Millionaire's Society Mistress

by Marie Kelly

  Chapter Twelve

  Present Day

  As Fiona had collapsed into Craig’s arms the diner had erupted into noise and movement as everybody had rushed forward. Swinging her into his arms Craig had looked around for somewhere to lay her down, the concern so evident in his face.

  “Over here”, Stuart’s voice had been heard over the rest as Craig had carried her towards him, holding her as though she were fragile china as he had moved towards the small couch in the back of the diner.

  “I’ll take it from here” Stuart had said making to move before the stranger, surprised as the man had refused to budge, instead looking at the younger man with grim determination

  “No”

  Stuart pausing for a second before scowling

  “Who the hell are you?”

  He had demanded, suspicion on his voice as he had looked warily down at Alanna. He could tell money and power when he saw it, and the man before him had both in abundance. He had watched as the stranger had ignored his question, taking her hand in his, Stuart frowning as the stranger had brought her hand to his mouth, kissing it softly, seeing the panic in the man’s eyes

  “Do you know her?” he had asked softly, Craig looking up, nodding softly his look quickly flicking back to the young woman so still and pale on the couch

  “Yeah…I know her”

  Stuart pulling out his radio as he had called for an ambulance.

  At the hospital, Fiona had been rushed into one of the rooms, the doctor quickly coming out to talk to the two men who had remained outside, giving Stuart a small welcome smile and nod

  “You will be glad to know Stuart that Alanna is going to be fine”

  “Fiona”

  The sharp voice had interrupted them as both eyes had turned to the stranger.

  “Her name is Fiona Campbell”

  Giving a small cough the doctor had continued, informing them that all her vital signs were fine, but they were going to allow her to come around on her own. Promising to let them know when she was awake.

  As the doctor had once more moved away, Stuart had looked over at the stranger, his voice softer

  “I’m sorry my name is Stuart…I’m a friend of Al…I mean Fiona”

  Craig had fixed the younger man with cold eyes “Are you her boyfriend?” His tone low, eyes hard as the other man had started, his voice surprised

  “No… just a friend”

  Seeing as the stranger had seemed to slump back with relief, a smile coming to his face as he had extended his hand

  “I’m sorry Stuart…it has been a long, long three months. My name is Craig…Craig Thompson”

  Taking the hand he had grinned back “Nice to meet you”

  Craig giving a small smile “Sorry…didn’t mean to jump at you…just when I saw you hugging her…”

  Stuart had nodded back “I understand…don’t get me wrong…who wouldn’t be interested in a girl like her…but given the way we met…I guess we were always only just going to be friends”

  Raising a quizzical eyebrow Craig had asked “Oh…and how was that?”

  Stuart smiling softly “I was one of the officers who pulled her out of the burning car”

  With a small sound, Craig had once more stood up, his eyes glistening as he had thought of her being there, nearly being killed in that car, looking over at Stuart with real feeling in his voice

  “Thank you…thank you more than I can ever say”

  Stuart looking embarrassed back as he had nodded “What is your relationship to Alanna? I mean Fiona…” a small chuckle leaving him “going to take a while to get used to that”

  Craig giving a small smile before his features had become so sad

  “She is…was my girlfriend…I messed up and she left. She must hate me”

  Stuart had looked in surprise at the obvious pain on the man’s voice “Oh…I see”

  Before frowning “She had complete memory loss Craig. She has not known who she was since she got here”

  Craig had nodded “Yeah…I saw the press release for her” looking at the man with surprise “She didn’t remember anything?”

  Shaking his head Stuart had looked back “Well…she did keep having dreams”

  Craig looking back expectantly

  “Dreams of a man, kind of fits your description, walking away from her…she seemed so sad about it…kind of hurt I thought”

  Groaning softly Craig had looked at the ceiling, guilt once more filling him as silence had fallen between the two, Craig remembering the last three months.

  After reading her letter he had been filled with such anger, determined to rid her from his thoughts. He had made her a good offer, not ending their relationship, knowing that Alanna would not have cared, knowing also that still having Fiona in his life would have been an important part of the marriage agreement. He had resealed the letter to Scott and sent it first-class the following day, determined to forget her, working longer and longer hours to forget her smile, the apartment seeming so empty and cold without her presence.

  Scot’s phone call less than a week later however, had filled him with panic, her brother demanding to know what had happened as he had told him to ask her himself. Finding out that he had not heard from Fiona had been like a body blow to Craig, knowing that she would have definitely contact Scott, no matter where she was, panic filling both men.

  He had hired a detective agency to find Fiona, her location and whereabouts to be their sole concern. With nothing really to go on, they had scoured the flights that had left that day finding no sign of the young woman. Only after two weeks had they discovered some footage of Fiona at the train station, more weeks passing as they had found out which train she had taken, made more difficult by the fact she had paid cash.

  While the search was on going, the panic had turned to fear and terror as amongst other facts it became apparent that she had not taken out any more money since that night. Craig had replayed the events of that evening, realising just how wrong he had been. The position he had tried to put her in, knowing that she would never have agreed to that kind of relationship. Realising that what he had done to her was every bit as bad as Donald had done, worse even.

