Courtship

Courtship - The complete version

Courtship

Susan Garod

Chapter 1

"Am I keeping you awake?" The sardonic drawl did nothing to hide the irritation lacing the words. The rest of the group turned to stare at her as if she had just grown two heads.

Of course Marina knew he was addressing her, she didn't need the collective herd to identify her with their anticipatory stares. She had tried hard to stifle that yawn, and tried desperately not to get caught yawning by anyone, least of all him, but he would have to turn at that exact moment. Typical. And it would have to be him.

But she was exhausted. Beyond exhaustion. And that made her both cranky and thoughtless, so her reply did her no favours. "Yes." The words were out before she had even thought them. And then to add to her dilemma she compounded it all by adding haughtily, "You are."

There was a sharp intake of breath from the group around her, the other first year house doctors, and there were a couple of nervous giggles amidst the gasps. But Marina kept her eyes focused on him, and she could tell from the instant flare in the deep blue eyes that she had just stepped way over the line. But he had to take some responsibility, she thought to herself as she watched him bank his anger and remain composed. Of course, for the last few weeks that line had been inching closer and closer. He was bringing it closer and closer and she had been skirting it, teetering on the edge.

She had, from the outset tried to ignore his acerbic remarks, the odd throwaway comment that hinted at his opinion of her. His disdain had never been masked, just as her determination had never wavered. But Marina was tired. She was tired of trying to pretend that what he said and what he did, did not matter. For weeks she had tried to pretend that the rest of her peer group were not taking their cues from him.

Initially she had tried her best to do whatever she could to change his opinion of her. But none of it worked. As far as he was concerned, she was a socialite playing at becoming a medic. So she had simply settled into her busy routine on the ward, doing her best for the patients, and trying to do her best for him. But as time went on, every time he did his rounds she had braced for the caustic comments, the just below the surface digs, the hostile challenge. And day-by-day, the rest of her group had distanced themselves from her. If she was going to fail this year, they were not going to go down with her. She had completed her degree and like the rest of them was on her two-year registration period as a house doctor.

Marina had initially wondered if he was simply pushing her to see if she was committed to medicine. But as the days passed, she had decided he was simply not impressed by her standard of medicine.

Of course their families moved in the same circles, but given the seven year age gap they had never been friends. They'd met at various social functions, and while it seemed that it was ok for Rafe Harlington to be a doctor, albeit a consultant now, it wasn't ok for Marina Soujour D'Sa to take the same route. He apparently was a committed professional, while she apparently was just a socialite temping on a ward.

The fact that she had even contemplated a career in medicine was down to him. She knew from the first time she saw him, that he was it. The fact that he was seven years older did not derail her plans. She had heard that he was at University studying medicine, and at the ripe old age of fifteen had decided that she too would become a medic. She had spun her dreams around that, seeing the two of them as doctors, working closely together, setting up their own practice.

Dreams. Girlhood infatuation. Goals set in stone.

The fact that her life was falling apart around her did not distract her from that goal.