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It bothered Sophie considerably that it would take another lie to cover up the first. Tangled webs and all that, she warned herself. She could imagine the surprise with which her colleagues would greet her news. Perhaps if she told Toni first then the news could filter through and they could all have a chat about it when she wasn't there.

Janet would look sympathetic but wise. Her romances always seemed to end in disaster. Toni would be disappointed. At thirty-three, St David's practice manager had never been married and didn't appear to have anyone special in her life, and she absolutely loved weddings and babies. There was a noticeboard in her office area plastered with photographs that the centre's patients had given her over the years. Gurgling babies and happy bridal parties. And cats. Sophie and many of their patients knew that Toni had two Burmese cats she was very fond of. They assumed she would be just as interested in their pets as in their family celebrations and additions. She was, too. Toni had a very warm personality and seemed to take great pleasure in involving herself with the lives of others. Yes, Toni would be disappointed.

Josh would probably congratulate her on her maturity. He would probably congratulate himself as well, for having dispensed such good advice which she had obviously taken to heart. And Oliver? How would Oliver react? Would the teasing which had hinted at how smitten Oliver Spencer was with his registrar cease now that the safety net of her unavailability had gone? Or would it ignite into something far more intimate? A rampant affair perhaps—or a meltdown of physical attraction that would quickly burn itself out.

Sophie had no experience of meltdowns and the thought of a short-lived affair, however incredible, wasn't attractive. It was, however, rather exciting. Sophie found she was breathing a lot harder than the walk up the ramp to the front door justified. Best not to think about Oliver Spencer's reaction or she might lose whatever courage she had finally summoned to deal with the situation.

Her arrival proved an anticlimax after all that worry. The office area behind the reception counter was somewhat chaotic. A man Sophie vaguely recognised was standing, writing busily on a clipboard. Janet was crouched on the floor, sorting the drugs, including their small supply of narcotics, to put away in the floor safe. Toni Marsh was negotiating both these obstacles as she switched her attention between the two telephones, the appointment book, the computer and the fax machine. She smiled with an it's-one-of-those-days-again expression as she continued talking into the phone.

'How old are the children, Jackie?' Toni listened for a moment. 'We don't normally give children flu vaccinations.'

Sophie glanced at the big poster in prime position opposite the front door as she walked in. 'When Autumn Skies Arrive—It's Time To Immunise.' She walked through the archway as Toni covered the mouthpiece of the phone and spoke to the man with the clipboard.

'We're getting very low on computer paper and envelopes.'

He nodded and continued scribbling as Toni uncovered the mouthpiece. 'Are the children on preventative medicine for their asthma, Jackie...? In that case...' She looked over to where Janet was still crouched, her arm through the hole in the floor as she deposited a box of drug ampoules into the safe. 'What's the new recommendation for the free vaccines, Jan?'

'Over sixty-fives and anyone with a chronic illness requiring continuous medication.'

'Asthma?'

Janet nodded. She heaved the heavy lid of the safe into place and slotted the carpet square back into position. Sophie tried to edge in to see if Toni had placed any patient files into her in-basket yet.

'The vaccinations will be free for both the children, Jackie. What time would you like to bring them in? Remember you'll have to wait for twenty minutes afterwards just in case of any adverse reactions.'

'What about paper clips?' the man asked. 'And white-out?'

Sophie wriggled the fingers of her left hand experimentally. Maybe no one would even notice. No one did. Perversely disappointed, Sophie stepped back out of the office just as the front door burst open. An elderly man was supporting a small, white-haired woman. She was deathly pale and had blood streaming down the side of her face despite the large towel the man was holding against her head.

'Mrs Benny!' Toni slammed the phone down. 'Oh, dear! What's happened?'

'She's had a bit of a fall.' Mr Benny looked almost as pale as his wife. 'Is Dr Cooper in?'

'Not yet.' Sophie already had her arm around the woman. Janet took over holding the dressing. 'But we'll look after you.' She nodded at Janet. 'Let's take Mrs Benny into the treatment room so she can lie down.'

'It was such a silly thing.' Mrs Benny sounded very shaky. 'I was feeding the cat and I dropped some of the jellymeat. When I stood on it, I slipped.'

'She caught the corner of the table as she went down,' Mr Benny growled anxiously. 'Bloody cat!'

