by Tina Beckett
Sean pushed back his chair then stopped when he became aware that someone was standing beside his table. He looked up, carefully smoothing his features into a non-committal expression. ‘Molly! What a surprise. Are you having lunch here as well?’
‘Yes, I am.’ She smiled back at him, her green eyes filled with a disturbing mixture of emotions. There was definitely anger there, Sean decided, plus indignation, but as for the rest—well, he couldn’t quite work them all out. And before he attempted to do so she rounded on him.
‘How dare you, Sean? I’ve no idea what you think you’re doing—’
‘Having lunch. Why—what else would I be doing in a place like this?’
‘So it’s just coincidence that brought you here today?’ She gave an unladylike snort of disbelief. ‘It hadn’t anything to do with the fact that you knew Adam was bringing me here?’
‘Of course not. Why should it?’
Sean fixed a smile to his own mouth, desperately trying to play the part of the injured innocent. Admitting that she had hit the nail squarely on its head was out of the question. If he did that then he would have to explain why he had followed her here and that was something he couldn’t do. How could he explain this strange compulsion he felt to keep her for himself when he didn’t fully understand it himself?
‘Someone mentioned that this was the place to eat so I thought I would check it out for future reference.’
He gave a small shrug, thinking how beautiful she looked as she stood there glaring down at him. It wasn’t often that Molly’s temper was roused; she was far too kind and loving to kick up a scene. The only time he had seen her this angry, in fact, was when he had told her that he no longer wanted to see her. He had been far too upset at the time to appreciate the change in her but now he couldn’t help noticing how glorious she looked with her green eyes blazing and her wonderful red-gold hair shimmering in a fiery halo around her head. Molly was not only kind, loving and giving—she was a highly passionate woman as well.
‘Oh, I see. So what have you decided? Does it meet your requirements or not?’
‘Requirements,’ Sean echoed, trying to get a grip on his libido, which seemed to think that this was the right moment to make itself known.
‘The perfect place to seduce your latest victim, of course.’ She glanced around the beautifully appointed dining room and there was both hurt and scorn in her eyes when she turned to him again. ‘She must be rather special if you’re thinking of shelling out for dinner here. I mean, the prices are a lot steeper than they are at your usual venues but there again you must think she’s worth it. Not every woman you go out with is a cheap date, I imagine.’
She spun round on her heel, leaving Sean wondering what he should do. Oh, he knew what she had meant by that last scathing comment—it had been painfully obvious! However, she was wrong—very, very wrong—if she believed he had taken her out to places which hadn’t cost the earth because he had thought she wasn’t worth anything better. Those picnics and that trip to the burger van had been red-letter occasions for him. Not even the fanciest dinners at the most upmarket restaurants could compare to them. He had not only enjoyed the food but he’d enjoyed it because of Molly’s company and that had raised those occasions to a whole different level. Why, even a meal of bread and water would have tasted like manna from heaven if they had eaten it together!
Sean stood up, determined that he was going to set matters straight. No way was he letting Molly get away with accusing him of such despicable meanness. However, before he could go over to have it out with her, he saw Humphreys return to the table. He gritted his teeth as he watched the other man bend down and whisper something in her ear. Molly laughed as she rose to her feet, smiling up at her companion as he slid his hand under her elbow and led her to the conservatory, where coffee was being served.
Sean felt his insides start to churn. The whole thing smacked of an intimacy that he resented. Bitterly. He wanted nothing more than to follow them and thump Humphreys on the nose but he knew it was out of the question. Humphreys hadn’t done anything wrong. If Molly hadn’t wanted him to be so familiar then she would have stopped him. How could he follow them and make a scene when it was obviously the last thing Molly wanted?
Sean took a deep breath before he summoned the waiter so he could pay his bill, murmuring something suitably appropriate when the man asked him if he had enjoyed his lunch. Enjoyment wasn’t the word he would have used, although Molly probably had a very different opinion. Maybe she hadn’t been pleased to see him there but he doubted if it had spoiled the date for her. No, this was just the first of many such occasions for her and Humphreys: exquisite dinners at top-flight restaurants, high-brow concerts, trips to the theatre and the ballet—that was undoubtedly Humphreys’ style. Who could blame her if she was seduced by such lavish treatment? The best he’d done was to buy her an egg and bacon roll from a mobile burger van. That really must have impressed her!
