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There was none of the impersonality of hospital health care and as she faced up to the challenges that each day brought she was content workwise.

Her relationship with the man in charge wasn't progressing quite so well. She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because she wasn't seeing so much of him. She had her own room now, saw her own patients and did the less complicated house calls on her own. But she was still answerable to Max. She cherished his approval when it was forthcoming, and when it wasn't made haste to ask what she'd done wrong.

'Nothing,' he invariably told her. 'I'm just so busy.'

'So am I not helping enough? I thought I was pulling my weight.'

They were in his consulting room before morning surgery was due to commence and he swung round quickly, took her by the forearms and, looking straight into her eyes, told her, 'You are. Don't ever think otherwise, Fenella. You are going to make a good doctor. It is just that
we are so busy and I have so much on my mind. One day I will get around to showing my appreciation.'

She could feel the warmth of his hands on her arms through the soft silk shirt she was wearing. 'What's wrong with now?' she said softly and waited to see what he would do.

He did nothing. The invitation was there in every line of her body but he didn't take her up on it. 'It isn't the right time, Fenella,' he said in a low voice. 'And not just because we are in the surgery. The past has just reared its head and I need to know why.'

He put her away from him gently and went to the door to call in his first patient, which left her with no option but to conceal her embarrassment and do likewise for those who were waiting to take up some of
her
time.

'Max was very mysterious about something earlier,' she told her mother during the lunch-hour. 'He mentioned the past rearing its head. Has something happened that concerns him?'

'Possibly,' Ann told her. 'I overheard a bit of gossip this morning that might have something to do with what you're asking about. Though I didn't quite get the gist of it.'

'What was it?'

'Someone that he was once involved with way back has returned to the area.'

'And it has to be a woman, I suppose.'

'Yes. It seems he knew nothing about it until he discovered that she'd signed on as a new patient.'

'I see. Maybe that explains it, then,' she said casually, and left it at that, deciding that the first chance she got she would check out any recent new patients.

* * *

Will was home for the summer vacation and Max wasn't sorry. The house came to life when he was around. It might be in the form of loud music and clothes scattered about the place, but he could put up with that.

Yet tonight not even his young brother's cheerful presence could lift him out of the doldrums. Fenella had given him the opportunity to move the attraction that was developing between them a step further and he'd hurt and embarrassed her by refusing.

He must be insane. But he'd had the ground taken from under his feet only hours earlier and was still stunned by it. He hadn't been feeling very chirpy to begin with. The police had called him out twice over recent days. The first time it had been to examine the body of an elderly man pulled out of the canal, and the second to the police station again, where a youth who'd been arrested for assault had been found to have a head injury that the police hadn't been happy about.

In the case of the first victim he had seen nothing suspicious when he'd examined the corpse and had told the officers at the scene that it looked like a straightforward case of suicide. There would have to be an inquest and the odds were that he would be called to testify.

The teenage boy who'd been involved in an affray outside a Chinese take-away had been arrested for assaulting the owner and had shown no signs of injury when he'd been brought in. But a soft squelchy mass on the side of his head had appeared, indicating that he'd either fallen or received a heavy blow to the skull.

'Ambulance required,' he'd told the staff on duty, and had been reminded of the night when he'd said those same words regarding Fenella. He hadn't known at the time that he would be seeing her again soon afterwards and when he had it had seemed as if the fates had given him a bonus.

But those same fates were fickle. He had no sooner got to know her than there had been a blast from the past in his private life. Incredibly, Sonya, the woman he had been going to marry, was back.

The only member of the practice staff who had been employed there seven years ago when she'd called the wedding off just a week before it had been due to take place was Barbara Bradshaw, one of the receptionists. She had asked to have a word with him in private as soon as he'd arrived at the practice that morning and had told him, 'We've had a new patient registering with us, Max, and on realising who she is I felt that I ought to bring it to your notice.'

