Chapter 25 #2
She heard him as she left, and she felt as if she was staggering as she walked away.
She could go up to Hilltop to see Billie, but that might only make things worse.
In the face of all that had happened here today, it was going to be a struggle to continue as Billie’s midwife.
She wasn’t sure she could. Her involvement with father and daughter was too personal now, and she realised what an idiot she’d been.
She’d have to talk to Fliss about handing Billie’s care to someone else, and Fliss would want to know why.
The thought of explaining it to her made Zoe feel foolish and ashamed, as if she didn’t have enough to contend with.
Though Alex had kept his voice low and controlled, that had somehow been worse than if he’d raged and shouted. She’d never seen hurt and betrayal run so deep through someone’s soul before, and she couldn’t believe that she’d caused it.
She pushed through the crowds, making her way back to the table where Ottilie had her lunch waiting, barely noticing what was going on around her.
As for her lunch, the last thing she wanted right now was food.
She simply wanted to go to her little cottage on the hill and hide and pray that all this awfulness would go away.
‘Oi…’
She was dimly aware of the demand for her attention, but it didn’t register. And then it came again, louder, more insistent, followed by a loud whistle from between someone’s fingers.
Zoe turned this time to see a woman, hardly taller than her but somehow so much bigger, marching towards her.
Her face was almost as red as her pillar-box hair, and there was something familiar about it that Zoe couldn’t place, though she was certain she’d never met her.
The only other thing Zoe knew for certain was that she didn’t look happy.
‘You’re the midwife!’
‘Yes.’ Zoe frowned. ‘What’s…?’
‘What have you been saying to our Maisie? Telling her our food’s no good? What’s that mean? Just because you’re all la-di-da living up on your farm on the hill, you think that makes you better than us?’
‘I didn’t say?—’
‘She pulls her face at everything in the cupboard since you stuck your nose in. I can’t eat this, midwife says…
I can’t eat that, midwife says… I’ve got to have vegetables; you’ve got to make me some crap with an avocado!
’ The woman prodded Zoe in the chest. ‘How I run my house is nothing to do with you! Your job is to make sure she’s all right with that baby, and nothing more, so I’ll thank you to keep your nose out! ’
‘Listen,’ Zoe began, but the woman cut in.
‘Don’t you listen me with your condescending tone!’
‘If you’ll let me get a word in?—’
‘So you can tell me more things I do wrong? I’ve had a baby, you know. How do you think Maisie got here? So don’t tell me how things are done because I know!’
‘I’m not trying to tell you?—’
‘I won’t be judged by the likes of you!’
‘I’m not judging you!’
‘Oh…’ The woman swung her hands to her hips and glared at Zoe. ‘Raise your voice, will you? Shout at me, will you? How dare you! I could have you sacked!’
Zoe was done. She raised herself to her full height. ‘Then Maisie wouldn’t have a midwife, would she?’
‘Is that a threat?’
‘It’s a promise,’ a voice said behind her.
Zoe spun round to see Ottilie at her back. She’d never been so glad to see her old friend.
The woman rounded on Ottilie now. ‘You can’t take Maisie’s midwife away!’ the woman yelled. ‘She’s got rights, you know!’
‘Yes, and so has Miss Padbury. Right now, she’s off duty, for one, so you shouldn’t even be having this conversation with her.
And secondly, even if she were on duty, she could deny Maisie access to care on the grounds of your aggressive attitude.
She wouldn’t, but she’d be perfectly within her rights to refuse to see her.
So I would suggest you think very carefully about what you say or do next.
There is no way she is getting fired, but there is every danger you might have to find your daughter a new midwife, and you’d have to drive quite a few miles out of Thimblebury to do it. ’
The woman stared Ottilie and Zoe down for a moment and then seemed to think better of whatever retort she had. She was still puce as she stalked away, muttering something about suing and reporting people to the authorities. When she’d gone, Zoe’s shoulders slumped and her eyes filled with tears.
Ottilie gave her a sharp look. ‘Surely you didn’t let that idiot get to you?’
