Brides of Penhally Bay - Vol 4

by Various Authors

  ‘Oh, darling, that’s wonderful news!’ her mother had said. ‘I can only imagine how delighted you must be. I can’t wait to tell Dad and David. They’re all down at the beach at the moment with the children.’

  Annie had felt a pang. She would have loved to share her news face to face with her family. Instead, they were thousands of miles away.

  ‘Do you want us to come back?’ her mother had added anxiously.

  ‘Of course not, Mum. I know how long you and Dad have been looking forward to this trip. Anyway, you’ll be back in August. In plenty of time for the actual birth.’

  There had been silence for a few moments.

  ‘Does that mean you and Robert are back together?’ her mother asked. Annie could hear the caution in her voice. She had never really taken to Robert and when he had left Annie after hearing she couldn’t have children, she had admitted as much to her daughter. ‘Any man who behaves the way he did isn’t worthy of you, darling,’ she had said. ‘You are better off without him.’

  Annie knew she’d be thinking back to her words.

  ‘It’s not Robert’s baby,’ Annie said quietly. Once again the silence stretched down the phone line. Annie knew her mother was dying to know who the father was, but wouldn’t ask.

  ‘The father is someone I met in Spain—a doctor,’ Annie said uncomfortably. ‘Not someone I’ll ever see again.’ She felt her toes curl with embarrassment. How could she possibly explain to anyone, even her mother, about Raphael? How he had made her feel as if they were meant to be together? And how hopelessly wrong she had been?

  ‘As long as you’re happy, darling,’ her mother had said finally, gently and without judgement. ‘And you won’t be alone. Dad and I will be back to help you with the baby.’ After a few more minutes of conversation Annie had rung off and phoned her sister Fiona. The conversation had followed a similar pattern except Fi, while thrilled for her, had in typical fashion come straight to the point.

  ‘Does your Dr Castillo know?’

  It was a timely reminder to Annie that there was more than her involved in the life growing joyously inside her.

  ‘Not yet,’ Annie admitted. ‘I’m planning to tell him, but…’ She let the words tail off. It wasn’t a conversation she was looking forward to, especially over the phone. There was no way of knowing what his reaction would be. He would be shocked, but would he be pleased? Angry? Disinterested?

  ‘But you will tell him,’ Fi prompted. ‘You know it’s the right thing to do.’

  ‘Yes,’ Annie replied heavily. ‘And we both know I always do the right thing.’

  But she had kept putting the telephone call off. She hadn’t spoken to Raphael since the morning she had left Spain, although she thought of him often, hugging the memory of the night they had spent together. If she was honest, she had hoped he would get in touch with her. There had been such a connection between them, she just couldn’t believe he hadn’t felt it too. But if he had, he would have found a way to contact her, wouldn’t he? But he hadn’t and Annie had resigned herself to never hearing from him, concentrating instead on making a life for herself that was rich and varied and relied on no one.

  After a couple of days of prevaricating, she made up her mind. She looked up the number of the hospital in Barcelona and, after taking a few deep breaths to calm her nerves, dialled and asked to be put through to Dr Castillo.

  As she waited for the switchboard to page him, her heart thumped painfully. How would he take the news? It was bound to be a shock, however he felt about it. When they had made love, she had told him that there was no need for contraception, although she hadn’t told him why.

  She chewed on her nail until suddenly she heard his unmistakable voice on the other end of the phone.

  ‘Hola! Raphael Castillo.’

  Immediately memories came flooding back. She could see his face in her mind, almost feel the touch of his fingers on her skin.

  Her hands were shaking so hard she thought she might drop the phone. ‘Raphael, it’s Annie.’ There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Whether it was because he couldn’t remember who she was or because he was shocked to hear from her, she couldn’t tell.

  ‘How are you? Is something wrong?’ His voice sounded cautious.

  ‘No, nothing’s wrong. At least…’ She let the words hang in the air. Nothing was wrong as far as she was concerned, but how would he feel? ‘I’m sorry to call you at the hospital, Raphael, but I didn’t know how else to contact you.’

