A Very Special Marriage

by Jennifer Taylor

  ‘You didn’t exactly fight me off.’

  ‘I…um…You took me by surprise.’

  A little colour touched her cheeks but she met his eyes. ‘That’s the truth, Liam, so if you’re harbouring any ideas that I’m still attracted to you, you can forget them. You made a fool out of me once and I most certainly won’t give you the chance to do it a second time!’

  His stomach twisted when he heard the contempt in her voice. It cut him to the quick that she could still believe he’d been unfaithful to her. Didn’t she know how much he’d loved her and that having an affair with another woman had been out of the question?

  Hurt and anger rose inside him but he knew how pointless it would be to protest his innocence right then. Sophie was in no mood to listen to reason and he really couldn’t blame her. He had overstepped the mark even if she’d been a willing participant.

  ‘Then all I can do is apologise.’ He checked his watch, deeming it wiser to bring matters to a speedy conclusion. ‘I’d better go and get ready. Surgery starts at eight o’clock, I believe.’

  ‘That’s right. I’ll get everything set up,’ she replied stiffly.

  ‘Thanks. That would be a big help.’

  Liam didn’t say anything more as he left the room and headed to his cabin, but he was bitterly aware of the mess he’d made of things. Charlie Henshaw knocked on the door while he was shaving to ask how Alexei was doing. Liam gave the steward a quick update on his friend’s condition then asked Charlie if he would fetch him a cup of coffee. He really couldn’t face the thought of making small talk over the breakfast table after what had happened.

  He put on the white drill trousers and short-sleeved shirt which were the male version of the medical staff’s uniform after the steward left. The cotton felt cold against his skin and he shivered. He’d taken this job in the hope that it would clarify his plans for the future but now it felt as though everything was up in the air. He was less certain than ever if he should marry Julia.

  He stared into the mirror, seeing the doubts in his eyes. How could he go ahead and marry someone else when he felt so emotionally tied to Sophie?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ‘DR KENNEDY is with a patient at the moment. If you’d care to take a seat, Mrs Hargreaves, he shouldn’t be long.’

  Sophie ushered the elderly woman towards a chair. A surprising number of people had turned up for the clinic that morning so they’d been kept busy from the moment they’d opened up. Most of the people they’d seen had been suffering from fairly minor ailments—coughs, colds, even a few complaining of sea-sickness despite how calm the weather was. They had been quickly dealt with and sent on their way.

  Liam was presently examining a teenage boy, whose parents had insisted that he should see the doctor after he’d refused to eat any breakfast because he felt sick. Hopefully, it wouldn’t turn out to be anything too serious, though.

  ‘I hope you’re right, Nurse.’ Cynthia Hargreaves, a widow from Southampton, looked decidedly disgruntled as she sat down. ‘I didn’t expect to have to wait after I’ve paid so much money to come on this cruise. It’s worse than the National Health Service back home!’

  Sophie simply smiled, knowing from experience that it was best not to say anything. She went back to the consulting room and tapped on the door. Liam was sitting behind his desk and he glanced up when she went into the room. Sophie felt her heart miss a beat when she saw the brooding expression in his grey eyes.

  Was he thinking about what had happened earlier? she wondered. Even though she bitterly regretted that kiss, she couldn’t stop the tremor that coursed through her as she recalled how sweetly familiar Liam’s lips had felt. For a few magical moments she’d forgotten about their differences and there was no point trying to pretend otherwise.

  ‘Can you check if we have any soluble aspirin in the drugs cupboard, please, Sophie?’

  ‘Of course.’ Sophie hurriedly turned her attention to work and went to the cupboard. ‘I take it these are for Michael Preston. Do you know what’s wrong with him?’

  ‘A hangover.’ Liam grinned as he tilted back his chair. ‘Turns out that young Michael helped himself to the contents of his parents’ mini-bar while they were dancing the night away on deck. He’s now paying the price for it.’

  ‘Really?’ Sophie couldn’t help laughing. ‘No wonder he couldn’t face breakfast this morning. Let’s hope it’s taught him a lesson for the future.’