'Sure. What's the problem?' he asked easily, never dreaming that the past was about to catch up with him.

'The first name is the same,' Barbara told him, 'but the surname is different. Yet I recognised her.'

He observed her in perplexity, wondering where the conversation was leading and thinking at the same time that if this was a bit of gossip he had better things to do.

'So who is it, Barbara,' he asked patiently.

'Sonya. Only her surname isn't Hamilton—it's Milhench.'

Max felt his jaw go slack.

'I'm sorry, Max. I thought that you would want to know that she's back,' Barbara said uncomfortably.

'I do,' he told her flatly, and she went back to her duties.

Max thought sombrely that it was typical of life's peculiarities that after all those years of never looking at another woman, the moment he had found someone who had brought him to life again, Sonya should appear out of the mists of time.

It would seem that she'd also found someone else if what Barbara had said regarding her surname was correct. He bore her no grudges on that account, but he did on others.

Will had been the cause of the wedding being called off. He didn't know and never would if it had anything to do with himself. At just thirteen years old he'd been bewildered and scared because they'd lost their mother six months previously from septicaemia caused by an infected cut, and their father shortly afterwards from a fall off scaffolding.

Max had been fiercely protective of him and had expected that his bride-to-be would have understood that and been just as willing as he to have his young brother living with them when they married.

He had been wrong. As the wedding date had drawn nearer Sonya had begun to complain that she didn't want a difficult, untidy teenager, whose hormones were up and down all the time, living with them, and the relationship had begun to flounder. Until with no giving in on either side she had called off the wedding just days before it had been due to take place.

Max had never regretted his determination to be there for Will. Whether there had been any regrets on Sonya's side he didn't know, and didn't care. What mattered was that Will had turned out to be everything he'd wanted him to be and when eventually he did fly the nest, he, Max, would have no guilt gnawing at him.

He wondered if Sonya had brought with her the man whose name she had taken, or if she had come alone. He wasn't bothered either way, but was interested to know if she'd had any children of her own, as her maternal instincts had not been to the fore when his young brother had needed a mother's love.

'Guess who I saw this afternoon,' Will said as soon as he heard his brother's key in the lock. 'Sonya!'

'Yes, I believe she's back,' Max said tonelessly. 'What did she have to say?'

'Er.. .nothing. She was talking to someone in the newsagent's and didn't recognise me.'

Good, Max thought. The last thing he wanted was for Will to discover that his marriage had been called off because of him. He was surprised that Will had recognised her after all this time.

Sooner or later she would appear at the surgery, no doubt, or their paths would cross in the village, but he would concern himself about that when it happened. And in the meantime there was Fenella, bright, beautiful, anxious to please, yet nobody's doormat.

There were no words to describe how much it would have 'pleased' him to have taken her in his arms and kissed her beautiful mouth that morning in his consulting room, but she'd caught him off guard, still bemused by the news that his ex-fiancée was back on the scene, and he'd known that she'd been hurt and embarrassed by his reaction.

Had he used Sonya's return as an excuse for not taking advantage of the moment? he asked himself. If he had, he was a crazy fool. Sonya meant nothing to him, hadn't for many long years. While Fenella was something else. She brought with her the promise of wonder, of a new begin
ning, and the first time she'd made a move he'd shot her down in flames.

She was doing fine in the practice. Watching her with the children who came and went was a pleasure. She was gentle with them and patient. Made them laugh even when an injection or something similarly unpleasant was required. Incredibly it seemed as if she was out to charm him too.

When he'd had his evening meal Max knew that until he'd seen her again and explained what was going on in his life, he wasn't going to settle. He'd tried to talk to her a few times during the day and on each occasion she'd made sure she was too busy. But if he went round to the house on the hill she would have to listen to what he had to say. There would be no patients to see or surgery clinics to assist with. If Ann was at the hospital he would have Fenella to himself.

