Page 7 of Christmas for the Village Midwife (The Village Midwife #2)

Since her replacement was free to start work the following Monday, Fliss decided she wouldn’t wait any longer and called time on her days as Thimblebury’s GP.

It felt like a momentous occasion, not just for the woman who had been a forceful personality in the village for almost forty years, but for the people who’d been under her care – some for their entire lives.

Everyone understood that things had changed for her since the heart attack that had almost claimed her husband, Charles, but not everyone was happy about her decision to dedicate her time to him alone from then on.

There had been lots of goodbyes in various forms, and it had started to feel like she’d been in the process of leaving forever, so her final day turned out to be oddly flat.

There had been hugs and tears, of course, but no real fanfare, and the fact was, Thimblebury was so small Fliss’s colleagues were likely to see her on a regular basis anyway.

She’d booked a last-minute grand tour of the Far East for herself and Charles, which meant they’d be gone over Christmas.

Zoe wondered why she wouldn’t want to celebrate her first Christmas as a free woman in her home village surrounded by her friends, but Ottilie had offered the opinion that, despite her decision to retire, the reality of it might be making her sadder than she’d admit, and that perhaps she needed a big adventure, filled with distractions and new sights and sounds, to help keep her mind off that – at least while she adjusted to the idea.

What was more of an event was the arrival of Emilia Dickens.

Their new GP was far younger than Fliss – having just turned forty – and where Fliss was irreverent and gregarious, a larger-than-life character in every possible way, Emilia was considered and studious.

She was softly spoken where Fliss was brisk and brash, and thoughtful where Fliss was reactive, and Zoe could see why their other GP, Simon, had chosen her as the colleague he wanted by his side to take the surgery forward.

Emilia was far more like him than Fliss – who could be a loose cannon at times.

The other factor in Emilia’s favour was that she’d already worked a good portion of a notice period with her previous employers and so could take up her post quickly, allowing Fliss the pre-Christmas retirement she’d wanted.

All in all, Emilia seemed the perfect fit, though Zoe, Ottilie and Lavender agreed that the new regime would take some getting used to.

Emilia arrived promptly for her first day and shook the hand of everyone who was gathered in the reception to officially welcome her.

‘Pleased to meet you. Looking forward to working with you,’ was the mantra for each of them. It was safe and courteous, giving nothing away.

Lavender took some time to go through initial admin and IT procedures with her and then left her to have a quick word with Ottilie and Zoe in turn before retreating to her own room to set herself up.

The only bump in the road was when Lavender informed her of the surgery’s tradition of closing their doors at lunch to share food in the kitchen as a team.

‘Really?’ Emilia had raised her eyebrows in a way that suggested a disapproval she didn’t feel able to air yet. ‘I don’t think I’ll be doing that. Of course, feel free to continue without me.’

Lavender hadn’t been able to get into Zoe’s office quick enough to relay the conversation with a pained expression.

Zoe assumed she’d done the same with Ottilie.

There hadn’t been much of a window of opportunity for Lavender to really rant, but Zoe knew she’d have many things to say on the matter when they had time to discuss it properly.

It was one of the changes she’d been afraid of.

She’d long been a passionate guardian of their shared lunch, and she’d hate to see the tradition die out.

Zoe did her best to smooth things over, seeing that there could be conflict between their receptionist and their new GP before she’d even sat in Fliss’s seat, and when she had a second spare moment, she popped into Ottilie’s office to get her opinion on the matter.

‘Lavender will come round,’ Ottilie said. ‘And anyway, Emilia didn’t say we had to stop.’

‘No, but I think if she mentions it to Simon, he might start to think about it, and he might agree with her.’

‘Even I agree with her a little bit,’ Ottilie said. ‘In principle, at least, though I like our lunchtimes far too much to say anything. But it’s not standard practice these days, is it?’

‘I suppose not, but I find it useful just to catch up on what’s going on at the surgery. If we dress it up as a daily team briefing with chips…that could persuade him to keep it?’

‘Maybe.’ Ottilie smiled and then winced, rubbing her breastbone.

‘Everything OK?’

‘Indigestion,’ Ottilie said. ‘Happens a lot at the moment. No doubt you’re going to tell me that’s because the baby is taking up more room.’

‘It’s definitely got something to do with it. I’m sure you can sort what you need for it.’

‘I can cope, don’t worry.’

‘I don’t doubt it.’ Zoe paused. ‘You know, I really feel as if I know Emilia from somewhere. I can’t put my finger on it, but she’s so familiar to me I must have met her somewhere before.’

‘Ask her – she might be thinking the same about you.’

‘I could, but I’m sure she would have said something already if that was the case.’

‘Perhaps she’s the same – thinks she’s either mistaken or embarrassed that she can’t remember where she knows you from.’

