A Cotswold Christmas Bride. Joanna Neil

patient I was paged for,’ he answered quietly, ‘turned out to be my sister Ella. I didn’t realise who she was until I went to see her because no one had her details.’ He put an arm around each of the children’s shoulders and drew them forward. ‘These are my niece and nephew, Emily and William. Apparently they were out on a shopping trip together when Ella was taken ill.’

      Sophie could only imagine what he was going through, but she kept up an appearance of calm, so as not to upset the children. ‘Hello,’ she said, smiling at them. ‘I’m sorry to hear that your mother is poorly … but I know that your uncle will look after her very well. He’s a very good doctor.’

      William nodded. ‘I know.’ He was frowning, his grey eyes confused, and Sophie guessed he was trying his utmost to come to terms with what had happened.

      ‘It must have been a shock for you,’ she said, looking from one to the other. ‘Do you want to tell me about it?’

      William shook his head, but Emily couldn’t contain herself and blurted out, ‘Mummy fainted. A lady in the shop had to help us. We didn’t know what to do. We couldn’t make Mummy wake up.’

      Sophie wanted to put her arms round the little girl and give her a hug. ‘You must have been very frightened.’ William didn’t give way to his emotions. He was still trying to be stoical, but surely it couldn’t be good for him to keep everything bottled up inside?

      She glanced at Luke. ‘Was there any indication that this might happen? How was she in her previous pregnancies?’

      ‘It was plain sailing with both Emily and William but she has found this third pregnancy much harder. Really, I should have expected something like this. She’s been complaining of headaches and blurred vision, and I could see that there was some swelling in her hands and around her ankles. I told her to talk to her obstetrician as a matter of urgency and check with the midwife. She said she would, but it doesn’t look as though she carried it through.’

      ‘I suppose she was busy with the children,’ Sophie said in a low voice. ‘Women don’t always get their priorities right when they’re looking after a family.’

      ‘I’m beginning to realise that now.’ Lucas encouraged the children to sit down, and Sophie offered them orange juice and sandwiches from her tray. William accepted the sandwich but sat holding it, not attempting to eat, while Emily sipped at a glass of juice. Her cheeks were flushed, and streaked with tears that had escaped.

      Sophie felt in her coat pocket for her small stock of badges. She gave them to children on the paediatric ward whenever they had been brave or needed cheering up. ‘Perhaps you’d like to colour these in,’ she suggested. ‘There’s a teddy bear with a spotted necktie, and a teddy bear with a flowery vest. Choose which ones you want. I think I’ve some coloured pencils in my other pocket.’ She delved around and produced half a dozen small pencils. ‘There you are. Just the thing.’