  ‘Oh, I rather think it has. And if the perils of the demon drink haven’t sunk in yet, they will once his father gets the bar bill.’ Liam chuckled. ‘From what Michael told me, he is going to have a lot of explaining to do!’

  They both looked round as the screen parted and Michael appeared. Sophie hid her smile when she saw how pale the teenager looked. She popped a couple of soluble aspirins into a dispensing envelope, wrote the boy’s name on it and handed it to him.

  ‘There you are, Michael. Just dissolve these in a glass of water and they should help get rid of your headache.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Michael muttered sheepishly.

  ‘Now, remember what I told you, young man. Drink plenty of fluids and stay out of the sun until you’re feeling better.’ Liam’s tone was stern. ‘There’s no easy fix for a hangover so you’ll just have to ride it out, I’m afraid. Take it as warning to behave more responsibly in future.’

  ‘I will. Thanks, Dr Kennedy. You won’t say anything to my parents, though, will you?’ Michael grimaced. ‘I never wanted to come on this holiday in the first place. I wanted to go camping with my friends but Mum and Dad wouldn’t hear of it. They insisted on us having a family holiday. I mean, it’s bad enough being stuck with your parents for two whole weeks but if I have to put up with them lecturing me all the time then I’ll probably throw myself overboard!’

  ‘I won’t say anything but they’ll find out what you’ve been up to when it comes to paying the bill at the end of the trip,’ Liam warned him. ‘Your father will be charged for all the drinks you managed to consume last night.’

  Michael groaned. ‘They’ll go totally ape when they find out! I’ll be grounded for months. Being a teenager really sucks!’

  He looked even more dejected as he left the room. Sophie sighed ruefully. ‘There goes one very unhappy young man, although you couldn’t blame his parents if they’re angry when they find out what he’s been up to. It must be a nightmare trying to deal with a teenager.’

  ‘It must definitely test your patience, not that you or I ever gave our parents any cause for concern, of course.’

  ‘Of course not!’ Sophie pulled a face. ‘You and I were the perfect teenagers and never gave our parents a moment’s worry.’

  ‘And if you believe that then you’ll believe anything.’ Liam laughed deeply. ‘I must have pulled every stunt in the book when I was Michael’s age. It’s a wonder I made it past seventeen!’

  ‘Really? I don’t remember you mentioning that before,’ Sophie said without thinking.

  ‘No?’ He shrugged. ‘I probably decided not to tell you about my past misdemeanours in case it put you off. Anyway, enough of all that. Is there anyone else waiting to be seen?’

  ‘Yes. A Mrs Cynthia Hargreaves. Shall I show her in?’

  Sophie hurried to the door when Liam nodded his assent. She ushered the woman into the room then stood to one side while Liam took down a very long and very detailed case history. Mrs Hargreaves seemed to have suffered from a vast number of ailments in recent months and it all took some time, but Sophie was glad of the respite because it gave her a chance to get her thoughts into order.

  The way she’d slipped back into such easy familiarity with Liam was alarming after what had happened earlier that day. She would have to be more careful in future. She had no idea how long it would take the agency to find a replacement for her, but she and Liam would have to work together in the interim. She couldn’t afford to get carried away by the memories they shared. It was the future that mattered now, what she would
do once she left the ship, although building a new life for herself had never seemed a more daunting task.

  She glanced at Liam and felt her heart ache because if things hadn’t gone so drastically wrong then they might have been making those plans together. Her, Liam…and Zoë.

  Liam was almost certain the chest pains Cynthia Hargreaves had experienced during the night had been caused by indigestion. Nonetheless, he decided not to take any chances. There was an ECG machine in the surgery so he did a heart tracing and was pleased when the results showed no abnormalities in its rhythm.

  ‘Everything appears to be fine, Mrs Hargreaves. A nice clear tracing which shows that your heart is behaving exactly as it should be doing.’

  ‘But the pain was excruciating, Dr Kennedy! I was doubled up in agony.’ Cynthia Hargreaves sounded put out rather than relieved by the news. ‘Surely you don’t think I’m making it up?’

