The Baby Issue

by Jennifer Taylor

  ‘Hello! Are you still there? Can you hear me?’

  Anna jumped as a woman’s voice came floating towards them. She just had a moment to try and gather her wits before Ben let her go as an elderly lady appeared from the front of the house.

  ‘Oh, good, you haven’t left. I was upstairs when you knocked and I’m afraid it takes me ages to get down the stairs nowadays.’

  Ben summoned a smile but Anna could tell that it was an effort for him to behave naturally. ‘We didn’t think there was anyone at home,’ he explained politely. ‘I really must apologise for being so rude as to take a look in the back garden.’

  ‘That doesn’t matter, dear. Come along in and I’ll show you around the house. I’m Agnes Williams, by the way.’

  Ben quickly completed the introductions then waited for the old lady to lead the way. He caught hold of Anna’s arm as she went to follow and she couldn’t help noticing the troubled light in his eyes as he turned her to face him.

  ‘About what happened just now, Anna, well, I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me but it won’t happen again, I promise you that.’

  ‘Forget it.’ Somehow she managed to smile but inside it felt as though her heart were weeping. The fact that Ben believed that he needed to apologise for kissing her was a good indication of how he felt. Had it been a momentary aberration on his behalf, something to regret? Probably. However, she knew that it wasn’t an excuse she could use.

  She took a deep breath before she followed the old lady into the cottage. Maybe it would be best to heed her own advice and forget what had happened, but it would be hard to do that. She couldn’t pretend, neither could she lie to herself. It hadn’t been a temporary lapse on her part. She had known exactly what she was doing and had wanted Ben to kiss her more than she had wanted anything in the whole of her life.

  It was going to be impossible to forget that.

  CHAPTER SIX

  ‘IT’S just perfect, exactly what I’ve been looking for.’

  Anna smiled when she heard the excitement in Ben’s voice. It was obvious that he was completely taken with the cottage, not that she blamed him.

  She sighed as she turned to look out of the bedroom window. She couldn’t help thinking longingly how much she would love to live in a place like this. There was a lot of work that needed to be done, of course, but the cottage would respond wonderfully to a bit of TLC.

  ‘So, what do you think?’ Ben came and stood beside her as Agnes murmured something about making them a cup of tea and tactfully left the room.

  ‘I think it’s beautiful,’ she said sincerely, avoiding his eyes by keeping her gaze focused on the view. She was still having a hard time coming to terms with what had happened earlier so it seemed wiser.

  ‘It is.’ Ben frowned as he looked around the bedroom with its sloping eaves and uneven wooden floor. ‘It looks lived in, a real home rather than a showplace. I know that I could have every modern convenience known to man if I bought a house on that new estate that’s being built on the outskirts of Winton, but—’

  ‘It wouldn’t be a patch on this place,’ she cut in.

  ‘No, it wouldn’t,’ he agreed, grinning at her.

  ‘Then what are you waiting for? Why don’t you make Mrs Williams an offer?’ She saw him hesitate and knew what he was thinking. ‘I know it’s going to take a lot of hard work to bring this place up to scratch, Ben, but it would be worth it, wouldn’t it?’

  ‘It would. You’ve talked me into it, not that I needed much persuading, mind you!’

  He laughed as he led the way from the bedroom. Anna sighed as she took a last look around. There was no point wishing that she could afford a place like this because there was no chance of that happening.

  Agnes had the tea made when they went downstairs. ‘Sit yourselves down, both of you.’ She filled the cups then looked expectantly at them. ‘So what’s the verdict? I got the impression that you liked the cottage.’

  ‘We do,’ Ben replied truthfully. ‘I want to make you an offer, in fact.’

  ‘Oh, good!’ Agnes beamed with delight. ‘I was hoping that you would. This house needs a family living in it again to bring it back to life.’

  She looked pointedly at Anna, who flushed. It was obvious that the old lady had guessed that she was pregnant and she wasn’t sure if she should explain that Ben wasn’t the baby’s father.

  She glanced at him for guidance but he merely shrugged. Was he hoping that it would help persuade Agnes to accept his offer if she believed that he was buying the cottage to raise his family there? she wondered.

