Everlasting Love

by Carole Mortimer

  'If they're sincere, yes,' he answered dryly.

  'Oh, mine always are.' Sally threw herself down into a chair, dangling one denim-clad leg over its arm. 'I'm basically an honest person.'

  'Basically a cheeky one.' Simon stood up. 'I'll call again in a couple of days,' he told Olivia. 'Unless you need me before that.'

  'You aren't leaving already?' Sally pouted her disappointment.

  'I have to, little one,' he gave a gentle smile. 'The hospital doesn't run itself, and with your father away…'

  She nodded slowly, although the disappointment was still reflected in the grey of her eyes. 'I understand. I'll see you to the door, shall I?'

  'That isn't necessary—'

  'Oh, but I want to.' She stood up agilely.

  'The energy of the young,' Simon grimaced, weary himself as he obviously felt the strain of Marcus's absence from the hospital, having been carrying the double workload for a couple of months now.

  Sally flushed. 'You know your trouble?' she snapped.

  'No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me,' he quirked blond brows.

  'I told you, I'm basically an honest person,' she said impudently. 'You should get out more, Simon, before you get too old.'

  Olivia held back her splutter of laughter with effort. Listening to these two as they verbally fenced was guaranteed to lighten anyone's mood.

  'You remember that smacked bottom I once threatened you with?' he drawled, deceptively softly.

  Sally grinned. 'Yes?'

  'You're getting dangerously close to it!'

  'Sounds interesting,' she quipped as she walked to the door with him.

  Olivia was still chuckling when Sally came back to the lounge a few minutes later. 'You're really going to push him too far one of these days,' she warned lightly.

  'I hope so,' the girl sighed. 'I'm running out of ways to attract his interest.'

  'And do you want it?'

  'Olivia, before I answer that, will you tell me something?'

  She frowned at Sally's intensity. 'I should think so,' she nodded.

  'Do you like Simon?'

  'Of course I—Not in that way, no,' Olivia realised the reason for the question. 'I like him as a person and a doctor, but I have no interest in him as a lover.'

  'Sure?' Sally still didn't look convinced.

  She smiled. 'Very. And you?'

  'Oh, I've been sure of Simon since I was fifteen years old,' the girl told her confidently. 'At least, sure of my own feelings for him. I'm going to marry him.'

  'Sally!' Olivia gasped her incredulity.

  'But I am,' Sally nodded. 'Daddy and I are both like that, once our love is given we never take it back. But I just wanted to make sure you weren't interested in Simon. I wanted to ask him out to a party, but I didn't want to tread on your toes.'

  'Invite away,' smiled Olivia.

  Sally grimaced. 'He's; a little old-fashioned about some things, he might not like my asking him out.'

  'There's no harm in trying. He should be back at the hospital in a few minutes, why don't you call him?

  'Oh, I don't know…'

  'Where's all that confidence now?' teased Olivia.

  'You're right,' Sally said determinedly. 'He can only say no.' She went out to use the telephone in the hallway.

  Olivia had the feeling that far from saying no Simon would grasp at the fact that it was Sally asking him out, a sure indication that she was attracted to him too.

  'He said yes!' Sally came back into the room a few minutes later. 'He said yes, Olivia,' she repeated dazedly.

  Olivia's mouth quirked. 'What did you want him to say?'

  'Well—yes. But I never thought he would.' Sally sat down with a thump. 'I told him it was just a few of the kids from college getting together, that he would probably be bored with us juvenile delinquents. And he still said yes!'

  'I'm pleased for you,' smiled Olivia.

  'Do you think I did the right thing?' Sally chewed on her bottom lip in the aftermath of uncertainty. 'What if we get to the party and he really does think I'm too juvenile for him?' She looked at Olivia with troubled grey eyes.

  'I'm sure that won't happen,' she soothed gently. 'If it does you can always tell him he's wrong.'

  Sally flushed at the gentle taunt. 'Do you think I was too outspoken earlier?'

  Olivia could see that the doubt was really beginning to set in now, and although she was sure Sally wouldn't believe her right now she was sure the younger girl's dreams of one day marrying Simon would come true; they could hardly do anything else when confronted with such determination!

