‘It’s unlikely,’ he said shortly, thinking that if John had wanted him to go, he would have asked him personally, instead of getting Helen to relay the invitation. Not that he blamed John because he wouldn’t have welcomed another man’s company if he wanted to spend time with a woman he was interested in.
The thought was a little too near the knuckle and his mouth thinned. ‘I haven’t used a sitter since we moved here and I really don’t want to run the risk of Kristy getting upset if I leave her with a stranger. Tell John thanks but, no, thanks, would you?’
He swung round to leave then stopped when Helen called him back. He could see the puzzlement on her face as she got up from her chair.
‘Are you upset about John asking us out?’
‘He asked you out, Helen, not me. I was just an afterthought.’
‘Oh, no, really, it wasn’t like that,’ she protested, but he didn’t want to hear any more. What was the point of listening to her explain that John Dancer’s motives were of the very highest order when he understood exactly what was going on?
‘It doesn’t matter, Helen. I’m certainly not going to lose any sleep over it so don’t give it another thought. John’s a nice chap and if you enjoy his company, that’s fine. Now, I really must get ready before my patients arrive.’
He left her office and went to his own. He’d only just sat down when Janet buzzed him to ask if she could send in his first appointment. He agreed and settled down to a morning filled with work, yet no matter how hard he concentrated, part of his mind kept niggling away at the thought of Helen and this date she was going on. He didn’t want her to go—that was obvious. But he didn’t have the right to stop her. That was obvious, too.
Thursday arrived and all day long Helen was a bundle of nerves. It had been years since she’d been out on a date and she wasn’t sure exactly what would happen that evening. She knew that attitudes had changed in the past twelve years but would John expect more of her than she was willing to give?
It was a relief to leave the surgery at the end of the day, not least because of the atmosphere that had descended on the place. Janet, Amy and Eve were so excited about her date that she felt she had to appear upbeat, too. However, Lewis was taciturn to the point of rudeness. He obviously had reservations and she wasn’t sure why when he’d stated that his old friend was a decent person. Only Harry seemed untouched by the drama and she was glad of his cheery good wishes to enjoy her evening. At least one of them was behaving like a normal human being!
She went straight home and showered then changed into the new outfit she’d bought in the boutique. She’d not got round to taking it back and she was glad that she hadn’t when she stepped in front of the mirror. The sweater was every bit as gorgeous as she remembered, the delicate fabric softly moulding her breasts. The skirt was a swirl of vibrant colour, enhancing the slimness of her calves and ankles. She’d left her hair loose that night and the rich, Titian waves fell around her shoulders in a silky curtain. As she stared at her reflection, Helen had difficulty recognising herself. Was that really her—that tall, elegant and, dare she say it, beautiful woman staring back at her?
She turned away from the mirror as a fresh bout of nerves suddenly kicked in. If it hadn’t already been so late, she would have phoned John and cancelled their arrangements. However, good manners dictated that she must go through with it now. Anyway, there really wasn’t any reason to worry, she told herself firmly. They were only going for a meal so it wasn’t as though anything untoward could happen!
In the event, she needn’t have worried because John turned out to be a wonderful companion. Helen’s nervousness soon disappeared and she began to enjoy the experience of being fêted by a good-looking man. The time flew past so that she was shocked when she realised that the dining room was empty. They were the last people in there so it was definitely time to call a halt.
John paid the bill then helped her on with her coat. ‘I’ve really enjoyed tonight, Helen. Thank you so much for coming out with me.’
‘I’ve enjoyed it, too,’ she said truthfully. She let him take her arm as they left the pub, enjoying the feeling of being cosseted for once. They’d driven there in their own cars and John escorted her back to where she’d parked.
‘Maybe we could do it again if you’re not too busy?’
‘I’d like that.’ She smiled up at him, grateful for the fact that he’d been such an easy companion. Maybe he interpreted the smile the wrong way because he suddenly drew her to him and kissed her.
Helen stood quite still, feeling oddly detached. The kiss wasn’t unpleasant but it didn’t arouse her either. John smiled as he let her go and she was surprised to see no trace of disappointment in his eyes. She could only conclude that he’d been perfectly satisfied by her lack of response.
‘I’ll say goodnight, then. I’m away at a conference over the weekend so I’ll phone you next week, if that’s all right?’
‘Fine,’ she agreed, suddenly eager to bring the evening to a conclusion. She unlocked her car and quickly got in. ‘Thank you again for a lovely evening. It’s a shame that Lewis wasn’t able to join us.’
‘I have to confess that I didn’t miss his company,’ John said wryly.
He closed the door then moved out of the way while she backed out of the parking space. Helen sketched him a wave and headed for the exit, wondering why she’d felt it necessary to mention Lewis. She’d already explained why Lewis hadn’t been able to come so why had she brought his name into the conversation? Because John’s kiss had been a pale imitation of the one she and Lewis had shared.