‘You could be right…’ Zoe paused at Ottilie’s door. ‘I’ll ask her later if I get a minute. Though it won’t be at lunchtime. Apparently.’

‘I know. Poor Lavender.’

‘Do you think Emilia will push to stop the lunch-hour closing? Like you said, Simon’s never been all that bothered about it, so if she put it to him, he might agree that we ought to stay open.’

‘And upset Lavender? Simon’s no fool – he wouldn’t dare!’

Zoe got her chance in the kitchen as she went to get a quick coffee and found Emilia in there doing the same.

‘You don’t remember me, do you?’ Emilia asked, and Zoe wondered if there was a hint of offence in her tone.

‘I’m so sorry…I mean, I do, but I can’t think where we’ve met. I’ve been racking my brain all morning.’

‘You were best friends with my sister at primary school.’

‘Georgia?’

Emilia nodded, and Zoe’s look of apology became a broad smile. ‘Georgia Capaldi! So you must be Emilia Capaldi!’

‘I used to be. It’s a funny way to say that, isn’t it? Like you used to be a different person when only the name has changed.’

‘No wonder I didn’t recognise your name – you got married!’

‘I’m sure I’ve changed a bit too. I was a chubby fifteen-year-old with no time to talk to my little sister, let alone her friends. I remember you being at our house a lot. Until you and Georgia fell out over that boy.’

Zoe’s smile became more rueful than delighted. ‘What a stupid thing to fall out over, eh? He didn’t like either of us in the end, and then we went off to different high schools and that was that. How is Georgia? What’s she up to nowadays?’

‘She’s…’ Emilia seemed confused for a moment. Perhaps not so much confused as cautious about what she was going to say. ‘She’s been running a company with her husband.’

‘Oh, what kind of company?’

‘Oh, you know, investing, stocks, that sort of thing. I can’t say I’m really sure what they do. But she’s taking a break from all that anyway to have her first baby.’

‘She’s pregnant? How lovely! How far along is she?’

‘Quite far – she’s due in early January.’

‘Aww…I’d love to catch up with her.’

‘Well, I expect that will happen sooner than you might think.’ Emilia spooned some coffee into a mug.

She didn’t hold Zoe’s gaze at all as she finished her statement, and if it had looked to Zoe like she was holding back before, there was an unmistakable awkwardness in her now.

‘They’re coming to stay with me. They’ll be arriving in the next few days, in fact. ’

‘That’ll be so nice! Will they be staying long?’

‘At least until Christmas.’

Zoe again sensed an awkwardness. It was the oddest feeling, but she couldn’t shake the notion that there was more going on here than Emilia felt comfortable admitting.

But then, as adults, they barely knew one another at all, so perhaps that was understandable.

Perhaps she didn’t feel it appropriate to be sharing the details of her sister’s life with a woman who hadn’t seen her since primary school, especially as her sister wasn’t there.

‘You’ll have to let me know when she arrives.

I’d love to see her again if she’s not too busy. ’

‘Well…’ Emilia began in that strangely evasive way again, ‘I’m sure that will happen. She may need your care while she’s here.’

‘Of course. I’m only too happy to be on standby in case she needs some advice, but I assume she already has a midwife at home.’

‘She does, yes, but the stay with me may extend beyond her due date. It’s…it’s a little open-ended.’

Zoe couldn’t work out what the between-the-lines text was, but she couldn’t deny it was there. So she simply smiled and nodded. ‘It’s not a problem. If she needs anything, she can come to me.’

‘Thank you.’

‘You’re living in Simon’s old house, aren’t you?’ Zoe asked, looking to find a new angle to connect with Emilia, but it really didn’t seem as if Emilia wanted that. She simply nodded and picked up her coffee.

‘I must get on, but I’ll let you know more when Georgia messages me about her arrival.’

Emilia left the room, and Zoe was thoughtful as she made her own drink.

It hadn’t crossed her mind for years, but now she recalled vividly scenes from the argument between her and Georgia as if it had happened the day before.

Though she barely remembered what had escalated it, she knew it had been silly.

A huge deal at the time but in reality so inconsequential that when they’d gone their separate ways, it had faded into an incident that had once happened, a footnote in Zoe’s life that had been overtaken by new friends, new experiences and growing up in general.

She’d thought of Georgia in much the same way during that time, but they’d been close once.

How did she feel about the prospect of meeting up again after all this time?

They’d be very different people now, but perhaps enough of those two young girls remained in both of them that it would be a good experience.

Not that she could avoid her anyway because it looked as if she’d be involved in one way or another in her capacity as midwife.

However she felt about it, the fact was, Georgia Capaldi was about to come back into Zoe’s life.