Caroline Anderson, Anne Fraser, Kate Hardy, Margaret McDonagh

by Brides of Penhally Bay Vol. 04 (lit)

  She didn’t know how long she had sat there when she heard a soft tap at the door.

  ‘Annie, are you all right?’ Raphael’s deep tones penetrated the fog of grief and fear. She scrambled to her feet. He would know what to do. He would help her.

  She opened the door and Raphael took one look at her face before gathering her into his arms.

  ‘What is it? What is wrong?’ he demanded. He held her at arm’s length, forcing her to look at him. ‘Is it the baby?’

  Annie nodded, unable to speak. His face paled and she saw her anguish reflected in his eyes.

  ‘What is happening?’ he coaxed gently. ‘Tell me exactly.’

  Annie drew strength from him. ‘I’m bleeding,’ she said simply, and then in a rush the tears came and she was crying in his arms. ‘My baby,’ she gulped between the sobs that racked her body. ‘I can’t lose my baby.’

  Raphael scooped her into his arms and carried her, still sobbing into his chest, past the startled glances of the other guests. Everyone stopped speaking for a moment and then Annie and Raphael were surrounded. But it was Kate who spoke first.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ she asked quietly.

  ‘She’s bleeding. I am going to take her to St Piran’s.’ Even in her distress, Annie could hear he was having difficulty keeping his voice even.

  ‘I’ll come with you,’ Kate said. ‘I’ll drive while you take care of Annie.’

  ‘I’ll come too.’ Annie recognized Chloe’s anxious voice.

  ‘We can manage, Chloe,’ Kate said gently. ‘Hopefully it’s nothing serious. I’ll call you later.’

  And then Annie felt herself being lifted into the back of the car. Raphael covered her with his jacket before getting in beside her. He pulled her into his arms and stroked her head while her sobs turned to hiccups. Kate started the car and with a squeal of tyres headed towards St Piran’s. They were the most dreadful minutes of Annie’s life, but she was glad that Raphael was with her. He, more than anyone, would know what she was going through.

  At the hospital, Raphael insisted on carrying her up to the maternity wing, Kate having to run alongside to keep up with him. Annie knew that come tomorrow, when all this was over, she would be mortified at all the attention. But right now she didn’t care. If anyone could help her it was Raphael, and she trusted his medical skills absolutely.

  He set her down on a couch in one of the examination rooms, calling for the ultrasound scanner in a voice that suggested that, if it wasn’t brought to him this instant, there would be hell to pay. Fear closed Annie’s throat and numbed her lips, but she answered Kate’s questions as best she could. No, she hadn’t bled before. She’d only had mild cramps tonight. Nothing until tonight. She had even felt the baby move earlier, but couldn’t feel anything now.

  Raphael, his eyes tight with concentration, was spreading cool gel on Annie’s tummy. In any other circumstances she might have felt awkward as his hands lifted her dress, revealing her lacy underwear, but right now all she could think about was her baby.

  Kate held her hand as Raphael scanned her abdomen, his attention fixed on the monitor. Suddenly his face creased into a smile and Annie felt the first small tug of hope since she had been to the bathroom.

  ‘I can see the heartbeat,’ Raphael said, relief in his voice. ‘Look, Annie, there.’ He turned the screen towards her and even through her swollen eyelids she could see the fluttering of a heartbeat. Her heart soared. She was still pregnant. For the time being, at any rate. She shook the thought away. She had to stay positive, for the baby’s sake. There was no way she was going to give up on this baby, not until all hope was gone. And right now the baby was still there, inside her, needing her to be strong. She counted four limbs on the 3D image. Tiny legs folded and was it…? Yes, it was sucking its thumb. She felt a fresh wave of tears prick her eyes. But this time it was with relief and a wash of love. That was her baby, safe inside her womb.

  It seemed as if Raphael was experiencing the same sea of emotions as he too stared at the tiny image. He muttered something in Spanish in a voice filled with awe. Kate was also smiling.

  Through her relief, Annie was aware of Dr Gibson, her obstetrician, coming in to the room.