  ‘Certainly not,’ Liam denied firmly, although he suspected that the woman’s frequent bouts of illness were psychological rather than physiological. Cynthia Hargreaves had explained that she’d undergone a series of tests in the past twelve months for a wide variety of symptoms but that all had proved negative. She’d also mentioned that it was just over a year since her husband had died. Liam had gained the impression that she was lonely, which could explain her frequent visits to her GP.

  ‘I’m quite sure you were in pain, Mrs Hargreaves, but I’m pleased to say that I cannot find anything wrong with your heart.’ He chose his words with care. ‘It could be that the rich food you ate last night caused the problem. Indigestion can be extremely distressing.’

  ‘Indigestion! I was in agony, I tell you, absolute agony!’

  ‘I appreciate that,’ he put in quickly when he saw how upset she was by the suggestion. ‘Indigestion can be really horrendous for anyone with a delicate constitution, and from what you’ve told me, it does seem as though you may need to be rather more careful about what you eat than most people.’

  ‘Well, when you put it like that, Dr Kennedy, I can see what you mean. I’ve always had a delicate stomach.’ Cynthia sounded much happier with that idea. ‘Maybe I should have been a bit more careful last night.’

  ‘I think it would be wise to watch what you’re eating for a few days.’ Liam jotted some notes on a pad. He tore off the sheet and handed it to her.

  ‘Just a few suggestions as to what you should avoid. Anything with a rich or spicy sauce, and dishes with a high fat content are the main culprits when it comes to triggering a severe bout of indigestion. Basically, I’d advise you to stick to fairly simple meals, although I know it won’t be easy to refuse the wonderful food they serve on board this ship.’

  ‘Oh, if it’s for the benefit of my health then it won’t be a problem, Dr Kennedy,’ Cynthia said firmly. ‘I’ll be very careful about what I eat from now on. If there isn’t anything suitable on the menu, I’ll just have to ask the chef to prepare something especially for me.’

  She smiled at him as she stood up. ‘Thank you very much, Doctor. It’s reassuring to know there is someone with your experience and sensitivity on board.’

  ‘It was my pleasure, Mrs Hargreaves. I hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday.’

  Liam hid his amusement as he escorted her to the door. He had a feeling the chef wasn’t going to be too pleased if he was continually bombarded with special dietary requests. He sighed ruefully as he closed the door and glanced at Sophie.

  ‘Ever had a feeling that you might have started something? Remind me to steer clear of the chef in future.’

  ‘I’m sure the kitchen staff will cope,’ she said flatly.

  Liam frowned as he watched her push back the screens around the examination couch. It was obvious that something was troubling her but he wasn’t sure if it was his place to ask what was wrong.

  His mouth thinned because it was frustrating to have to monitor everything he said. He hadn’t realised it would be so difficult to deal with this situation. He’d naïvely assumed they would be able to talk everything through after Sophie had got over her shock at seeing him, but things seemed to be getting worse rather than better and he only had himself to blame for that. He should never have kissed her that morning.

  Liam’s heart jerked so violently that it felt as though it was trying to leap right out of his chest. He’d done his damnedest to put what had happened out of his mind while he’d been taking surgery but now the patients had been safely dispatched he couldn’t help thinking about it. Kissing Sophie had been a magical experience but he bitterly regretted it. It hadn’t helped the situation one iota, plus it had filled his head with doubts about his relationship with Julia. Frankly, he didn’t need the added stress. He’d taken this job to simplify his life, not make it even more complicated.

  ‘I need to make that phone call to the agency. Would you mind if I did it now?’

  ‘Of course I don’t mind.’ Liam steeled himself not to show how on edge he felt when Sophie turned to him. ‘You don’t need to ask my permission.’

  ‘I can hardly go swanning off without telling you where I’ll be, can I?’ she countered, walking to the door. ‘We’re due to dock at Villefranche at eleven and I assume you’ll need to make arrangements to have Alexei transferred to a hospital there.’