Her heart lurched but there was no point lying to herself. She’d felt nothing when John had kissed her yet she’d felt all kinds of emotions when Lewis had done so. His kiss had shown her how passion really felt and, now that she’d tasted the real thing, she would never be able to settle for less. But what if she only responded to Lewis that way? Was she prepared to spend the rest of her life on her own because he didn’t want her?
It was impossible to answer that question and Helen sighed. The evening might have been a success but it was going to cause her a lot of problems in the future.
Lewis couldn’t settle. Knowing that Helen had gone out with John Dancer had made him feel very on edge. Even though he was sure that his old friend would look after her, it didn’t make him feel any better when she was spending time with another man.
What were they doing now? he wondered as he went downstairs after reading Kristy a bedtime story. It was only seven-thirty so they’d probably be having a pre-dinner drink. After that, they’d decide what they wanted to eat. It was a first date so it would be an exercise in getting to know one another. John would ask Helen questions about herself and she would reciprocate. The thought that his friend would know more about her than he did by the end of the evening didn’t sit well with him, although there was nothing he could do about it. He could hardly have forbidden Helen to share her innermost secrets with any man apart from him!
The thought made him snort with derision because he could just imagine her reaction if he did that. She was an independent woman who had strong views about her life and he wouldn’t want her to be any different. In fact, he couldn’t think of a single thing he would want to change about her. She was beautiful, intelligent and sexy. If she had a flaw then it was the fact that she worked too hard, and even that was about to change.
Now that she’d set off on the dating merry-go-round, she would have less time to worry about her job. After all, this date was just the first step and there’d be plenty more such occasions once the male members of the population discovered she was available. She would probably be beating them off with a big stick soon, and that thought certainly didn’t soothe him. He didn’t want Helen to be surrounded by a horde of admirers. He wanted her all to himself!
The thought set the tone for the rest of the evening. He tried to distract himself by watching television but by the time midnight arrived, he’d had enough. He ha
d just switched off the set when the phone rang so he snatched up the receiver before it woke Kristy and was surprised to discover it was the emergency services control centre.
Lewis listened in mounting dismay as the operator explained that there’d been a train crash two miles outside the town. The Beeches was part of the local major incident team and the operator needed to know how many of their staff would be able to respond. Apparently, they’d tried Helen’s home phone number and had been unable to get a reply so had contacted him.
‘Three definitely plus a possible fourth,’ he told the operator, his mind racing. Harry would be a definite yes and Amy, too. He would go as well, although he would have to make arrangements for Kristy to be looked after. As for Helen, well, he would try to reach her on her mobile. If she was able to respond then all well and good, but if not he’d leave her to whatever she was doing…
He blanked out that thought, not wanting to think any more about what she might be doing with John Dancer. He gave the operator the names of all the personnel who would be on their team then set about contacting them. Harry offered to collect Amy so that solved the problem of how the nurse would get to the accident scene.
Lewis phoned Amy next, sighing when she asked him what he was going to do about Kristy. ‘All I can think of is to bring her with me and leave her in the control centre, although I can’t say I’m happy about the idea.’
‘How about if I ask my mum to come round and babysit for you?’ Amy suggested. ‘She only lives a few minutes away from you and I know she wouldn’t mind.’
‘That would be great!’ He thanked Amy and hung up then dialled Helen’s mobile phone. The answering service cut in after half a dozen rings so he left a message then broke the connection. Where Helen was and what she was doing was her business, and he wasn’t going to make the mistake of speculating about it…
Like hell he wasn’t!
His expression was grim as he went upstairs to get ready. It didn’t take a great deal of effort to work out that Helen must have enjoyed the evening so much that she’d decided to prolong it. It was gone midnight and there were very few places where she could be at this time of the night. One of them was at home in her own bed, but she would have answered when the emergency services had telephoned her if that had been the case. The second option was far more likely in his view: she’d gone back to John’s house and was spending the night there. The thought of what might be happening was something he really didn’t want to think about, and he groaned. What a mess this was turning into!
Helen was on her way home when she heard about the train crash on the radio. She immediately turned the car round and headed back the way she’d come. The accident had happened not far from where she’d had dinner, at a spot where the railway track ran alongside the motorway, so she didn’t waste any time as she drove to the site. She had to pull over onto the verge to allow a convoy of fire engines to pass her and her heart sank. The number of vehicles that had been dispatched to the scene proved it must be a major incident.
She rounded a bend and screeched to a halt at the sight that met her. The train had completely derailed and there were several carriages lying at the bottom of the bank. Fire had broken out and the smoke from it had drifted across the northbound carriageway of the motorway, causing dozens of cars to crash. It was like a scene from a disaster film and she knew that there were going to be many casualties that night.
She drove as close to the accident site as she could get, lowering her window when a policeman flagged her down. ‘I’m a doctor,’ she explained, taking her ID out of her bag and showing it to him. ‘I’m part of the major incident team for this area of Lancashire.’
‘We could certainly do with your help, Doc.’ The policeman pointed to a nearby field. ‘Can you park in there? We need to keep the road clear for the ambulances and other emergency vehicles.’
