Downshire is a relatively small English county
but like a pocket battleship it packs a lot in, a short but beautiful
coastline, a channel port, the Ancient forests of Dancingdean and Pepperstock,
the craggy ridges and manmade lakes of the Pepperstock Hills National Park, the
rolling hills of the Downshire Downs, the beautiful Finchbottom Vale and farm
land as far as the eye can see from the Trotwood’s and the Grace’s in the south
to the home of the Downshire Light infantry, Nettlefield, and their affluent
neighbour’s, Roespring and Tipton in the north but our story begins slightly
further south equidistant between Nettlefield and the Oxley’s, in the beautiful
village of Heathervale.
When Chris Palmer
moved to Nettlefield from Purplemere following a
very acrimonious divorce he had sworn off women for good.
But he was a relatively good looking man
who was fast approaching his 40th birthday, with a good physique and
short sandy hair, greying at the temples and was possessed of piercing blue
eyes, so he didn’t go unnoticed.
His reason for moving to Nettlefield in
particular, over all the other places he might have chosen either in Downshire
or beyond, was the Heatherlands District Health Centre.
It was a large practise that serviced a large area, covering
Nettlefield itself, Oxley Green, Heathervale, Oxley Ridge and Tipton and Chris
had been fortunate enough to land the job as practice manager and he also found
himself a nice little flat in Nettlefield.
The senior partner, and Chris’s boss, at the Health Centre was Dr Clarisse Lowe, a tall statuesque woman who dressed in tweed, with Chestnut hair, a
voluptuous figure, lovely long legs and a generous frontage, who was in her
mid-forties and was just the kind of woman Chris would have fallen for in his
previous life.
Clarisse had been married to Edward Lowe, who had been an eminent
surgeon in Downshire, he had also been twenty years older when he married her
and he had two children from his first marriage, Josie being the oldest.
The marriage was a happy one but only lasted five years because Edward
died suddenly on the Tipton Twelve Trees Golf course after suffering a heart
attack.
She had been a widow for 10 years when Chris arrived in her life, her
widowhood had left her lonely but also afraid of risking her heart on someone
who might end that loneliness
But apart from the fact that she had vowed not to risk her broken
heart again she also had instigated a policy at the practise forbidding
fraternisation between members of staff, so even if she were so inclined toward
Chris she wouldn’t be disposed to go against her own edict.
But the heart wants what the heart wants which was why two people who
despite their reluctance to expose themselves to love again and who were very definitely
not looking for a relationship, let alone love, found it anyway.
And as a bi-product of the loving relationship she scrapped the “No
Fraternizing policy” which meant that the surgical gloves were off in regard to
work place relationships.
As a bi-product of the loving relationship between Chris and Clarisse,
she scrapped the “No Fraternizing policy” which meant that the surgical gloves
were off in regard to work place relationships which was just what the doctor
ordered for 34 year old Linda Bowles who had the hots for one of the clerical
staff, Peter Butler.
She was pretty, stick thin, flat chested, seriously ginger and tall so
she looked like an unstruck Swan Vesta.
She was known rather unimaginatively as ginger Linda and she wanted
nothing more in life than to be Peter Butler’s significant other the problem
was that Peter was scared of her.
Not that he didn’t like her or find her attractive, he did, very much
so, but she scared him, because she was everything that he was not.
She was a confident, outgoing and feisty woman of the world whereas he
was timid, mild and extremely naïve about life, and in particular women.
Peter had lived a very sheltered life and had spent much of his 32
years looking after his elderly and invalid parents so all he had ever known
was work and caring from the time he left school.
And it was from school that he first joined Heatherlands, although it
wasn’t called that then, and nor was it a health centre, it was just an
orthopaedic outpatients clinic.
But when it took on its present guise, he was one of the few who made
the transition.
Peter was an only child and his parents had him late in life, his
mother was 44 when she gave birth and his father was ten years her senior.
Neither of them were in good health while he was growing up, his
mother never fully recovered from her traumatic labour, Peter had just turned
25 when her heart gave out and five years later his father lost his long battle
with cancer.
For the two years that followed he lived alone in what had been the
family home all of his life, he seldom went out, with the exception of the
Heatherlands Christmas Party as Clarisse wouldn’t take no for an answer on that
one, and he had no friends outside of work, and his job at Heatherlands was the
only pleasure in his life.