  As Scott and his wife Natalie with their young sons had insisted on coming over to help in the search, he had rented them a home, Scott beside himself with worry. While he had blamed himself, Scott had been more supportive than he deserved, both men focussed on her safe return.

  After three months the breakthrough they had all been hoping and praying for had come, as one of the investigators had unearthed a photo of a young women and a Canadian town requesting information on the unknown person with amnesia.

  Craig had remembered seeing the frightened image of the bruised and distraught Fiona, both wanting to cry with relief and moan at the state she was in. Both Scott and he had immediately taken his small jet to the tiny backwater town, splitting up when they got their looking for her whereabouts. It had been Craig who had eventually tracked her down as he had moved into the diner for a coffee to ward off the bitter cold of the Canadian oncoming winter.

  “Craig!!”

  The other voice had snapped him back to the present as both men had looked around as Scott had ran along the corridor to meet them, his face full of fear

  “What happened….did you find her?”

  Craig nodding, as he had relayed the news from the doctor, Scott falling to squat on his knees, his head in his hands breathing heavily with relief

  “Thank God, thank God” he had repeated over and over, before finally standing, such relief on his face

  “Can we see her…I need to see her”

  Craig had nodded softly

  “When she wakes up…we can see her then”

  Turning he had moved over to Stuart

  “Scott…this is Stuart…he pulled Fiona from the car”

  Stuart had been taken aback as the other man had grabbed him in a bear hug, before pulling back, his face so full of emotion />
  “Thank you…thank you for saving my sister”

  Stuart smiling back not really knowing what to say as he had nodded “Erm…you’re welcome”

  For the next ten minutes the two had listened to him as he had filled them in on her life in the past three months. Both men once more thanking him for the care he had given to her as he had ensured that she had somewhere to live and a job.

  “It wasn’t hard…she is a good person” he had said, before moving to meet an older couple who had come into the area, their faces full of concern also. Pulling them over he had introduced his parents to Craig and Scott, both men again thanking them for their kindness. As the group had talked the doctor had once more entered the room, a hushed silence falling as they had looked at him with expectation all feeling the relief as the man had smiled warmly at them.

  “Fiona is awake”

  Everybody in the room as one moving forward as the man had held up his hand.

  “Do we have any family members here?”

  Scott moving forward nodding

  “Yes…I’m her brother”

  The doctor smiling and turning to lead him to where she was. Pausing and turning, Scott had indicated that Craig should join him. As the two men had moved to her room the doctor had stopped outside her door, his face becoming more serious

  “She is very emotional. The amnesia stopped the real horror of what happened really hitting her. But now she is experiencing it almost as though it just happened. I think that you should know that”

  Moving into the room, Scott had rushed over to his sister his arms pulling her in harder, his eyes misting over as she had wrapped her arms around his neck sobbing hysterically.

  From the back of the room Craig had ran his fingers through his hair, relief filling him seeing her, finally after all those months just seeing her well.

  As brother and sister had finally broken apart, her eyes had fallen on Craig, pain filling her lovely features as she had stared in disbelief at him being there.

  Moving forward he had sat on the other side of the bed from Scott, her eyes never leaving him once.

  “Craig?” her voice weak and so full of emotion, before the tears had once more risen to her eyes.

  “Please go…just please go”

  “Fiona…I..” he had began as she had once more thrown herself into her brother’s arms, her voice almost lost as she had begged “Please ask him to go…please Scott…please”

  Craig feeling as if his stomach was being ripped apart as Scott had looked at him, his eyes pointedly telling him to leave. Rising Craig had moved from the room, feeling as tears had slid down his face wanting so badly to tear her out of her brother’s arms and pull her into his.

  Moving back to the others, they had looked at each other taking in the upset of the man before them.

  “How is she?” Stuart had asked gently, as Craig had regarded them seriously

  “She is upset…emotional. With the memories coming back…it is hitting her hard”

  Stuart’s mother had moved towards him, her voice kindly

  “If I know Russ…Alanna…I mean Fiona’s doctor…he will insist she stays overnight. Why don’t you and Scott come to stay with us tonight? We have a spare room…and of course Fiona’s flat.”

  Nodding softly Craig had struggled to thank the woman moving over to sit and wait for Scott, the other man joining them only five minutes later. He had looked over at Craig, his face serious as he had moved over to join him, his voice soft. “She is upset Craig…needs time”

  He nodding as he had ran his hand over his face “I know…I guess I should have expected it”

  That night the family had put Scott in their spare room as Craig had taken the basement flat. Wandering around he had seen small signs of her everywhere. Lifting her pillow, his eyes had closed as he had breathed in her smell, his mind once more seeing the way she had looked at him, the pain that seeing him had filled her with, once more groaning in misery, not understanding the sensations ripping through him.

  The following morning Scott and Craig had returned to the hospital, Scott moving into her room as he had waited outside. After half an hour, he had slipped out of the room, giving Craig a small reassuring nod.

