Best Friend to Royal Bride

by Annie Claydon

  ‘So a tent in Siberia doesn’t push any of your buttons?’ She smiled up at him.

  ‘You can organise the tent and I’ll get the plane tickets. We’ll find out.’

  He obviously found the thought as interesting as she did, but she knew they could talk this way because they both knew they’d never do it. They had something that was much too important to both of them to contemplate anything more than a forbidden fantasy.

  ‘Or we could go to Egypt. Ride out into the desert on camels... Or to Paris and climb the Eiffel Tower...’

  ‘We could. And there’s always Camden. Hoxton. Maida Vale...’

  The familiar names sounded suddenly exotic on his lips. Alex would make anywhere exciting, and his kiss would be equally intoxicating.

  ‘Or we could go back inside. Finish off the job we came to do.’

  ‘That would be good, too. In a completely different way.’

  Alex’s arms loosened around her waist. They both knew this had to end, and that they’d never go to Siberia or Egypt or Paris together. That Camden, Hoxton and Maida Vale would seem perfectly ordinary in the morning.

  He was the one who had the strength to move, to take the first step back. Marie had his arm, but when they emerged from the shadows she stopped.

  ‘Lipstick.’ She pointed to her own mouth, to indicate where the smear was on his, and then pulled the handkerchief from his pocket, shaking out the folds and giving him the end that would be hidden when it was refolded.

  ‘Did I get it all?’

  ‘Bit more.’ Marie took the handkerchief and wiped tiny smudge from the side of his mouth.

  ‘Thanks. You’ve got some...er...’ He waved his finger in a circle, pointing at his own face.

  That wasn’t a lot of help. Marie was sure she didn’t have lipstick in her eyebrows. She wiped her lips, deciding she would go straight to the ladies’ room and repair the rest of the damage.

  ‘Okay?’

  He nodded, offering his arm again. Marie took it and they walked together back up the steps to the terrace. They had a job to do, and it didn’t involve kissing.

  CHAPTER TEN

  LAST NIGHT HAD been a mixture of emotions: wanting to protect Marie and the horrible suspicion that one of the things he needed to protect her against was him; meeting Mark and finding that he was an ordinary man and not an ogre; the feeling that if Sonya made any more introductions he was going to go out onto the terrace and yell for mercy.

  And also sheer, unthinking delight.

  Alex had tried to convince himself that their kiss was something that happened between friends. Out of curiosity. Like the way that, as boys, he and Andrew had kissed the backs of their own hands, to practise what it might be like to kiss a girl.

  But kissing Marie had been nothing like kissing the back of his hand.

  He felt a little less awkward at seeing Marie again than he might have done. She’d made it easy—going back to the party with him, slipping her hand into the crook of his arm just as she had before. They’d talked about the evening in the taxi together without mentioning the kissing part. And then they’d said their goodnights and he’d watched her to her door.

  It was over. Done. And even if it couldn’t be forgotten they’d both put it behind them because it was impossible to do anything different.

  He saw Marie strolling across the front courtyard now, chatting to Zack. She seemed happy, smiling in the late-morning sunshine.

  Alex quickly got the papers he was supposed to be working on out of his briefcase and laid them on his desk to make it look as if he had actually been doing something. He heard a knock on his door and then Zack entered, leaving a respectful distance between himself and the desk.

  ‘Is it okay if I help Marie, please? She’s going to do some more wall-painting.’

  ‘Yes, of course, Zack. Thank you very much.’

  Alex wondered whether Marie would decide to do all her communicating with him via her brother today. It was a possibility.

  But as Zack turned to go Marie popped into the doorway. ‘Charlie and a couple of the other guys are here. They’ve come to help for a few hours.’

  ‘That’s nice of them. Tell Charlie I’ll be along soon.’

  ‘I’m sure he could do with a hand from his number one apprentice.’ Marie grinned.

  ‘Yep. As soon as I’ve checked the accounts I’ll be there.’

  Alex could almost manage to look at her without thinking about last night. The softness of her lips...

