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Conner gave a mock shudder. ‘That sounds like the lecture you gave me when you told me I should be interested in algebra.’ He stirred. ‘All right, enough. Is there a medical reason that you’re here?’
‘I have asthma. Or so they say. Started two years ago, out of nowhere. Completely ridiculous at my age, but there you are. Anyway, Logan started me off on an inhaler, and Dr Walker—he was your predecessor—gave me another one but they’re not working any more.’
‘And you say that because…?’
‘I’m breathless all the time. Wheezing. Tight chest.’ She sighed. ‘I tried to walk the cliff path yesterday and had to sit down and look at the view instead. You’re going to say that I shouldn’t be exercising at my age—’
‘Exercise is important at every age.’ Conner studied his computer screen and his face broke into a slow smile. ‘Well, Miss Carne, I see you were a smoker for fifteen years. I wonder how much money I could make selling that information?’
‘I haven’t touched one for sixteen years,’ she said briskly, ‘and everyone has to have a vice.’
‘I couldn’t agree mor
e. I couldn’t survive without my vices.’ Conner stood up and took a peak-flow meter out of the drawer. ‘Have you been monitoring your own peak flow?’
‘Yes. Of course. I’m a teacher. I do everything by the book.’ She delved into her bag and pulled out a chart. ‘Here.’
He scanned it. ‘This shortness of breath—is it just on exercise or when you’re doing daily tasks?’
‘Exercise. But I can’t do as much.’
‘And have you had a chest infection? Anything that might have been a trigger?’
He questioned her carefully, listened to the answers and then checked her inhaler technique. ‘You should be inhaling slowly and then holding your breath for ten seconds.’
‘That’s what I’m doing.’
Conner questioned her further and then sat back down and looked at the computer screen. ‘You’re already taking salbutamol and an inhaled steroid. I’m going to add in a long-acting drug and see if that helps. If it does, you can carry on taking it. If it doesn’t, we might increase the dose of your inhaled steroid.’
‘I’m not wild about taking yet another drug.’
‘If your symptoms stabilise, we can reassess in a few months.’
‘So I should come back and see you in a few weeks?’
‘Yes, or sooner if things don’t settle.’ He handed her the prescription and she took it with a smile of thanks.
‘You’ve done well with your life, Conner.’ She walked towards the door and paused. ‘Do the right thing by my niece.’
The right thing.
Conner watched as she left the room and closed the door behind her.
What exactly was the right thing?
* * *
The rumours grew from soft whispers to blatant speculation until all the inhabitants of Glenmore had the same question on their lips.
Who was the woman that Conner MacNeil was seeing?
‘She lives up your way,’ Meg told Flora as she sprinkled chocolate onto a cappuccino. ‘People have heard his motorbike roaring down the lanes late at night. Do you want anything to eat with this? Croissant? Chocolate muffin?’
‘No, thanks.’ Flora handed over the money and took the coffee, just wanting to escape before the conversation could progress any further.
‘I mean, who lives near you? Who is likely to catch our Conner’s eye? Tilly Andrews? No, it couldn’t possibly be her.’ Meg frowned as she rang up the amount on the till. ‘I just can’t imagine.’
‘Me neither. Thanks for this, Meg.’ Almost stumbling in her haste to make her exit, Flora backed towards the door while Meg pondered.
