The Secret Doctor (8 page)

‘You're a culinary wasteland,' she said with a wry smile. ‘It's a good thing I have a couple of weeks to reeducate you on the right way of doing things.'

The doorbell rang as she gazed into the fridge for inspiration. Lacey frowned. ‘I don't know who that can be,' she murmured. ‘Unless, of course, it's Jake.' Her brow knotted. Why would Jake be here?

She went out of the room and hurried along the corridor to the front door. Sure enough, Jake was waiting in her porch, and she gazed at him for a moment or two, wondering what he was doing there. He, in turn, gave her an assessing look and frowned.

‘What's wrong, Lacey? You're very pale.' He looked at her more closely. ‘There are shadows under your eyes. Are you coming down with something?'

She shook her head. ‘No, I'm fine. It's lack of sleep, that's all. Perhaps I was sitting out on the deck too late last night.'

‘If you say so.' He gave her a doubtful look. ‘Is anything in particular stopping you from sleeping? Is there anything I can get you to perk you up a bit?'

‘No, to both of those questions, thanks all the same.' There was no point in telling him about her fears from the night before. He would put it down to her imagination, or a stray animal, much as she had done. She frowned. ‘Why are you here, Jake? Was there something you wanted?'

‘Ah, yes. I brought you a small offering.' He lifted up a cool-bag, adding, ‘My housekeeper, Jane, made you a seafood platter and a fruit tart for afters. She was really pleased that you were kind enough to compliment her on her food after the boat trip the other day, and she wanted me to give these to you. She made them specially.'

Lacey looked inside the bag at the huge platter of food and the colourful fruit tart with its perfect glazed finish. ‘Oh, how lovely.' She lifted her gaze to Jake. ‘It was so thoughtful of her to do that.'

‘Well, the added factor is that she heard that Rob might be coming home today, and she knows he's partial to seafood. I think she has a soft spot for him and wants to make sure he's looking after himself properly, so from time to time she bakes him a pie, or whatever.'

‘She's right—Rob's home from hospital. He's in the kitchen right now.' She stood aside to let him into the house. ‘Please thank Jane for me again. This has cheered me up so much.'

‘Did you need cheering up? What's wrong?'

‘Like I said, nothing. Nothing that I want to talk about, anyway.'

‘Hmm.' He studied her, as though he was trying to fathom her mood. ‘You know I'm always here for you if you need me…if anything troubles you, or spooks you in any way you only have to call on me.' He paused, thinking things through. ‘You said you were out on the deck last night—we're a bit isolated out here, and the sounds coming from all around late at night can seem very different from what you hear in the daytime. It can all feel a bit scary, especially if you're overtired.'

‘Yes, that's true.' Lacey's brows drew together. Why had he mentioned that particular worry? Had he been the one in the woods last night? And if so, why hadn't he answered her shouts?

They walked through to the kitchen and Jake set the bag down on the table, nodding a greeting towards Rob. ‘I brought a food parcel from Jane,' he said with a grin. ‘She's convinced you might fade away without a good helping of her food inside you. I told her she was wasting gourmet food on a pizza and burgers fanatic, but there we are. Who am I to argue with a woman when she's set her heart on something?'

Rob tried out a smile. ‘I do appreciate Jane's cooking. I'm sure she understands that.'

‘Maybe.'

Lacey waved Jake towards a seat. ‘We were just wondering what to have for lunch, and now you've solved our problem. Will you join us? It looks as though there's enough food here to feed a platoon.'

She frowned. Rob might not be too happy at the situation…but maybe it was time the two of them declared a truce. If they never sat down together and talked, how were they going to resolve their problems with one another?

‘Thanks, I'd like that very much, if you're sure it's all right?' Jake was asking Lacey, but his glance diverted towards Rob.

Rob gave a negligent shrug. ‘It's fine by me.'

‘Good.'

‘That's settled, then. I'll make a salad to go with it.' Lacey set about preparing a colourful addition to the meal, using crisp lettuce, croutons, eggs and Parmesan cheese, all combined with a creamy mustard dressing.

