The Surgeon's Family Wish (10 page)

Then later, much later, a gentler voice had penetrated her returning consciousness. ‘I'm sorry, Annabel. We did our best, but you've lost the baby.'

She groped her way to a chair and sank down onto it. Aaron was by her side in a flash.

‘For God's sake, Annabel. What is it? What's wrong?'

His arms were around her and she leaned her head weakly against his chest.

‘It's nothing,' she croaked. ‘Everything got on top of me for a moment. Probably because it's been a long day. I'm all right now.' And gently removing herself from his arms, she managed a smile. ‘You must think me the most drab person you've ever met.'

‘Drab!' he exclaimed. ‘The workings of your mind are a mystery to me! You are a caring and competent surgeon who has a way with children and would make a wonderful mother, but when it comes to your private life you have no self-esteem.'

To be told that Aaron thought she would make a good mother brought the tears back again and as they streamed down her cheeks his expression changed from incomprehension to awareness.

‘You want a child of your own. Is that it, Annabel? The ache inside you comes from that, and because you've been on your own for so long you can't cope with making that sort of commitment.'

‘Yes, that's it,' she agreed, glad to be off the hook. At that moment the truth would have choked her in the telling.

Aaron was smiling. He couldn't help it. He'd solved the mystery. With patience and careful wooing it might all come right for them.

As she dried her eyes on the big white handkerchief he'd produced he said, ‘So let's cheer up and talk about something else, shall we?'

She nodded.

‘What are you doing over Christmas? It's only a few
weeks away and please don't start weeping again if it's looming emptily, as I'm not going to allow that.'

She managed a watery smile of her own. ‘
What
are you not going to allow? More tears or a lonely Christmas?'

‘Both. You always seem to be doing things for me, while I've done nothing for you. As well as saving Lucy's life, you came to tell me about my mother, and for both those things I will always be grateful. So will you come and spend some time with us over Christmas?'

She was observing him with surprised hazel eyes. ‘You're sorry for me, aren't you?'

‘Concerned would be a better word.'

‘What about the school teacher?'

‘Nicola Edwards? What about her?'

‘Wouldn't you rather have
her
presence over Christmas?'

‘No. Why should I? She's just Lucy's teacher as far as I'm concerned.'

‘I don't think she sees it like that.'

‘Maybe, but that's her problem. I've never encouraged her.'

‘Will your friend Richard be around?'

She watched his jawline tighten.

‘Possibly. Do you want him to be?'

‘Not particularly.'

‘Right, then. So, what do you say? Will you join us, either to stay or have some meals with us, particularly on Christmas Day?'

‘Whichever would be most convenient for you.'

‘I'd like you to stay, so that you can see Lucy open her presents on Christmas morning.'

‘That would be lovely,' she breathed.

‘So it's settled, then.'

‘Yes, it's settled.'

Not only would it be the first family Christmas she'd been part of in years, she would be spending it with the man she loved, and as her eyes brightened and her spirits lifted there was joy in her heart for the first time in many months.

‘I'm going now,' Aaron was saying. ‘For one thing it's very late and for another we both have a heavy day ahead of us tomorrow. But before I leave I want you to promise me there will be no more tears.'

‘I promise,' she told him, and on that assurance he went.

* * *

As she lay waiting for sleep to come Annabel's thoughts were a mixture of happiness and dismay. The thought of spending Christmas with Aaron and his family was wonderful but she'd let him jump to the wrong conclusion. She'd taken the easy way out again, which wasn't in keeping with her normal behaviour.

Deceit was foreign to her nature. It was one of the reasons why she'd been so horrified to discover she'd been sleeping with someone else's husband, albeit unknowingly. But she accepted that, although Randy had deceived her, she wasn't without blame.

She'd told herself countless times that she should have checked on his background more thoroughly, and even more shamingly had asked herself if she had been guilty of using the man to get the child.

Now she'd met the love of her life and hadn't the courage to tell him that she'd misled him. That the ache inside her was for a child that she'd lost, not wishful thinking.