  ‘The midwives told me our miracle mum was in,’ she said. ‘So I thought I’d pop in to see how you were.’ She looked at Raphael, curiosity evident in her bright blue eyes. ‘Although I can see Dr Castillo is already here.’ She squinted at the monitor and nodded, looking satisfied.

  ‘Baby looks fine, although I’m sure Dr Castillo has already told you that.’

  ‘We should keep you in under observation, Annie. Just to be on the safe side,’ Kate said.

  ‘Will it make any difference if I stay?’

  She saw Kate and Raphael exchange a look.

  ‘No,’ Raphael said gently. ‘If you are going to miscarry, it will happen anyway.’

  ‘Then I want to go home,’ Annie said softly but firmly.

  ‘I think you should stay,’ Raphael responded. ‘I will stay with you.’

  Once again, Annie was aware of Dr Gibson’s puzzled eyes on Raphael, before the older doctor looked at her.

  ‘I know how much this pregnancy means to you, Annie. Particularly when you thought it could never happen. I don’t think a night in hospital would do you any harm.’ Dr Gibson turned to Raphael. ‘I’m sure you’ll be aware that Annie was thought to have ovarian failure.’

  Raphael drew his brows together and Annie watched as realisation dawned that she had been telling him the truth. Emotions chased across his face. Delight followed by—could it be shame? Despite herself, she enjoyed watching him squirm.

  Annie struggled into a sitting position and Kate came forward to help her.

  ‘Look,’ she said. ‘We all know that it will make no difference whatsoever to the outcome if I stay in hospital. This pregnancy will either continue or…’ Her voice broke. ‘It won’t. Staying here isn’t going to change anything as you have just admitted. Am I right, Dr Gibson?’

  ‘Yes. Bed rest won’t make a difference. But you know that your medical history means you have to be extra-careful. So no vigorous exercise—and that includes penetrative sex. Just to be on the safe side.’

  This time it was Annie’s turn to squirm and she felt her face burn. Before she could help herself she slid a glance in Raphael’s direction. Out of sight of Dr Gibson and Kate, he raised an eyebrow in her direction, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Her embarrassment deepened. Had the man no shame?

  ‘I can’t stay in hospital for the rest of my pregnancy,’ Annie said, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. ‘If I thought it would make the slightest difference, I would be happy to remain flat on my back and not move a muscle for the next few weeks or so. But it won’t. So I’m going home where I feel more comfortable.’

  ‘Okay, Annie,’ Dr Gibson said, as her pager bleeped. ‘You can go home if you wish, but remember what I said about taking it easy. I need to answer this, but come and see me at my clinic in about a week.’

  ‘I’ll stay at your house with you,’ Kate offered after Dr Gibson had left the room. ‘That way, you won’t be alone if anything happens. We hope it won’t, but we can’t be sure. I can ask Rob if Jem could stay over at his house.’

  But Raphael interrupted. ‘No, I will. It is my responsibility.’

  Kate narrowed her eyes and looked from Annie to Raphael. Annie could tell from the slow realisation dawning in her eyes that she was putting two and two together. What she made of Raphael being here in Penhally Bay was anyone’s guess. But Annie knew that whatever her thoughts she would keep them to herself, and she was grateful for the older midwife’s well-known discretion.

  ‘I can stay on my own,’ Annie protested. ‘I have my phone. Kate only lives a short distance away. If I need her she can be with me in minutes.’

  Irrationally Annie felt that if she stayed in the hospital, it would only make matters worse. At home she could pretend that everything was a
s it had been when she’d left the house earlier in the day.

  ‘Either I stay with you at home, or you will stay here.’ From the tone of Raphael’s voice, Annie realised she wasn’t going to win the battle. She didn’t really have the strength for it. All she wanted now was to go home and climb into her own bed and sleep, comforted with the knowledge that her baby was okay.

  ‘All right,’ she agreed reluctantly. She would agree to anything as long as it got her out of the hospital. But she couldn’t prevent a flicker of relief and happiness that Raphael would be coming home with her. If only for a night she could pretend it was for all the right reasons.

