by Anne Fraser
Hot with confusion, Meagan turned on her heel, seeking the relative safety of her friends, but before she had taken more than a couple of steps she felt a strong grip on her upper arm.
‘Not thinking of leaving, are you?’ murmured a soft, deep voice in her ear. Taking a gulp of air to steady her breathing, Meagan turned towards him, but to her consternation found herself so close she could smell the soap on his skin and the sea in his hair.
‘Don’t go’ was all he said.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur for Meagan. Cameron didn’t leave her side, giving her his undivided attention and flirting outrageously, demanding that she dance only with him to the swirling tunes that were played by guests who had brought instruments with them.
Eventually the tempo of the music slowed and he pulled Meagan close, wrapping her arms around his neck and nuzzling hers in return as he trickled his fingers along her back. Powerless to resist, Meagan let her body melt into his and raised her face, staring into his eyes, which reflected the flickering light of the bonfires around them.
With a muttered cry of something in Gaelic, he bent his head to hers and claimed her lips with kisses that were gentle at first but, as she responded, grew increasingly demanding.
She could feel his body grow hard with his desire and her own body responded as if she had no control over it as she clung to him, seeking more and more of him until finally, with a groan, he pulled away from her and, taking her by the hand, said softly, ‘Come with me.’
There was something about him that made Meagan feel less than her nineteen years. It wasn’t just that he was older—four or five years older than her, she guessed. Perhaps it was because he seemed to have a confidence in his own sexuality that few, if any, men of her acquaintance had.
Meagan had been pursued by many men in her life. She knew men found her attractive with her coal-black hair, which she had inherited from her Italian mother, along with her willowy frame and wide mouth. On the other hand, she had inherited her pale complexion, height and arresting green eyes from her Scottish father. It all added up to a combination that drew looks wherever Meagan went, and judging by the admiring looks she was getting from her companion he also found the combination to his liking. But although Meagan was conscious of the effect she had on men, she had little time for love affairs. She had her future mapped out and nothing and no one was going to stand in the way of her achieving her dreams.
But until that night no other man had made her feel as if she wanted to give herself up, to lose herself in their arms in the way that he did, despite having just met him. He made her feel that the rest of the world had ceased to exist, as if the future was unimportant, that it was only the here and now that mattered.
And so she went with him along the edge of the shore where the waves lapped at their feet, until they found a place deep in the dunes and hidden from view, where he lowered her gently to the ground. He kissed her eyelids, her ear lobes, and then down to her neck before finding her mouth, kissing her with a hunger that took Meagan’s breath away.
Never before had Meagan felt her body respond in such a manner. Almost against her will she arched her body to his, needing to feel the length of his body hard against hers. Suddenly he pulled away.
‘You’ve never made love to a man before, have you?’ he said, his voice full of wonder.
Meagan was mortified. Was her lack of experience so obvious? But it was true. She had never, before that night, found a man she wanted to give herself to. She knew when she did finally lose her virginity she wanted it to mean something. She wanted it to be special. And it wasn’t as if she’d had many boyfriends. Her studies and her sailing had kept her too busy.
‘Its ridiculous, isn’t it? A nineteen-year-old virgin in this day and age?’ She sat up and hugged her knees.
‘Not ridiculous,’ he said. ‘Kind of wonderful.’ He sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. ‘You’re kind of wonderful,’ he said, ‘but I think we should get to know one another before we go any further. There will be a right time for us, but it’s not yet.’ He pulled her back into his arms, and they lay there for the rest of the evening with the feel of the gentle night breeze on their skin. As she told him about her dreams and the sacrifices she’d had to make, he held her and listened. He hadn’t said much, only that he too had studied medicine. That he worked in London and was completing his higher training. She never even found out his last name.
And all too soon she had had to leave. The sun was just beginning to make the sky pink and she and her companions were sailing on the high tide.
He held her tightly, kissing her hair and murmuring endearments.
‘Do you have to go? Can’t you stay? Now I have found you, I don’t want to let you out of my sight. Not even for a minute.’