* * *

As Annabel walked the short distance from the flat to the hospital the next morning she was barely aware of
winter's nip. Her mind was full of the Christmas to come and, having decided in her heart searchings of the previous night that she wasn't going to spoil it by telling Aaron about past indiscretions until it was over, she had a spring in her step that might not have been there otherwise.

A four-year-old boy with a serious congenital heart problem was first on the list for surgery. Charles Drury, who specialised in paediatric cardiology, was to operate, with herself to assist, and as they prepared for the operation Annabel felt that if ever there was an example of teamwork, this was it.

The child had been brought to the hospital's notice by a paediatrician working in the district who had been looking into a possible case of child neglect. When Aaron had seen him alarm bells had rung.

His mother had explained that he was often blue around the lips, fingernails and toes after even the smallest amount of exertion. He also spent a lot of time in a squatting position with his knees hunched up to his chest.

Aaron had passed him on to Charles Drury who had arranged an echocardiogram and tetralogy of Fallot had been diagnosed, a condition combining four heart defects—displacement of the aorta, narrowing of the pulmonary valve, a hole in the ventricular septum and thickening of the wall of the right ventricle.

These abnormalities meant that the blood pumped to the rest of the body from the heart was insufficiently oxygenated, hence the blueness of the child's extremities. It was a serious condition and if not corrected would drastically reduce his life span.

There was a risk. There always was in serious heart
defects in small children. But if anyone could correct the defects in the child's heart, Charles Drury could, and she would be there beside him.

It was over and the boy was in Intensive Care when she went to tell his parents that he'd come through the operation safely. She found his father pacing uncomfortably up and down the small anteroom where they had been waiting, while the mother was breast-feeding a new baby, with a toddler clinging to her skirts. Both of them were anxious to know when they could see him.

‘You can see him now,' Annabel told them. ‘But only for a moment. Your little boy will be in Intensive Care to begin with, then once we are satisfied with his condition he'll be put on the ward.'

* * *

At midday Annabel went for a quick bite. Aaron was in front of her in the queue in the staff restaurant.

Surprisingly he had Lucy with him, and when the little girl saw her she tugged at his sleeve and said, ‘Annabel is behind us, Daddy.'

He swung round and as their glances met asked, ‘Would you care to join us?'

‘I'd love to,' she told him with a smile for Lucy.

When the three of them were seated Annabel asked, ‘So, to what do we owe the pleasure of Lucy's company?'

‘My mother is staying with an old friend overnight and when Lucy woke up with a sore throat this morning I didn't fancy sending her to school. I was expecting to leave her with the housekeeper who comes in daily but she rang in to say she'd had a family bereavement, so I had to bring her with me. She's been helping my secretary, haven't you?'

‘And what about the sore throat?' Annabel asked. ‘Is it any better?'

‘Not much,' Lucy told her, and Aaron laughed.

‘I think this young lady is enjoying bad health. She doesn't want to be bundled off to school for the afternoon.'

‘It's not the ideal place for her, though, is it, if she's got a throat infection?' Annabel said. ‘A hospital full of sick children.'

‘Maybe not,' he agreed drily, ‘but under the circumstances have you any other suggestions?'

‘I might have.'

‘Such as?'

‘I've finished for the day. The two operations I had planned for this afternoon have been cancelled. The parents of the first child rang in this morning to say that he'd got a heavy cold and the second, a young girl due for a tonsillectomy, has moved house of all things without the family letting us know, and can't be contacted.'

‘So?'

‘I'll take Lucy back to your place and look after her until you've finished here.'

If Aaron had any doubts about the suggestion his daughter hadn't. Lucy clapped her hands and cried, ‘Yes, please, Annabel. Can we play at doctors and patients?'

‘We'll do whatever you like if your daddy says it's all right.'

‘Yes, of course,' he agreed, ‘but are you sure you want to spend the afternoon being bandaged from head to foot? I have no doubt about which of you will be the doctor.'

