Page 11 of Christmas for the Village Midwife (The Village Midwife #2)

When Zoe arrived at work the following morning, Emilia was going over a request for an emergency appointment with Lavender in reception.

They both turned to bid Zoe a good morning, and as they seemed busy, she returned it and then continued on to her own room.

She’d wanted a quick word with Emilia to explain she’d had to hurry away the day before and hadn’t been able to say goodbye before she’d left her and Georgia to move their things in, but as she went, she suddenly realised Emilia was following her anyway.

She stopped with a smile. ‘I’m sorry, I thought you were busy with Lavender, and I didn’t want to disturb you. Did you want me?’

‘I only wanted to say thank you for coming to see Georgia. I mean, she tells me you’re coming over later to catch up on old times.’

‘Yes, but it’s hardly a thing to thank me for. I’m really looking forward to it.’

‘I know, but…well, I think it will do her good. She needs a distraction. As a family, we haven’t had an easy time lately. I don’t want to go into details at this point, you understand, but…’

‘Oh…’ Zoe said, wondering what else she was meant to say.

Was she meant to ask, despite Emilia saying she didn’t want to go into details?

Was it one of those scenarios, like when you asked a neighbour if they were well and they said yes in a way that meant no and they wanted you to ask even though they’d implied they didn’t want you to ask?

Emilia looked at Zoe meaningfully. ‘I just wanted to say I’m glad she’ll have a friend here.’

Georgia might not have had friends in Thimblebury until Zoe had made herself available, but she had a sister and a husband, and Zoe wondered what kind of hardships their family had endured that those two people were seemingly not enough?

Emilia seemed sad and serious. She’d always come across that way to a certain extent – Zoe’s recollections were that of a child, but she remembered Emilia as an earnest and introspective teenager.

And yet, it seemed deeper and more profound than that now.

She seemed like that young girl of many years ago but now burdened with genuine worry.

Zoe had the distinct feeling there was a lot to unpack and at some point she was going to end up involved.

‘I’m glad to have run into you both again,’ she said. ‘It’ll be nice getting to know you as adults after all this time. There’s a lot to catch up on – should be fun.’

‘I’m sure it will be. Don’t worry about me being around. I have a lot to do, so I’ll probably be camped out in the study.’

‘You don’t have to stay out of the way on our account!’

‘I don’t, but I will. I think Georgia would prefer it, to be honest. I think she’s probably due a break from me.’

Zoe wanted to ask where Brett would be, but then Emilia turned to head back to reception. ‘I need to sort something with Lavender before the first patients arrive; I just wanted to catch you before you got busy.’

‘Right. Will we see you for lunch?’ Zoe asked, guessing what the answer would be.

‘I don’t think so,’ Emilia said without turning around. ‘I’m fasting today.’

Zoe frowned, but then decided not to ask and went to her own office to get ready for her working day.

An hour later, she went to call her next appointment through.

Gemma was twenty weeks into her second pregnancy and was about as relaxed as any expectant mum Zoe had ever cared for.

She had her ten-month-old in a sling as she sat scrolling on her phone.

Zoe was delighted to see the door of the surgery open and Yana, her recent home waterbirth, come in with new baby Zoriana.

‘Gemma…’ Zoe dashed over. ‘Give me one minute, would you?’ Gemma nodded, and then Zoe went to Yana with a broad smile. ‘You didn’t take long to be out and about!’

‘With five other children around, I don’t have much choice,’ Yana said with a light laugh. ‘I can go out or stay in and go mad!’

‘They’re at school for some of the day at least,’ Zoe said.

‘Not enough,’ Yana replied with a grin.

Yana had carried her daughter into the surgery in a car seat.

‘I’m amazed you’ve managed to drive anywhere in this snow,’ Zoe said.

‘Ah, it’s a good car,’ Yana said. ‘Not so much a problem.’

‘She’s absolutely gorgeous!’ Zoe bent down to get a closer look at the baby. ‘Perfect.’

‘I think so, but of course I would.’

‘I think they all are, but she is a pretty little thing. How are you doing? She’s being good for you? It’s just that I’m not meant to see you for your last review until?—’

‘I was in the village for other things so decided I would come to bring this,’ Yana said, whipping out a large gift bag and offering it to Zoe. ‘It’s a small thank you for your help.’

‘Ah, I didn’t do all that much,’ Zoe said, taking the bag and peering inside. ‘You did the hard work.’

‘You kept Denys calm – that’s hard work too.’

‘Chocolates!’ Zoe said, closing the bag again. ‘Thank you! I’ll share these with the gang at lunch; I’m sure they’ll go down well. I’d love to chat, but…’

‘Of course.’ Yana smiled. ‘You’re busy.’

