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She gave a wan smile. ‘I can’t ask you to do that. You’ve been travelling all night.’ It occurred to her that he was the one who ought to look tired. Instead, his gaze was sharp, assessing.
‘You’re not asking, I’m offering. In fact, I’m insisting. If you drop dead from overwork before this afternoon, who will show me round?’
His smile had a relaxed, easy charm and she found herself responding. ‘Well, if you’re sure. I’ll ask Mary to send David’s patients through to you. If you need any help just buzz me. Lift the receiver and press 3.’
CHAPTER THREE
‘WHAT a day!’ Seven hours later, Gio rubbed a hand over his aching shoulder and eyed the waiting room warily. Morning surgery had extended into the afternoon well-woman clinic, which had extended into evening surgery. Even now the telephone rang incessantly, two little boys were playing noisily in the play corner and a harassed-looking woman was standing at the reception desk, wiggling a pram in an attempt to soothe a screaming baby. ‘I feel as though I have seen the entire population of Cornwall in one surgery. Is it always like this?’
‘No, sometimes it’s busy.’ Mary, the receptionist, replaced the phone once again and gave him a cheerful smile as she flicked through the box of repeat prescriptions for the waiting mother. ‘Don’t worry, you get used to it after a while. I could try locking the door but it would only postpone the inevitable. They’d all be back tomorrow. There we are, Mrs York.’ She handed over a prescription with a flourish and adjusted her glasses more comfortably on her nose. ‘How are those twins of yours doing, Harriet? Behaving themselves?’
The young woman glanced towards the boys, her face pale. ‘They’re fine.’ Her tone had an edge to it as she pushed the prescription into her handbag. ‘Thanks.’
The baby’s howls intensified and Mary stood up, clucking. She was a plump, motherly woman with curling hair a soft shade of blonde and a smiling face. Gio could see that she was dying to get her hands on the baby. ‘There, now. What a fuss. Libby York, what do you think you’re doing to our eardrums and your poor mother’s sanity?’ She walked round the reception desk, glanced at the baby’s mother for permission and then scooped the baby out of the pram and rested it on her shoulder, cooing and soothing. ‘Is she sleeping for you, dear?’ Despite the attention, the baby continued to bawl and howl and Harriet gritted her teeth.
‘Not much. She—’ The young woman broke off as the boys started to scrap over a toy. ‘Stop it, you two!’ Her tone was sharp. ‘Dan! Robert! Come here, now! Oh, for heaven’s sake…’ She closed her eyes and swallowed hard.
The baby continued to scream and Gio caught Mary’s eye and exchanged a look of mutual understanding. ‘Let me have a try.’ He took the baby from her, his touch firm and confident, his voice deep and soothing as he switched to Italian. The baby stopped yelling, hiccoughed a few times and then calmed and stared up at his face in fascination.
At least one woman still found him interesting in a dishevelled state, he thought with a flash of amusement as he recalled Alice’s reaction to his appearance.
Mary gave a sigh of relief and turned to Harriet. ‘There. That’s better. She wanted a man’s strength.’ She put a hand on the young mother’s arm. It was a comforting touch. ‘It’s hard when they’re this age. I remember when mine were small, there were days when I thought I’d strangle them all. It gets easier. Before you know it they’re grown.’
Harriet looked at her and blinked back tears. Then she covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head. ‘Sorry—oh, I’m being so stupid!’ Her hand dropped and she sniffed. ‘It’s just that I don’t know what to do with them half the time. Or what to do with me. I’m so tired I can’t think straight,’ she muttered, glancing towards the baby who was now calm in Gio’s arms. ‘This one’s keeping the whole family awake. It makes us all cranky and those two are so naughty I could—’ She broke off and caught her lip between her teeth. ‘Anyway, as you say, it’s all part of them being small. There’s going to come a time when I’ll wish they were little again.’
With a forced smile and a nod of thanks, she leaned across and took the baby from Gio.
‘How old is the baby?’ There was something about the woman that was worrying him. He didn’t know her, of course, which didn’t help, but still…
‘She’ll be seven weeks tomorrow.’ Harriet jiggled the baby in her arms in an attempt to keep her calm.
‘It can be very hard. My sister had her third child two months ago,’ Gio said, keeping his tone casual, ‘and she’s certainly struggling. If the baby keeps crying, bring her to see me. Maybe there’s something we can do to help.’
‘Dr Moretti has taken over from Dr Watts,’ Mary explained, and Harriet nodded.
‘OK. Thanks. I’d better be getting back home. She needs feeding.’
‘I can make you comfortable in a room here,’ Mary offered, but the woman shook her head and walked towards the door, juggling pram and baby.
‘I’d better get home. I’ve got beds to change and washing to put out.’ She called to the boys, who ignored her. ‘Come on!’ They still ignored her and she gave a growl of exasperation and strapped the baby back in the pram. Libby immediately started crying again. ‘Yes, I know, I know! I’m getting you home right now!’ She glared at the twins. ‘If you don’t come now I’m leaving you both here.’ Her voice rose slightly and she reached out and grabbed the nearest boy by the arm. ‘Do as you’re told.’
They left the surgery, boys arguing, baby crying. Mary stared after them, her fingers drumming a steady rhythm on the desk. ‘I don’t like the look of that.’
‘No.’ Gio was in full agreement. There had been something about the young mother that had tugged at him. ‘She looked stretched out. At her limit.’
Mary looked at him. ‘You think there’s something wrong with the baby?’
‘No. I think there’s something wrong with the mother, but I didn’t want to get into a conversation that personal with a woman I don’t know in the reception area. A conversation like that requires sensitivity. One wrong word and she would have run.’
‘Finally. A man who thinks before he speaks…’ Mary gave a sigh of approval and glanced up as Alice walked out of her consulting room, juggling two empty coffee-cups and an armful of notes.
She looked even paler than she had that morning, Gio noted, but perhaps that was hardly surprising. She’d been working flat out all day with no break.
‘Did I hear a baby screaming?’ She deposited the notes on the desk.
‘Libby York.’ Mary turned her head and stared through the glass door into the street where Harriet was still struggling with the boys. As they disappeared round the corner, she turned back with a sigh. ‘You were great, Dr Moretti. Any time you want to soothe my nerves with a short spurt of Italian, don’t let me stop you.’
Gio gave an apologetic shrug. ‘My English doesn’t run to baby talk.’
