Chapter Twelve: Favourite Aunt

Mrs Tishell perched on an old wooden chair to the rear of the chemist she once owned. Her legs folded and a magazine between her hands, frequently peering over the rim of her glasses to observe her niece as she consulted with her customers.

Natalie Tishell stood behind the glass cabinet, her long blonde hair tied up into a ponytail that swayed as she spoke with the villagers. Her vibrant blue eyes blinking rapidly whenever Portwenn's Policeman waltzed in searching for anything that the pharmacist recommended just to get the attention of her.

When the chemist was closed for lunch Natalie ate her sandwich that her aunt had made with a large grin on her face, wiping her mouth after every bite with the back of her hand.

"I see you've settled in then Nat," Clive said, enthusiastically as he slurped at his steaming tea, "Your Aunt Sal misses the whole business."

"Yeah its great!" Natalie smiled, "I love being in Portwenn! Reminds me of when I was little."

Mrs Tishell rolled her eyes and tutted under her breath. She picked up the circular white tablet resting on the table out in front of her and gulped it down. She found it ridiculous that she had medications to keep her sane when her psychotic episode was nearly five years ago. Soon after being released from hospital, Clive insisted that she needed a 'well deserved holiday' to South End on Sea before she went to her appointments with a psychiatrist at Truro.

"So, that policeman is keen on you?" Clive approached, winking at her over dramatically.

Her cheeks turned crimson and she looked down at her half eaten ham sandwich. "Well, he, erm, invited me to dinner tonight," she mumbled and then glanced over at her aunt, who looked appalled.

"You can't go on a date with the local policeman!" Mrs Tishell spluttered. Well if she couldn't have a chance with Doctor Ellingham then why should her niece be able to with another serviceman of the village?

"Who is going to stop me, Aunt Sally?" Natalie questioned, raising her eyebrows, "Mum and Dad are all the way in Devon, so they cannot stop me."

"Well, I'll ring my sister and tell her not to let you," Mrs Tishell folded her arms and looked pointedly at Natalie.

"I'm twenty seven years old, I can make decisions by myself!" she said before storming off to open the chemist again.

Natalie had arrived over a week ago to take the position that was left to a rotating number of temporaries, who changed like the weather. This didn't impress the villagers or the local doctor, but there was no one else who wanted to fill the space permanently. Natalie jumped to the chance once Clive accidentally mentioned it in the Summer holidays whilst he and his wife took an annual visit to Natalie's parents' house in Brixham. Much to Sally's disappointment her niece was more than willing to go.

Now, she stood opposite the great Doctor Ellingham, who was ordering a set of supplies after complaining that his receptionist wasn't good enough to order the supplies.

"So that's ten items for you," she said, scribing the medications on the notepad sprawled in front of her, "That should take about an hour," She added a warm smile, "Anything else."

"Erm, yes," he nodded, "I'll have a packet of nappies if you don't mind."

"Aw, that's for your daughter?" she asked, reaching up and retrieving a packed.

"Yes," he confirmed, confidently.

"She's adorable," she said, "Put it on your personal account?"

"Yes, please," he said before striding out of the chemist without another word, actually feeling relieved that there was a permanent pharmacist in the village and that it wasn't Mrs Tishell.

"Was that the doctor?" Mrs Tishell gasped, as she rushed down the stairs, and pressed her face against the glass in the door to get a glimpse of him, "Oh you should have said!"

Natalie ignored her aunt and returned to putting prices on the items displayed on the counter.