‘But my mother left because of my father’s affair with this…Hazel.’

‘No, dear, she left because of the American. His name was Chuck or something appalling, and his automobile broke down here and he had to stay until it was mended and then…well, off he went, with your mother. And you. Your father couldn’t believe it. He loved her so much. Oh, but it was never going to work. Your mother hated the life as a wife of a country doctor. She hated the calls, the feeling of everyone knowing everyone, the community. She just hated…here.’

‘Are you a doctor as well?’ Finally Doreen spoke. Her eyes were alight with pleasure-and with something else.

‘Yes.’

‘Oh, my dear,’ Doreen breathed. ‘To think, Glenda, Doc’s son coming home, and a doctor as well.’ And then she looked uncertainly at her sister and then directly at Jake. ‘If you really are his son, I don’t suppose… You know, Glenda won’t go and see a doctor. She broke her wrist dragging me out of the fire. Since she left hospital she won’t go back, and I know it hurts her terribly. Do you think we could trouble you to look at it. Just to tell us what you think?’

‘I’m not sure that I could help-and I don’t have registration to practise in this country,’ Jake said, sounding flummoxed.

‘No, but you could give us advice.’

‘I don’t think I can.’

‘If you’re Old Doc’s son you could try,’ Doreen said, suddenly stern, and Tori remembered she’d been a school-teacher. ‘She’s in such pain. She hasn’t slept for weeks. It hurts and hurts, and she doesn’t tell me but I know she lies awake night after night. She doesn’t want to go to bed because the pain takes over again. I’m so worried about her I don’t know what to do.’ The sternness left her. She sniffed, and then she sniffed again and finally she hiccupped on a sob, while Glenda stared at her in horror, as if she’d been betrayed.

‘Doreen, don’t.’

‘He’s Old Doc’s son. He’ll help us. He even looks like his father.’