  ‘Here...’

  She had something in her hand, and she tossed it towards him. Alex caught it, opening his fist to see what it was.

  ‘That’s exactly what I need. Thank you.’ She’d brought him an eraser in the shape of a dinosaur.

  Then she was gone. Alex congratulated himself on not embarrassing either her or himself, and turned his attention to the papers in front of him.

  Half an hour later, he scribbled his signature on the last page, and was about to write a note to the accounts manager, when Zack came bursting into his office.

  ‘Come and help... Marie...’

  Panic and breathlessness had rendered Zack capable of alarming Alex, but not able to tell him where he needed to be.

  ‘Zack!’ Alex stood up taking him by the shoulders. ‘What’s happened? Where’s Marie?’

  ‘Over the road—at the site office. Charlie went over there for something and didn’t come back. Marie and I went to find him...’

  That was enough for the time being.

  Jim knew the letting agent for the small row of shops across the road, and he’d negotiated the use of an empty one as office space and storage while the works at the clinic were being carried out.

  ‘We called him but he didn’t answer...we looked through the front window and his hat was there...we banged on the door... Marie broke in...’

  Zack was breathlessly recounting the story, running behind him as Alex crossed the road. He didn’t need to know any of that. Just that Marie and Charlie were all right.

  The door of the shop was open, and there was a bent piece of wire that Marie must have shoved through the letterbox to flip the lock. Alex cursed under his breath. Why hadn’t she come to fetch him?

  Because she could do it herself.

  The warm, pliable woman who had clung to his arm last night, to balance herself over the uneven ground in her high heels, was more than capable of doing what needed to be done this morning. That was what he loved about Marie...

  There was no time to consider his use of the word love. Alex noticed Charlie’s bright red baseball cap, propped on one of the drawing boards by the window, and hurried past the desks and storage boxes to the open door at the back, which led to the stairs. He could hear sounds of effort, followed by a loud crack, and then a clatter.

  He ran headlong down the stairs. At the bottom he saw Marie’s face, shining up at him.

  ‘Alex. Thank goodness!’

  He resisted the impulse to hug her. ‘Are you all right? Where’s Charlie?’

  ‘Inside. I heard him.’ She gestured towards the door that led into the basement. ‘But I can’t get the door open—there’s a pile of stuff behind it.’

  She’d made a good start. The door stood open a few inches, and the light was on inside. Alex could see a mess of plaster from a broken sack and pieces of wood piled against the other side of the door, which stopped it from opening any further. Marie had found a crowbar from somewhere, and had managed to lever the bottom hinge away from the doorframe.

  She wasn’t tall enough to get good leverage on the top hinge, and nor was she strong enough to move the heavy door, which was now hanging on just one hinge. Alex took the crowbar, inserting it as far as it would go between the door and the jamb.

  ‘Hold that in place.’

  Marie stretched up to grip the cr
owbar, and Alex felt Zack jostling at his back.

  ‘Zack, get out of the way, will you?’

  Zack jumped back, giving them some room. Alex jerked the door closed, bracing his foot against the door, and holding on to the handle.

  ‘A bit further...’

  When he pushed the door open again he could see that the hinge had given a little. Marie slid the crowbar further into the gap and he pulled again. This time it gave, and he grabbed the other side of the door before it fell forward.

  ‘Zack, mind out.’

  Marie stepped back, taking Zack with her as Alex tipped the door forward, turning it slightly so that it would fit through the frame and then backing with it into the lobby.

  Before he could stop her Marie had slipped past him and into the basement, climbing over the sacks of concrete mix that had slipped from a pile further inside the room and blocked the door. Dust hung heavy in the air, and there was a mess of spilt paint cans, brushes and other supplies, which had come from the heavy timber shelves that had once lined the wall. The shelves must have collapsed, because there was splintered wood everywhere.

  ‘Charlie!’

  She picked her way across the debris to where Alex could see Charlie’s red T-shirt and fell to her knees.