‘I’ll see you next week, and if all’s well, I can discharge you.’

‘Denys is going snippety snip,’ Yana said drily, ‘so if all is well there, you won’t see me again – not for babies, at least. I think six is enough.’

‘Far be it from me to tell you what to do, but six is more than I could cope with, so I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to call it a day. Thank you for the chocolates, and take care going home, won’t you?’

Yana left, and as Zoe went to fetch Gemma, the door to the surgery opened again, and one of her young expectant mums, Maisie, came in with her mother, Bridget, both treading snow into the waiting room and causing Lavender, watching from her desk, to tut loudly.

‘Hello.’ Zoe smiled at Maisie, though it faltered as her gaze went to Maisie’s mum.

The last time they’d crossed paths at the village quincentenary celebrations, it hadn’t exactly gone well.

In fact, that was the understatement of the year.

Bridget had torn a strip off Zoe, and in defending her, Fliss had threatened to take action against the family that included sanctioning their care. ‘I’m not due to see you, am I?’

‘No,’ Maisie said. ‘I’ve come with mum.’

‘Seeing the doctor about my polyps,’ Bridget said, ‘not that it’s any of your business.’

‘Right,’ Zoe said, the irony of Bridget’s statement not escaping her.

‘That’s all right. I wondered if there’d been a mix-up somewhere.

’ She was about to leave them to it when something occurred to her.

And once she’d noticed, she couldn’t help but be bothered by it.

‘Everything is OK with you, though?’ she asked Maisie.

Bridget immediately snapped a reply in her daughter’s stead. ‘What’s that mean?’

‘It was a general query,’ Zoe said. ‘It didn’t mean anything apart from being polite. You’ve got your twenty-week scan coming up soon, haven’t you?’ Zoe asked Maisie.

‘Don’t you know?’ Bridget shot back.

Zoe resisted the urge to give an answer loaded with sarcasm and painted on a courteous smile. ‘Not off the top of my head, no.’

‘It’s next week,’ Maisie said.

‘That’s good.’ Zoe shot a glance to where Gemma seemed content to continue scrolling on her phone.

She was one of her less troublesome charges; even so, it was rude to keep her waiting.

However, Zoe was convinced she needed a chat with Maisie sooner rather than later because the more she saw, the more concerned she was.

‘Listen, I’ve got a lady waiting, but if you’re still here after I’ve seen her and if your mum doesn’t mind’ – she glanced at Bridget, who simply glared at her – ‘I’ll have a quick word with you about how to prepare for it. I think you might find it useful.’

‘What’s to prepare?’ Bridget asked. ‘She goes, they scan her, that’s it, done.’

‘It’s not quite that simple,’ Zoe said.

Maisie nodded, shooting a wary look from her mum to Zoe and then back again, as if she couldn’t decide who it was less scary to upset.

‘Only if you’re here and it’s no trouble,’ Zoe repeated. ‘Otherwise, I’m sure the ultrasound department will send you instructions.’

It was a ruse. Bridget seemed suspicious enough that she might be able to tell, but Bridget, from what Zoe knew of her, was suspicious of everyone’s motives in most things.

Zoe didn’t know if her plan would work, or even if it was necessary, but years in the job had given her a nose for problems, and her nose was going mad right now.

She only needed a few minutes with Maisie alone to satisfy one way or the other whether she felt any intervention was needed.

‘OK,’ Maisie said finally. She and her mum continued on to the desk to book in with Lavender, and Zoe went to get Gemma.

‘I’m so sorry you’ve had to wait,’ she said.

Gemma looked up from her phone. ‘What?’

‘Sorry you had to wait.’

Gemma gave a careless shrug and got up from her seat, her other baby fast asleep in the sling strapped to her front. Zoe smiled at the little one, unbothered by anything going on around him, and decided nonchalance must be in the genes.

Luckily, Gemma was Zoe’s last appointment of the morning, and fifteen minutes later she went back into reception to see Maisie was there without her mum. She seized her chance.

‘Are you able to come through for a quick chat?’

‘I think so,’ Maisie said. ‘Mum is with the doctor, but…’

‘Lavender will tell her to wait if she comes out before we’re done, don’t worry.’

‘OK.’

Zoe led the way, and Maisie was silent. When Zoe turned at the door to her room, she could see the young woman looked apprehensive and offered a reassuring smile. ‘There’s nothing to worry about. We won’t be long…take a seat.’

Maisie did as she was asked, and Zoe pulled her own from behind the desk to sit alongside her.

‘I hope you don’t mind me saying, but you look a bit pale. Are you feeling all right? Not sleeping, perhaps? Something worrying you?’