  She couldn’t help feeling a little hurt at the thought that he might be using her to his own ends, although she didn’t say anything. She sipped her tea, listening while the old lady chattered on about the cottage and the time she had spent there.

  ‘I’ve always loved living here,’ Agnes explained. ‘But it’s been very lonely since my Cyril died last year. My sons both live down south so they don’t get much chance to visit very often. That’s why I decided to sell up and move to a retirement home. At least I’ll have some company there.’

  ‘Have you had many offers for the cottage?’ Ben asked, putting down his cup.

  ‘A few, but most have seemed more interested in buying the place so that they can pull it down.’ Agnes sounded indignant. ‘One man in particular is dying to get his hands on it, but he let it slip that he intends to knock the place down and build two luxury houses here instead. There’s no way that I want that happening!’

  ‘Well, I certainly won’t be wanting to knock the cottage down,’ Ben assured her. ‘I plan on living here for a long time to come.’

  Anna sighed when she saw Agnes looking at her again. ‘It would be nice to know that there were children playing in the garden again,’ the old lady commented happily.

  ‘Hopefully, there will be one day, but I’m not sure when it’s going to happen,’ Ben told her gently. ‘Anna is just a friend who very kindly offered to come with me today.’

  ‘Oh, I see. I thought…’ Agnes broke off, looking embarrassed. ‘Well, never mind. So long as I know that you aren’t planning on knocking down the cottage, I’ll be happy to accept your offer.’

  ‘You have my word on it,’ he replied sincerely.

  Anna sipped her tea. She had to confess that she was relieved that Ben had told the old lady the truth. She should have known that he would, of course. He was too innately honest to lie.

  That thought was less comforting than it should have been because she couldn’t help thinking about what he had said to her after that kiss. He had told the truth then—that he was sorry for having let it happen, and it hurt to know that he regretted it. It was an effort to respond naturally as they drove back to Winton a short time later but Anna knew that she had to put the events of the day behind her, hard though it was going to be.

  ‘How about going out to celebrate?’ Ben drew up in the surgery car park and turned to her.

  ‘Celebrate?’ she repeated uncertainly.

  ‘The fact that I’ve found the perfect place to live, of course.’ He sighed theatrically. ‘I think it’s a reason for celebrating even if you don’t!’

  She summoned a smile but it was hard to respond with enthusiasm when her heart felt so heavy. ‘Of course it’s wonderful that you’ve found a place you like so much…’

  ‘But? Come on, out with it.’ He folded his arms and stared at her. ‘Why do I get the distinct impression that you have reservations?’

  ‘I don’t. Not about the cottage, anyway,’ she assured him honestly. However, she had serious reservations about what he had suggested. Would it really be wise to spend any more time with him that day when her thoughts were in such turmoil? she found herself wondering.

  ‘I’m just feeling a bit tired, that’s all,’ she explained carefully. ‘I think I’d rather stay in and have a quiet evening in front of the television.’

  ‘I should have thought of that. I’m sorry, Anna. I didn’t me
an to tire you out today.’

  His tone was so contrite that she was stricken with remorse for the small white lie. Ben had offered to be her friend and it wasn’t his fault if he was sticking to their arrangement.

  ‘I know you didn’t,’ she said huskily.

  ‘It is only tiredness? You’re sure you feel all right apart from that?’ he asked in obvious concern.

  ‘I’m sure.’ She quickly opened the car door, wanting to get away before she did something foolish. How would he feel if she told him that the real reason she didn’t want to spend any more time with him that day was because she didn’t trust herself? Would he be shocked if she admitted that she wanted him to put his arms around her again and kiss her as he had done before?

  Probably.

  Only it wasn’t going to happen.

  Ben didn’t try to detain her as she got out of the car. He waited until she’d let herself into the flat then drove away. Anna went into the sitting room and sat on the sofa. She closed her eyes and thought back over the day, unsurprised when her mind immediately focused on what had happened in the garden of Lilac Cottage. She could recall in exquisite detail how gentle Ben’s lips had been, how tender and caring.

