CHAPTER THIRTEEN
MELINDA spent the next few days as if she were in a trance. As she’d expected, the headlines were screaming about the royal vet being kicked out of the monarchy. But that would die down soon enough—at least now she had one less problem to deal with.
The only saving grace of that particular mess had been the call from her younger sister. ‘Lini? It’s me. I’ve just seen the papers and I could murder our mother! I’ve told her that, whatever happens, I still love you and you will always be my sister. And I’ve also told Mamma exactly what I think of her behaviour.’ Serena’s tone was caustic. ‘She wanted to know if you’d taught me the swear words I used.’
‘Oh, no.’
Serena laughed. ‘I told her that I’d been the one to teach them to Raffi, actually, and she went off to get the smelling salts, muttering about how disgraceful my generation is. She’s going to be in for a shock when Papà hands over to me, because I’m dragging Contarini into the twenty-first century, whether it likes it or not.’ She paused. ‘Well, I’m looking forward to being an auntie. And to meeting your Dragan properly.’
Melinda swallowed hard. ‘You’ve seen the papers. I don’t think he is my Dragan any more.’
‘Don’t be silly. Of course he is. I remember everything that you told me while you were over here. It’s obvious that you love him and he loves you.’
‘It’s not as simple as that.’
‘Everything’s simple,’ Serena said crisply. ‘People just think too hard and then they complicate things. He loves you and you love him. You’re expecting his baby. The only thing that was standing in your way was the monarchy. And now that hurdle’s gone, there’s no reason for you not to be together.’
‘He walked out on me, Rena.’
‘So you had a fight. Patch it up. Don’t be too proud about it,’ Serena counselled softly. ‘Go and see him. Tell him how you really feel about him.’
‘Maybe.’
‘Stop messing about and just do it.’
‘Hey, you’re not queen yet. You can’t order me around,’ Melinda said, trying to keep it light.
‘I can try.’ Serena’s voice grew serious. ‘Lini, I meant what I said. Just forget what Mamma said. It’s not true. You’ll always be my sister. And I’ll always be there for you—just as you’ve always been there for me. If it wasn’t for you, I’d never be able to do this job, because you’re the one who’s shown me I can do anything if I try. Look at you—you left home at eighteen and went to study in a foreign country. And veterinary science is hard enough in Italian, let alone in a different language. So you showed me how to reach for the stars—how something might seem impossible but I could do it if I tried hard enough.’
‘I really am going to cry now.’
‘Don’t. Call Dragan and tell him you love him. And when you get the first picture from the scan, if you don’t send me a copy right away I’ll have you chucked in the palace dungeons.’
‘Noted, Your Highness,’ Melinda said.
Serena just laughed. ‘Don’t think I don’t mean it. Look, I have to go, cara. But you call me if you need me, OK?’
‘I will. And thank you, Rena. I thought…’ Melinda choked back the words.
‘You think too much. Now go and do as your sovereign-to-be orders.’
But Dragan wasn’t answering his phone. Melinda assumed that he was out somewhere with Bramble. But the longer she left it, the harder it was to make the call, until she didn’t make it at all.
Work kept her busy the next day.
And then she had a callout to the caravan park. There had been a dogfight, and one of the animals had been badly bitten. ‘I know I should’ve told them to bring the dog down here,’ Rachel said, ‘but the girl was hysterical.’
‘OK. I can always bring the dog back myself, if need be,’ Melinda said.
But when she pulled in to the caravan park, she recognised one of the other cars in the car park. Dragan’s. Rachel could have warned her that a doctor had been called out, too.
Well, Penhally wasn’t that big a place. She’d have to face him some time. May as well be now. She lifted her chin, straightened her spine and went over to where he was treating a teenage boy whose arm was bloodstained. Next to him, a girl was on her knees beside an elderly Yorkshire terrier lying on a picnic blanket, stroking its head and crying her eyes out.
Dragan looked at her, unsmiling.
She might not want to talk to him on a personal level, but she’d show him she could be professional. ‘Dr Lovak,’ she said, giving him a cool nod of acknowledgement.
‘Ms Fortescue,’ he responded.
‘I’m Melinda, the vet,’ she said to the girl. ‘You’re Colleen, who rang about your dog?’
The girl nodded. ‘My mum’s going to kill me,’ she quavered.
‘What happened?’
‘I was taking Bruiser for a walk. Except I wasn’t looking after him properly.’ She flushed. ‘I was talking to Micky.’
Micky being the boy with the bloody arm. Clearly a holiday romance, Melinda thought with a pang. One that the poor girl would remember for all the wrong reasons.
Without meaning to, she caught Dragan’s eye. And she could see from his expression that he was thinking exactly the same thing.
It was a mess.
Just like their relationship.