  'I'm sure Simon didn't think so,' she reassured the girl. 'It got a reaction, didn't it,' she shrugged. 'And he's going to the party with you.'

  'Yes,' Sally grinned. 'Yes, he is.' She looked pleased with herself.

  'If you intend marrying Simon,' Olivia mocked, 'what are you going to do about your career? I thought you were determined to become a doctor?'

  'I am, and I'm going to be. Simon isn't the man I think he is if he expects me to give up my career when we're married.'

  She had it all worked out, and Olivia could only admire her certainty about the future. It must be wonderful to have your life all mapped out, to know what you wanted and be determined to get it. She had known who and what she wanted at eighteen too, it just hadn't worked out for her. She had a feeling Sally was going to be luckier than she had been.

  'I'm sure he won't,' she told Sally, standing up. 'I'd better get back to your father, I told him I would only be a few minutes, and that was almost half an hour ago.'

  Sally frowned. 'Do you think I should tell him I'm seeing Simon?'

  Olivia thought about it for a few minutes. 'Maybe not just yet,' she answered at last. 'I think he has enough to think about at the moment without being told his daughter has picked out the man she intends to marry.'

  The younger girl laughed. 'Maybe you're right. I wouldn't want to shock him.'

  Olivia wasn't sure Marcus was capable of being shocked by anything at the moment, the lethargy that seemed to have possessed him not lessening at all over the next few weeks. His politeness became such that it frustrated her to talk to him, and he seemed unaware of the fact that his daughter was spending more and more evenings away from the house. Olivia could only be pleased for Sally, her relationship with Simon obviously proving to be everything she had hoped it would be, her uncertainties all for nothing as their love flourished. Simon now had the look of a man who had been given his greatest happiness, as indeed he probably had.

  Marcus seemed unaware of Sally's inner happiness, although Simon's new-found exuberance with life didn't escape him.

  'I take it your—friendship with Simon is progressing nicely,' Marcus remarked scornfully two weeks later after the other man paid him another professional call.

  The obvious thing for her to do was to correct the wrong assumption he had made that Simon's interest was in her, but after days of receiving only apathy from him she knew she should take advantage of this show of temperament. 'And if it is?' she challenged.

  'Nothing.'

  She almost sighed her frustration as he once again dropped behind that cloak of uninterest. 'He's a very thoughtful and interesting—man.'

  Marcus's expression darkened over her slight hesitation. 'That's nice for you,' he returned tightly.

  'I think—'

  'Could I have tea now?' he requested abruptly.

  This time Olivia did sigh her frustration. 'If that's what you want,' she said dully.

  'I already told you, what I want you can't give me,' he snapped.

  'What do you want, Marcus?' She was suddenly angry herself, days of his cold politeness having grated on her nerves. 'Sympathy for your blindness?' she demanded harshly. 'You won't get it,' she told him heatedly. 'Not from me! You sit in that chair day after day, making no attempt to discover what's causing the mental block that stops you seeing, refusing the help I tried to give you—'

  'I don't need yo
ur help, I already know why I can't see!'

  She gave him a sharp disbelieving look for this flat statement. 'Marcus…?'

  His knuckles showed white as his hands gripped about the arms of the chair. 'Would you just go, and get my tea?' he grated.

  'But if you know—'

  'Knowing hasn't helped, has it! I refuse to discuss this with you any further,' Marcus bit out coldly at her persistence.

  She swallowed hard at this cruel dismissal in his tone. 'Me especially, or just anyone?' she voiced softly, tense as she waited for his answer.

  'Does it matter?'

  To her—yes! If it had got to the stage where she was actually hindering his recovery then she would have to stop being his nurse. 'Yes,' she told him simply.

  'I—'

  'Would you mind leaving us, Miss King?' interrupted the autocratic voice of Sybil Carr. 'I want to talk to my son-in-law,' she added with arrogance. 'Alone.'