For a moment she thought about letting them sail without her, but just as quickly dismissed the notion. She was the only one who could safely steer them on the rest of their journey. And somehow she knew there would be time later for her and Cameron.
She kissed him back fiercely.
‘I wish I could stay. But we’ll see each other soon. You’ll come and see me in Edinburgh?’
‘The devil himself couldn’t stop me,’ he said. ‘I’ll come as soon as I can. In the meantime, take care. Watch the seas around here.’ Then he kissed her and she clung to him, unwilling to leave. Only the knowledge that she would see him soon gave her the strength to walk away from him. But she had been wrong. Despite his promises he had never come.
Aware that he was waiting for a response, Meagan dragged her thoughts back to the present.
‘Of course. It was a long time ago. We were both a lot younger then. I was only nineteen. I’m sure we’ve both had a few “meetings” since then.’
That wasn’t strictly true. Since Cameron, there had only been Charlie. And even with Charlie it had never been quite like that night with Cameron. She had put it down to first love, making herself believe that nothing and no one could ever measure up to the intensity of believing yourself in love for the first time. And that’s all it had been, she told herself firmly. An impressionable teenager’s first real experience of love. It wasn’t altogether surprising she had never really forgotten him…
‘Shall we get back?’ Cameron said abruptly, looking over her shoulder into the distance. ‘It feels like its going to rain.’
They walked back down the hill in silence. Meagan wondered what Cameron was thinking. Was he glad that they had met again? Or was he dismayed to find that they’d be working together? She sneaked glances at him, but she couldn’t tell anything from his expression.
As they reached the front of the building, Meagan could make out the slim figure of Rachel leaning against Cameron’s car, watching them. A young dark-haired boy was kicking a football nearby.
‘Cameron, Meagan. You’re back,’ Rachel called out as they approached. Although she smiled, Meagan thought she didn’t look very pleased. ‘Cameron, what have you being doing, dragging our new doctor over these muddy fields? I’m sure she has better things to do.’
‘I loved seeing it. It’s so beautiful here. Besides, Cameron leant me a pair of wellington boots from the house,’ Meagan said. ‘I hope they didn’t belong to anyone.’
Rachel dismissed her comments with a wave of a manicured hand. ‘That’s quite all right,’ she said. ‘Help yourself any time. The house keeps a selection for visitors. No, I just wondered if Cameron would be joining us for lunch. You’re welcome to stay too, Meagan, of course.’ Meagan was surprised when Rachel said ‘us’ in that emphasizing way. What could she mean? What exactly did she have to do with Grimsay House? She certainly seemed to have a proprietorial air about her.
Just then the small boy came running over. ‘Daddy, will you play football with me? Mummy says she can’t and Effie is still in bed. Please, Daddy?’
CHAPTER THREE
STUNNED, Meagan looked at Cameron and then at the young boy. The resemblance was there in the da
rk hair and full lips, although the child had his mother’s eyes. So Cameron and Rachel were together—what on earth did he think he had been playing at a little while ago? Stroking her arm, mentioning their night together? Meagan felt her heart plummet. Somehow she had always thought herself still a little bit in love with Cameron’s memory and now it was sullied forever. With sickening clarity she realised he was just like Charlie.
‘Meagan, I’d like you to meet my son, Ian. Ian, this is Dr Galbraith.’
‘Happy to meet you,’ Ian said, holding out his hand to Meagan. His serious expression and behaviour was that of a much older child. She shook his hand gravely.
‘Nice to meet you,’ she said pleased her voice sounded steady, but inside her thoughts were whirling around. He was married? To Rachel? And a son. Why hadn’t he said anything? Had he been married back then? If so, what a fool she had been. No wonder he didn’t seem to want her here.
‘I am pleased to meet you too,’ the young boy said formally.
‘And you’ve met my ex-wife, Rachel?’
Rachel smiled enigmatically. ‘Oh, this is just a temporary blip, darling,’ she drawled. ‘As soon as you see sense and come back to London, everything will be back as it should be.’