  A single tear slid down her cheek. She didn’t regret that kiss, even if he did, but she would make sure that it never happened again. She had broken her first and only rule, the one that said she mustn’t let herself get involved, but it wasn’t too late to undo the damage.

  Her eyes flew open and she felt her heart give a painful jerk. Was it?

  Anna was in her room when Eileen came to find her on Monday morning. It was a little after eight but she had been in the surgery for some time. It had seemed preferable to start work rather than spend any more time thinking about the events of the previous day. Now, as Eileen came hurrying into the room, Anna could tell at once that something must have happened.

  ‘What is it?’ she asked, putting down her pen.

  ‘Valerie Prentice from the playgroup has just phoned. Evidently one of the children climbed onto the slide when nobody was looking and fell off and hit his head,’ Eileen explained worriedly. ‘She wanted to know if Adam or Ben could pop over there to have a look at him, but neither of them has arrived yet.’

  ‘Have you tried their mobiles?’ Anna asked, frowning.

  ‘Yes, but Adam is stuck in traffic the other side of Knutsford and Ben’s phone was engaged so I just left a message. I could contact the on-call service, if you think it best,’ the receptionist suggested. ‘Ask them to send someone, although I don’t know how long it would take. Most of their staff will be going off duty now.’

  ‘There doesn’t seem any point in doing that. By the time they send someone, Adam or Ben will have got here.’ Anna frowned as she considered all their options. ‘I’ll go over there and take a look at the child. If I’m at all worried, I’ll phone for an ambulance.’

  ‘Would you? Thank you, dear. I’ll phone Valerie back and let her know that you’re on your way.’ Eileen looked relieved as she hurried back to the office.

  Anna fetched her jacket and left the surgery. The playgroup was held in the church hall which was only a five-minute walk away. There were a number of mums clustered in the entrance hall when she arrived, but she quickly made her way inside the building. Valerie Prentice, a capable-looking woman in her forties, greeted her with relief.

  ‘Am I glad to see you! I wasn’t sure whether I should phone for an ambulance, to be honest. I thought if one of the doctors had a look at Sam, they’d know what to do for the best.’

  ‘I’ll see how he is then decide if we need an ambulance,’ Anna assured her. ‘Where is he?’

  ‘In the playroom,’ Valerie told her, leading the way. She paused outside the door. ‘A word of warning, though. His mother is with him and she’s almost hysterical about what’s happened. She isn’t helping the situation one little bit.’

  Anna sighed as she followed the older woman into the room. The last thing the poor child needed was his mother going to pieces!

  It turned out that the injured toddler was Sam Wilkins, the little boy who had been brought into the surgery suffering from a febrile convulsion. Anna knelt on the floor and smiled at him.

  ‘Hello, Sam. I believe you’ve gone and fallen off the slide?’

  The child gave a hiccuping sob then quickly buried his face in his mother’s sweater. Anna turned to the young woman, inwardly sighing when she saw how terrified she looked. Quite frankly, Lucy looked a lot worse than Sam did!

  ‘I need to have a look at his head, Lucy,’ she explained softly. ‘Can you turn him around to face me?’

  ‘Do you think he might have concussion? Or brain damage even?’ Lucy sounded frantic. ‘I’ve read about how easy it is for a child to do real damage to themselves if they hit their heads.’

  ‘I’ve no idea how badly injured Sam is. That’s why I need to take a look at him,’ Anna said firmly. ‘Now, can you turn him round?’

  Lucy tried to turn the child around but he started screaming and drumming his heels on the floor. To make matters worse, Lucy began crying as well. The situation was fast spiralling out of control when Janice Robertson stepped forward.

  ‘Now, Sam, that’s enough,’ she said firmly. She picked him up and, to Anna’s surprise, he immediately stopped crying. ‘That’s better. You be a good boy and let the nurse have a look at your sore head.’

  Sam was as good as gold as Janice sat down on a bean-bag and put him on her knee. He let Anna examine the bruise on his temple without making a murmur.

  Anna smiled at him. ‘That’s a good boy. Now, can you tell me your name, poppet?’

  ‘Sam,’ he replied obligingly.