* * *
Molly wasn’t looking forward to seeing Sean that night when she went into work. She was still smarting from what had happened at lunchtime. She simply couldn’t believe that he had, quite coincidentally, turned up at that particular restaurant. And yet, on the other hand, what reason did he have for following her there? It wasn’t as though he was interested in her, was it? Maybe he had been sussing out the place for a future occasion and that thought stung more than all the others. Sean was only doing what he did best—dating a variety of women. So why on earth should it matter to her?
It was a relief when she discovered that he was tied up in Resus as it gave her a breathing space before she had to speak to him. She collected her first patient and took him into the treatment room. Bert Feathers was eighty years old but still very active. He had been taking his dog for a walk when he had slipped on some ice and cut his arm on a broken bottle lying on the footpath. His neighbour had brought him into hospital after he had knocked on her door and asked to borrow a sticking plaster.
‘This might sting a bit,’ Molly warned him as she cleaned the cut with antiseptic solution. The gash was several inches long, quite deep and needed stitching. She wanted to make sure that it didn’t become infected. ‘Sorry.’
‘Don’t you worry, lass. It’s fine.’ Bert gave her a toothless grin. ‘I’ve had worse than this, believe me.’
‘Have you indeed?’ Molly picked up a fresh piece of cotton wool with her tweezers and swabbed his arm once more. ‘So you’re an old hand at being patched up, are you?’
‘Aye. I was a hill farmer, you see. We lived too far out of town so we were used to fending for ourselves. Me and my brother, Cedric, were pretty handy with a needle if needs be.’ He held out his right arm. ‘See that scar? Cut my arm real bad while I was mending the tractor one day. Cedric stitched it up for me and it never gave me a bit of trouble afterwards.’
‘He did a good job,’ Molly agreed, thinking what a tough life the old man must have led. She could only imagine how painful it must have been to have such a large cut stitched without any form of anaesthetic. ‘Do you still have your farm?’ she asked as she broke open the seal on a fresh pack of sutures.
‘No. I had to give it up after Cedric died. It was too much for me on my own so I sold up and moved into town. I got one of them sheltered housing bungalows in the centre of town. Moving there was the best thing I ever done, as it happens.’ Bert nodded at the elderly lady sitting beside him. ‘I met Doris there, you see. She lives next door and we’re right fond of each other. Never had a lady friend when I was younger—never had time, what with the farm and everything. I’ve made up for it since, though!’
‘Good for you!’ Molly laughed in delight. ‘You’re never too old to fall in love, are you?’
‘Definitely not. When the lightning strikes, there’s nothing you can do about it.’ Bert laughed. ‘Me and Doris are getting married next week. We’ve got th
e church all booked and we’re having a bit of a do afterwards at the Green Man. Thought it was time we put things on a regular footing, you understand. You must come along, Sister. We’d love to have you there to help us celebrate, wouldn’t we, Doris? And you too, Doctor. The more the merrier, as they say, and you’ll be very welcome.’
Molly glanced round, suddenly realising that someone had come into the room. Her heart lifted and then just as quickly sank again when she saw Sean. All of a sudden she felt her resolve start to crumble. Although her lunch with Adam had been pleasant enough, it wasn’t Adam who had occupied her thoughts for the rest of the day. It made her wonder if she would ever erase Sean from her life. They had spoken for—what?—five minutes, possibly. But she had then spent the next five hours thinking about him.
It was as though Sean was imprinted in her consciousness and nothing could remove him, not even spending time with another man...especially not spending time with another man, she corrected herself, remembering how often she had found herself comparing Adam Humphreys to Sean during their lunch date and finding the former decidedly lacking. It had been the same ever since Sean had ended their affair too; she had never met anyone who matched up to him and she wasn’t sure if she would. Sean might have broken her heart but he still had a hold over her and it was distressing to admit it. It was an effort to hide how she felt as Sean turned to the elderly couple and smiled.
