looked a bit young for Adam.’
Kate gave her brother a pitying look. ‘No woman will ever think Uncle Adam is too old. Besides, you weretoo busy looking down her dress to notice her face. Men are so disgusting!’ She gave a haughty sniff.
Jake grinned unrepentantly. ‘I think you’re meant to with those dresses,’ he said, obviously considering the occupation a legitimate one. ‘She didn’t seem like Adam’s type to me, and I still think she’s too young for him.’
‘Too old for you,’ Kate informed him maliciously. ‘Uncle Adam’s seriously dishy. You ought to hear some of my friends on the subject. Honestly, Jake, he needs someone with a bit of— I don’t know—spirit, to make him laugh occasionally.’
‘He wasn’t laughing,’ her brother reminded her. ‘In fact when she walked in front of that car I thought he was going to murder someone—probably her.’
‘You know what I mean,’ Kate responded impatiently. ‘He never laughs with Jessie and if he does she manages to remind him that such behaviour isn’t in keeping with his role as a consultant surgeon. The woman’s a real pain in the posterior!’ she reflected grimly. ‘Did you hear her going on about boarding-schools being superior? It doesn’t matter for us—we’re almost ready to leave home—but for the twins’ sake we can’t let Adam go through with it.’
On this subject both siblings found themselves in complete agreement.
Two hours later Anna sat in the foyer of Casualty, waiting for her father. Her knee was immobilised in a thick, unattractive bandage and a pair of crutches was propped up beside her wheelchair. Her outfit was attracting a good deal of attention and a few sniggers. She wished she had something to cover her exposed cleavage.
To her relief Adam’s diagnosis had been confirmed. The swelling would go down fairly rapidly. Rest and painkillers were the only things she’d been prescribed.
‘I thought you’d gone home.’ The squirmy mess inher stomach made her feel sick as Adam silently materialised. He belongs to someone else, she told herself firmly. Polite but distant is what I’m aiming for.
‘I’ve got a taxi outside.’
‘Simon will have got Dad to come for me.’ Her confident smile faded as he replied.
‘While you were being treated I rang your parents to reassure them. They agreed that as I was passing we might as well make the journey together.’
‘I don’t suppose it occurred to you to ask me?’ she said witheringly. This was like some ghastly conspiracy. If she ran away to the Sahara she would probably bump into him!
‘I knew you’d say no, just for the hell of it.’
‘It could be I don’t enjoy your company,’ she suggested sweetly. If he knew the half of what his company did to her…!
‘Suffering is good for the soul, or so I’ve heard. Anyway grab your crutches and we’ll be off,’ Adam said, dispensing with discussion and bending to sweep her up.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’
‘I’d have thought that was self-evident.’ He spoke with his arms full of her. ‘Will you do something with that hat?’ he added as the feather trim prickled his nose.
‘Don’t tempt me,’ she said darkly, valiantly keeping up the pretence of hating this manhandling.
Actually it was a novel and incredible experience to feel the strength of his arms around her. She wasn’t helpless and didn’t need cherishing, but… He gave her a quizzical look and she cut off a tremulous sigh. She closed her eyes; she didn’t want to let the fact that this was all illusion spoil the experience. He smelt quite marvellous—warm, spicy and, well, male! Give me strength not to do anything obvious like burst into flames, she prayed.
When they reached the taxi Adam gave directions tothe driver and, after sliding her into the back seat, joined her. ‘There’s no room for you.’
‘Yes, there is, see? Legs elevated,’ he said, placing her feet in his lap.
The painkillers were making
Kate gave her brother a pitying look. ‘No woman will ever think Uncle Adam is too old. Besides, you weretoo busy looking down her dress to notice her face. Men are so disgusting!’ She gave a haughty sniff.
Jake grinned unrepentantly. ‘I think you’re meant to with those dresses,’ he said, obviously considering the occupation a legitimate one. ‘She didn’t seem like Adam’s type to me, and I still think she’s too young for him.’
‘Too old for you,’ Kate informed him maliciously. ‘Uncle Adam’s seriously dishy. You ought to hear some of my friends on the subject. Honestly, Jake, he needs someone with a bit of— I don’t know—spirit, to make him laugh occasionally.’
‘He wasn’t laughing,’ her brother reminded her. ‘In fact when she walked in front of that car I thought he was going to murder someone—probably her.’
‘You know what I mean,’ Kate responded impatiently. ‘He never laughs with Jessie and if he does she manages to remind him that such behaviour isn’t in keeping with his role as a consultant surgeon. The woman’s a real pain in the posterior!’ she reflected grimly. ‘Did you hear her going on about boarding-schools being superior? It doesn’t matter for us—we’re almost ready to leave home—but for the twins’ sake we can’t let Adam go through with it.’
On this subject both siblings found themselves in complete agreement.
Two hours later Anna sat in the foyer of Casualty, waiting for her father. Her knee was immobilised in a thick, unattractive bandage and a pair of crutches was propped up beside her wheelchair. Her outfit was attracting a good deal of attention and a few sniggers. She wished she had something to cover her exposed cleavage.
To her relief Adam’s diagnosis had been confirmed. The swelling would go down fairly rapidly. Rest and painkillers were the only things she’d been prescribed.
‘I thought you’d gone home.’ The squirmy mess inher stomach made her feel sick as Adam silently materialised. He belongs to someone else, she told herself firmly. Polite but distant is what I’m aiming for.
‘I’ve got a taxi outside.’
‘Simon will have got Dad to come for me.’ Her confident smile faded as he replied.
‘While you were being treated I rang your parents to reassure them. They agreed that as I was passing we might as well make the journey together.’
‘I don’t suppose it occurred to you to ask me?’ she said witheringly. This was like some ghastly conspiracy. If she ran away to the Sahara she would probably bump into him!
‘I knew you’d say no, just for the hell of it.’
‘It could be I don’t enjoy your company,’ she suggested sweetly. If he knew the half of what his company did to her…!
‘Suffering is good for the soul, or so I’ve heard. Anyway grab your crutches and we’ll be off,’ Adam said, dispensing with discussion and bending to sweep her up.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’
‘I’d have thought that was self-evident.’ He spoke with his arms full of her. ‘Will you do something with that hat?’ he added as the feather trim prickled his nose.
‘Don’t tempt me,’ she said darkly, valiantly keeping up the pretence of hating this manhandling.
Actually it was a novel and incredible experience to feel the strength of his arms around her. She wasn’t helpless and didn’t need cherishing, but… He gave her a quizzical look and she cut off a tremulous sigh. She closed her eyes; she didn’t want to let the fact that this was all illusion spoil the experience. He smelt quite marvellous—warm, spicy and, well, male! Give me strength not to do anything obvious like burst into flames, she prayed.
When they reached the taxi Adam gave directions tothe driver and, after sliding her into the back seat, joined her. ‘There’s no room for you.’
‘Yes, there is, see? Legs elevated,’ he said, placing her feet in his lap.
The painkillers were making
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