He kept his gaze on her face and Lizzie fidgeted with the edge of her white cotton blouse, rolling the fabric between her thumb and forefinger. "Look, I don't want to come across as a hard taskmaster but in front of my staff, especially my younger staff, I would appreciate it if you and I kept to formalities. Some of the nurses may get too familiar with staff and patients, and that makes my job all the more difficult." She swallowed as he kept his gaze on her face. "This is a work environment and we are here to help people, not make friends."
"If that’s what makes you happy, so be it."
"Thank you. Now, let me fill you in on the roster and how things run here. Although I'm sure it won't be much different to what you’re used to, it would make me happier to know I've gone over everything with you."
For the next hour, Lizzie went over the hospital system, rosters and staff. When she was sure there wasn't anything she’d forgotten, she stood up.
"Right then, we should go on a tour so you can familiarise yourself with everything and meet the staff before you get dragged into the fray."
"I'd like that, thank you." Russ stood and opened the door for her, following as she left the office.
Lizzie wasn't at all surprised at the adoring looks Doctor Williams got from the female staff, both young and old. She had time for a small pang of jealousy before reminding herself she was off the dating roster for her own good. Jealousy that now make her regret the decision to stop dating but with the horrors from her past, Lizzie wasn't prepared to put her heart on the line again.
Chapter 13
Rooney drove her trusty station wagon up the driveway to her childhood home, past the large dam she had swum in as a child, past the weeping willows where she and the boys had built countless tree houses and forts.
"You'll like it here, Tam." She smiled reassuringly at her daughter who gazed out the window with a frown on her young face.
"I wish we could have stayed with Pete and Julie." Rooney heard the sigh in her voice. "I don't know anyone here."
She reached out and grabbed her daughter’s hand, squeezing her fingers. "You know it will take you all of five minutes to find people to talk to. Once you’re enrolled in school, you’ll find your feet. I know you will."
Tam turned and looked out the window again, saying nothing more.
Rooney drove up the back, past the old Morton Bay figs and around by the old stables. Chickens scattered as she past the kitchen garden and pulled up at the back of the house. She unclipped her seatbelt, turned off the engine and got out of the car. "Let's go."
Walking around to open the passenger door, she helped Tamara slip out of her seatbelt and took her hand as she got out. As the door screen slammed and Essie cried out, Tamara tucked into Rooney's side.
Essie ran toward them, her arms outstretched. The tears streamed down her cheeks as she hugged Rooney. "Hey Essie, you knew I was coming back. Shush, it's alright."
"I was so worried you would change your mind when you got back to the city." She looked down at Tamara hugging her mother's side. "Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you with my carrying on." She crouched down and held her hand out. "I'm Essie. I looked after your mother when she was a little thing just like you."
"I'm not little. And I don't need looking after."
"Well, that's good to hear then because I know there is heaps I need to do around here. Not sure I have time to go running around after a little girl when I should be baking chocolate chip biscuits and roasting chicken for tonight's dinner."
Tamara looked at the housekeeper before glancing up at her mother, a question in her eyes. "You can ask, but mind your manners." Rooney twisted her lips to keep the smile tucked away as Tam eyed off Essie. When the grip on her leg eased, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Can I have a biscuit, please?"
"How about I give you one after you help your mother with your bags, Tamara?" Essie straightened and pressed her hands down her apron, smoothing out the creases as she waited for an answer.
"Tam, I get called Tam."
"Fine, Tam it is. Let me go ahead and get you a drink and a biscuit then while you grab a bag. Your mother can show you to your room and when you’re ready, come on down to the kitchen."
"Thanks, Essie."
"I've put you in your mother’s room, Rooney. Tam can have yours."
Rooney swallowed the lump filling her throat. Blinking rapidly, she brushed away the tears that threatened to run down her cheeks. "Fine." She walked to the back of her car and lifted the boot lid. She handed a small suitcase to Tam and grabbed her own, deciding to leave the boxes until later. With more gusto than warranted, she slammed the boot before guiding her daughter inside.
They walked through the kitchen, ignoring the heavenly smells of roasting chicken and fresh baked cookies. Rooney pulled her suitcase up the stairs, pausing every now and then to wait for Tam who followed behind her. When they reached her old bedroom she stopped, resting her suitcase against the wall. She stepped into the room and looked around. Her bed was against the wall under the window, just as it had been when she’d walked away with nothing more than the clothes she was wearing and a back pack stuffed full of things she couldn't bear to leave behind.
The dressing table mirror