  ‘He’s hurt, Alex. We’re going to need an ambulance.’

  Zack was ready to pile into the room and help, but Alex pulled him back. ‘Go upstairs, Zack. Call an ambulance and tell them there’s been an accident and to hurry. When you’ve done that, I want you to fetch the medical kit from the urgent care room in the clinic and bring it down to us.’

  ‘But... Marie...’ Zack’s eyes were full of frantic tears for his sister.

  ‘Do you want me to stand here arguing with you, or shall I go and help her?’

  Zack nodded, pulling himself together suddenly. ‘Look after them, Alex.’ He threw the order over his shoulder as he ran up the stairs.

  He would. Both Marie and Charlie.

  * * *

  Marie was vaguely aware that Alex was making his way across the piles of debris towards her. She’d heard Charlie crying out when she’d first reached the door that led into the basement, but now he was still and unresponsive, the lower half of his body pinned down under a pile of rubble.

  ‘Airway?’ Alex was there beside her.

  ‘He’s breathing and his airways are clear. I don’t see any major bleeding...’ She leaned forward, finding Charlie’s wrist. ‘And his pulse is surprisingly steady.’

  ‘Okay, stay with him, and I’ll move some of this wood away from his legs.’

  Marie nodded. She’d known that she couldn’t get the door open by herself and had hoped that Zack would find Alex quickly. Together they would be able to help Charlie, and now they’d fallen automatically back into the habit of depending on each other to get the job done.

  ‘Glad you’re here.’

  ‘Yeah. Glad you’re here.’

  Alex set to work, clearing the mess of paint cans and smaller pieces of wood from around Charlie’s legs. Charlie was alive. All they had to do now was keep him that way.

  Marie bent over him, smoothing his hair from his brow and tapping his cheek with her finger. ‘Charlie! Charlie, can you hear me?’

  Charlie moaned, moving his arms as if to push whatever was holding him down away. Marie caught his hand, holding it tightly in hers.

  ‘Charlie. It’s Marie. Look at me.’

  As Charlie opened his eyes he let out a long, keening cry of distress.

  ‘Charlie, I want you to stay still, if you can. Just look at me.’ Marie clung to his hand, trying to calm him.

  ‘I can see his legs,’ said Alex. ‘The right one looks okay...’

  Which meant that the left one didn’t. But Alex would tell her if he needed her, and Marie concentrated on Charlie’s pulse, beating beneath her fingers.

  ‘It hurts...’

  ‘I know. We’ll have you out of here soon, Charlie. You’re doing really well—just hold my hand.’

  ‘Yeah. Hold on.’ Charlie groaned as Alex carefully lifted the piece of wood that was lying across his leg.

  One more piece to go, and then Alex would be able to see better. It was a big piece, though—one of the shelves that had fallen from the wall. Marie glanced up at Alex and he nodded.

  ‘Charlie, Alex is going to move the last piece of wood. It’s going to hurt, so hang on to me.’ She bent over Charlie, so he wouldn’t see what Alex was doing.

  Alex positioned himself in order to take the strain, and carefully lifted the heavy shelf. Charlie howled in pain, his fingers digging into Marie’s arms.

  ‘Okay. Okay, we’re done. That’s the worst bit over, Charlie.’

  She could see his left leg now, twisted and certainly broken. Blood was pluming out over his jeans and dripping onto the concrete beneath him.

  Alex leaned forward, gripping the top of Charlie’s leg, putting pressure on the main artery to stanch the flow. His other hand found Charlie’s, gripping it just as tight.

  ‘Where’s the medical kit?’ Alex muttered the words, looking up as movement in the doorway indicated that Zack was back.

  Marie broke free from Charlie and picked her way across to Zack. He was standing staring at Charlie’s leg, and looked as if he was about to faint.

  Marie grabbed the medical bag from his hand. ‘Is the ambulance on its way? Zack!’

  ‘Yes... I told them to hurry.’

  ‘Good. Well done. Now, go back upstairs and wait for them outside. Got it?’