Cameron frowned. He indicated Ian with a tip of his head. ‘Not now, Rachel,’ he said, his voice a river of steel. The tension between him and Rachel was palpable. He turned to the young boy, who was looking anxiously from one to the other. ‘I can’t play with you just now, mo ghaol, but I promise to after lunch. Deal?’
‘What about Dr Galbraith?’ Ian asked. ‘Is she going to stay for lunch? I could show her my den.’ He turned to Meagan, looking up at her with soulful brown eyes. ‘My daddy told me the new doctor is a good sailor. I love going out on boats. Can I go out with you?’
‘I would love to take you out sailing one day,’ Meagan replied, laughing. ‘And I would love to see your den. But I have to go right now, so maybe another time?’
The young boy nodded, satisfied, before running off to continue his game. As she looked after him, she felt her heart squeeze. At one time she’d thought she would be the mother of just such a little boy.
Her mind racing with the turn events had taken, all Meagan wanted was to put as much distance as possible between her and the couple in front of her. She needed time to think.
Rachel hooked her slim arm in Cameron’s with an easy familiarity. ‘Cameron,’ she said, smiling into his eyes, ‘I do hope you’ve invited Meagan to the ball. We could do with a new face to liven things up.’
‘Jessie did mention a ball earlier,’ Meagan said. ‘Thank you for the invitation, but I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. If Cameron is going—which I am sure he is—then I’ll be on call. Besides, I didn’t bring anything suitable to wear.’
‘Oh, don’t worry about dresses. I’ve got plenty. You’d be more than welcome to take your pick. Although—’ she eyed Meagan’s figure critically ‘—they might need some adjusting. Mrs MacLeod is pretty good with a needle.’
Cheek, Meagan thought furiously. Just because Rachel didn’t have an ounce of fat on her!
‘Don’t worry, Meagan, the whole practice will be there. Everyone is looking forward to it.’ Cameron spoke before Meagan could formulate another refusal.
But Rachel, considering the discussion closed, moved on. She smiled seductively up at Cameron. ‘Ian is so looking forward to spending some time with his daddy and mummy,’ Rachel said, reaching up to Cameron and touching his cheek with a long finger. ‘And so am I.’ Without waiting for a reply, she turned and sashayed back to the house.
Cameron watched her go, his expression inscrutable.
Meagan turned to Cameron. ‘I’m not really expected to go to this ball, am I?’
‘Yep, sorry. Doctor’s orders. It will give you the chance to mix with locals and dignitaries alike. Colin thinks it’s good public relations for everyone to attend—the whole practice will be there. Colin and his wife should be back for it, if it makes you feel better.’
Meagan felt annoyed at the cavalier manner with which he seemed to be arranging her social life. But was it just that? she wondered. She felt angry with him for not mentioning his marriage or child. But it wasn’t as if it was any of her business. Likewise, what she did in her spare time was her own affair.
‘What gives you the right to accept invitations on my behalf?’
‘I’m sorry. But I’m afraid you’ll just have to accept that on a small island such as this, to refuse an invitation is to give offence.’
Meagan bristled. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to go to hell, but she swallowed her annoyance. He was her boss after all.
‘Very well,’ she conceded. ‘If you put it like that, I suppose I can’t refuse.’
‘Good, that’s settled, then. Would you like to stay for lunch?’
‘No, if I am allowed to refuse any invitations at all, I’d rather not. I’ve still to unpack.’
‘Of course you don’t have to stay for lunch. It’s perfectly understandable that you have things to do. I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Eight-thirty? I can give you a quick tour and a rundown of the patients before surgery.’ He spoke calmly, politely, as if they were perfect strangers, which Meagan supposed they were.
Before she had a chance to reply, he turned on his heel and crossed over to his son. Laughing, he swooped him into his arms and tossed him into the air. With the sound of delighted childish giggles ringing in her ears, Meagan started walking back to her house, realising as she did so that she had left her medical bag and boots at the house. Loath to face Cameron or Rachel again until she had time to get her emotions under control, she decided that she would collect them later.