‘And this dog came out of nowhere,’ Micky said. ‘It attacked Bruiser. And when I tried to get it off him it bit me, too.’
‘Micky was so brave.’ Colleen sniffed.
‘Where’s the other dog now?’ Melinda asked.
‘The police have got it,’ Micky said. ‘It ought to be put down.’
‘Make sure the police have your details—and that they’ve made a note on the Dog Bite Register. That way, if that dog routinely attacks other dogs, they can do something about it. Now, let me have a look at Bruiser here.’ She dropped to her knees and let the dog sniff her hands for reassurance that she wasn’t going to hurt him, then gently examined the dog. ‘There’s one pretty nasty bite here. Are all his vaccinations up to date, Colleen?’
The girl nodded.
‘That’s one good thing. How old is he?’
‘Nine. We got him when I was six.’
‘OK.’ Gently, she cleaned the wounds, talking to the dog and reassuring him as she did so—just as Dragan was irrigating the boy’s wounds. Again, she couldn’t help glancing at him, and discovered him looking straight at her, his expression unreadable.
He looked away first. ‘I’m going to need to take you back to the surgery, Micky,’ Dragan said. ‘I need to give you some antibiotics, just to make sure there was nothing nasty in the dog’s bite.’
‘I’m going to need to give Bruiser antibiotics, too,’ Melinda said. ‘And I’m not going to stitch the wounds closed because there’s more of a risk of infection with puncture wounds.’
‘Same with you, Micky,’ Dragan said. ‘I’m going to cover your wounds with a light dressing, and you’ll need to come back to me in a couple of days for stitches.’
‘Snap,’ Melinda said to Colleen with a smile.
‘Is Bruiser going to be all right?’ she asked. ‘He’s not going to die?’
‘He’s going to be a bit sore for a few days. And you need to keep an eye on him—if you notice anything unusual about his breathing or if he seems hot or uncomfortable, call me straight away.’ She gave the girl one of the practice business cards. ‘So where’s your mum?’
‘She’s gone shopping in the village.’
‘OK. When she gets back, ask her to ring me and I’ll explain. It wasn’t your fault that Bruiser was attacked. If she’d been with you, it would still have happened,’ Melinda reassured the girl.
‘You probably saved the dog’s life,’ Dragan told Micky. ‘Though next time you might find a bucket of water’s more effective and less painful for you in breaking up a fight. Better let your parents know where you’re going—I’ll drop you back here when I’ve sorted the antibio
tics.’
‘Are you all right?’ Melinda asked Colleen.
The girl nodded and continued to stroke the dog. ‘I’m just so sorry he got hurt.’
Yeah. Melinda knew how that felt. Again, she glanced at Dragan—and met his unfathomable dark gaze.
‘It’ll work out,’ she said to Colleen.
Though she was none too sure if the situation between her and Dragan could be fixed. They’d worked as a team here, sorting out a problem. He was a brilliant doctor and she knew she was good at her job, too. They were both good at reassuring others. So why couldn’t they reassure themselves?
She had no idea where they went from here. All she knew was that she missed him. And she had to find a way to get through to him, to prove to him that she loved him and she’d never hurt him again.
Later that evening George rang her, sounding anxious. ‘Melinda? When’s your dating scan again?’
‘Wednesday afternoon.’
‘And you’re not sure just how pregnant you are.’
Ice trickled down her spine. There had to be a reason why he was asking. And from the tone of his voice, it was a serious reason. ‘Why?’
‘You know when you helped me at Polkerris Farm when lambing went mad a few weeks back?’
‘Ye-es.’ Usually Melinda dealt with the small-animal work at the practice, but that particular week there had been more lambs than George could deal with on his own, and she’d gone over to the farm to help him out.
‘I asked you before we started if there was any possibility you were pregnant, and you said no.’
‘I didn’t think I was.’
George dragged in a breath. ‘Then you need to see your midwife and ask her to do some tests.’
Melinda’s mouth felt almost too stiff to move. ‘You’re telling me that some of the ewes are losing their lambs?’
‘It’s definitely EAE.’ EAE stood for enzootic abortion in ewes, and it was every sheep farmer’s worst nightmare at lambing time. The infection could also be transferred to humans, so pregnant women were advised to avoid all contact with lambs, ewes who were lambing and even the boots and clothes of people who’d been involved in lambing.
‘I’m taking samples,’ George said. He paused. ‘Look, is there anyone who can be with you?’
Dragan.
No. Not after this afternoon. His coldness had made his feelings clear. ‘I’ll ring Chloe.’
‘Do that. And actually she’s probably the best person to give you advice. Let me know how things go—and if there’s anything you need, you only have to say, OK?’
‘I will. Thank you, George.’
Melinda cut the connection and pressed the speed-dial button for Chloe’s number. Please, be there, she begged silently. Please be there.