  ‘De nada,’ he said. ‘Please, go on.’ He sounded brusque, almost distracted, as if speaking to Annie had been the last thing on his mind. She couldn’t help the way her spirits dipped. How could she expect anything else? If he had wanted to get in touch with her before now, well, he knew where she worked. That night obviously hadn’t meant as much to him as it had to her, but it didn’t matter, she told herself firmly. She didn’t need him. She had all she ever wanted growing inside her.

  All of a sudden she couldn’t remember the words she had rehearsed, but she knew she had to say something as he was waiting for her to speak.

  ‘I’m pregnant,’ she blurted finally, not at all how she had planned to tell him.

  There was another pause, longer this time.

  ‘Pregnant? I thought you said…’

  ‘That I couldn’t get pregnant,’ she finished for him. She had told him it was safe for them to have sex. He had assumed she was on the Pill and there had been no point in disabusing him.

  ‘I didn’t think it could happen, but it did!’ She couldn’t keep the joy out of her voice. Every time she said the words she felt a fresh burst of happiness.

  When he spoke again his voice was cold. ‘Is it mine?’

  Annie reeled. What was he suggesting? That she was passing off some other man’s child as his? Or that she slept with so many men she couldn’t possibly know which one was the father? She felt the first stirring of anger.

  ‘Yes, it’s yours. It couldn’t be anyone else’s. You were the only man…’ She hesitated, feeling a blush steal up her cheeks. It was so difficult to talk about this over the phone. At least he couldn’t see how mortified she was. ‘You are the only man I’ve slept with since…’ Once more she stumbled over the words. ‘It can only be yours.’

  Another long silence. Why hadn’t she just written to him? It would have been so much easier. But she had never been one to take the easy way out.

  ‘You must be over three months by now in that case,’ he said slowly. The pause must have been while he had worked the timing out in his head. ‘Why didn’t you let me know sooner? I’m assuming you’re going to keep it.’ His voice was cool. He seemed so utterly different from the man she had met in Spain.

  ‘Of course I’m going to keep it! I would hardly be telling you now if I wasn’t. I’ve only recently found out myself.’ She stumbled over the words. ‘Just a few days ago, but…’ She took a deep breath. How could she explain the conflicting thoughts she had had about telling him? ‘I just didn’t realise I was pregnant. It didn’t occur to me that I could be before then.’ She could only imagine what he was thinking. How could a midwife not know she was pregnant? But she didn’t really want to get into her medical history over the phone. As far as she was concerned, she had done her duty in telling him.

  ‘And?’ His voice was heavy, almost suspicious. ‘Why exactly are you telling me now? What do you want from me?’

  Annie felt a wave of anger wash over her. She hadn’t expected him to be pleased, but this reaction, as if he didn’t believe or trust her, as if she had ulterior motives for contacting him, wasn’t what she had expected either.

  ‘I’m just phoning to let you know. I thought you had a right.’ She laughed but the sound was mirthless even to her own ears. ‘But don’t worry, I don’t want anything from you. Not a thing. In fact, I want to be clear that this baby is my responsibility and mine alone,’ she continued. ‘I don’t intend to keep secrets from my child. I plan to be honest ab
out everything from as soon as they can understand. It might be that one day, when they are older, he or she may want to find you. That’s why I’m telling you. No other reason.’

  ‘If it is my baby—’ he emphasised the first word ‘—then, of course, you were right to tell me. But how can I be sure?’

  Annie felt as if she’d been slapped. But to be fair he wasn’t to know she didn’t make a habit of sleeping with strangers, especially not men she met on holiday. She took another breath to calm herself.

  ‘It’s yours. There is absolutely no doubt. But if you don’t want to accept that, it’s entirely up to you. I have done my bit. I’ll say goodbye now.’

  She thought she heard him say, ‘Wait, Annie,’ as she replaced the receiver, but she was in no mood to continue the discussion. As far as she was concerned, Raphael would play no part in her or her baby’s life. And that was fine by her.

