Yesterday's Scars

by Carole Mortimer

  She swallowed hard, giving Rafe a bright smile. ‘Then we should be grateful. Can you imagine anything more disastrous than the two of us marrying?’

  ‘No, I guess not.’ He looked at the work already finished on the desk. ‘There’s no need for you to do this today, even I stop on a Sunday. You should be taking things easy, you’ve done far too much in the last couple of days. A flight of that duration is not to be taken lightly. Pack up now and go down to the beach.’

  ‘Still as autocratic as ever I see,’ she said sarcastically. ‘I’m not suffering from the effects of the flight at all. You seem to forget that I’m a lot younger than you are, Rafe,’ she added bitchily.

  ‘Eighteen years,’ he said distantly. ‘Oh well, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going out for lunch.’

  ‘To Miss Clarke’s?’

  ‘She’s a Mrs, actually. And yes, that’s where I’m going.’

  Hazel’s eyes were wide. ‘She’s married?’

  ‘Divorced.’

  ‘Oh,’ she said dully.

  ‘I haven’t stooped that low, Hazel. Janine has been divorced for five years.’

  ‘Have you known her long?’ she asked casually.

  ‘Long enough.’

  Long enough for what? She couldn’t have expected the same fidelity from Rafe as she herself had felt, but she didn’t like actually knowing one of his women either. ‘She seems—very nice,’ she commented.

  ‘She is. I think it better if we keep out of each other’s private life, Hazel. Whether Janine is nice or otherwise can’t possibly be of any interest to you.’

  But it was! She didn’t want her to be nice, she wanted her to be someone she could dislike. ‘If that’s what you want.’

  He nodded. ‘I think it best.’

  She sighed. ‘Have a nice time.’

  ‘I will.’

  Lunch was a lonely affair, Celia having disappeared somewhere too. Hazel would rather have eaten her lunch in the kitchen if she had realised, as she had yesterday, instead of sitting in lonely silence in the large dining-room. And Sara would keep fussing around her, chatting incessantly. It wasn’t the chatter she minded, it was the subject.

  Sara was hovering over her as she ate her sweet. ‘Perhaps Mr Rafe will settle down at last,’ she said with satisfaction.

  Hazel licked her lips and put her spoon down in the dish. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Why, Mrs Clarke,’ Sara smiled. ‘She’s such a lovely lady, and Mr Rafe seems to like her. He visits her quite often.’

  This piece of news didn’t exactly please Hazel. ‘He does?’ she asked softly.

  Sara beamed. ‘Oh yes. She was a tremendous help to him after his accident, the only person he would allow to visit him. Quite a regular visitor, is Miss Janine,’ she added.

  ‘I believe she and Celia were at school together.’

  ‘Oh yes. In fact Miss Janine visited her a couple of times when she was younger.’

  Hazel frowned. ‘I don’t remember.’

  Sara shook her head. ‘No, you wouldn’t, it was before you came here. She and Miss Celia seemed to drift apart when they reached their teens.’

  Probably because the nicer Janine was beginning to realise that her friend wasn’t quite so nice, Hazel thought bitchily. ‘That often happens,’ she answered vaguely, and stood up. ‘I’ve finished now, thank you, Sara.’

  ‘No coffee?’

  ‘No, thank you. I still have some things to sort out in the study, letters to put in envelopes and so forth.’

  ‘Couldn’t it wait until tomorrow? The post won’t go until then anyway. And it’s such a nice day,’ Sara added enticingly.

  Hazel looked ruefully out of the window; the sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky. ‘It is nice out,’ she admitted grudgingly, pushing the hair off the nape of her neck. ‘I could do with a swim.’

  The housekeeper looked at her in alarm. ‘Not after that meal, I hope?’

  Hazel grinned at her. ‘Of course not, silly. I’ll go down to the club and laze by the pool for an hour or so before going into the water.’

  ‘That’s all right, then.’

  ‘But I’ll be in the study for the next half an hour or so if anyone wants me.’

  A call came through to her from Trisha ten minutes later and Hazel assured her friend that she would meet her at the club in fifteen minutes. It didn’t take her long to collect her bathing things and walk the short distance.

  Trisha was already beside the pool. ‘Finished your work?’ she smiled up at her, feeling quite cool in her peach-coloured bikini.