  Olivia looked with unhidden surprise at the other woman. Not once since Marcus's return home had she made any effort to visit him; for her to come to his room after all this time and demand to see him left Olivia speechless for a moment. She could see Marcus was as stunned as she.

  'Sybil?' he frowned.

  His mother-in-law avoided looking at him directly, something Marcus couldn't possibly be aware of, but which Olivia was very much so. Whatever it was Sybil wanted to discuss with Marcus, she was no closer to accepting his blindness.

  'I need to talk to you, Marcus,' Sybil said awkwardly.

  His mouth twisted as he sensed her reluctance. 'This is an unexpected pleasure,' he drawled.

  Sybil's mouth tightened at his mockery. 'Would you mind, Miss King?' she snapped pointedly.

  'Not at all,' Olivia replied coolly. 'I was about to go downstairs for our tea anyway. Perhaps you would like to join us?'

  Sybil barely contained her shudder of distaste for the idea. 'I've already had mine,' she answered with obvious relief. 'Besides, what I have to say won't take long.'

  'Sounds ominous,' Marcus said dryly as Olivia turned to leave.

  'Not at all,' his mother-in-law replied tersely. 'It's about my trip to France—'

  Olivia didn't hear any more, but closed the door softly behind her. It was obvious that Sybil Carr still couldn't handle the trauma of Marcus's illness, and it sounded as if she had decided to remove herself from having to face it.

  Although Olivia couldn't thank her for interrupting her conversation with Marcus. For the first time in days she had been about to have a heated exchange with him, something she felt they needed badly, although the subject of that conversation had been upsetting to her.

  She was still brooding on it thoughtfully as she returned up the stairs with their tea-tray, almost dropping it as she heard the voices raised in anger.

  'France is out of the question for me at the moment, you know that, Sybil,' Marcus rasped.

  'It's only common decency—'

  'And I'm only blind!' came his cutting reply.

  'Ruth was your wife,' Sybil reminded him heatedly.

  'She's dead,' he said dully.

  'That's my point exactly,' his mother-in-law snapped.

  'Would she have done the same for me, do you think?' Marcus asked with quiet bitterness.

  'I don't—'

  'You know damn well she wouldn't,' he bit out tautly. 'And that's the end of the matter as far as I'm concerned,' he added hardly.

  'It always was,' Sybil replied furiously. 'And I suppose your attitude has done nothing to influence Sally into refusing to come with me too?'

  'Sally's actions are her own affair,' Marcus replied stiffly.

  Olivia was too stunned by the vehemence of the conversation to move, despite knowing she was overhearing a very personal discussion.

  'It's been three years, Sybil,' Marcus's voice softened reasoningly. 'You don't have to continue with this pilgrimage.'

  'Ruth was my daughter,' came the stiff answer. 'And if neither you or Sally will come with me then I'll go to France alone.'

  'That's your prerogative.'

  'I might have known this would be your answer,' Sybil accused raggedly. 'I told Ruth she should never have married you, you never really loved her, only wanted the money and influence she could give you to further your career.'

  'Sybil—'

  'Don't deny it, Marcus,' she snapped. 'You know it's the truth. You broke my little girl's heart with your coldness, forced her into the arms of another man.'

  There was no answer from Marcus, and in the circumstances Olivia could understand why. Marcus had loved his wife very much, had forgiven Ruth's indiscretion to take her back into his life—now to be accused of breaking her heart was ludicrous. Although the rest of the conversation was a bit of a puzzle to her. Why should Sybil want Marcus and Sally to go to France with her, and what did it have to do with Ruth?

  'I shall be leaving as soon as possible,' Sybil rasped. 'This evening, if it can be arranged.'

  'You must please yourself,' came his abrupt reply.

  'I intend to. I find it distasteful to stay in this house with you and your mistress—'

  'My what?'

  'Perhaps that's a rather old-fashioned description of your relationship with Miss King,' Sybil sneered. 'But for the moment I can't think of a better one!'

  'Leave Olivia out of this,' Marcus bit out fiercely.

  'I've said all I had to say,' Sybil snapped. 'Although I think you should consider the example you're setting for Sally.'

  'Goodbye, Sybil,' he said woodenly.