'It wasn't Tabitha's fault, dear.'

They covered their patient with a warm blanket. Sophie and Janet both donned gloves quickly and Sophie inspected the head wound.

'It's not too bad,' she reported with relief. 'Scalp lacerations can bleed badly. It's going to need a couple of stitches, though. Were you knocked unconscious at all, Mrs Benny?'

'No. But my wrist hurts, dear. And my knee.'

Sophie took the gauze dressing that Janet had moistened with saline and pressed it into place on the scalp wound. 'Hold this,' she directed Janet, 'while I
have a look at that wrist.' Bent up at an awkward angle, Sophie was already confident there was a fracture that needed splinting. Mrs Benny's knee was also going to need looking at and her patient was worryingly pale. Taking her blood pressure was a priority. Did she have a cardiac history at all? Sophie's thoughts raced. Janet was peering anxiously at Mrs Benny's face as she pressed on the dressing to control the bleeding from the scalp laceration. Toni was hovering in the doorway, looking even more anxious.

'Should I call an ambulance?' she queried.

'Not yet.' The calm tone of Oliver Spencer's voice sent a wave of relief through Sophie. Oliver dropped his briefcase and jacket and unbuttoned his shirtsleeves. He had rolled them up by the time he reached the bed and took hold of Mrs Benny's wrist.

'What have you been up to, Muriel?' he asked with concern. 'You seem to have given everyone a bit of a fright.' He glanced at Sophie. 'Let's have some oxygen and get a blood pressure.'

Sophie moved quickly. She could think clearly again. Oliver's presence had negated the escalating anxiety levels in the room. Even Mr Benny had visibly relaxed.

'How does your chest feel at the moment, Muriel? This hasn't brought your angina on, has it? Any pain or tightness at all?'

'I don't think so.' Muriel Benny smiled shakily. Sophie slipped the oxygen mask in place and tightened the elastic band.

'Put the monitor on after you've got a blood pressure,' Oliver directed Sophie. He lifted the dressing. 'Janet, can you set up a suture tray and get me some gloves, please?'

Sophie finally stripped off her own gloves as she left the room twenty minutes later to arrange ambulance transfer to the hospital for Mrs Benny. Oliver had completed suturing the laceration and Sophie had splinted the broken wrist and bandaged their patient's bruised and swollen knee. Now she needed X-rays and treatment they could not provide at St David's.

Oliver had coped with the dramatic and disruptive start to the morning surgery hours with no apparent annoyance but he was looking irritated by the time he joined Sophie in the main office. He sighed at the sight of the crowded waiting room, smiled briefly at Toni and then frowned as his gaze raked Sophie. Turning away abruptly, he snatched up the first file in his in-basket and barked out the patient's name. A middle-aged woman flung her magazine hurriedly onto the coffee-table as she rose. It slithered to the floor and she turned to retrieve it. Oliver tapped the file against his leg impatiently and stared at Sophie, still sitting beside the phone.

'Where's your ring, then?' he demanded. 'Oh, I suppose you've sent it away to have a matching wedding ring made.'

'No.' Sophie's denial was a trifle hesitant. She hadn't thought of anyone putting that interpretation on her action. Why did Oliver seem so annoyed with her? Had she done something wrong when assisting him with Mrs Benny?

Oliver's lip curled fractionally. 'Don't tell me you've changed your mind since yesterday.'

'No, of course not.' Sophie's prepared escape route vanished in the face of Oliver's accusatory tone, mingled with the worry she now felt that her treatment of Mrs Benny might not have been up to scratch. 'I... The stone was loose. I've got to get it fixed.'

Oliver's frown deepened and Sophie cursed the tell-tale flush she could feel creeping up her neck. Did he know she was lying? Oliver shrugged, a small movement that advertised—what? That it was of no importance? He gestured with the file he held. 'This way, Colleen. Sorry to have kept you waiting. We had a bit of an emergency.'

'That's quite all right, Dr Spencer.' Colleen sounded unperturbed. 'I don't mind waiting to see
you.'