  ‘Yes. Yes, I can do that.’

  Zack straightened suddenly, and Marie turned him around, pushing him towards the door. Her little brother had been thrown in at the deep end, but he was doing fine.

  She opened the medical kit, sorting through the contents of the bag to find a pair of surgical gloves and scissors. Alex was talking to Charlie, trying to reassure him while he did what he could to slow the bleeding. Carefully cutting Charlie’s jeans, Marie exposed the wound on his lower leg.

  The broken bone was sticking through his flesh, blood pumping out around it. There was no way that Alex could put any pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding.

  ‘Tourniquet?’

  Alex nodded. Marie took the tourniquet from the bag, looking at her watch and writing the time on the tab.

  ‘Let go of Alex, Charlie. Hold my hand.’

  As soon as Alex was free to work he wrapped the tourniquet around Charlie’s leg. The bleeding slowed and then stopped, and Alex turned his attention to check that there was no other bleeding.

  By the time the ambulance crew arrived they were ready to move their patient. Alex helped them to carry Charlie through to the small goods lift at the back of the building, and he was transferred into the ambulance.

  ‘I’ll go with him.’ Alex moved towards the back of the ambulance.

  Marie caught his arm. ‘You’re sure?’ She knew the ambulance paramedics could be trusted to look after Charlie.

  ‘He’s my responsibility.’ Alex’s jaw was set firm.

  It was a bit of a stretch to feel that any of this was Alex’s responsibility, but there was no talking him out of it. He and Charlie had struck up an unlikely friendship, and Alex wouldn’t let him go to the hospital alone.

  ‘Okay. I’ll call Jim and get him to contact Charlie’s family. When you’re done, give me a call; you can’t walk back looking like that.’ She nodded towards the blood on Alex’s jeans.

  He looked down, seeming to see it for the first time. ‘Yeah, okay. Thanks. Zack did well. Don’t forget to tell him that.’

  ‘I won’t.’

  Zack had been frightened, but he’d done everything he’d been asked. Marie wondered whether her little brother would have been able to do that before he’d come to work here, and was proud of how far he’d come.

/>   She watched as Alex spoke to the paramedic and then got into the back of the vehicle. The doors closed and the driver climbed into her seat. There was a short pause, and then the ambulance drew away from the kerb.

  * * *

  Jim had arrived at the hospital with Charlie’s parents. About ten minutes later Charlie’s older brother and his wife had come bursting through the doors of the waiting room.

  Alex had sat them all down and explained what had happened, and the surgeon’s prognosis. Charlie would need an operation to set his leg, and he’d be in hospital for a few days, but he had no other major injuries. The bruise on his face looked distressing, but it would heal.

  When Charlie’s mother saw her son her hand flew to her mouth, but she steadied herself and walked over to his bed, kissing him. Charlie’s father shook his hand and thanked him, and Alex knew that it was time for him to leave.

  He called Marie and then sat on a bench outside the A&E department, adrenaline and concern for Charlie still thrumming in his veins. All he wanted to do was hug Marie—but he saw Zack walking towards him from the direction of the car park.

  ‘I said I’d come. Marie needed to wrap things up at the clinic.’ Zack settled himself down on the bench next to him, asking the obvious question. ‘How’s Charlie?’

  ‘They’ll need to set the leg, and that means—’

  ‘An operation and he’ll be here for a few days. Yeah, Marie told me. They didn’t find anything else?’

  ‘No. He’s got lots of cuts and bruises, but he’ll be fine.’

  Alex grinned. Marie had obviously talked everything through with Zack and he seemed to be taking it all in his stride.

  ‘When can we go and see him?’ Zack peered at the doors of the A&E unit, obviously wondering if he might go in and see Charlie now.

  ‘His family are with him, and we shouldn’t interrupt. I’ll call tomorrow, and you can take some time off in the afternoon if he’s up to having visitors.’

  ‘Great. Thanks. I’ll make the time up.’

  ‘That’s okay. I think it counts as official clinic business. Charlie’s one of ours.’