Stomping down the road to her cottage, she noticed an elderly female figure dressed in a tweed suit and headscarf coming towards her.
‘Good morning!’ the woman greeted her. ‘I thought I’d look in on you on my way to getting the church ready for evening service.’ A gnarled hand was offered. ‘I’m the housekeeper—Mrs McLeod, but call me Flora. We don’t hold much with ceremony here. Welcome to Uist—I hope you’ll be happy here.’
‘Oh, Mrs McLeod—Flora. Nice to meet you. Thank you for the fire and provisions you left last night. You’ve no idea how welcome they were.’
‘Aye, I heard you’d got yourself into a bit of difficulty on the road,’ Flora said, with a suspicious gleam in her eye.
‘Oh, no!’ Meagan said, dismayed. ‘Is it all round the island already?’ So much for making a good impression, she thought, her heart sinking a little.
‘I’m afraid that everyone will be interested in the new doctor from the mainland. Apart from summer visitors, we don’t get many new faces coming to live here. It’s bound to be the main topic of conversation after church today. How the new doctor tried to kill herself and half the island and then needed to be rescued.’ Flora gave a little chuckle, clearly highly amused by the previous day’s events.
‘Yes, I realise now that it was Dr Stuart—Lord Grimsay. Although at the time he looked more like a fisherman.’ Meagan remarked unsure how she was supposed to refer to Cameron.
Flora’s mouth tightened and a coolness entered her eyes.
‘You mean you thought he looked too ordinary? Well, we don’t keep with people giving themselves airs and graces here.’
Obviously the local population thought highly of Cameron, Meagan thought, remembering the easy teasing between him and the bystanders the day before.
Realising that she might have put her foot in it and anxious to make amends, Meagan offered Flora a cup of tea.
‘No, thanks, dear, not today. But I’ll pop by tomorrow to give things in the house a bit of going over. Dr MacDonald has arranged for me to come in for a couple of hours three days a week, if that suits you?’
Meagan really didn’t want someone in the house, tidying up after her, but it would be rude and churlish to refuse. They parted, agreeing that the arrangement would continue as agreed.
Meagan spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking and settling into her new home. As she found places for her clothes and books, her thoughts kept returning to Cameron. Had he already been married that night? If so, then he had behaved unforgivably and was no better than Charlie. How old was Ian? Meagan hadn’t had much experience with children but she thought he was about five or six. It was just over six years since that night, so Rachel must have been pregnant then or at least soon after. What was it about men? Meagan thought furiously. At least the men she seemed to fall for. If she’d thought that Cameron was different, she had been badly mistaken.
Still, it was better to find out sooner rather than later. Now she knew just exactly what sort of man she was dealing with, she’d be on her guard. She had to work with Cameron, and they had to get along as colleagues, but apart from that she’d keep her distance.
The next day dawned with a change in the weather. The wind had risen, bringing with it rain that hurled itself against the windows of Meagan’s car. As she drove to the surgery, she was glad of her vehicle’s efficient heater.
She had dressed carefully in a well-cut beige linen trouser suit, ruefully aware that it was probably a tad too dressy. Just before she left the house, she removed her wedding ring and placed it safely in a drawer. As she had told Cameron, she wanted this to be a new start. It was time to break her last, final link with Charlie.
She was scheduled to help Cameron with the morning clinic and then accompany him on visits in the afternoon. If she had time, she would include a return visit to the big house to see how Effie was getting on, although she was pretty certain Jessie would have called if there hadn’t been an improvement.
As she drove, her thoughts turned to Cameron and the feelings he had stirred up. She was still attracted to him, she couldn’t deny it, and her attraction unsettled her. But looking on the bright side, maybe it meant she was getting over Charlie. Yes, she was still vulnerable and raw. Thinking of his death still pained her but no longer in the way that it had once done. She was even able to accept that some of the blame attached to the deterioration of their marriage might lie with her.
