Love or Duty (27 page)

Louise nodded. Her mistake was greater than his, she thought. She’d actually married the wrong man. Was it too late for them?

Andrew echoed her thought. ‘Can we put those mistakes right?’ he asked.

‘I hope so.’ But she wasn’t so sure and she moved away from him. A doctor marrying a divorced woman would cause a scandal and having an affair while still married would be even worse.

‘I know what you’re thinking,’ he said. ‘But I don’t care. I love you and I want to be with you.’ He drew her towards him and kissed her, gently at first, then with mounting passion. She melted into him, her hands in his hair, murmuring his name between ever more ardent kisses.

The rain still pelted down and thunder rumbled overhead. The wind rattled the broken glass. But neither of them noticed.

At last Andrew released her and she reluctantly moved away, laughing a little. ‘You don’t know how long I’ve waited for that,’ she said breathlessly.

‘Me too, and not just kisses either.’ His blue eyes sparkled.

Louise blushed a little but she smiled and said, ‘I can’t wait.’

He frowned. ‘Louise, my love, we can’t – not yet. I couldn’t bear it if you were involved in a scandal. There’ll be gossip enough as it is when James comes to trial. We mustn’t see each other until everything’s settled. You should have no trouble getting a divorce after what James did.’

‘But Andrew, that could take months,’ Louise cried.

‘We’ve waited this long, we can wait a bit longer. I want everything to be right for us. Besides, we’ve got our whole lives ahead of us.’

‘You’re right of course. I don’t care about myself but you have your career to think of.’ She smiled as a thought crossed her mind. ‘But we can still see each other – you are a doctor after all, and I have been ill.’

He laughed and pulled her to him one more. ‘I don’t think that would be wise. I’m not sure I could trust myself to behave as a doctor should.’

‘You’re probably right,’ she said, laughing.

‘Just one more kiss and then you must go home. I don’t want you getting another chill.’

The kiss lasted a little longer than perhaps it should, but eventually Andrew pulled away and took Louise’s hand. Reluctantly she stood up and they walked out of the shelter onto the esplanade. The storm had passed and to the east a rainbow arced over the sand dunes. Bright sunlight reflected in the puddles and whitecaps danced on the sea as, hand in hand, they walked back along the esplanade.

A
small crowd had gathered at the entrance to the former Steyne House to watch Sarah cut the ribbon and declare the Charlton House Convalescent Home open. Louise and Andrew stood beside her, their eyes shining with pride.

Introducing her, the mayor said how proud they were of their famous former resident and the work she’d done raising money for the home. ‘Doctor and Mrs Tate, too, have played their part in getting this project off the ground – Mrs Tate by making over her lovely house to the Trust and Dr Tate by freely giving of his services.’

There was a burst of applause and a few cheers, loudest of all from the thirteen-year-old boy, standing tall and proud beside them.

Andrew’s hand rested on the boy’s shoulder and he gave it a squeeze. Alfie looked up at him, grinning. ‘When they gonna serve the grub, Doc?’ he asked.

Louise shushed him but she was finding it hard to suppress her laughter. How different he was from the peaky little boy she’d first seen huddled in his wheelchair. And how fortunate that they’d been able to take him in after his father had been killed in the D-Day landings. When the adoption was complete, Alfie would truly be their son.

She looked down at her swelling stomach. Soon there’d be a brother or sister for Alfie. She caught Sarah’s eye and smiled. Her sister too was now married and had a child on the way. She and Greg were still touring, though – nothing could stop Sarah from singing. But they would return often to Holton. The children would grow up together.

We’ll be a proper family, Louise thought, reaching for Andrew’s hand and smiling up at him.

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