That was until Dr Linda Bowles arrived just after Christmas and he had
something else to look forward to every working day, seeing Linda.
He thought she was beautiful, especially when she smiled at him, but
he couldn’t talk to her when she said hello because his knees turned to jelly
and his mouth went dry.
She was gorgeous and terrifying in one moment, she was so direct and
bold and fearless and she left him quivering, but he adored her more than
anyone he had ever known but because of his shyness he knew he would never find
the courage to speak to her.
So he resigned himself to the fact that he would just have to watch
her from a safe distance.
When singleton, Linda Bowles, first joined the Heatherlands District
Health Centre, she was hoping it would be the last time she would be the
newbie.
She had spent the previous three years as a locum, drifting in and out
of various surgeries in the four corners of Downshire as well as the bit in
between.
It had been a bit of a gypsy existence and she had been unable to put
down any roots, but when she applied for the permanent position at
Heatherlands, and got the job she hoped that she would finally have a normal
life, her own home and someone to share it with.
In the short term she was able to rent a house in the village of
Heathervale, or more precisely the granny flat in the garden of a house in the
village, but it suited her needs very well.
But having secured a permanent job and suitable accommodation she was
not prepared to lose her heart to a good looking man on her first day in her
new job.
It happened while the senior partner, Clarisse Lowe, was introducing
her to the staff around the building, and when they entered the administration
office and she saw Peter Butler standing by the photocopier she felt cupid’s
arrow strike home.
Peter was an inch or two taller than Linda was, and she was almost six
foot tall, with a kind face, blue eyes and a mop of mousy hair and what
endeared him to her even more was his shyness, she thought it was cute.
Having found someone for her to lavish her love upon she had to curb
her desires because of the “No Fraternizing” rule but after Easter when Clarisse
and Chris Palmer got together and she scrapped that particular edict Linda tackled
her crush in the same way she dealt with everything in her life, head on.
She let him know in no uncertain terms what her intentions were and
what her desires consisted of, namely him,
Or at least she thought she did, but if she had then her advances had
fallen on stony ground.
For almost eleven months she flirted with him outrageously and
flaunted herself unashamedly at every opportunity, but to no avail.
“He’s just not noticing me” she said to herself one day
Peter had noticed her, he couldn’t fail to notice her, she was always
there smiling and looking good enough to eat he was just too scared to react,
because he didn’t know how to act with a woman, especially one as lovely as she
was.
By the autumn she was getting a little despondent so when in in November she was invited to a dinner party at
Clarisse Lowe’s house she took her chance, when she got her alone to confide in
her that she really fancied Peter.
“Well everyone in
Heatherlands knows that” she retorted and laughed
“Really?” Linda said
“Well you’re not subtle
Linda”
“Well Peter hasn’t
noticed me or worse he has noticed and he’s horrified” she said and grimaced
“Oh he’s not
horrified, he really likes you, he’s just scared of you” Clarisse said
By the autumn she was getting a little despondent so when in in November she was invited to a dinner party at
Clarisse Lowe’s house she took her chance, when she got her alone to confide in
her that she really fancied Peter.
“Well everyone in
Heatherlands knows that” she retorted and laughed
“Really?” Linda said
“Well you’re not subtle
Linda”
“Well Peter hasn’t
noticed me or worse he has noticed and he’s horrified” she said and grimaced
“Oh he’s not
horrified, he really likes you, he’s just scared of you” Clarisse said
“Scared? Why? I’m not
going to hurt him” Linda asked
“You have to
understand that he has led a very sheltered life”
Clarisse said and then
explained about him having to care for invalid parents and missing out on his
childhood and a normal young man’s social experiences.
“It’s like he’s lived
his whole life in monochrome and then you turn up and you broadcast directly to
him in technicolour” she said
“You are larger than
life Linda and Peter is a shadow dweller who is happy to be anonymous, which of
course he wouldn’t be if he was with you, and that’s why he’s scared”
“So what should I do?”
Linda asked
“Well if I were you I
would wait until the Christmas Party” she replied
“Will he go to the
Christmas party?” she asked “I wouldn’t have thought it was his kind of thing”
“It’s not, but he goes
because I tell him to” Clarisse replied
“Why?”
