Jess flinched. ‘I’m…I’m sorry.’ She shook her head. ‘1 didn’t realise how bad…Well, Lionel never let me know what he was doing. I wasn’t welcome…’
‘To stick your nose into his affairs.’ Niall gave a bitter smile. ‘You seem content enough to stick the same appendage into mine.’
It was a rebuke and Jess’s eyes flew up to his. There was a softness there, though, that said that maybe judgement was being suspended. A faint easing of the bitterness…
His daughter was at least eating…and smiling…
‘There’s a mess to sort out this afternoon if I’m to do any good.’ Niall told her. ‘Are you sure you have time for Paige?’
For answer, Jess smiled across at the little girl.
‘Paige, this afternoon I have to see a cocker spaniel who was hit by a car last week. I put twelve stitches in his rump ten days ago. Would you like to come and see Harry and then help me take the cocker spaniel’s stitches out?’
The empty glass was put down with a thump. Paige grabbed her crutches.
‘I’m ready,’ she said.
It was after seven by the time Niall finished and Jess was starting to feel incredibly guilty.
She and Paige had worked their way through the ills of the island’s small animals and Paige had helped to feed Jessie’s orphaned wallaby and wombat Afterwards Jess had made Paige an omelette. As Paige had finished her tea Harry had stirred in his cage by the fire and decided to show some interest in proceedings. To Paige’s wide-eyed astonishment, Jess had made another omelette.
‘I thought dogs were supposed to eat dog food.’
‘They are,’ Jess had smiled. ‘But Harry’s special. Just like Paige.’ She’d eyed the dog thoughtfully as he’d wolfed the omelette and headed for his water bowl. ‘Though I think we might take out his intravenous line. That’s the tube running into his leg, Paige. When Harry was too weak to eat or drink that’s how he got his fluids-but it’s starting to seem a bit unnecessary.’
Finally, as Harry had settled down again before the fire and the little girl’s eyes had drooped after such a big day Jess had pulled her onto her lap and told her stories until her eyes had closed completely.
There they’d stayed. Paige was as relaxed as Jess had seen her. She’d loved the animals and in her concern for their plight had put aside her own.
As she’d drifted into sleep Paige had put her hand up again to the V of Jessie’s blouse and clutched.
‘Nice,’ she’d said.
Niall arrived soon after.
Sarah must have directed him to Jessie’s flat. He knocked once and entered, his eyes lighting up at the sight of his sleeping daughter.
‘I thought she might be fretting…’
Jess didn’t stir. She sat by the fire, Harry at her feet, her arms holding Paige close and her face in the child’s hair. She felt strange-as if she had somehow found her rightful place.
Silly. To feel like this about someone else’s child…
She looked up at Niall and that weird current flashed like lightning from one to the other. It was almost a physical jolt…
‘I’ll…I’ll put Paige down.’ Jess had to fight to get the words out, forcing herself to look away from those eyes. She stood and carried the sleeping child over to the day bed in the corner of the room. Paige seemed dead to the world. There was no chance of waking her.
‘How’s Harry?’
Niall seemed to be suffering the same trouble. His voice sounded stiff and unsure. The dog stirred and opened one eye in token investigation. Niall walked over, stooped and started gently scratching one ear.
The dog almost purred.
‘He’s fine.’
‘He seems it.’ It was as if Niall was searching for something to say. Something to break the link…‘This kitchen’s huge,’ was all he could manage.
‘The house was a mansion with this kitchen as the hub.’ Jess bent over the sleeping child, her back to Niall, gently adjusting pillows and covering her with a rug. ‘When we divided it the hospital cook wanted electric ranges and stainless-steel cook-tops but I loved this kitchen. So we decided this kitchen would be part of my flat and we’d build a new kitchen for the hospital.’
‘We?’
‘My cousin’s the permanent island doctor. He’s on the mainland doing obstetrics while his wife finishes her training as a physician. Quinn and I planned this centre.’
‘I see.’ There was still that physical current and it took a huge effort for Jess to turn round and face him. ‘There’s a massive amount of money gone into this.’
‘Yes.’ Jess shrugged. ‘Quinn and I put our savings into it-and the island board helped out. On the mainland if you ask for a donation you’re looked at as if you’re asking for money for someone else. Here if you ask for money the islanders know they benefit and if they can possibly afford it then they’ll give. The generosity has been amazing.’
‘And you intend to stay here?’
‘Yes.’
Unconsciously, Jessie’s chin tilted as she turned to face him, as though she was defending her position. Niall smiled.
‘I’m not about to evict you, Dr Harvey,’ he said mildly. ‘I’m just trying to figure out why a young and attractive veterinary surgeon would want to bury herself in a place like this.’
‘This place is paradise,’ Jess said simply. ‘You don’t bury yourself in paradise.’
‘But your friends…your colleagues…’ He frowned. ‘You must be one of the most isolated vets in Australia. What does that do to your love life, Dr Harvey? Local farmers? I haven’t seen any worthy suitors banging on the door.’
‘I don’t have a love life,’ Jess said flatly and then flushed. There’d been no need to say that. She should have shut up.
‘Why ever not?’
Jess shrugged. ‘That’s none of your business, Dr Mountmarche.’ She looked down at the sleeping Paige. ‘I…Your daughter and I have eaten. Would you like me to make you an omelette?’
‘I certainly would.’ There was no hesitation and Niall met Jessie’s startled look and smiled. ‘Cook tells me hospital tea is at five-thirty so I’ve missed it by an hour and a half. I told Hugo to expect us if he saw us-and he eats early, too. So it’s your omelette or fend for myself-and I make mean toast but not a lot else.’
‘Fine.’ Jess managed to smile back. ‘Take a seat.’
She moved round the kitchen swiftly, trying not to be flustered by his presence. Heavens, she’d fed enough people in her time. She shouldn’t be shaken by one dark-eyed, solitary male.
If he wasn’t solitary she wouldn’t be shaken.
He didn’t speak, seemingly content to sit and watch, and Jess gained the impression of weariness only just contained.
For the first time she felt a stab of guilt at persuading him to take this job.
‘I’ve organised the island board to place advertisements in every major Australian medical publication for a new locum,’ she told him as the omelette sizzled on the stove. She sprinkled its surface with fresh herbs and flipped it over. ‘With luck, we’ll find someone fast and you can go back to being a viniculturist-or whatever you call yourself.’
‘Wine-grower will do-and I’d appreciate that,’ he said slowly, his eyes not leaving her.
‘When Paige settles, will you go back to London?’
‘I’m not sure.’
‘You mean you do want to farm permanently?’ Jess asked, startled. ‘Instead of practise medicine?’
‘As I said-I’m not sure.’ Jess ladled the omelette onto a warmed plate and placed it in front of him and Niall looked down in appreciation. ‘That’s some omelette, Dr Harvey. They never taught you that in vet school.’
‘I enjoy cooking. Will you drive back to the farm tonight?’
‘I don’t think so.’ Niall looked across at his sleeping daughter. ‘If my promised apartment is prepared then I’ll carry Paige over and we’ll sleep there.’