‘And that really means something here, I guess.’

‘Doesn’t it mean something in your country?’

‘Not really,’ Angie said, considering. ‘Of course, we all respect my father, but that’s because he’s been a doctor for forty years and helped thousands of people.’

‘Is that why you became a doctor too?’

‘We all did, my two brothers and me. And my mother was a doctor when she was alive. She died while I was still doing my training.’

‘Then your parents founded a dynasty.’

Angie laughed. ‘I wish Dad could hear you. He never encouraged us to follow his footsteps. I remember him saying, “Whatever you do, don’t go into medicine. It’s a dog’s life and you won’t get any sleep for years.” Of course, we all did. But I must tell you-’ she eyed Bernardo mischievously, ‘that in England a man doesn’t get respect just for being a man. In fact-’

‘Go on,’ Bernardo said with a smile far back in his dark eyes. ‘You are longing to say something that will be “one in the eye” for me.’

‘When I took my medical exams, it was a point of honour with me to get higher marks than either of my brothers. I did too.’ She giggled as gleefully as a child. ‘They were so mad.’

The smile had reached Bernardo’s mouth. He was regarding her with delight. ‘And your Papa?’

‘Before the exams he said, “Go for it!” and afterwards he said, “Good on you!”’

‘And what did your brothers say?’

‘Before or after they’d put arsenic in my soup? They just doubled up with laughter at the thought of what I had in front of me.’

‘And what was that?’

‘Four years of post-graduate work. General medicine, general surgery, accident and emergency, obstetrics, gynaecology, paediatrics, psychiatry and general practice.’

‘It sounds terrible,’ Bernardo said, half laughing, half frowning.

‘It was. I think it’s made as nightmarish as possible to discourage the weaklings. But I’m no weakling. Look at that.’ She clenched her fist and bent her arm in a ‘Mr Muscleman’ pose.