‘Were you home last night?' she asked, looking at Jake. ‘I saw that your lights were on, but that didn't necessarily mean that you were at home.'

He nodded. ‘I was in my study, looking through the old plans showing the layout of your house. I could let you have them, if you like. My grandfather kept them out of nostalgia, I suppose, since he always hoped that he would one day buy the property back. In fact, he and my parents tried to do that several times, but they were unsuccessful. Still, they never gave up. There was some hope that my brother might bring his family to live here
at some point, and that way the whole estate would eventually be combined as one.'

‘Oh, I see.' She frowned and began to set the food out on the table.

‘Well, no matter,' Jake said, ‘but the plans are interesting. They show the areas that were once covered in water and the land that has been reclaimed through planting schemes. He even noted the crags and rock formations that form one section of the boundary. There are small caves and inlets where the water once encroached…but I don't suppose you've had time to explore every section yet, have you?'

‘No, I haven't.' Lacey pulled a bottle of light white wine from the fridge and handed it to Rob so that he could uncork it. ‘I went over every inch of the place when I was younger, of course, but I think a lot of it is overgrown now, with creepers and new tree growth. I thought about clearing some of it away some time, but actually I'm quite pleased with the natural look of the place.'

She darted him a quick look. ‘I rang you last night, but you didn't answer.' Feigning unconcern, she watched his expression surreptitiously while she added the finishing touches to the table.

‘Really? I'm sorry about that.' He frowned. ‘I sometimes switch my phone off when I don't want to be disturbed…and for some reason my voice mail wasn't working… I had no idea you were trying to get in touch. Was something wrong?'

She shook her head, wondering how she would explain her call, especially since she didn't want to give Rob any
cause for concern. ‘I just wanted to let you know that our scubadiving patient was on the mend. They discharged her from hospital the day before yesterday.'

‘That's great news.' He smiled. ‘I'm glad. And as to the phone, I'll be sure to leave it switched on now, in case you call…although you can always reach me by my landline. I'll give you the number.'

She didn't know whether to be reassured or not. The whole incident had disturbed her, much as she tried to tell herself it was probably a figment of her imagination.

‘We should eat,' she said, sitting down at the table. ‘Help yourselves.'

They all tucked in. The fish platter was truly wonderful, with oysters, clams, shrimp and conch fritters, served alongside rice and vegetables. Jane had created the perfect meal.

‘So how are you feeling?' Jake asked, giving Rob a thoughtful glance. ‘You've been through the mill a bit lately, haven't you?'

‘I'm fine.' Rob was clearly uncomfortable discussing his health with another man. ‘I just want to get back to work.'

‘That's good.' Jake speared shrimp with his fork. ‘I don't know whether you'd be interested in this, but my brother put forward an idea for a TV or film documentary about exploration of the wrecks in the area. Some of our salvage operations would make good viewing, and a lot of people are interested in recovered treasure and the way the recovery is carried out. We thought about commissioning a series of programmes that we
could market to various media companies. Is that the sort of thing that you would be interested in?'

Rob was clearly taken with the idea. He was suddenly alert, wanting to know the ins and outs of the proposal. ‘Are you suggesting that I should do the filming?'

Jake nodded. ‘It's what you do best, isn't it? I've seen some of your documentaries, and you're beginning to make a name for yourself in the industry. You seem to have an eye for what will capture people's attention and keep them wanting more. What do you think—would you be prepared to do the filming?'

‘I'd certainly be interested.' Rob's eyes were shining with enthusiasm. ‘Perhaps we should get together some time and sift through a few ideas?'

Jake nodded. ‘Tomorrow, perhaps at my place? My brother will be coming over in the morning, so we could decide together what we want.'

‘That'll be great.' Rob was thoughtful as he ate his salad. He was clearly working out a plan of action.

Jake turned his attention to Lacey. ‘So when does your sister arrive?'

