ensures the patients will be very keen to be seen by you! They’re normally a very conservative lot and don’t like change.’
Let’s hope the story won’t spread much further than Scuola, thought Terry. Then shook herself mentally. She’d nothing to fear now, had she? She just had to relax and enjoy her new life.
A few seconds later Atholl ushered in a young gangling lad with red hair and freckles and an eager manner, like a young puppy. He strode towards Terry with his hand held out.
‘Hello, there! Ian Brown, Scuola Recorder. I just wanted a few moments of your time to get the lowdown on the accident yesterday. I believe you were the heroine of the hour, rescuing a baby from a car?’
Terry flicked a look of embarrassment at Atholl, who was watching the interview leaning against the wall with his long legs crossed. ‘There was nothing heroic about it—and, of course, Dr Brodie was very much involved.’
‘It was very dangerous, though. The car could have exploded at any second, isn’t that right?’ persisted Ian.
‘Fortunately all was well.’ Terry smiled. ‘There really isn’t much more to tell. The main thing was that Maisie and little Amy weren’t hurt despite the car being badly crushed.’
‘Of course, of course…but could I just get a little background info? Where you come from, why you’re here…you know the sort of thing?’
Terry smiled brightly. ‘Well, I’m from the South of England.’ She kept it vague. ‘I wanted a change of scene away from the city, somewhere more remote, and Scuola is a beautiful place.’
‘So you you’ve never been here before?’
‘No, but it sounded just perfect.’
Ian’s cheery face raised a sceptical eyebrow. ‘Bit of a risk isn’t it? Coming to live here without viewing the place first? Jumping into untested waters, as it were…’
‘I’m sure it will work out,’ said Terry firmly. She didn’t want to answer any more probing questions, because they seemed to bring back with startling clarity the reasons that had forced her to come up to Scotland. She sat down behind her desk. ‘Look, I’m afraid I really must get on now. I’m already late for my first day and I know Dr Brodie’s very busy.’
The young man looked disappointed. ‘Well, at least let me take a photo of you both, perhaps with Dr Brodie welcoming his new colleague to the practice…you know the sort of thing.’
Reluctantly Terry allowed Ian to manoeuvre her beside Atholl, and he took several photos of them shaking hands and looking rather self-consciously towards the mobile phone on which he’d taken the pictures.
‘Good!’ he said with satisfaction. ‘You’re very photogenic, Dr Younger—they seem to get smashing-looking lady doctors here! That Dr Grahame who was here before was one bonny lass!’
Atholl scowled, not remarking on Ian’s observations, and snapped, ‘Have you finished, then?’
Terry flicked a glance at Atholl, noting his abrupt change of mood. It had probably been brought on by the cheeky attitude of the young reporter.
‘Would you like to see the photo?’ enquired Ian, holding up his mobile to her. ‘Look, you have to agree, you make a really handsome couple!’
Atholl’s expression became even more surly. ‘For God’s sake, don’t start making things up now,’ he warned him tersely.
Ian Brown grinned, completely unfazed by Atholl’s irritation. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll send you a copy of the article—it’ll be a lovely human-interest story! “Doctors to the rescue!” Sounds good, doesn’t it?’
Atholl and Terry looked at each other dubiously as Ian gave them a cheery wave and went out of the room.
‘Let’s hope he doesn’t allow his imagination to run away with him,’ growled Atholl drily. ‘Give the folk round here a little information and they’ll have us engaged! It doesn’t take much for them to leap to the wrong conclusion.’
‘Rumours can fly around on practically no evidence,’ agreed Terry. ‘It must be hard to keep one’s private life to oneself in a small community, I imagine.’
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