  ‘Aren’t you a clever boy?’ she exclaimed, earning herself a tentative smile. She glanced at Lucy, who thankfully had stopped crying, although she still looked very upset. ‘Did he lose consciousness at any point?’

  ‘I don’t know. I’d gone outside when it happened and one of the other mums called me back,’ Lucy explained shakily.

  ‘I was here at the time,’ Janice put in. She gave the little boy a cuddle. ‘I was setting out the play things in here while Valerie and Angela were marking the register. I never noticed that Sam had managed to get in here and climb up the slide. I feel so guilty about it.’

  ‘These things happen,’ Anna assured her. ‘So how was Sam straight after the fall? Did he lose consciousness at any point?’

  ‘No,’ Janice stated firmly. ‘He started crying immediately so I know he didn’t.’

  ‘Good.’ Anna looked round as the door opened, feeling her heart lift when she saw Ben coming into the hall. He came straight over to them.

  ‘How’s he doing?’ he asked, crouching down to look at the little boy. He gently turned Sam’s face towards the light and grimaced when he saw the bruise on his forehead. ‘Wow! What a beauty. I bet there’s a great big hole in the floor where you hit it with your head.’

  ‘Me see, me see,’ Sam clamoured, leaning over to check the floor and looking disappointed when he couldn’t find a hole in it.

  Ben groaned as he turned to Anna. ‘I keep forgetting how literally children take remarks like that. Have you found out if he lost consciousness?’

  She shook her head, feeling her heart starting to race again. It was obvious that Ben must have left home in a hurry because he hadn’t stopped to dry his hair and the gleaming golden strands clung damply to his head in a way that was extremely attractive. It was an effort to focus on what he was saying instead of the way her pulse was racing all of a sudden.

  ‘He didn’t. Janice was here at the time and she can vouch for that.’

  ‘That’s a good sign but I’ll just check him over.’ Ben reached for his case and found his torch. ‘Now, Sam, I want to look into your eyes with this little light. It won’t hurt so will you be a really good little boy for me?’

  The child nodded uncertainly. He clung to Janice while Ben checked to see how his pupils reacted to the light.
Ben switched off the torch then smiled reassuringly at Lucy.

  ‘Everything seems to be fine. Both pupils are dilating evenly and there doesn’t appear to be any indication that Sam has suffered a head injury, but I’d like you to take him to hospital just to be on the safe side. All right?’

  ‘If you think it would be best, Doctor,’ Lucy said, looking scared out of her wits.

  Ben patted her shoulder. ‘It’s purely a precaution, Lucy. Sam is fine. Trust me.’ He glanced at Anna. ‘You agree, don’t you?’

  ‘I do,’ she concurred, appreciating the fact that he had sought her opinion, an all-too-rare event in her experience of working with a lot of doctors.

  ‘Will we need to go in an ambulance?’ Lucy asked, looking a bit happier now that she knew that there was nothing really wrong with her son.

  Ben shook his head. ‘It isn’t really an emergency so I can’t in all honesty justify calling an ambulance. I’d offer to take you myself but I need to get back to the surgery.’

  ‘I can take them,’ Janice Robertson offered immediately. ‘I’ve got my car outside and I’d be happy to drive them there.’

  ‘That would be marvellous. Thanks.’ Ben smiled at her, earning himself a smile in return. Anna couldn’t help thinking how much better Janice looked than when she had seen her in the surgery. Working at the playgroup was obviously doing her a lot of good.

  Ben phoned the hospital. Once everything was arranged, he and Anna left the church hall and got into his car.

  He drove them the short distance back to the surgery and parked in the car park. ‘Thanks for going over there, Anna. I appreciate it.’

  ‘It wasn’t a problem,’ she assured him.

  ‘I must have been talking to the estate agent when Eileen phoned me,’ he explained, getting out of the car.

  ‘About the cottage?’ she asked, glancing at him.

  ‘Yes.’ A smile suddenly lit his face. ‘My offer has been accepted! Mrs Williams had already phoned the agents and told them that she wants me to have the cottage.’

  ‘Oh, Ben, that’s wonderful news!’ she declared, reaching out and hugging him. It was only when she felt his arms tightening around her that she realised what she had done, but by that point it was too late to do anything about it.