  “She wants to see you” Craig giving a relieved smile as he had moved into the room. She had sat against a pillow warily watching as he had approached the bed. Taking the seat that had been pulled up beside her he had made to take her hand, Fiona pulling it away, her eyes warning him to back off, Craig not commenting as he had fixed a smile on his face.

  “How are you feeling?” he had asked softly, as she had looked deeply into his eyes. Ignoring the question she had shaken her head

  “Why are you here Craig?” her voice almost dead, cold.

  “Shouldn’t you be getting married?” Craig wincing slightly as he had shaken his head dropping his eyes from her accusing ones.

  “I’m sorry Fiona…you caught me by surprise seeing the letter”

  His head shaking as he had groaned softly “I keep replaying that night…I never thought you would leave like that”

  His head lifting to look into her eyes

  “I didn’t mean it Fiona. I would never marry Alanna…You were nearly killed because…” his voice had cracked, the pain so obvious. Fiona had wanted to reach out to run her fingers through his hair, to console him gripping her fingers in her hands as she had felt the tears once more sliding down her face.

  “You hurt me so much Craig” seeing as he had nodded, his eyes full of pain “I’m sorry…so sorry Fiona”

  “I can’t do this Craig…I can’t live like this anymore. I just want to go home”

  Nodding he had given a smile “Of course…you need to be home…you have been through hell Fiona. I can rent the MacDonald place and we…”

  Shaking her head she had given another small moan “No” her eyes harder “I want to go back to my home Craig…back with Scott and Nat” Blinking back tears “Alone…without you”

  He had looked at her with pain in his “Please Fiona…you have to give me a chance to make this right”

  Her head shaking again “I can’t…I just can’t. I need time”

  The horror of invading memories had filled her lovely features as her hands had visibly shaken “I saw her eyes before we crashed” she had whimpered, a sob once more leaving her “She knew she was going to die….she knew” Sobs once more leaving her, as Craig had risen pulling her into his arms, holding her to him as he had made soothing noises against her, needing to comfort her.

  After several moments, her sobbing had slowed down as she had pushed him from her, hands wiping away the tears from her lovely face “I need to go home” her voice firmer as she had tried to calm herself.

  Nodding he had given a small sigh “I’ll organise everything…this time tomorrow I promise you will be back home”

  Lifting her eyes warmth had been in them for the first time as she had nodded “Thank you” her only comment, before she had turned from him, her mind elsewhere as he had left the room, pulling out his phone to make the arrangements necessary.

  A month later Fiona had groaned seeing the car that had moved along the road leading up to the Campbell estate. She had not recognised it, knowing that Donald had told her that he was picking up a new car that week. With a sigh, she had turned back towards the house, sorely tempted to keep walking and to avoid the visitor, however, when she had done that before, Donald, let in by the cleaner had only waited for her until she had returned.

  With a smile she had felt guilty at her thoughts. Donald had been so attentive, showering her with flowers and gifts not pushing her as the two had talked constantly. Frowning she had known that he hoped for more, realising that all the negative thoughts she had for him had disappeared with all the time they had spent together. Giving another sigh she had also known that she did not love him, and that she never would, trying each time he would attempt to kiss her to explain that she could only be friends. Donald how
ever had smiled patiently telling her that friends was a good start.

  Craig had tried to contact her, Fiona refusing to take his calls or his emails. Scott had tried to tell her that she needed to talk to him, she shaking her head with determination, not seeing the pain that would fill her eyes, each time she had refused.

  Entering the house she had moved to the living room, knowing that he would have moved into there. Putting on a bright smile she had laughed as she entered.

  “Sweet car Donald…” stopping in her tracks seeing the man who stood in the middle of the room, her eyes widening with shock.

  “Craig!” her voice breaking, as inexplicably, tears had risen to her eyes.

  Craig had frowned hearing the other man’s name mentioned, biting back the comment that had risen to his lips

  “Sorry…not Donald” he had said softly, his eyes flicking over her, seeing how much better she looked. Over the past month while she had refused to communicate with him, Scott had become a real friend letting him know how well she was doing, Craig needing so badly to know that she was well.

  “What are you doing here?” she had groaned softly as he had moved towards her

  “I came to see you”

  Fiona had shaken her head as she had backed out of the room, her features showing her shock and pain “I don’t want you here” her green eyes had pled “Please just leave”

  Shaking his head firmly Craig had moved further into the room, looking out of the window, Fiona stopping as she had frowned. Standing with his hands pushed firmly into the trouser pockets of his suit he had once more looked over at her.

  “I don’t think so Fiona”

  Scowling in confusion she had hesitated before moving back into the room feeling as anger had filled her “Why can’t you just take a hint Craig…I don’t want you here…I don’t want YOU”

  Seeing as he had chuckled softly, Fiona staring at him with disbelief “You think this is funny?” she had thrown at him as he had turned to look at her

  “Yes”

  Fiona glaring at him

  “I think we both know that you don’t mean a word of what you just said”