‘Because there’s no room in my body for anything except the baby.’ Evanna shifted in her seat, obviously uncomfortable. ‘They refused to see him? Really? Oh, poor Conner, that’s dreadful. Were his feelings hurt, do you think?’
‘Does he have feelings?’ Flora glanced out of the window, watching idly as groups of tourists walked from the ferry towards the beach. ‘Since when did Conner MacNeil care what people think of him? He is Mr Tough Guy.’
‘Deep down, I’m sure he cares.’
‘If he cared he wouldn’t have done his surgery wearing black leather and half an inch of stubble.’ Flora winced as a toddler tripped over a fishing rod and fell hard onto the pavement. She watched the mother scoop up the child and offer comfort. ‘Believe me, he has no intention of modifying his behaviour to please anyone. He was as defiant and confrontational as ever.’ And sexy. Indecently sexy.
‘If he didn’t care, he’d be living in his parents’ old house up on the cliffs.’
Flora was silent for a moment. She hadn’t given any thought to where Conner was living. ‘And he’s not?’
‘Logan gave him the barn.’
‘I thought it was let for the summer.’
‘It is. To Conner. When Logan thought he might be coming back, he kept it free for him. I suppose he knew Connor wouldn’t want to stay in his parents’ house.’ Evanna shrugged. ‘Who can blame him? I don’t suppose it has any nice memories for him. By all accounts, he had a pretty miserable childhood.’
‘Then why didn’t he sell it after his father died?’
‘He hasn’t been here to sell it. Perhaps he’ll deal with it this summer.’
‘Break his final tie with the island? Do you think that’s why he’s come back? To sell the house?’
‘I wouldn’t think so. He could have done that with one call to the island estate agent. Perhaps he’s laying old ghosts.’ Evanna gave a suggestive smile. ‘Or maybe he’s laying old girlfriends.’
‘Evanna!’ Struggling between shock and laughter, Flora sent a weak, apologetic smile towards the tourists eating lunch at the next table. ‘If you’re going to make obscene comments, lower your voice. We still have to work here after Conner’s gone.’
‘And life will be considerably more boring.’
‘Pregnancy has driven you mad.’
‘You might be right.’ Evanna shifted in her seat. ‘I can’t remember what it’s like not to be fat and exhausted.’
‘I think Conner is trying to shock them on purpose. I suspect he wants to provoke a reaction from them.’ Flora looked at her and smiled. ‘Do you want to know something funny?’
‘Not too funny.’ Evanna patted her enormous bump gently. ‘I have to be economical with laughter at the moment. Go on.’
‘Mrs Ellis saw him.’
‘As a patient? You’re joking.’
‘I’m not. I expected her to walk straight back out and call the police, but she was in there for ages and she came out smiling.’
‘So he even charmed her.’ Evanna sighed wistfully. ‘You see? It doesn’t matter how badly he behaves, women just can’t help themselves. It’s the danger, I suppose. The fact that he’s a bit volatile and unstable just adds to his appeal. If you had a date with Conner you never quite knew whether you were going to end up in bed or in a jail cell.’
Flora gasped. ‘What exactly do you know about dates with Conner? There is no way your parents would have allowed you anywhere near him.’
‘Didn’t stop me dreaming.’ Evanna sipped her tea. ‘I had fantasies, just like you.’
‘I did not have fantasies.’
‘Now you’re lying.’ Evanna grinned placidly. ‘Every woman dreams about the local bad boy.’
‘Conner is well educated.’
‘Which makes him all the more attractive,’ Evanna sighed.
‘My idea of a perfect date never involved a close encounter with the police,’ Flora said lightly, ‘and I don’t believe yours did either. You were always crazy about Logan.’
‘That didn’t stop me looking. I suppose that’s part of the reason Conner was so attractive,’ Evanna said simply. ‘He was forbidden. Are you seriously telling me you’ve never had a few fantasies about Conner?’
‘Never.’ Keen to end what was increasingly becoming an uncomfortable conversation, Flora finished her sandwich and glanced at her watch. ‘I have to go. Little Helen Peters had an asthma attack in the night. I’m going to call on her on my way back to the surgery.’
Evanna yawned. ‘Yes. Poor Logan was up and down in the night. First it was Helen, then it was our Kirsty.’
‘How is she?’
‘We’ve moved her from a cot to a bed in preparation for the arrival of her sibling.’ Evanna patted her swollen abdomen gently. ‘And she’s just discovered that she can leap out whenever she likes and come in with us. Which is fine, except she sleeps like a starfish, arms and legs stuck out at angles designed to cause maximum discomfort to those sharing the space.’
Flora laughed. ‘She’s gorgeous. Who is looking after her today?’
‘Meg had her this morning and I’m going home right now.’ Evanna stood up and winced. ‘I can’t believe this is how it feels to be thirty-five weeks pregnant. Remind me to be more sympathetic next time I run the antenatal clinic. Give little Helen a kiss from me.’
‘I will. Why didn’t you tell me that Logan had appointed Conner as the doctor?’
‘Neither of us were sure he’d turn up. It didn’t seem worth mentioning until we knew for sure.’
‘So you really don’t know why he’s back, Evanna?’ Flora tried to keep her tone casual.
‘No. Logan hasn’t said any more to me than he has to you.’
Flora reached for her bag. ‘No pillow talk?’
‘Are you kidding? Our pillow talk revolves around me telling him how uncomfortable I am and him trying not to phone for an air ambulance.’
‘Is he that nervous?’
‘He’s hiding it quite well but, yes, he’s nervous. Of course. His first wife died in childbirth and none of us are likely to forget that, myself included.’ Evanna breathed out heavily. ‘He wants me to go and stay on the mainland, but the baby’s not due for another five weeks and if it was two weeks late I could be stuck over there for seven weeks. Even if I wanted to, which I don’t, it just isn’t practical. There’s Kirsty to think of. I don’t want her unsettled.’
‘No. Well …’ Flora leaned forward and gave her friend a hug, carefully avoiding her bump. ‘We’re all keeping an eye on you and we can get you over to the mainland at the first sign of movement.’
‘That’s the plan.’ Evanna stroked her bump. ‘Just hope the baby is listening.’
Flora drove with the windows down, humming to herself and enjoying the breeze and the sunshine. She loved Glenmore at this time of year. Wild flowers clustered on the banks of grass at the side of the road and in the distance she could see the jagged silhouette of the ruined castle.
She waved at Doug MacDonald who was out on his bike and then caught sight of Sonia Davies pushing a buggy on the pavement.
‘Sonia!’ She slowed to a halt and called out to the young mother. ‘Everything OK? How’s Rachel?’
‘She’s beautiful.’