A Blessing In Disguise Read Online Free PDF

taller than I am, dressed in a well-cut grey suit with a mauve silk scarf draped immaculately around her neck – something I can never do. I spend ages getting every last fold exactly right and ten minutes later it’s all over the place again. She has tawny-red hair, so well cut that I know that whatever she went through it would fall back into exactly the right place, green glass dangly earrings and an interesting face. Not exactly pretty, but attractive. High cheekbones, broad brow. I guess she’s about the same age as me, somewhere in her mid-thirties.
    â€˜Good-morning,’ I reply. ‘And you . . . ?’
    â€˜I’m Sonia Leyton,’ she says before I can finish the question. ‘Your local GP. Nigel Baines is the other partner in the practice.’
    â€˜It’s good to meet you,’ I tell her. ‘I was going to come along to see you in the next day or two to ask if my daughter and I could register with you. Becky is ten.’
    â€˜Sure you can,’ she says. ‘Since you live in the village and you’re who you are, that’s fine. Otherwise our list is completely full. We need a third doctor but we haven’t the room and we’ve had no luck in getting new premises in Thurston.’
    â€˜I didn’t see you in church,’ I tell her – and then feel awkward, as if I’m reprimanding her.
    â€˜I was there. Hiding behind a pillar. Not that I’m usually there. I’m not sure whether I’d call myself an agnostic or just plain lazy. I’m not all that keen on institutionalized religion. But I wanted to meet you. Parish priests and local doctors should know each other, don’t you think?’
    We chat for a few minutes and then she looks at her watch and says, ‘I’ll have to leave. Sunday or no Sunday I have a couple of hospital visits to make. And I’ve no doubt you’re just as busy.’
    â€˜I am at the moment. Though it’s a funny thing that everyone thinks Sunday is the Vicar’s busiest day and it seldom is. I have far more to do on other days of the week. On Sundays I mainly do what other parishioners do, which is go to church. And they’re going on their day off.’
    â€˜Do you take a day off?’ she asks.
    â€˜I try to. I shall see how things work out here and then if I can I’ll settle on a regular day – barring emergencies, of course. If anything crops up then I’m on duty. Like you, I suppose.’
    â€˜True. But you should try. We all should.’
    I hold out my hand. ‘Good-bye for now, Doctor Leyton.’
    â€˜Sonia,’ she replies. ‘Pop in during the week. Bring Becky with you.’
    I go to join my family.
    â€˜I’m bored!’ Becky says. ‘When can we go?’
    â€˜I’ll have to stay a little longer,’ I tell her. ‘Why not walk around with me and meet a few people?’
    â€˜Are you joking?’ she says. ‘Definitely not!’
    â€˜Why don’t Becky and Ann and Grandpa and I go back to the Vicarage?’ my mother suggests. ‘I can be getting on with the lunch.’ My mother has undertaken to make all the meals this weekend. She and Dad go back to Clipton on Wednesday. I shall miss her. I shall miss my mother-in-law too.
    I watch my family depart, my parents and my mother-in-law smiling at people as they pass them on the way to the door. Becky with never a sideways glance. ‘She’s not really like this!’ I want to say to all these people she’s deliberately snubbing. ‘Please excuse her! She can be a very nice child.’ But when was the last time? I want to run after her, to put my arm around her, plead with her, try to comfort her, but I must stay here just a little longer. In any case she would rebuff me, I know she would. She’s got that to a fine art.
    â€˜I won’t be long!’ I call after her. Not a flicker, not a sign that she has even heard me,