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‘Good. So what can I help you with today.’
Mary fingered her coat nervously. ‘It’s difficult…’
Ally leaned forward and covered her hand with her own. ‘Mrs Thompson, I know something is wrong—why don’t you trust me and just tell me what it is?’
Mary shook her head and then burst into tears. Ally handed her some tissues and waited for the storm to pass.
‘I’m sorry about that, Doctor.’ The woman sniffed and blew her nose. ‘I’m just being a silly woman.’
‘Tell me,’ Ally prompted gently, and Mary took a deep breath.
‘It’s my husband. He’s got a bit of a problem.’
Ally suspected that that was an understatement but she didn’t speak, just waited for Mary to finish.
‘It started when he took this job. Too much entertaining, sales conferences and targets which he couldn’t meet.’ She gave a sigh and stared helplessly at Ally. ‘He’s drinking. A lot. I suppose you saw the newspaper article.’
Ally hesitated and then nodded. There was no point in lying. ‘Yes. Yes, I did, actually.’
‘Frankly, I’m amazed it hasn’t happened before.’ Mary crumpled the tissue into a ball and fiddled nervously with it. ‘He’s been drinking far too much for at least a year.’
And driving. Ally gritted her teeth and tried not to think about the damage he could have done.
‘Will he come in and see me, Mrs Thompson?’
The older woman shrugged her shoulders and gave her a bleak look. ‘Well, before that newspaper article I would have said no. He’s a very proud man. Very traditional, you know? Won’t ever admit he needs help. But now—well, to be frank, he just might because he feels so down. I’ve been trying to persuade him to come and see you. I did wonder whether there was anything I could do…’
Ally shook her head. ‘Not really, Mrs Thompson. If he’s drinking as much as you say then he needs professional help now. We need to check his current state of health—see what damage the alcohol has done—and then break the addiction. The best thing you can do is get him to come and see me. He has to want to change things or a detoxification programme has no chance of working.’
The woman slumped in the chair and sighed. ‘It’s all so complicated.’
‘Has he hurt you at all, Mrs Thompson?’ Ally asked gently. ‘Does he get violent when he’s drunk?’
‘No. That’s one thing I should be grateful for, I suppose.’
‘Try and get him to come and see me,’ Ally said as the woman stood up to leave. ‘I’m sure we can help him.’
She watched as Mary walked down the corridor, her figure bent and defeated. Ally frowned. She’d have a word with Will and see if he had any bright ideas how to persuade Mr Thompson to come and see her.
* * *
Charlie was baking biscuits in the kitchen with her grandmother when Ally arrived home. She dropped her bag and pushed open the kitchen door, sniffing in appreciation. ‘Mmm. Something smells good.’ She stopped dead as she saw Sean lounging comfortably at the kitchen table, laughing with her mother. What was he doing here?
‘Hello, pet.’ Her mother was in the process of wiping flour from the kitchen table. ‘We’re just stocking up the freezer, aren’t we, Charlie?’
‘Yup.’ Charlie grinned, her sweet face covered in tell-tale signs of cake mixture.
‘We’ve made an orange one for us and two chocolate ones for Uncle Jack’s firework party.’
‘I told Jack I’d donate two and if he wanted any more he’d have to buy them,’ her mother said cheerfully. ‘We’re so busy on the farm at the moment I haven’t got time to cook. I’ve made you a casserole and I made sure there’s enough for Sean, too. I thought it would be nice if he joined you.’
Ally gaped at her mother who beamed at her.
Sean unfolded his length from the chair and gave her mother a gracious smile. ‘That’s very kind of you, Mrs McGuire. I’ll just nip next door and get a bottle of wine,’ he said smoothly, his eyes gleaming with humour as he scanned the look on Ally’s face.
The minute he’d gone Ally sent Charlie off to find a book and rounded on her mother. ‘What are you playing at, Mum?’
Her mother turned the last of the sponge cakes onto a wire rack to cool. ‘Inviting that gorgeous man to join you for dinner.’
