Margaret Barker - Greek Doctor Claims His Bride

The midwife came forward and said that someone from the postnatal team would do the tests as soon as they got baby and mother settled into the hospital. The ambulance was waiting at the bottom of the kali strata for them now.

* * *

As they emerged from the crowded room into the cooler night air Tanya took a deep breath.

“It’s such a relief that we got here in time,” Manolis said, taking her hand in what seemed to have become a natural instinct again. “It could have been otherwise.”

His hand tightened on hers as he became animated about a subject close to his heart. “It’s so strange here on the island. On the one hand we’ve got the latest technology at the hospital and on the other we’ve got people who haven’t even got a phone living in a difficult place to reach, yet within minutes of help.”

He broke off in frustration at the situation. “Sorry, Tanya. I don’t want to offload my problems on you.” He let go of her hand and turned her to face him.

In the moonlight she could see his eyes shining with happiness as he looked down at her. “We could be such a good team you and I—I’m talking professionally, you understand,” he added quickly. “It felt so right working together just now. We seemed to sense that.”

“Yes, I felt the rapport between us was…natural,” she said quietly.

He lowered his head and kissed her gently on the mouth.

Oh, those lips, those sexy, wonderful lips. She’d never thought she would ever feel them on hers again. She’d cried with frustration when she’d realised how much she wanted him and he was never coming back. But here he was.

He raised his head and murmured against her lips. “So, do you want me to put your name forward as a candidate, Dr Tanya?”

Shivers were running down her spine. “Let’s talk about it later,” she murmured as she looked into his eyes.

She was making it patently obvious that she wanted him to kiss her again…

FROM somewhere in the distance Tanya could hear a cock crowing. She was hotter than usual. Where was she? She stirred in the strange bed and opened her eyes. Wooden rafters above her…where was the window?

The mists of her mind suddenly cleared. She was at Grandmother Katerina’s, snug in the big bedroom at the top of the house. For several seconds she went back in time. She couldn’t remember the end of the evening. She’d been in Giorgio’s and…It was almost as if she’d been transported back here in the mythical fairy coach. There was a feeling of happiness tinged with sadness in the air.

And then she remembered. That kiss…that wonderful kiss! She’d murmured something to Manolis, held her face ready for another kiss, practically thrown herself at him. What did a woman have to do to make it obvious she would be putty in his hands? Oh, no! How humiliating to be rejected like that. Like what? She couldn’t remember the details. Only the feeling that she’d expected Manolis to take her in his arms and…

She squirmed with embarrassment as she remembered how he’d made it clear that the kiss had been a one-off, the sort of thing that happened between old friends when they met again after a long time. Oh, he hadn’t said that, in so many words. As far as she could remember, he hadn’t said anything apart from suggesting they should get back.

At that point, the jet-lag she’d been holding off while she’d assisted at the birth of Helene’s baby came back with a vengeance and she’d found herself agreeing with him. He’d held her hand but only in a courteous way so that she wouldn’t slip on the treacherous cobblestones. As they’d reached Chorio, the upper town, they’d passed the door of Giorgio’s Taverna where the door was closed but the revelry was continuing as always well into the night, and she’d found herself hoping Manolis would suggest they go in and join in the fun.

But they had kept on walking until he’d delivered her to her door and said goodnight. Not even a peck on the cheek! She told herself it was best they hadn’t got emotionally involved. Too much too soon. Yes, Manolis had been very wise and she’d been stupid to think they could turn back the clock. There was too much between them to jump straight into any kind of relationship other than professional.

She began to doubt now whether she’d been too negative in her reaction to the idea of working at the Ceres hospital. She hoped that Manolis would put her name forward as soon as possible because, having worked with him last night and having had time to reflect on the proposition, she realised it would be ideal.

Her thoughts swung back to that idyllic period in her life when she and Manolis had lived together in Australia. The key stages of their relationship came flooding back to her. Their initial friendship when they’d first met again in the hospital, she a medical student, he a well-respected doctor. He’d asked her to have a coffee with him so she could tell him what she’d been doing since he’d last seen her on Ceres when she’d still been a schoolgirl of sixteen and he’d just qualified as a doctor at the grand old age of twenty-four.

She’d looked around her as they’d entered the staff common room she remembered. Seen the envious glances of the female staff as she was escorted in by this fabulously handsome, tall, athletic, long-limbed, highly desirable doctor. She and Manolis had seemed to be on the same wavelength right from the start of their new adult relationship. That evening he’d taken her out to a Greek restaurant near the hospital, wined and dined her, and she’d fallen hopelessly in love.

Four weeks later, at his suggestion, she left her hospital accommodation and moved into his apartment. It was pure heaven! Somehow she managed to keep her mind on her medical studies and clinical work during the day but, oh, the nights! In that amazingly luxurious bed that always looked as if a herd of elephants had trampled over it in the morning!

She never really worked out why the contraceptive pill she was taking at the time failed. Whatever had caused it, she was totally unprepared when she realised her period was late. She remembered the shock as the result of her pregnancy test came out positive.

She experienced the awful conflicting emotions of wanting a baby with Manolis, yet wanting to plough on unencumbered to reach her goal of becoming a doctor as soon as possible. And then she realised that she could have both of these dreams. Many women had careers and children as well. She went to talk it over with her mother, who was truly delighted at the prospect of becoming a young grandmother.

She remembered the characteristic way her mother ran her hands through her still beautiful, shiny, long, auburn hair and pulled a wry face. “Not very good timing, Tanya, with your medical exams to get through, but don’t you dare tell me you’re not going to have my first grandchild! I’ll take care of him or her while you’re studying and working in the hospital. There won’t be a problem…”

She saw the tears of happiness in her mother’s eyes as she hugged her. When they separated her mother dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. “You go for it, my darling, and I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“What will Daddy say?” Tanya asked tentatively.

“Oh, don’t you worry about your father. I can handle him. He’s a pussy cat really, although he may find it a bit irregular. Now, you run along and get back to that wonderful man of yours and tell him…well, break it gently. Men can be a bit strange at times like this but he’ll come round to the idea if you give him time. I’ve known Manolis since he was a child and he’s a good man. He’ll stand by you. After all, it’s not as if you got pregnant by yourself. It takes two to tango…”