  Hazel grimaced. ‘Not quite, but it can wait until the morning. Where’s Mark?’

  ‘In the pool. Er—Carl’s here too.’

  Hazel raised her eyebrows. ‘Is he?’

  ‘Yes. And sporting the most magnificent black eye,’ she giggled.

  Hazel laughed. ‘Well, if he will go to the defence of insulted ladies!’

  ‘No doubt Celia deserved the insult,’ Trisha muttered. tered. ‘Are you going to change?’ She indicated Hazel’s tee-shirt and Levis.

  ‘I suppose so. I won’t be long.’

  She wasn’t quite sure how she was going to face Carl again, but it had to be done. Besides, she had had to face Rafe after much more embarrassment than Carl going off with Celia. If she could face Rafe after what they had shared together she could certainly face Carl.

  In fact their meeting wasn’t quite so momentous after all. He had joined his brother and Trisha on the loungers by the time she returned. She couldn’t help but smile at the bruised purple-blackness of his eye.

  ‘All right, all right,’ he grinned ruefully at her amused expression. ‘Laugh if you must, but you should see the other guy.’

  She lay down on an adjoining lounger. ‘Rafe told me.’

  ‘Your guardian did? Oh,’ he nodded understandingly, ‘I suppose Celia told him.’

  ‘No, he—well, sufficient to say he found out. Where is Celia?’

  ‘She said she would be down later.’

  ‘Oh. Do you feel like a swim?’ she invited, standing up.

  ‘Love to!’

  The water was warm and refreshing and Carl could still be good company, even if he preferred Celia. Hazel was laughing at his antics when she saw Rafe and Janine strolling around the side of the pool, Rafe’s hand on Janine’s elbow as he guided her to a seat.

  Carl noticed her suddenly pale face. ‘Hey, anything wrong?’

  ‘No,’ her breath caught on a laugh. ‘I—er—I think I’ve had enough now.’

  ‘Are you feeling all right?—you look ill.’

  ‘It’s nothing.’ She pushed back her hair. ‘Are you coming out or staying in?’

  ‘I think I’ll stay here a little while longer.’

  ‘See you later.’ She swam slowly to the side and pulled herself out on to the side of the pool. She did feel rather strange, her head light and floaty. Perhaps Rafe was right and she had been overdoing it.

  Rafe and Janine were sitting at one of the tables, long cool drinks in front of them. As Hazel stood up to go back to her lounger she saw Janine bend forward and put her hand on Rafe’s arm, and watched in total misery as Rafe gave her that long slow smile of his, putting his hand over the long slender one that rested on his arm before lifting it to his mouth and kissing the palm.

  To Hazel it seemed like the final twisting of the knife and she turned away, tears filling her eyes. She didn’t see the lounger in front of her and stumbled over it in clumsy confusion. Her head hit solid concrete as she made contact with the ground. She was aware of screaming as the pain shot through her head, and then blackness.

  CHAPTER SIX

  SHE came round to the sound of chattering voices and opened her eyes to see a sea of faces looming over her. Tears filled her eyes as she seemed to recognise no one.

  ‘Get out of the way!’ she heard a deep voice demanding. ‘For God’s sake get out of the way!’

  The crowd parted to reveal Rafe, a furious Rafe who l
ooked demonic as he bent over her. ‘Are you all right?’ he asked gently, kneeling down beside her.

  ‘Oh, Rafe!’ she came up into his arms with a cry. ‘Hold me, Rafe,’ she pleaded, her face buried in his throat.

  He held her savagely to him, uncaring of the people still standing around watching them. ‘What on earth happened to you?’ he groaned into her hair. ‘You just suddenly keeled over.’

  ‘I fell over the lounger.’

  He moved back to smooth her hair away from her temple. ‘We’ll have to get you to the hospital,’ he said as he saw the dark discolouration already beginning to appear under her skin.

  ‘Oh no, Rafe,’ she shuddered in his arms, ‘I don’t want that.’

  ‘You’re going,’ he told her firmly, turning to the woman who stood at his side. He handed her his car keys. ‘Get the car open for me, Janine,’ he said grimly. ‘We have to get some medical treatment for this silly child.’

  Hazel stiffened in his arms at his impatient tone, trying to pull away from him. ‘Let me go, Rafe!’ she snapped as he kept a firm hold of her.