He groaned as he was about to turn into the lane where she lived. Her mother's car was outside, so either Ann hadn't yet gone to the hospital to see Simon, or she wasn't going. His spirits lifted as his practice manager came out of the house at that moment, got into her car and drove off in the opposite direction.

When he rang the doorbell he heard quick footsteps on the tiled floor on the other side of the door. Then it was flung open and before she'd seen who was there Fenella was asking, 'What have you forgotten?'

'Oh!' she said in surprise. 'I thought it was Mum coming back for something.' Her voice cooled. 'What do you want, Max?'

'A word with you.'

She stepped back reluctantly. 'You'd better come in, then.' When he'd settled himself into an easy chair by the fireplace she went to stand by the window, squirming inwardly as she waited to hear what he had to say.

'I'm sorry about this morning, Fenella,' he said, breaking the silence. 'Only minutes before I'd heard that my ex-fiancée is back in the village. The news brought back a very traumatic part of my life that I'd thought I'd forgotten, and with it came a reminder of the hurts that relationships can bring. All of which was not of your making and I'd like to make amends.'

'Such as?'

'I do want us to get to know each other better and for starters I wondered if you are free tomorrow night.'

Her eyes widened. 'Why do you ask?' she enquired coolly, wondering what was coming next. Max had some cheek if he was going to ask her for a date after the morning's embarrassment.

She was about to discover that he wasn't and as she listened to what he had to say she wondered if he was thinking that there was safety in numbers.

'There is a meeting of the Village Community Society tomorrow night. We're entering the competition for the Village in Bloom prize, which is awarded each year. I've been roped in as secretary. The vicar is chairman, and we're always on the lookout for volunteers. How are you fixed?'

'Meaning what?'

'For coming to the meeting and assisting generally.'

'What would I have to do?'

'We intend to attach hanging baskets to the lampposts on the main street, place large tubs of summer blooms outside every shop, floral displays in windowboxes wherever possible, and encourage everyone to brighten up their gardens.'

'It sounds wonderful,' she said reluctantly.

'So you'll come to the meeting tomorrow night, then?'

'Yes, I suppose so. Where are you going to get all the flowers from?'

'Bedding plants from the local nursery mostly, bought from donations dropped into the large glass bottle on the post-office counter. In a few weeks' time the mayor from the nearest town and his deputy will judge each village's display.'

'If we win, we're going to have a party on the village green, and in the evening it's the ball, which is a yearly event. That will take place whether we win or not. So you and your mum will be able to bring your long dresses out for an airing.'

'It's incredible,' she said wonderingly. 'Until a few moments ago I thought that the only thing I had to look forward to was the sack.'

'What
are
you on about?'

'Well, I did put my foot in it this morning.'

He was smiling. 'Let's just call it a breakdown in communications, shall we? If I've upset you, I'm sorry. I've been feeling low of late, bogged down with callouts from the police for one thing. Deaths and injuries are unpleasant to confront but they're part of the police surgeon's job. Somebody has to make sure there has been no foul play, and I flatter myself that I have a more sympathetic approach than some.'

He was on his feet and crossing the room to be beside her and as their glances met there was a look in his eyes that hadn't been there before. She could smell his aftershave. He reached out for her and as his arms closed around her Fenella thought that this was going to make up for the morning's fiasco.

His kiss was gentle at first, caressing, exploring the soft pliancy of her mouth. Then hunger began to take over. The hunger of a man who had been on a long fast, and as she melted in his arms Fenella knew beyond doubt that this was what she wanted. Max holding her close, taking her heart into his keeping.

He was different to any man she'd ever met. Strong, clever, dedicated to both of the demanding jobs that he had taken on, and amazingly he seemed to want her as much as she wanted him. She prayed that his passion wasn't going to be a fleeting thing, and almost as if she'd wished it upon herself, his arms fell away and he said raggedly, 'I didn't come here for this, Fenella. I came to apologise for this morning, but I have only to see you and I'm on fire.'