Chapter 5
Zoe’s first day as the new midwife for the village of Thimblebury and its neighbours featured no actual expectant mothers. Instead, she found herself numbed into frustrating boredom by systems that needed to be set up, software that she needed to be registered on and lists of patient details.
Her colleagues at the surgery were every bit as welcoming as Ottilie had promised they would be.
The senior partner, Dr Fliss Cheadle, was cheerful but brisk, putting her head around the door for a quick good morning, asking if Zoe needed anything and not waiting for the answer, only shooting back a ‘jolly good, I’ll let you get on; you know where I am if you change your mind’.
Dr Stokes – Simon – was charming and sincere, and spent a few more minutes putting her at ease, but explained that his schedule was full and shortly after made his excuses to leave.
Ottilie said the same thing, and it was down to Lavender, the receptionist and – as she termed it – surgery mum to sit alongside Zoe whenever she could and help her get to grips with all her initial admin.
‘Tegan Forester…’ Lavender tapped at the screen of the monitor. ‘Be prepared – when you see her, the appointment is likely to run over. Not likely, guaranteed is more like. Born worrier, that one.’
‘Older mum too,’ Zoe murmured as she clicked to read the background notes.
‘Caught out,’ Lavender said with a tone of authority.
Zoe glanced across. ‘You know her? Personally, I mean?’
‘Only as much as everyone knows everyone else personally around here. It’s common knowledge she wasn’t planning a baby.’
‘Two previous pregnancies…’ Zoe read out loud.
‘Yep. Youngest of those is now seventeen, so…’ Lavender gave a careless shrug. ‘I don’t think she’s filled with enthusiasm for starting all that baby business again, but it’s her choice to carry on, so what can you do? I expect she’ll come round – that’s usually the case, isn’t it?’
Zoe went back to the main screen, Lavender still reading alongside her. ‘Maisie will be all right,’ she said, pointing at another name. ‘A bit wet behind the ears, but she’s a little sweetheart who won’t give you any trouble at all. Her family, on the other hand…’
Zoe nodded silently but was beginning to wish Lavender would find something else to do.
Much as she appreciated the input, Lavender’s running commentary was becoming distracting.
And the fact was, she wanted to meet these women without preconceptions.
She wanted to get to know them herself, to form her own opinions and forge a bond of trust with them, and she wasn’t sure a load of gossip beforehand was going to help her to do that.
‘Who’s that?’ Lavender peered more closely at the screen.
‘Don’t know that one…Ah, new referral…strange, though – where’s she been referred from?
She doesn’t live in Thimblebury…what’s the address…
?’ She took the mouse from Zoe and began to look for further information, but Zoe, doing her best to look less hassled than she was beginning to feel, took it gently back.
‘I’m sure you’ve got lots to do, and I can manage from here. Thank you so much for your help.’
‘Oh…’ Lavender stood up with a brisk smile.
‘Of course…you’re right, probably should get back to reception.
You’ll get used to me,’ she added cheerfully.
‘Tend to get involved in things that don’t need me.
Can’t help it – I’m a natural sniffer-outer.
Love problem-solving and little challenges.
My dad always said I should have become a detective. ’
‘Ottilie says you’re worth your weight in gold. I expect I’ll be coming to you with a lot over the next few weeks, but I don’t want to use up your goodwill on the first day.’
Lavender made her way to the door. ‘Don’t worry about that. New systems and whatnot – it’s always a bit daunting. Ask me anything, whenever you need to. I’m only a holler away, and it’s what I get paid for.’
‘Thanks, Lavender. I’ll be sure to take you up on that offer soon enough.’
Zoe let out a light breath as the door closed, leaving her alone, and then turned her attention to the screen. Her eye was drawn back to the name that had puzzled Lavender. Billie Fitzgerald. Hilltop Farm…
Zoe frowned. Hilltop Farm. Wasn’t that Ann’s house?
She delved into what notes were on the system and saw that the referral was from another health authority based out of the area and that there was a previous Essex address, still on record and still being used for correspondence.
So this was a pre-emptive referral? Billie Fitzgerald was planning to move into the area but hadn’t yet?
Deciding that fact put her into the worry about later category , Zoe continued down the list, smiling as she came across Ottilie’s name.
There wouldn’t be much midwifery going on there if she knew Ottilie at all.