  'You can't deny that Sally is much too young to be going out with Simon Brooks.'

  'Simon?' Sharp interest deepened in Marcus's voice.

  'The two of them have been seeing each other for the last two weeks,' his mother-in-law informed him haughtily. 'It's a totally unsuitable match for Sally.'

  'Don't you mean Olivia?'

  'Don't be ridiculous, Marcus,' Sybil replied shortly. 'I'm well aware of the fact that you've been sleeping with your nurse. I even saw you leave her bedroom one night. How can Sally hope to have any idea of real love when you flaunt your affair in front of her?'

  'How long has this conversation been going on?'

  Olivia turned sharply at the softly spoken query, paling as she saw Sally was standing just behind her. How much of the conversation had the girl heard? How much did she need to have heard to know that Marcus had visited his nurse's bedroom at least once! 'I'm surprised it hasn't happened before,' Sally continued in a whisper. 'Daddy and Grandmother invariably fight at this time of year.'

  Maybe they did, but as far as Olivia knew it was the first time she had been part of the reason for that argument.

  'You mustn't let it bother you, Olivia,' Sally squeezed her arm reassuringly. 'You and I are only secondary matters in this, Grandmother's real complaint is that Daddy and I won't go to France to visit Mummy's grave with her.'

  Olivia frowned her surprise. 'Your mother is buried in France?'

  'Mm,' Sally nodded. 'Daddy is of the opinion that visiting a person's grave once a year can in no way make up for the things that happened while they were alive. I happen to agree with him.' She grimaced. 'Grandmother doesn't, she thinks it shows a lack of respect.'

  'I'm afraid she's also told your father about yourself and Simon,' Olivia revealed softly, her thoughts spinning.

  The young girl shrugged. 'It was no secret.' She looked down at the tea-tray Olivia was clutching so tightly. 'Shall I take this in for you? That way Daddy and I can have a talk once Grandmother has left.'

  Olivia pushed the tray at the other girl, anxious to go to the privacy of her bedroom, unable to face Marcus after the accusations Sybil Carr had made about the two of them, accusations he had made no effort to deny. 'Thank you,' she accepted stiffly. 'I would like to freshen up.'

  Sally gave her an understanding smile, bracing her own shoulders to enter her father's bedroom. Olivia didn't wait for the outcome of that, but escaped to her bedroom, hearing th
e door to Marcus's room slam loudly a few seconds later. Sybil Carr had obviously finished all that she had to say.

  Why had Ruth Hamilton been in France when she died? And why was Marcus still so bitter about his wife, hadn't the reconciliation been a success after all?

  CHAPTER NINE

  It took all Olivia's willpower to go to Marcus's room later that evening, her duties as his nurse making it impossible for her to evade the confrontation. Although Sally had assured her that there wouldn't be one, that she had explained everything to her father. What worried Olivia was the 'everything' she had explained! That Sally and Simon were seeing' each other, seriously, would most certainly have been explained—and only minutes before Olivia had been claiming her own relationship with him. Marcus was going to think her a fool on top of everything else he thought of her.

  He was lying on his bed when she entered the room, the dark glasses firmly in place, his arm thrown back on the pillow behind his head. But the impression that he might be asleep was dispelled the moment she closed the door softly behind her, and his body at once tensed.

  He turned in her direction. 'Olivia?'

  'The one and only,' she confirmed lightly, moving further into the room.

  Marcus sat up to swing his feet down on to the ground. 'Why did you lie to me?'

  Olivia swallowed hard at this direct attack, not surprised by it—she knew Marcus too well for that!— but disconcerted anyway. 'Lie to you?' she prevaricated, standing some distance away from him. 'Why should I have lied to you?'

  'That's what I'm trying to find out,' he said hardly. 'Sally told me she's the one who has been seeing Simon. Why let me think it was you?'

  'Did I?'

  'You know damn well you did!' he accused harshly. 'And Fitzgerald?'

  'Your specialist, nothing more.' Her hands were tightly linked together in front of her.

  'And the man you spent the night with, the one who brings you breakfast in bed?' he scorned.