‘She wouldn’t even let me get a word in to defend myself!’
‘I know, but it’s not like you to get upset. I’ve seen you bat off worse than that.’
Zoe sniffed hard. ‘I know, but she caught me at a bad time. I didn’t even say anything bad about her. All I did was give Maisie some dietary advice.’
‘I know that. Everyone knows her around here – she looks for trouble, loves it. She’d take any excuse to come and have a go at you.’
‘Do you think I got Maisie in trouble at home?’
‘What is this? Zoe, you did your job. Why are you letting this get to you?’
‘I’m not. I told you – she caught me off guard, that’s all. I’m fine. I’ll go and find Maisie and talk to her.’
‘You’ll do no such thing! We’ll go and see Fliss and tell her what Bridget has done and see what she has to say about it. She doesn’t stand for her staff being assaulted.’
‘But she didn’t assault?—’
‘Of course she did, and you know that too. Verbal assault is still assault, and we don’t have to take it.’ Ottilie took her arm. ‘Come on…Your lunch is going cold anyway.’
As Zoe followed Ottilie, not wanting to see Fliss at all, she caught sight of Alex standing at the table with the miniature landscape and the little houses, and she felt sick.
He glanced up, caught her eye and then looked away again with such disdain that she could barely stand it.
It seemed like all she could do today was mess up.
She’d been so hopeful as she’d dressed that morning, choosing the outfit that she thought might please him, that might make him notice, but now he hated her.
If Billie went ahead with the adoption, he’d never forgive Zoe.
She’d stand by her advice before she’d admit she was wrong because she’d given it with the best of intentions.
But what if she had been wrong? What if her advice resulted in something terrible, something that Billie would regret when it was too late?
Fliss was halfway through a pint of cider when they found her. She was chatting to Simon and Stacey and her husband, Charles, but she turned and stopped mid-sentence at the sight of both women.
‘What on earth is wrong?’
‘Bridget bloody Jenkins, that’s what,’ Ottilie said.
‘Ott, I don’t want to—’ Zoe began, but Ottilie put a hand up and then launched into a summary of the whole sorry encounter.
In a few short seconds, Fliss had caught the gist of it and slammed down her cider. ‘Where is she?’
‘Fliss…’ Simon said steadily. ‘You can’t tackle her.’
‘Can’t I?’
‘No, not here. I know you’re angry – I don’t like it any more than you do – but there’s a right way to do this. If we don’t follow protocol, we’ll end up on a disciplinary too.’
‘Zoe’s not going to end up on a disciplinary!’ Fliss raged. ‘She didn’t do anything wrong! I won’t have my colleagues being spoken to in that manner!’
‘I’d really rather forget it,’ Zoe said in such a small voice that nobody seemed to hear it.
‘Bridget Jenkins doesn’t have a leg to stand on!’ Fliss continued. ‘She wouldn’t dare start anything with me because she knows I could have her?—’
‘Fliss…’ Simon warned, glancing around to see who was listening. ‘You can’t say stuff like that.’
‘I can say what I bloody well like! And if Bridget Jenkins doesn’t like what I have to say, she can jolly well get herself a new GP!’
‘You’re retiring, remember? You don’t want to get into a battle with a patient at this stage, surely.’
Zoe rubbed at her temples and closed her eyes. While she appreciated the support, she just wanted to forget about the whole incident. ‘I think I’ll go home. I’ve got a headache coming.’
‘Zoe…’ Ottilie’s voice was gentler now. ‘Are you all right? Do you want me to come with you? I can get Heath to drive?—’
‘No, thanks; there’s no point in making you leave the party. I’ll be fine.’
‘But—’
‘Please, Ott, I’d rather go. I’ll have a lie-down, and I’ll be better in an hour or two.’
Ottilie looked unconvinced but she nodded. ‘You’re sure you’re all right? I know you spoke to Tegan earlier too…Seems like it’s ended up being a tough day.’
Ottilie didn’t know the half of it, and Zoe wished she had the strength to tell her, but it would have to wait.