‘Some time tonight. It'll be fairly late, so I expect the children will be tired…still, I've made everything ready for them. I've dug out a couple of trendy duvets—pretty princess for Cassie, and space rockets for Tom, so they should make a good first impression. And I managed to pick up a few toys and books from a stall in town, so that should help things along, too.'

‘It sounds as though you're looking forward to seeing them. How old are they?'

‘Cassie's six, and Tom is four. Cassie's very much the big sister, and Tom is every bit a boy…out to make his mark on the world. He's very inquisitive and wants to explore everything. It's been a few months since we last met up, and I've really missed seeing them.'

Jake's brows drew together. ‘Obviously, you like having family around you. I do, too, but I'm not so sure about children… My only experience has been with kids at the hospital…those in the waiting room can be a nightmare sometimes, running riot when their parents are distracted. And they always ask such awkward questions like, “Is he going to die?” “Why did you just drop that metal thing?” “Have you had your dinner in the hospital café? 'Cos my mum did, and she just threw up.”'

Lacey chuckled. ‘Children are very observant, I grant you that, and their minds are always ticking over, trying to work things out.' She studied him thoughtfully. ‘I guess you're not planning on having a family of your own any time soon. It doesn't sound as though you're the settling-down type.'

His mouth twisted. ‘Well, I have to say, children aren't very high on my list of priorities.' He returned her gaze. ‘What about you? Has your experience with your ex put you off relationships for the foreseeable future?'

She thought about that. ‘The truth is, I'm not altogether sure. The last two years have been difficult for me, one way and another, and I'm just not clear about what I want these days. I've always wanted to have children…I don't think I can contemplate life without them, but the way things are that isn't likely to happen any time soon.'

Rob poured wine into her glass. ‘You won't always feel this way. Life is something that happens to us, and we just make the best of it. Sooner or later things will drop into place and you'll look at them with a different eye. You just need to find the right man.' He glanced at Jake and there was a look that passed between them, a very male glance that spoke of rivalry and contention, as though a challenge had been thrown out.

‘Maybe. In the meantime, I'll make do with a second-hand family, and enjoy the get-together when my sister and her offspring arrive.'

She turned her attention to the food. It was better not to think about Jake's aversion to settling down. She was drawn to him, there was no doubt about that, but nothing would ever come of it. They were miles apart in their outlook on life.

She cut a slice of the fruit pie and added cream. It was a joy to eat, with fresh, succulent pears and peaches, topped with lush strawberries, and the pastry melted in the mouth. ‘You must thank Jane for me once again,' she told Jake. ‘I can't help but think you're luckier than most, having her all to yourself. Maybe one day I'll meet with her and thank her in person.'

He smiled. ‘I'm sure we can arrange that.'

They finished the meal, chatting lightly about this and that, and Lacey began to clear away the dishes, stacking them in the dishwasher. Jake offered to lend a hand, whilst Rob was busy drawing up plans for his next project.

Jake's phone rang as they were preparing to go outside onto the deck. While he answered the call,
Lacey looked out over the grounds, her gaze going to the farthest extent her land, much of it hidden from view by the orange grove and distant rocky outcrops. Beyond those were the mangroves that grew along the channel that bordered her property.

She had checked the fences a few hours ago, and found several parts where an intruder could have slipped through. Some of the natural vegetation had been broken down and trampled, and that worried her because it meant that someone or something had been there. A frisson of cold ran through her body. It was disturbing how the fears of the night kept coming back to haunt her.

A note of tension in Jake's voice alerted her all at once, and she turned towards him.

‘What's his condition?' Jake was saying. ‘Is he having any trouble with his breathing? Any dizziness?' He frowned. ‘Okay, then, tell them to lay him down on his back and give him oxygen. If it looks as though he's going to be sick they need to turn him over onto his side and make sure his airway is clear. If he stops breathing they should start CPR. I'll be with them in about ten minutes.'

Jake cut the call and said, ‘I have to go. The emergency service has been in touch to say that a diver is in difficulties out in the bay. I'm probably nearest, so I'll be able to get to him first.'