  Liam frowned when he heard the challenge in her voice. Sophie was spoiling for a fight and it surprised him because she’d hated it on the rare occasions when they’d disagreed in the past. She’d always been the first to want to make up, not that he’d ever been unwilling…

  He blanked out the thought of exactly how they had resolved their differences. Recalling how they had ended up in bed together would be foolish in the extreme. The only way was forward now, not back.

  ‘I had a word with Mike Soames and it’s all sorted out. He’s just waiting for the company to e-mail him with the details of the hospital Alexei will be transferred to,’ he explained. ‘It shouldn’t be long before we hear something so why don’t you make that call while I check how Alexei’s doing?’

  ‘Fine. I shan’t be long.’

  Sophie left the consulting room and Liam followed her. He went straight to the ward. The patient was awake and Liam smiled at him as he went over to the bed.

  ‘Good morning. How do you feel?’

  ‘It hurts…’ The young seaman grimaced as he touched his chest.

  ‘I’ll give you something for the pain after I’ve finished examining you,’ Liam assured him. He checked the man’s pulse, BP and temperature and nodded. ‘So far so good. Now I’d just like to check that wound and see how it’s doing.’

  He pulled on a pair of latex gloves then carefully removed the light dressing he’d put over the wound. Alexei sucked in his breath when he saw the massive incision that ran right across his chest.

  ‘It is so big!’

  ‘It is.’ Liam checked the sutures and nodded in satisfaction when he saw that the surrounding flesh was clean and healthy looking, with no sign of infection. ‘That all looks fine. You were very lucky. Another few centimetres to the right and I doubt you’d be lying here now.’

  ‘I was lucky because you were there to help me,’ the man corrected. ‘Thank you, Doctor. I shall never forget what you did for me last night. I owe you my life.’

  ‘I’m glad I was able to help,’ Liam replied sincerely. He wrote up the chart and added analgesics then went to the office for the drugs. All in all, he was pleased with what they’d achieved last night, or he would have been if he didn’t feel so downhearted at the thought of what Sophie was doing at that moment. He couldn’t blame her for wanting to leave the ship but it hurt to know how eager she was to get away from him.

  It hurt rather a lot.

  It certainly hurt far more than it should have done.

  Oh, hell!

  Sophie sighed as she finished her call and hung up. The woman she’d spoken to at the agency had made it clear what a dim view she took of Sophie’s request to leave the ship. There’d been
mention of breach of contract and lawyers but Sophie had remained firm. In the end, the woman had told her that she would be in touch and hung up. Sophie had no idea how long it would take them to hire another nurse, but it appeared she might be staying on the ship rather longer than she’d hoped.

  ‘Sophie! What a wonderful surprise. If I’d known you were coming to my office, I would have made sure I was here to meet you.’

  ‘Hello, Yuri.’

  She summoned a smile as the purser greeted her with undisguised enthusiasm. Although the paying passengers had telephones in their cabins, the crew had to use the purser’s office to make any calls. She’d been relieved that Yuri hadn’t been there when she’d asked to make a call to London. Although he was bound to find out that she was leaving, she preferred to avoid any awkward questions for as long as possible.

  ‘I needed to make a phone call and your assistant helped me,’ she explained, edging towards the door.

  ‘There isn’t a problem, I hope?’ he said, neatly blocking her exit.

  ‘No, no, everything’s fine.’ She glanced at her watch and feigned surprise. ‘Oh, is that the time? I’d better get back.’

  ‘I shall walk back with you,’ Yuri offered immediately. ‘I want to see how my friend Alexei is doing. I might not get a chance to speak to him once we reach the French coast and the passengers will need organising for the trip ashore.’

  ‘He seems to be holding his own,’ Sophie said, inwardly sighing as the purser followed her from the office. She’d been rather flattered at first when Yuri had shown an interest in her but now it just made her feel uncomfortable. She couldn’t help wondering what Liam must think.

  It was hard to hide her dismay when she realised how stupid that was. Liam was planning on getting married again so why should he care what she did?

  ‘Good! That is excellent news, although I knew my friend would receive the very best of care with you to look after him, Sophie.’