The Surgeon's Family Wish by Abigail Gordon Page A

‘Shall we dress up, Annabel? If you don’t want to play doctors and patients, we could be fairies. I have a fairy dress that Grandma bought me for my birthday and there’s a dress of Mummy’s in the wardrobe that you could wear. Daddy let’s me play with it because it’s all bright and shiny.’
    â€˜I don’t think so,’ she said quickly. ‘ You can dress up for me , but I don’t think your daddy would want me to touch what belonged to Mummy.’
    â€˜He won’t mind.’ Lucy persisted, lip trembling. ‘Please, Annabel. Can’t we be fairies for just a little while?’
    Annabel looked at her in consternation. The last thing she wanted was for Aaron to find out that his daughterhad been in tears while in her care. He wasn’t due home for at least a couple of hours. Maybe there would be no harm as long as the garment was back in the wardrobe before that time.
    â€˜All right,’ she agreed reluctantly, ‘but only for a short time, Lucy. Where is the dress?’
    â€˜I’ll show you,’ she said, smiling now that her wish had been granted. Taking Annabel’s hand, she led her up a wide staircase into the master bedroom. ‘In there,’ she said, pointing to a fitted wardrobe.
    It was an evening dress of ivory silk with a beaded bodice and a full, flowing skirt. When Annabel tried it on the top half hung on her and the skirt was far too short, both factors a reminder that its owner had been more rounded and less tall than herself.
    There was the faint smell of perfume lingering on the expensive fabric and she shivered. Was its owner watching her in the dress, indignant and helpless to protest? She felt as if any moment Eloise would appear and demand she take it off.
    Lucy, meanwhile, unaware of Annabel’s unease, was floating from room to room, waving her wand and enjoying herself immensely, when the door opened and Aaron was there, his face a study in amazed outrage and disbelief.
    â€˜What on earth is going on?’ he demanded.
    â€˜We were playing at fairies,’ she said hesitantly, as the bright colour stained her cheeks. ‘Anything to keep Lucy happy.’
    â€˜Anything appears to be a good description,’ he said in the same grim tone. ‘Much as I love my daughter, I don’t let her have all her own way.’
    â€˜Maybe. But what is someone like me to do when she is in tears? Let her become upset?’ she protested. ‘I wantto get to know Lucy. She’s a delightful child and I’d like us to be friends. It would have been a poor beginning if we didn’t get on the first time we were alone together.’
    He didn’t comment. Instead, he told her stiffly, ‘I came home to pick up some paperwork that I’d forgotten. How do you expect me to feel?’
    â€˜I’m sorry,’ she croaked. ‘I didn’t mean to offend you. Lucy was upset when I refused to dress up for her, and rather than see her in tears I agreed. She said that you let her play with the dress so I thought it would be all right. I know it was taking liberties but the last thing I would ever want is to upset you, Aaron.’
    â€˜Yes, I do let Lucy play with the dress,’ he admitted stonily, ‘when she wants to feel near to Eloise...but really! The last thing I expected was to find you wearing it.’
    In her dismay Annabel threw decorum to the winds. She undid the zip with frantic fingers and let the dress fall to the floor. When she stood before him in her underslip she didn’t care that Aaron was seeing her undressed. All she wanted was to be free of the embarrassment.
    Almost before he could take in the vision before him, she was reaching frantically for the skirt and blouse she’d been wearing previously and throwing them on as if he’d caught her naked.
    He turned away, saying flatly, ‘I have to get back. Are you free to stay with Lucy for a little while