  Raphael replaced the phone thoughtfully. It had been a shock hearing Annie’s voice after all these months. He remembered every cadence of her soft accent and as soon as he had heard her speak, it had been as if she had been back in his arms.

  It wasn’t as if he hadn’t thought about her every day since the night they had met. He hadn’t been able to get her striking pale green eyes out of his mind, her wounded mouth, her pale skin a striking contrast to her luxurious dark brown hair and that deep but unmistakable air of sadness. How could he forget the curve of her hips, the sweep of her thighs, her tiny waist? He groaned aloud at the memory. He had done his best to put her out of his mind, and now, when he least expected it, she was back in his life. Because she was pregnant. With his baby. Or so she said.

  He started pacing. There was no reason for Annie to lie about such a thing and she had made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing from him. But he had been lied to before and he knew he couldn’t trust his heart. It was why he had stayed away from her in the first place, even when every part of him had longed to be with her again. He swore under his breath. If she was lying, he would find out. But if there was any chance she was carrying his child, any chance at all…

  He clenched his jaw against the painful memory of Sebastian. Dios! This time no one was going to take his child from him. He had to know the truth and there was only one way to find out.

  CHAPTER THREE

  OVER the next week, Annie mulled over her conversation with Raphael. She wondered if there had been any point in telling him she was pregnant. It might have been the right thing to do, but it had obviously made no difference. She hadn’t heard a peep from him since the call and that was fine by her. What he chose to do with the information was up to him.

  Nevertheless, she couldn’t help acknowledge that she felt sad about his response. Not for herself, but for the child growing inside her. One day, he—or she—might want to know about their father and she would have to find a way of telling her child that his father had shown no interest.

  Everyone at work knew about her pregnancy and it was all Annie could do to stop herself accosting strangers in the street and telling them that she was expecting a baby. She was so happy she wanted to shout it from the rooftops. But as far as who the father was, that would be her secret. Somehow explaining about Raphael would make it sound like a casual fling—when it had been anything but. Besides, as he had shown no interest, there was no reason for anyone, apart from her immediate family, to know his identity. She would be raising this child on her own and that was fine by her.

  Annie chewed her lip. She looked around her tiny home with its double bedroom, minute single bedroom, kitchen and lounge. She loved it. It was so cosy, especially in the winter when she would light a fire and cuddle up on the sofa with a good book, but it wasn’t really big enough for her and a baby. The second bedroom would only just be large enough for a cot and a changing table. However, it would have to do. Despite the small inheritance from her grandfather, money was bound to be tight after her maternity pay came to an end. But what did money or any material possessions matter when balanced against having a baby? It didn’t. She would have happily given up everything she owned if she’d had to just to be in this position.

  A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Annie wasn’t expecting anyone. Sunday was a day that everyone she knew spent with their families. Puzzled, she opened the door to find the last person she expected standing there, a halfsmile on his face.

  Raphael! It couldn’t be! What on earth was he doing here, in Penhally Bay? And why did her heart feel as if it had stopped beating?

  Speechless, Annie stood aside to let him enter, and as he passed her she felt her skin prickle. Her breath caught in her throat as instantly she was transported back to the night she had spent in his arms.

  She waved at a chair, still unable to speak, but he shook his head. Instead, he paced her small house with nervous energy.

  ‘I had to come,’ he said simply.

  ‘Why?’ she said, dry-mouthed. ‘I told you there was no need.’

  ‘Because if there is a chance you are having my baby,’ he said, sounding incredulous, ‘I want to be here for him. He will need a father. I don’t even know if you can look after a child.’

  Annie felt her temper rise. Just who did he think he was, coming here to check up on her, questioning not only her morals but her ability to look after her child?

  ‘Believe me, I am having your baby, and I’m perfectly able to look after it by myself. I certainly didn’t expect you to come charging over here like a knight on a white horse.’

  ‘But now I am here to find out if it is really mine.’