‘I missed the start of the conversation. What are you celebrating?’ he asked, leaning his shoulder against the wall.
‘I was just telling Sister here that me and Doris are getting married next week,’ Bert explained. ‘Friday, at St Marie’s church in the town centre. We’re having a party afterwards at the Green Man and we’d be delighted if you two young folk came along and helped us celebrate.’
‘I’m not sure if it will be possible,’ Molly began, hurriedly searching for an excuse to refuse the invitation. Panic swept over her. The last thing she needed was to spend any more time with Sean.
‘If you’re worried about what shift we’re working, there’s no need.’ Sean turned to her and Molly’s heart sank even further when she saw the expression in his eyes. Sean knew exactly what she was thinking and, from the look of it, he had no intention of letting her wriggle out of the invitation. ‘I’ve seen the roster and we’re both off next Friday, so we would love to come along. Wouldn’t we, Molly?’
Molly had no idea what to say. Short of upsetting Bert and Doris by refusing, there was little she could do except agree. Gritting her teeth, she nodded. Sean grinned at her, obviously enjoying the fact that he had got his own way.
‘Great! It will be something to look forward to, won’t it, Molly? A lovely lead-up to the Christmas festivities.’
‘Yes.’ It was difficult to get any words out through her clenched teeth but she would hate him to know how annoyed she felt. ‘Did you want me for something?’
‘Ah, yes.’ There was a note in his voice, a hint of some emotion that made her blood heat as he excused himself and drew her to one side, but Molly refused to speculate on the reason for it. They were discussing a work-related issue, she reminded herself sternly. Anything else was inconsequential. It appeared she’d been right too because there was no trace of anything untoward when he continued.
‘The patient in Resus has asked if we can contact his family in India. Apparently, he’s a student at the local college and he doesn’t have any family living here. There isn’t a telephone number where we can reach them so we may need to go through the Embassy. I was hoping that you would be able to sort it out.’
‘Of course,’ Molly said formally. ‘I’ll get straight onto the Embassy once I’ve finished in here.’
‘Thanks.’ He half turned to leave then paused. ‘Did you enjoy your lunch and coffee, by the way? You never gave me the chance to ask what you thought of the restaurant.’
‘The food was excellent,’ she said shortly, refusing to let him goad her into saying something she would regret. If he’d had an ulterior motive for being there then she didn’t want to know what it was. She treated him to a deliberately bright smile. ‘Adam and I had a great time, I have to say. In fact, I’m sure we shall go back there again in the future.’
‘Good. I’m glad you didn’t find it too stuffy.’
He sketched her a wave and headed back to Resus before she could ask him what he meant by that comment. Had Sean found the place rather too formal, as she had done? she wondered as she started suturing Bert’s arm. Although the food had been delicious, the restaurant had lacked atmosphere, although maybe that had been down to her companion, she mused. Although Adam was extremely attentive, he lacked any real charisma. Adam certainly wouldn’t have been able to make lunching at a burger van feel like a Michelin star experience!
Molly’s mouth tightened. Once again she was comparing Adam to Sean and she had to stop. She finished suturing Bert’s arm and saw him and Doris out then collected her next patient. She had no intention of wondering who Sean was planning to invite out for an expensive dinner. He could date every single woman in the hospital if he wanted and she wouldn’t lose a wink of sleep worrying about it! However, despite such stalwart claims, she couldn’t deny that the thought of Sean seeing some other woman hurt. It brought it home to her once more how vital it was that she erased him from her life for good.
CHAPTER EIGHT
SEAN HAD THE next two days off and had decided to spend them looking for a place to live. As it had been a last-minute decision to accept the post in Dalverston he had booked himself into a bed and breakfast, but if he was to spend the next six weeks working here he desperately needed his own space.