  ‘Certainly not.’ He swung her up into his arms and walked purposefully out of the club towards the car park. ‘Stop struggling,’ he ordered.

  ‘If you would just put me down I can walk,’ she protested.

  He looked down at her. ‘You aren’t walking anywhere. Now behave yourself!’

  Her mouth set mutinously and she ignored the throbbing in her head. ‘I can walk.’

  ‘Maybe you can and maybe you can’t,’ he humoured her. ‘But you aren’t even going to try. Stop being so difficult—a moment ago you wanted to be in my arms.’ His deep blue eyes mocked her.

  She looked away. ‘I’d been badly frightened. But I’m all right now,’ she declared in a stronger voice.

  Rafe smiled gratefully at Janine as she held the car door open, settling Hazel into the back seat. ‘I think we’ll let the doctor decide that,’ he said tolerantly. ‘Now just lie still and be quiet, there’s a good girl.’

  He held the passenger door open for Janine, turning to face Trisha as she ran over to them.

  ‘Is she going to be okay?’ she queried breathlessly.

  Rafe grinned as he got into the car. ‘Judging by the way she’s answering back I would say yes. I’ll let you know more when I get back from the hospital.’

  ‘Thanks.’ She waved to Hazel in the back seat as Rafe accelerated the Mercedes out of the driveway.

  Hazel struggled into a sitting position. ‘I don’t know why you’re making all this fuss—I’m perfectly all right.’ Except for the pain in her head that made her continually want to close her eyes!

  Janine turned in her seat to look at her. ‘I think you should just let the doctor take a look at you, just to be on the safe side,’ she explained gently.

  ‘There’s no think about it,’ Rafe said harshly, his eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead of them. ‘After a fall like that it’s only common sense to let a doctor check you over.’

  Hazel put up a hand to her aching temple. ‘At the moment I don’t feel much like being sensible.’

  Janine squeezed her hand sympathetically, giving her an encouraging smile. ‘Of course you don’t. Don’t be so hard on her, Rafe,’ she scolded him.

  ‘She’s a stubborn little devil who ought to be spanked—thoroughly,’ he added with some satisfaction, as if the idea greatly pleased him.

  ‘Rafe!’ Janine sounded scandalised. ‘Have a little sympathy with her!’

  He gave a throaty laugh. ‘Save your sympathy, Janine. She doesn’t need it.’

  At the moment Hazel felt as if she needed something, possibly a shoulder to cry on. Rafe was so hard on her, and it was humiliating that any sympathy she was receiving was coming from the woman he was probably going to marry. How galling that was!

  Her humiliation wasn’t lessened when they reached the hospital as once again Rafe insisted on carrying her. His face was rigid as he walked into the casualty department, his hands burning her skin as she was only wearing her bikini.

  ‘I’ll get you back for this,’ she muttered into his throat, her arms thrown around his neck. They had left Janine to park the car and lock up.

  His blue eyes gleamed down at her. ‘And how do you propose to do that?’ he asked humorously. ‘Another frog in my bed?’

  Hazel blushed as she remembered her childish revenge when she was eleven and Rafe had annoyed her. She had found it very amusing to put a frog in the bottom of his bed. Unfortunately Rafe hadn’t felt the same way about it, and had administered a few sharp slaps to her bottom.

  ‘Not a frog, no,’ she denied. ‘But I’ll think of a way.’

  He shook his head. ‘You still haven’t grown up, Hazel. You could be suffering from shock, anything, and all you’re worried about is getting back at me for insisting I bring you here. You’re ridiculous.’

  ‘And you’re arrogant!’

  He laughed. ‘Haven’t I always been?’

  ‘Yes,’ she said through gritted teeth. ‘That’s just one of the things I hate about you.’

  ‘I’d love to hear the rest,’ he taunted. ‘But right now I don’t have the time.’

  ‘I’ll make a list out and tell you another time,’ she promised tautly.

  ‘I’ll look forward to it.’ He straightened after putting her into one of the chairs. ‘Wait here while I find someone to come and look at you.’

  She grimaced. ‘Well, I’m not likely to go anywhere.’

  His eyes mocked her. ‘One never knows with you. I could come back here and find you gone.’

  ‘I’m sure your girl-friend will be a suitable watch-dog,’ she retorted. ‘She seems to do everything else you tell her.’

