly up from nursery.’

‘Why? You were still at work.’

‘Yes, as you’d established by ringing the surgery.’ He rounded on her. ‘What was I supposed to think, Rebecca? I hear that you’ve been phoning to enquire about my whereabouts, but not leaving a message for me to call you back. This comes just a few weeks after you announce you intend to