Fifteen minutes later Sophie was again in the reception area, having just seen the Bennys off. They were both looking much happier and Mrs Benny wasn't showing any signs of concussion. Misgivings about her own performance during the emergency had faded as she'd given a cheerful wave to the ambulance driver. Sophie had still been smiling as she headed back inside. Her smile faded rapidly. She could hear the sound of the raised voice even before she opened the front door. The patients sitting in the waiting room were staring with open fascination at the scene. Even Toni was looking flustered as Oliver's patient, Colleen, jabbed at the slip of paper on the counter before her and continued her tirade.

'I'm not paying this. And I do not want to see Dr Spencer again. I'll have another appointment, thank you!' The woman's chest heaved with indignation. 'He accused me of lying to him. It's quite outrageous!'

'When did you want to make another appointment for, Miss Thompson?'

'I don't think I want to make one at all. Not at
this
medical centre.' Colleen Thompson threw a pitying glance around the waiting room. Everyone instantly dropped their gazes back to their magazines. Colleen sniffed loudly. 'And I'm
not
paying this account.'

Sophie didn't stop after she'd gone through the archway. She carried on to the end of the corridor and into the staffroom where she found Oliver drinking a glass of water.

'Not a happy customer, then,' she observed lightly.

Oliver shrugged. 'Can't win 'em all, I suppose.'

'You usually do,' Sophie ventured.

'Well, maybe this time I can't be bothered.'

Sophie's jaw dropped a fraction. This was a side to Oliver Spencer she had never encountered. 'She's a difficult patient, I take it?' ;

Oliver snorted. 'She's overweight, asthmatic, is getting increasing angina and is non-compliant with medications. She also refuses to try and give up smoking.'

'Oh.' Sophie looked at the set of Oliver's jaw. He was obviously livid.

'That's not the problem, however,' Oliver said fiercely. 'The problem is that she won't tell the truth. How can you relate to anybody who's prepared to tell blatant lies to your face?'

Sophie said nothing. Her finger had never felt so naked. She could feel a return of that guilty flush but Oliver wasn't even looking at her. He deposited his empty glass on the bench with a thud.

'She sat there,
reeking
of cigarette smoke, and swore black and blue that she hasn't touched them for over a month. When I made even the mildest suggestion that she might not be being entirely truthful with me, she hit the roof. Knocked over her handbag and simply ignored the fact that her packet of cigarettes and lighter fell out. She told me it wasn't her fault she wasn't getting well. Her health was my responsibility and I obviously wasn't good enough at my job.' Oliver shook his head angrily. 'I couldn't get a word in edgeways. Next thing I know, she's stormed off and is busy informing everyone about what an inadequate doctor I am.'

'She sounds totally impossible,' Sophie sympathised. 'Let's hope she does take her business elsewhere as she threatened Toni she would.'

'She will. She's been through ten GPs in as many years.' Oliver still sounded angry. 'I thought I was getting somewhere, you know? I've spent months supporting her with her smoking cessation programme and diet and exercise regimes. What a bloody waste of time.' Oliver stalked off. 'I don't know why I bother with some people.'

Sophie eyed his retreating figure. He wouldn't want to bother with her either, if he discovered her own blatant lying to his face. She sighed deeply. The smooth camaraderie of St David's seemed to be off the rails and she couldn't help feeling it was a ripple effect from the disruption to her own life. Perhaps if she kept her head down things might begin to settle a bit by lunchtime.

Oliver's mood, however, didn't seem to have improved to any noticeable degree by lunchtime, despite the exotic contribution to their meals provided by the visiting drug company representative, Christine Prescott. When Sophie finally returned to the staff-room for a quick break, Oliver was staring rather morosely at a platter of sushi on the dining table.

'This is just a quick social Visit,' Christine explained, having greeted Sophie enthusiastically. 'It seems far too long since I was in Christchurch and St David's is absolutely my favourite medical centre.' She beamed at Oliver and then nodded approvingly at Josh who was eagerly reaching for another sushi roll.

'This is fantastic,' Josh said happily. 'All we need is a nice little Jacobs Creek Riesling to chase it with.'

Sophie eyed the platter suspiciously. 'That green stuff on the outside is seaweed, right?'

'Try some,' Josh urged. 'You're such an unadventurous lot.' He cast a disapproving look at Oliver. 'You haven't even tasted it and Christine went to a lot of trouble to find something interesting. It's not often we get treated like this at work.'