  Annie swallowed, forcing herself to stay calm. ‘You have to make up your own mind whether you believe me or not—although I can’t think why you imagine I’m lying to you. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve told you. What you do with the information is up to you.’

  He looked at her with flat eyes.

  ‘You told me it was safe for us to have sex. Why did you tell me that if it wasn’t true?’

  ‘I thought it was safe. I never dreamt I could fall pregnant,’ Annie replied, trying to keep her voice even. ‘Look, I don’t care whether you believe me or not. I’m not asking anything from you, so you are hardly in a position to demand proof from me!’

  Suddenly the tension left Raphael’s face. He grinned, the lopsided smile reminding Annie once again of the man she had met back in Spain.

  ‘Please forgive me. I didn’t come to make you angry with me. I want to believe it is mine and as long as there is that chance, I’m staying. Right here. In Penhally Bay.’

  ‘You’re staying here?’ Annie said incredulously. ‘But what about your job back in Spain?’

  Raphael shrugged. ‘I managed to persuade them to give me a six-month sabbatical. And I have a post for that time in the hospital at St Piran.’ He nodded in the vague direction of the hospital a good thirty minutes up the road.

  ‘You have a job? At St. Piran’s?’ Annie was only too aware that she was repeating his words parrot fashion. But it was all such a shock. At the very most, she’d imagined her staying in touch with him by phone, at least until the baby was born. Then the odd visit. But it seemed she had totally underestimated the man.

  ‘How on earth did you manage to get a job at the hospital so soon? I only phoned you last week.’

  ‘I know many people,’ he said. ‘I have many connections through my work. In the end it was not too difficult.’ He smiled, a flash of white against his bronzed skin. ‘And I specialise in high-risk pregnancies. So they were happy to have me on their team.’

  Annie sat down in the chair. He could stand if he liked, but she needed something more solid to support her legs, which seemed to have turned to rubber again. He specialised in high-risk pregnancies. That meant they’d be working together. Every day.

  ‘I need to know everything is all right with the baby,’ he continued. ‘You must be in your second trimester by now. Have you had a scan? Is everything normal? Have you been taking folic acid?’ He fired the questio
ns at Annie as if he were an interrogating officer of a hostile army.

  ‘Perhaps you’d like to know what size feet I have while you’re at it,’ Annie muttered under her breath. Whatever he said, these weren’t the questions of a man who doubted that he was the father. Suddenly she relented. He was here now and he was entitled to know how her pregnancy was progressing.

  ‘Please, Raphael, sit down,’ Annie said quietly. She couldn’t think straight while he was prowling around her like a lion circling its prey. For once he did as she asked and sat down in her armchair, still eyeing her warily.

  ‘Everything is normal, and, yes, I have had a scan.’ She stood up, relieved to find that her legs could support her, crossed over to her bookshelf and pulled out the photograph of her scan. Silently she passed it over to him.

  She watched as Raphael studied the photograph carefully. A kaleidoscope of emotions crossed his face ranging from awe to intense interest. Then he looked at her and it was if the shutters came down.

  ‘Good,’ he said flatly. ‘Everything looks as it should. Is it a boy or a girl?’

  Annie hid a smile. He seemed determined not to show her how affected he was, but pride—or was it possessiveness?—was written all over his face. Suddenly she felt uneasy.

  ‘I don’t know the sex,’ she said. ‘I want it to be a surprise. Look, Raphael, if you wanted to check up on how the pregnancy was going, you could have phoned me, come for a visit even, but from what you’ve told me, you’re planning to stick around. For the next six months at least.’

  ‘If it is my child,’ he said, ‘then it needs a father as well as a mother. I don’t have to stay here, you can come back with me to Spain. It will be better. You can stop work, stay with my family.’

  Annie shook her head, dismayed. ‘You can’t be serious.’ She gave a small laugh. ‘Why on earth would I want to do that? My life is here. My job, my friends, my family. My baby will be born here and live here. We don’t need you to support us. Is that the reason you think I called? So you would come running with financial support?’