Her friend would be self-sufficient for as long as she could; though she’d always report in for her checks, she’d doubtless solve any other minor problems she might have using her own medical knowledge.
Zoe had looked after some expectant mothers who had phoned her night and day over every tiny niggle, but Ottilie would not be one of those.
There was a light tap at the door. Zoe’s colleague and friend poked her head around it. ‘Everything going OK?’
‘Fine,’ Zoe said. ‘I was just thinking about you. Or rather, reading about you.’
‘I’m sure it’s riveting,’ Ottilie said with a wry grin. ‘I’m doing the tea rounds – want one?’
‘I’d love one!’ Zoe said.
‘I thought you’d say that.’
Ottilie let the door close again, her footsteps echoing down the passageway until Zoe could no longer hear them.
She glanced out of the window as she stretched, noting the pleasing patchwork of blue sky freckled by threadbare smears of white cloud, smiling over the stone walls and slate roofs of her new home.
Beyond the village lay the Lake District itself, majestic hills and valleys and vast silver-grey lakes, waiting to be discovered.
Allowing herself a moment, she got up and went to lean on the windowsill, drinking in the view and thinking about all that discovery, right there for her to experience.
Despite her doubts over whether the move to Thimblebury had been the right decision, she already had a feeling she was going to like it here.
The sound of engines roaring across the tranquil fields around Zoe’s home woke her early on Saturday morning.
Far too early. With a frown, she poked her feet into some slippers and went to the window to look.
She couldn’t see where the commotion was coming from, but she could still hear it.
Perhaps it was something going on at the neighbouring farm, Hilltop, which was out of view from this vantage point.
Daffodil Farm, on whose land her house stood, seemed quiet enough when she went round to the other side of the house and looked out, so it seemed a safe bet.
The sun was newly risen, and the light skimming the fields was pale and fresh as Zoe made her way across them.
She’d downed a quick coffee, puzzling over the commotion that she could still hear in sporadic bursts, which sounded all at once miles away and yet close enough to disturb her inside her little house.
It was a cold morning but pleasant enough, and her decision to walk over to Hilltop to confirm her suspicions had been an easy enough one to make.
As the neighbouring farm came into view, she could hear good-natured calls echoing across the yard, accompanied by bursts of tuneless singing and whistling, and then saw that there was a removal van parked outside, Victor’s battered Land Rover and one other car that she didn’t recognise alongside it.
‘Hello, my love!’ Corrine’s arms were taken up by a box as she noticed Zoe’s arrival. ‘Come to help?’
‘Um…what am I helping with?’ Zoe rushed over to offer Corrine assistance with her load.
Corrine gave her a grateful smile as she grabbed the other end, and they took the box to the removal van between them.
‘Ann’s moving out…’ Corrine gestured for Zoe to help lift the box into the back of the van. ‘Didn’t we tell you?’
‘Well, I knew she might be, but I didn’t realise it would be so soon. I thought she was still selling the house.’
‘Ah, I expect she was last time we mentioned it. But then everything went through very sudden and here we are. Offer made and accepted and cash in the bank.’
‘When’s the new owner due to arrive?’
‘Not sure. I wouldn’t imagine we’ll have to wait too long to meet them.’
As she walked back to the house with Corrine, Victor came out with a box of his own marked ‘kitchen’.
‘Morning!’ He gave Zoe a familiar nod. ‘Come to muck in, have you?’
Everyone seemed to assume Zoe had come to help, and as she didn’t have much else to do, she decided she might as well. ‘Are there more boxes to be brought out? Or is there something else you want me to do?’
‘Ask Ann. She’s inside, panicking about everything.’
‘She’s never moved house before,’ Corrine said, wagging a finger at her husband. ‘And this is a big undertaking for someone on her own. Don’t be impatient with her.’
‘Not on her own, is she? We’re here,’ Victor said airily before going on his way with his own contribution to the day’s work.
Corrine clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth as she watched him for a second, and then cleared the vexation from her face as she turned back to Zoe. ‘I haven’t seen your bits and pieces arrive yet? When are they due?’
‘To be honest, I don’t have a lot to bring over.
Haven’t bothered with my old furniture because there’s perfectly nice furniture in the house already.
There’s a few personal bits, crockery and bedding and that sort of thing still to come.
My parents are planning to bring it over when they can, but I’m OK to manage until then. ’