  Kate dropped Annie and Raphael off at Annie’s place with a final entreaty to Annie to call her any time, no matter what the hour, if she needed to. Once again, Raphael insisted on carrying her as if she was too fragile to stand on her own two feet, but for once she let him take care of her. She had looked after herself for so long, it felt strange but not unpleasant giving herself, even temporarily, into the care of someone else. In his arms she could believe that everything would turn out all right.

  He laid her gently on her bed and insisted on removing her tights and her dress as if she were helpless. She felt every touch of his fingers burn into her skin. Then when she was left wearing only her bra and panties he looked down at her and she could hear his breath catch in his throat. But he shook his head and, muttering something in Spanish that sounded like a curse, he held the duvet up so she could crawl into bed. He surprised her even more by lying next to her, on top of the quilt, and pulling her into his arms so that her back rested against his chest. His hands were on her hair, soothing her, and she let herself drift away, secure in the knowledge that he was there if she needed him.

  Raphael stroked Annie’s dark brown hair, feeling the weight of it under his fingertips. He inhaled her perfume as her breathing deepened and became regular. He stole a glance at her sleeping face, the pale skin and tiny creases of worry at the corners of her eyes. He wondered if she had any idea how vulnerable she appeared despite that tough independent exterior. He was surprised by a rush of protectiveness she aroused in him. When he had come across her in the bathroom, one look at her had told him that she was almost destroyed at the thought of losing her baby. And he had been surprised at his own feelings, too. He wanted this baby, but the gut-wrenching sorrow he had felt when he had thought she had lost it had shaken him.

  And then the realisation, back at the hospital, that she had been honest with him all along. He had misjudged her and felt acutely ashamed. Just because Ruth had lied to him, it didn’t mean Annie was the same. He should have known she was telling the truth when she had been so adamant that she didn’t want or need him in her life. He could only imagine what his reaction must have done to her. It would have taken courage to phone him, and then for him to doubt that the baby she was carrying was his. After everything she had gone through. Any other woman would have lashed out, but not Annie. She had done what she thought was right—for the baby.

  There was no longer the slightest shred of doubt in his mind. She was carrying his baby. His child. And he hadn’t been mistaken about Annie. She was the woman he had thought she was back in Spain. She had told him about the baby because she thought he had a right to know—not because she wanted anything from him. But was she as strong as she liked to make out? Somehow he doubted it. And as long as she was carrying his baby, he would stay and watch over them both—whatever she said.

  CHAPTER SIX

  WHEN Annie opened her eyes the next morning it was to the delicious aroma of fresh coffee. She stretched luxuriously beneath the sheets, unable to think at first who could be moving around in her cottage. But then the previous night’s events came flooding back. She dropped her hands tentatively to her tummy, feeling the reassuring swell of her pregnancy, and then a tiny movement made her gasp. Her baby was still there, alive and kicking. She smiled to herself, feeling a bubble of happiness. One day at a time. She’d take one day at a time, just as she’d told so many of her patients.

  Raphael appeared at the doorway, a tray balanced in his hands. Despite his rumpled appearance, Annie felt her breath catch in her throat. How could any man be so damned handsome? It just wasn’t fair. As he walked towards her, she pulled the bedclothes up to her chin, suddenly self-conscious under his searching eyes. It was a bit late in the day, she thought ruefully, to be trying to hang onto her modesty. After all, this man had explored every inch of her already with his lips as well as his hands. She bit back a moan as a delicious heat flooded her body. She had to stop thinking about him in that way. No good could come of it. He was here because of his child. No other reason. And she’d do well to remember that.

  ‘Buenas días,’ he said evenly, but he couldn’t quite hide the anxiety that darkened his eyes. If Annie had ever wondered how much he wanted this baby, any remaining doubts had disappeared when she’d sensed his anguish when he’d shared her fear that she might lose it. He propped the tray on her lap as she sat up.

  ‘Morning,’ she responded awkwardly. Then she added, ‘I felt the baby kick just now.’

  Knowing he would want to feel the reassuring movement as much as she did, she set the tray aside and took his hand, guiding it to her belly. As she felt his warm hand on her bare skin she felt goose-bumps prick her skin. Just then the baby moved and Annie was touched to see a look of relief and joy in his eyes. They smiled at each other and it was as if the air between them was alive. As if a cord bound them together. Or was it just their shared hope?