  Rafe bent down, a slight smile on his face. But his eyes were rock-hard, his anger plain for her to see. ‘That’s right, little one, she does. She’s not like you at all, perhaps that’s why I like her so much.’

  She glared her dislike of him. ‘Only like?’

  He tapped her on the nose. ‘Mind your own business.’

  ‘I hate you!’

  ‘I don’t think so,’ his tone was grim. ‘But I wish you did. I’m sick and tired of you being in this girl-woman stage, still loving me as your guardian and hating what I make you feel as a woman.’

  Hazel gasped. ‘How can you say—’

  ‘Ah, Rafe,’ Janine came to stand at his side. ‘Sorry I was so long, I had trouble parking the car.’

  He smiled at her. ‘Everything okay now?’

  ‘Fine. Have you found anyone to help yet?’

  ‘Not yet.’ He glanced at Hazel. ‘But I’m working on it.’

  As it was Sunday there was only a skeleton staff working, but a doctor came through the swing doors just as Rafe was about to ring for attention.

  ‘Rafe!’ The young doctor slapped him on the back. ‘Good to see you again. Nothing wrong with you, I hope?’

  No, I’m fine.’ Rafe seemed pleased to see the younger man too. ‘I’ve brought my ward in, she’s had a slight accident.’

  The young man walked over to Hazel. ‘That’s rather a nasty bruise you have there. I’m Doctor Byne, by the way. Would you like to come through to a cubicle and we’ll have a look at you.’

  Hazel gave him an engaging smile. ‘Thank you.’

  She sighed impatiently as once again Rafe carried her, feeling really self-conscious in her bikini as Dr Byne examined her. It was made even worse by the fact that Rafe stood in the room watching their every move, Janine having opted to stay in the waiting-room.

  ‘I should have thought to pick up your robe,’ Rafe muttered tersely.

  Hazel lay back on the couch having the delicate skin of her temple probed. ‘You were much too busy playing the hero,’ she snapped in return.

  Rafe ignored her rudeness. ‘You’ll have to forgive her sharpness, David. Hazel didn’t think it necessary that I bring her here and she’s a little annoyed about it.’

  ‘You did the right thing,’ said Da
vid Byne. ‘You’ll have to be X-rayed, I’m afraid, Miss Stanford, and then we’ll have to keep you in for a couple of days under observation.’

  ‘Oh no!’ Her dismay showed on her face. ‘Rafe,’ she looked at him appealingly, ‘please, Rafe, don’t make me stay in hospital!’

  ‘Is it really necessary, David? I can assure you she’ll be well looked after at home, and I’ll make sure she’s kept quiet.’

  ‘Well—’ David Byne hesitated. ‘It is the usual practice to take people in.’

  ‘Make an exception in Hazel’s case,’ Rafe encouraged. ‘I can tell you now that she’ll make a lousy patient, she’s much too fond of having her own way. On second thoughts, perhaps it would be as well if you did admit her,’ he grinned at the other man. ‘At least that way we would get some peace and quiet at home.’

  ‘Rafe!’ she cried reproachfully.

  The doctor laughed. ‘As long as the X-ray shows no fracture I suppose I could allow Miss Stanford home. But I must insist on day and night observation,’ he warned.

  ‘I’ll see to it personally,’ Rafe said dryly.

  Hazel blushed. ‘In that case I think I would prefer to stay here.’ This wasn’t true but said for the benefit of the doctor. She would love to spend the next two days and nights under Rafe’s care. And by the taunting look in his eyes he knew exactly what she was thinking.

  ‘I see what you mean,’ David Byne agreed with Rafe teasingly. ‘I don’t think there’s much wrong with you, young lady.’ He wheeled a chair in from another room. ‘In you get,’ he ordered.

  She did so under the watchful eye of Rafe. ‘Do you have a robe or something I can put on? I feel slightly ridiculous in this bikini.’

  Deep brown eyes glowed down at her. ‘I can assure you you don’t look it.’

  ‘Do you have a robe, David?’ Rafe asked tautly.

  The doctor looked at him as if surprised by his tone. ‘I’ll see if I can find one.’

  ‘Do you have to flaunt yourself like that?’ Rafe demanded once the doctor had left the room. ‘David can’t take his eyes off you.’

  Her mouth set in a firm line. ‘It isn’t my fault you forgot my robe.’

  ‘Meaning?’ his eyes narrowed.