Fear Of Love. Carole Mortimer
you understand?’
She frowned, shaking off his restraining hand. ‘No, I don’t understand at all. What could Gail possibly say to me that I’m not going to agree with?’
‘You’ll see. And I want you to know that I’m no happier about the arrangement than you will be.’
‘What is it?’ she asked suspiciously.
‘Wait and see. Come on, let’s find Trevor.’
They found him in Gail’s hospital room, sitting on the side of the bed holding his wife’s hand. Alexandra rushed straight to her sister, the ready tears falling unheeded down her cheeks.
‘Oh, Gail,’ she sobbed, ‘I’m sorry, so sorry.’
Gail cradled her in her arms, laughing softly. ‘What on earth are you saying sorry for? It’s my own fault I’m here.’
‘I—–It is?’ she looked uncertain.
Gail pushed her young sister’s hair away from her tear-wet face. ‘Of course, silly. I knew my blood pressure was a little high, I should have slowed down.’
‘You mean I should have helped you more. I didn’t realise you were ill.’
‘I’m not ill, pet,’ Gail insisted. ‘And you do far too much at home already. Besides, I enjoy looking after the two of you.’
‘Well, now you have to pay for your obstinacy,’ Trevor put in lightly.
‘And you’ll have to sleep alone,’ his wife teased. ‘You’ll have no one to warm your cold feet on now.’
He grimaced. ‘The bachelor quarters here aren’t very glamorous. But at least I’ll be able to visit you when I’m off duty.’
Alexandra frowned. Somewhere along the line she had lost the meaning of this conversation.
‘Is it all right for you to move in?’ Gail asked Trevor worriedly. ‘Have they got a room?’
Her husband squeezed her hand. ‘Everything is arranged. I just have to go home and collect a few things.’
Gail looked at her sister. ‘You’ll be all right at Dominic’s, won’t you, Alexandra?’
So that was it! She turned to look accusingly at Dominic Tempest and met only his icy disdain. He had known all along that it had been arranged for her to stay at his home with him. How on earth was she going to stand it? One look at Gail’s pale face told her that somehow she would have to, Gail simply wasn’t up to any more worries.
‘Of course I will,’ she assured her sister hurriedly. ‘I’m sure he’ll—he’ll take good care of me.’
Dominic moved forward, the mockery in his eyes taunting her. ‘You know I will,’ he drawled. ‘You saw how I like to keep my guests entertained this morning.’
Alexandra raised startled eyes. Yes, she had seen all too clearly how he had entertained his guest over the weekend, and she had no intention of being entertained in the same way. Arrogant devil!
Gail looked interested. ‘You had someone staying with you this weekend?’
‘Just overnight.’ He met Alexandra’s scathing look with an unflinching stare.
Trevor stood up. ‘I think it’s time we left you to get this rest you’re supposed to be having.’
His wife pouted. ‘I’m sure it isn’t necessary. I shall be very lonely in here all on my own.’
‘Of course you won’t,’ Alexandra chided. ‘I shall visit you every day, and I’m sure you’ll have plenty of other visitors.’
‘Not least of all me.’ Trevor bent down and kissed his wife lingeringly on the lips. ‘I’ll be in to see you later.’
Dominic kissed Gail’s cheek. ‘I’ll bring Alexandra in tomorrow,’ he promised.
So already he had started to arrange her life for her! She buried her resentment for when they got outside, for the moment intent only on making sure Gail had nothing at all to worry about.
‘Look after yourself,’ she told her. ‘And as Dominic says, I’ll be in tomorrow.’ Not that he would be bringing her, she wanted as little to do with him as possible.
They parted from Trevor once they were outside the room, he having to go back on duty for a few hours before going home to collect his things.
Alexandra waited until they were in Dominic Tempest’s car before she exploded. ‘You knew about this,’ she accused angrily. ‘You knew I had to stay with you!’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘Your remorse didn’t last long.’
She blushed. ‘Gail doesn’t seem to blame me’.
He shrugged. ‘She wouldn’t.’
‘But you do.’
‘It’s not up to me to blame you.’
‘Then mind your own business! I’m not going to stay at your house, you know,’ she told him stubbornly.
‘Oh yes, you are,’ he said calmly.
‘I’m not. I can look after myself. I’m not afraid to stay at the house on my own.’
‘It isn’t because we thought you would be afraid that we made these arrangements.’
‘Then why? Why does Trevor have to move into the hospital? I’m perfectly capable of looking after him.’
‘I don’t doubt it,’ he said dryly.
‘So why all these elaborate plans?’
Dominic sighed. ‘They aren’t elaborate. They’re the most reasonable course of action.’
‘Not to me they aren’t,’ she declared stubbornly.
‘No, they wouldn’t be. It wouldn’t occur to you to think of the damage you could do to Trevor’s career and his marriage to Gail by staying at the house with him.’
‘What on earth are you talking about?’ she scorned. ‘Trevor is my brother-in-law.’
‘You little fool, do you think that would matter to the people around here? Don’t be stupid. All that would matter to them would be that Gail, eight months pregnant, has been taken to hospital, and her husband and young sister are living alone together. This is a village community, Alex, things get around.’
‘But surely they wouldn’t—–’ But she knew they would! ‘How disgusting!’
‘Yes, isn’t it?’
‘But I don’t see how I can be thought any safer living with you. We all know your reputation,’ she added bitchily.
Dominic smiled, a cruel mocking smile. ‘But I have servants to chaperone us. And for what it’s worth, I’ve never found rebellious adolescents in the least attractive.’
‘I hate you!’ she said with feeling.
‘I couldn’t give a damn what you feel for me, I’m not that keen on you either. But I do intend to try and put up with you for the next few weeks, and I hope you will make a similar effort.’
‘Why should I? I can live at the house on my own, Gail doesn’t need to know.’
‘But she would.’
‘Why?’ she asked sharply. ‘Would you tell her? I’m sure you can’t be any more anxious to have me at your house than I am to stay there.’
‘I’m not,’ he agreed coldly. ‘But other people in the village are sure to visit Gail and it would only take one thoughtless person to mention where you’re living to put her in a state of nerves.’
‘But I could—–’