  ‘My baby,’ he said softly, before lowering his head and kissing her ever so gently on her small bump. Once more jolts of pleasure shot through her body. How was she going to cope having him around for the duration of her pregnancy if her body reacted like some wanton harpy every time he touched her?

  As soon as he raised his head, she scrambled for the duvet again, snuggling under the protective folds. Not knowing what else to do to break the atmosphere that fizzled and sparked between them, she picked up her tray and almost laughed out loud. The coffee was fine, he had managed that, and the single rose clearly picked from outside her front door was a sweet touch, but the toast looked as if it had been dropped in water then wrung out and placed on her plate. What was he trying to do? Poison her?

  He must have seen her look of incredulity as he looked hurt for a moment. ‘Lo síento—I am sorry about the toast,’ he said. ‘I didn’t know what to do with it. I never eat my bread like that.’

  ‘It’s fine,’ Annie said. ‘I’m not particularly hungry, anyway. You needn’t have bothered. I’m sure you’d rather be at home.’

  ‘I am staying with you,’ he said. ‘I will go and change my clothes and then go to the shop and get us some proper breakfast. You stay where you are until I get back. Kate phoned to say she is coming to check on you, so she will be here with you while I am away.’

  For a moment Annie was tempted to tell him to stop treating her as if she was a child, in fact, would everyone stop treating her like a child, but bit back the words. Right now she didn’t have the energy nor the willpower to argue. As soon as he was gone she’d shower and dress. He would soon see that she wasn’t the type of woman who he could order about. He might be used to getting his own way in Spain and at the hospital, but this was her house and she would do as she pleased.

  ‘I didn’t hear the phone,’ she said.

  ‘It has been ringing constantly, but I unplugged the extension in here so it wouldn’t disturb you. So many people want to know that you are okay. So many people care about you.’

  Annie sank back in the pillows. He was right, she knew that. But what about him? Did he care for her at all? And as for all these people who had phoned. What on earth had they thought when Raphael had answered? Hopefully, no more than one colleague looking out for another. Nevertheless, Annie knew that the jungle drums of Penhally Bay would be beating furiously. It was really only a matter of time before everyone guessed that Raphael was the father of her ch
ild. But she no longer cared who knew. The only thing that really mattered was the health of her baby.

  Before she could ask him who exactly had phoned, there was a knock at the front door and she heard Kate’s voice calling out. Raphael looked down at her, his eyes darkening. For a moment she imagined he looked reluctant to leave her. He leaned over towards her, and her breath caught in her throat. Was he going to kiss her? Her lips parted involuntarily but instead he brushed his fingertips against her cheek.

  ‘I will see you soon,’ he said, and headed for the door.

  She could hear him and Kate talking in low voices, followed by the bang of the door. Moments later her friend popped her head around the door.

  ‘Okay if I come in?’ she asked.

  ‘I don’t seem to be able to stop anyone,’ Annie grumbled before immediately feeling contrite. ‘I’m sorry, Kate, please ignore me. I’m just feeling a little rattled, that’s all. I can’t help but feel that if everyone fusses around me, there must be something wrong.’

  ‘Raphael said he felt the baby move. That’s a good sign.’

  ‘I know.’ Annie sighed. ‘But I can’t help but worry.’

  Kate’s eyes were warm with sympathy. ‘We’re all going to do everything we can to get you through this,’ she said gently. ‘Everyone’s rooting for you. I had to forbid them all from coming down here to see you in person. Although I suspect you’ll want to see Chloe later?’

  ‘Does she know? About Raphael?’ Annie asked, easing herself out of bed and slipping her dressing gown on.

  ‘I think most people, Chloe included, will have guessed who the father is,’ Kate said. ‘None of them are so stupid that they can’t put your holiday in Spain together with the sudden arrival of Dr Castillo. According to Ben, Raphael used all his connections to get the job at St Piran’s so he could be near you.’ Kate smiled at Annie. ‘Besides, people would have had to have been blind not to see how torn up he was last night. Most obstetricians don’t go carrying patients around in their arms, even if they are the most caring of doctors.’