‘I'll put up with it,' she said with a smile. ‘Just as long as I don't have to take a dose of castor oil.'

‘Or have an enema,' he remarked.

As their shared laughter washed over her Lucy asked, ‘What is one of those?'

* * *

As Annabel put the key in the lock of the front door of Aaron's house it was a peculiar feeling. She was a stranger entering another woman's home. A home from which she was long gone. And beside her was Eloise's daughter, the enchanting Lucy.

It was a sensation that she hadn't experienced on her two previous visits, but on those occasions both Aaron and his mother had been present. Today it was different. She felt as if the house had been waiting for her, waiting for her to make her mark, but wasn't sure what was expected of her.

Did Eloise, wherever she might be, know that she was in love with her husband? she wondered. And if she did, did she approve? Would she be willing to allow Lucy into her safekeeping if ever Aaron told her he loved her as much as she loved him?

Without any such kind of thoughts plaguing
her
mind her small charge suggested, ‘Shall we dress up, Annabel? If you don't want to play doctors and patients, we could be fairies. I have a fairy dress that Grandma bought me for my birthday and there's a dress of Mummy's in the wardrobe that you could wear. Daddy let's me play with it because it's all bright and shiny.'

‘I don't think so,' she said quickly. ‘
You
can dress up for
me
, but I don't think your daddy would want me to touch what belonged to Mummy.'

‘He won't mind.' Lucy persisted, lip trembling. ‘Please, Annabel. Can't we be fairies for just a little while?'

Annabel looked at her in consternation. The last thing she wanted was for Aaron to find out that his daughter
had been in tears while in her care. He wasn't due home for at least a couple of hours. Maybe there would be no harm as long as the garment was back in the wardrobe before that time.

‘All right,' she agreed reluctantly, ‘but only for a short time, Lucy. Where is the dress?'

‘I'll show you,' she said, smiling now that her wish had been granted. Taking Annabel's hand, she led her up a wide staircase into the master bedroom. ‘In there,' she said, pointing to a fitted wardrobe.

It was an evening dress of ivory silk with a beaded bodice and a full, flowing skirt. When Annabel tried it on the top half hung on her and the skirt was far too short, both factors a reminder that its owner had been more rounded and less tall than herself.

There was the faint smell of perfume lingering on the expensive fabric and she shivered. Was its owner watching her in the dress, indignant and helpless to protest? She felt as if any moment Eloise would appear and demand she take it off.

Lucy, meanwhile, unaware of Annabel's unease, was floating from room to room, waving her wand and enjoying herself immensely, when the door opened and Aaron was there, his face a study in amazed outrage and disbelief.

‘What on earth is going on?' he demanded.

‘We were playing at fairies,' she said hesitantly, as the bright colour stained her cheeks. ‘Anything to keep Lucy happy.'

‘Anything appears to be a good description,' he said in the same grim tone. ‘Much as I love my daughter, I don't let her have all her own way.'

‘Maybe. But what is someone like me to do when she is in tears? Let her become upset?' she protested. ‘I want
to get to know Lucy. She's a delightful child and I'd like us to be friends. It would have been a poor beginning if we didn't get on the first time we were alone together.'

He didn't comment. Instead, he told her stiffly, ‘I came home to pick up some paperwork that I'd forgotten. How do you expect me to feel?'

‘I'm sorry,' she croaked. ‘I didn't mean to offend you. Lucy was upset when I refused to dress up for her, and rather than see her in tears I agreed. She said that you let her play with the dress so I thought it would be all right. I know it was taking liberties but the last thing I would ever want is to upset you, Aaron.'

‘Yes, I do let Lucy play with the dress,' he admitted stonily, ‘when she wants to feel near to Eloise...but really! The last thing I expected was to find
you
wearing it.'

In her dismay Annabel threw decorum to the winds. She undid the zip with frantic fingers and let the dress fall to the floor. When she stood before him in her underslip she didn't care that Aaron was seeing her undressed. All she wanted was to be free of the embarrassment.