‘Of course.’ Helen pulled off the road, the wheels of her car sliding in the mud as she parked at the end of the row of vehicles. Pushing her handbag into the glove-box, she got out and went round to the boot. She kept a spare medical bag in there for emergencies, along with a pair of Wellington boots and some old overalls which would come in very useful that night. She was just fastening back her hair with an elastic band when another car drew up and two doctors from a practice in a neighbouring town got out.
Helen greeted them then they all made their way to the command centre and reported to the officer in charge, who was liaising with the various emergency services. She nodded when she was asked to attend to the walking wounded. She knew from the training she’d received that the key to successfully controlling a major incident was to delegate a task to each member of the team. Everyone needed to know what they should be doing at every given point in the proceedings to avoid chaos ensuing.
The injured had been gathered close to the railway embankment. There was a young WPC with them and she looked relieved when Helen introduced herself. She did a quick assessment, working her way from one casualty to the next to find those who were the most severely injured and in the most danger. There was a mother and a young child near the middle of the group and they both appeared dazed when she knelt down beside them.
‘I’m Helen and I’m a doctor. Can you tell me where you’re hurt?’
‘My hand…’
The mother looked vaguely at her right hand. Helen grimaced when she saw that it had been severed just above the wrist. All that was left was a stump of bone showing through the flesh.
‘That needs covering up,’ she said briskly, taking a dressing out of her case. Fortunately, someone had had the sense to use a pressure pad to control the bleeding so she carefully wrapped the wrist in a sterile dressing then fashioned a sling and elevated the whole arm. ‘The ambulances will be here very shortly and you’ll be taken straight to hospital. Is there anything else? What about your daughter?’
‘I don’t know…’ The woman looked at her with shock-blank eyes. ‘We were having a drink of tea and the next moment there was this terrible noise.’
‘It must have been awful,’ Helen said softly, wishing there was more she could do for the poor soul. She turned to the little girl, seeing the same frozen expression of horror on the child’s face. ‘Do you hurt anywhere, sweetheart? Your arms or your legs…anywhere at all?’
The child shook her head but Helen didn’t want to take any chances. She quickly examined her but, from what she could tell, miraculously she hadn’t suffered any injuries apart from a small bruise on her temple.
‘Did you pass out when the accident happened?’ she asked the child, taking out her torch and shining it into her eyes. Another shake of the head was all the answer she got, but as there was no other indication of any head trauma, she had to accept it. However, as she moved to the next person, she made a note to check on the child again just to be on the safe side.
She worked her way through the group, treating the most severely injured and doing her best to reassure those who were in no immediate danger. They were all in shock and all traumatised by what had happened. One man was having severe chest pains and she guessed that he was in the throes of a heart attack. She administered analgesics and a thrombolytic drug to dissolve any blood clots then went back to her car for the oxygen cylinder she always carried with her. He looked a little better by the time she’d finished and she was fairly confident that he would survive until the ambulances arrived, which they did a short time later.
Helen went to meet the paramedics who had been assigned to her. She wanted them to take the mother and child first, along with the heart-attack victim. She helped the crew load them on board then got the next group ready. There were more people being sent to her as the fire crews freed them from the carriages so she started on a second round, prioritising the most severely injured so they could be treated first.
She’d just finished when she happened to glance up and saw Lewis walking towards her. There was the strangest expression on his face, a mixture of relief and some oth
er emotion she couldn’t determine but which made her legs tremble as she stood up. She wasn’t sure what was going on but there was definitely something happening, as was proved the moment he spoke.
‘How long have you been here?’ he demanded in a voice taut with emotion.
‘I’m not sure. A couple of hours, I imagine. Why?’
‘I tried to get hold of you but your phone wasn’t switched on.’
‘Wasn’t it?’ She sighed. ‘I switched it off while we were having dinner and I must have forgotten to turn it on again after I heard about the accident. I was on my way home when they announced it on the local radio station so I drove straight over here.’
‘I see.’ He glanced round when there was a shout from the embankment. ‘Looks like they’ve found someone in those carriages. I’d better get back and see what I can do.’
‘Is Harry here as well?’ Helen demanded hastily, loath to let him leave.
‘Yes, and Amy, too. They’re up on the motorway, helping with the injured drivers. I’ve been deployed with the rapid response unit from the local hospital.’
‘So you’re in the thick of things.’
She shivered as she glanced towards the train. The firemen were using oxyacetylene torches to cut through the metal and get at the people who were trapped inside. It was dangerous work because the carriages were very unstable and she hated to think of Lewis putting himself at risk.
‘Just doing what I can to help,’ he said lightly, dismissing the danger.
‘Be careful, though, won’t you?’ She bit her lip when she heard the fear in her voice because she knew that he must have heard it, too.
‘I will.’ He looked at her and his eyes were very grave when they met hers. ‘You be careful, too, Helen. I don’t want anything happening to you.’
Helen didn’t say anything. She simply couldn’t think of an appropriate reply and he didn’t seem to expect one. He turned and walked away, and she watched him climbing up the embankment until he disappeared into the crowd.
In His Loving Care Page 13