“Because he’s scared
of me” she said and laughed
It was true that Clarisse did tell Peter that he had to attend the
party and because of that that was what he was going to do, but not out of fear
he did what she asked out of respect.
So over the course of the year Doctor Linda Bowles had set her cap firmly
at shy and naïve Peter Butler but she had struck out but then in December there
was light at the end of the tunnel in the shape of the
Heatherlands District Health Centre staff Christmas Party which was
held at The Foothills Hotel in Oxley Ridge.
Clarisse had been married to Edward Lowe, who had been an eminent
surgeon in Downshire, he had also been twenty years older when he married her
and he had two children from his first marriage, Josie being the oldest.
The marriage was a happy one but only lasted five years because Edward
died suddenly on the Tipton Twelve Trees Golf course after suffering a heart
attack.
On his death however he had left her extremely well off so at Christmas
Clarisse always laid on transport for those who had to get back for baby
sitters after the part or alternatively they could stay overnight at the Hotel.
Unfortunately on the day of the party Linda was on call until midnight
and therefore couldn’t indulge herself in the pursuit of Peter Butler.
And when Linda had to
go to Nettlefield for a suspected case of Meningitis at 10 o’clock she thought
she was going to miss her chance altogether.
However half way to
see the patient she got a phone call to say that an ambulance had been called
as there had been a deterioration of the patient’s condition and she was now critically
ill and the ambulance beat her to the patient by 15 minutes which meant she was
not required to attend after all.
And as Linda did a
U-turn and headed towards Oxley Ridge she chastised herself for being relieved
and felt guilty because it was an outcome that benefitted her.
She would have felt
even worse if she’d known that the critically ill patient had died on route to
hospital.
It was a little before
midnight when she walked through the doors into the foyer of the Foothills
Hotel and was greeted by Clarisse.
“Linda darling let me get
you a drink” she suggested
“That will be lovely” Linda
replied “But I’m still on clock for another ten minutes”
Just at that moment
there was a commotion in the hall which prevented a slightly tipsy Clarisse
from telling her not to worry about ten minutes and to get a drink down her
neck.
They looked around and
saw Chris Palmer and his brother Darren carrying Peter Butler between them who
was holding his left foot.
“What’s happened?”
Clarisse asked
“He tripped over his
own feet” Chris replied and laughed
“I’m fine, I just
twisted my ankle” Peter said
“We’ll be the judge of
that” Linda said “After I’ve examined you”
“You can use room 104”
The night manager said
“Perfect” Linda said
“And can you arrange for some ice?”
“Time to get him into
my consulting room” she whispered to Clarisse as she followed the casualty
“Just be gentle with
him” Clarisse retorted and laughed
When she reached room
104 the door to the room was open and Chris and Darren had Peter laying on the
bed waiting for her and he had already shed his shoe and sock.
“Right let’s have a
look at you” Linda said
“It’s just twisted” he
said
“Really? Remind me
which one of us is the Doctor?” Linda asked
“Sorry Doctor” he said
meekly
“That should reduce
the swelling”
She said as she packed
the bags of ice around his ankle
“And now if we can
have some privacy I’ll give you a proper examination” she said
“We’ll leave you to it
then” Clarisse said and went out the door with Chris but they didn’t close the
door completely and stood peering in.
“Right then let’s
start with your blood pressure” she said
“Why are you undoing
my trousers?” he asked with alarm
“Are you sure that
you’re a proper doctor?”
“Just relax” Linda
said
“But I don’t think
that’s the way to check blood pressure” he said
“Trust me I’m a
professional” She said “you’re in safe hands”
“Whatever you say doc”
he answered and closed his eyes.
“Well there’s
definitely nothing wrong with your blood pressure”
She said
“Oh my” Peter
exclaimed
“Well I think we can
safely leave them to it” Clarisse said and quietly closed the door
“He doesn’t know what he’s
in for” Chris added
“All his Christmas’s
have come at one” she said and they both laughed
The next morning,
those who made it down to breakfast were a sorry looking lot, severely hungover
with bloodshot eyes and thumping heads, and among them were Clarisse and Chris.
But the exceptions to
the rule were Linda and Peter who were both bright eyed and bushy tailed and
smiling from ear to ear.