He set off early to visit the local estate agent’s office and came away with a list of four properties, all available on a short-term lease. However, he quickly discovered that the agency’s glowing descriptions fell far short of the reality. By the time he arrived at the last property he was starting to feel very despondent. Cosy probably meant tiny and full of character undoubtedly meant it was riddled with damp or overrun with mice or both. He almost gave up but the thought of having to put up with living in one room for the next few weeks spurred him on. He would go crazy if he had to stare at the same four walls much longer!
Sean got out of the car. The cottage was tucked away down a narrow lane close to the river and he stood for a moment, drinking in the peace and quiet. He frowned because the area seemed strangely familiar for some reason. Looking around, he realised with a start that it was very close to where Molly lived. Why, he could remember running along this very lane one morning after he had stayed the night at her house! He sighed. It put him in a bit of a quandary. Molly had made it abundantly clear on more than one occasion that she wanted nothing to do with him outside of work, hadn’t she? On the other hand, he was pretty much out of options by now, he reasoned, and it wasn’t as if he and Molly would be next door neighbours. The thought helped him make up his mind and he went and knocked on the front door. It opened a crack and a wizened face peered out at him.
‘Yes?’
‘Mrs Bradshaw? I believe you’re renting out your cottage. The estate agent gave me the details.’ He showed the old lady the letter the agency had given him and smiled at her. ‘They said they would ring and let you know I was coming.’
‘That’s right, dear. Come in, come in.’ She opened the door wider and ushered him inside. ‘I’m off to New Zealand, you see, to stay with my son and his wife over Christmas. They’ve asked me umpteen times if I’d go and stay with them but I’ve always refused in the past because I didn’t want to leave Henry.’ She sighed. ‘He’s no longer with us, I’m afraid, so I’ve no excuse not to go now.’
‘I’m so sorry,’ Sean said quietly, thinking how sad it must be to lose one’s partner after what must have been a lengthy relationship. ‘Were you married a long time?’
‘Married?’ The old l
ady laughed. ‘Oh, no. Henry wasn’t my husband, dear. He died many years ago. Henry was my dog and a bad-tempered old thing too, but I still loved him. He finally went to doggy heaven a month ago so I decided to book my flight. The problem is that I don’t like the thought of leaving the cottage standing empty while I’m away. One of my neighbours, who lives just round the corner, did offer to pop in and check everything was all right, but I thought it was too much for her when she’s so busy working, which is why I decided to rent it out.’
‘I see.’ Sean laughed at his mistake then looked around the living room. It was small, admittedly, but it felt wonderfully cosy and inviting. ‘This is lovely,’ he said truthfully. ‘It feels so...well, homely, is the best way to describe it.’
‘I’m glad you like it, dear. I’ve lived here for over forty years and I love the place. Why don’t you look round and see if it’s suitable for you?’ the old lady suggested. ‘I’ll put the kettle on and make us a cup of tea.’
Sean did as he was told, checking out the small but functional kitchen, the bedroom with its old-fashioned dark wood furniture and the surprisingly large and well-equipped bathroom. He had already decided to take it by the time he returned to the living room and he told Mrs Bradshaw that he would get straight onto the agency.
‘That is good news, dear.’ Mrs Bradshaw beamed as she handed him a delicate china cup and saucer. ‘I’m so pleased. Not only will I know the place is being well looked after but it means that Molly won’t have to bother about it.’
‘Molly,’ Sean repeated, his hand shaking ever so slightly so that the cup started to rattle in its saucer. He hurriedly set it safely down on the end table, telling himself that he was being silly. It wouldn’t be his Molly; that would be too much of a coincidence. No, Mrs Bradshaw’s Molly was most likely a kindly older lady like herself. ‘Is she a friend of yours?’
‘Yes. Molly’s a real sweetheart. I’m sure you’ll like her. She’s been like a daughter to me—pops to the shop for bread and milk if I run out; fetches my Sunday paper if she’s not working at the weekend.’ Mrs Bradshaw sighed. ‘She’s a nurse in the A&E department at the hospital and she works the most terrible hours but she still finds the time to visit me. You can understand why I don’t want to burden her with having to look after my cottage while I’m away, can’t you?’