The phone rang.
And rang.
And rang.
By the time it was finally picked up, Melinda was frantic. ‘Chloe? It’s Melinda. Can I come over? Please?’
‘Melinda?’
What was Dragan doing at Chloe’s place? And why was he answering her phone?
She must have asked the questions out loud because he said, ‘You didn’t call Chloe. You called me.’
It must’ve been her subconscious dialling the wrong number. Because when George had broken the news, she’d wanted Dragan with her so badly.
‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.
She’d tried so hard to be strong. But hearing him sound so warm, so concerned—the way he used to be—was too much for her. She couldn’t handle this, not when they weren’t together any more. The weight of all that had happened suddenly hit her. She dropped the phone and sobbed.
Three minutes later her doorbell rang. As if someone was leaning on it. Hard. And it didn’t stop ringing until she stumbled down the stairs and opened the door.
He closed the door behind him and wrapped his arms round her. ‘It’s all right. Calm down. Deep breaths. It’s OK.’
Sobs racked her.
‘Is it the baby?’ he asked.
‘N-no. Y-yes.’ She couldn’t get the words out.
‘Are you bleeding?’
‘N-no. It’s…it’s…’
‘All right, carissima. I’m here. I’ve got you.’ And he lifted her bodily, cradling her against him with one hand under her knees and the other supporting her back.
Just as if he were carrying her over the threshold.
Which wasn’t going to happen.
She shivered, even more miserable now—wanting him to go away and yet wanting him close at the same time.
This was all such a mess.
And if she lost the baby…
He gently placed her on the sofa and disappeared for a couple of moments, returning with a glass of water. ‘Here. Small sips. Slowly.’ When her breathing had slowed, he stroked her face. ‘Now tell me what’s wrong.’
She dragged in a breath. ‘I’ve been exposed to EAE.’
He frowned. ‘I thought you only did the small-animals side?’
‘I do. But George was run ragged, so I helped him out on Polkerris Farm. He just called to tell me…’ She shuddered. ‘He says the flock’s got EAE.’
‘And when was this that you helped out?’
‘A few weeks back. There wasn’t any sign of it then.’ She shook her head. ‘And George asked me if I was pregnant before I started helping. I said no—because I didn’t think I was. I swear I had no idea. I would never, ever risk our baby like that.’
‘I know you wouldn’t.’ He held her close. ‘First we need to take a blood sample for testing. Has Chloe booked you in yet, done the usual tests?’
‘No. We were going to do that just before the scan.’
‘Right. Well, we can sort that out now. And we need to find out just how pregnant you are. Right now I’d say try not to panic because there’s a very good chance everything’s going to be fine.’ He shifted her very slightly so he could retrieve his mobile phone from his pocket, then dialled a number and waited. ‘Maternity department, please.’
Clearly he was ringing St Piran Hospital.
‘Hello? It’s Dr Dragan Lovak from Penhally. I have a pregnant mum who’s been exposed to EAE, but we’re not sure of her dates. Yes, a few weeks back. No, no bloods or scans yet. That’s great. Forty minutes? That’d be perfect. Thank you so much. Yes. Her name’s Melinda Fortesque. Thank you.’ He cut the connection and looked at Melinda. ‘They’re going to give you a scan to check your dates, and do the blood test. It’s a half-hour drive from here to St Piran, so you’ve got time to wash your face if you want.’ Then he went all inscrutable on her. ‘Would you rather someone else took you? Shall I call Chloe?’
‘No.’ She wanted him. Though right now she didn’t want to move: she was in his arms, just where she belonged.
‘All right. Wash your face while I go and get my car.’
‘What about the press?’
Dragan said something in Croatian that she couldn’t translate but she was pretty sure it was extremely rude. ‘You’re more important,’ he said.
She dragged in a breath. ‘Thank you. It’s more than I deserve after the way I’ve treated you.’ Yes, he’d walked out on her, but she’d told him to leave. And she’d kept him in the dark about too many things.
He made no comment.
‘We can take my car, if it would save time.’
‘OK—but I’ll drive,’ he said, ‘because you’re really not in a fit state.’
She didn’t argue. And she washed her face and cleaned her teeth, then managed to keep herself together while they got to the car.
To her relief, no paparazzi were around. Or, if they were, they kept well hidden.
‘So how can they tell if I’ve been affected by the lambing?’
‘They’ll do a blood test,’ Dragan explained. ‘It’s what they call complement fixation testing, but that on its own won’t tell them if you’ve been exposed to an ovine strain or an avian strain. They’ll do immunofluorescent testing to sort that out.’ He
looked grim. ‘Have you had any flu-like symptoms?’
‘No.’
‘That’s good.’
‘Is it?’ She remembered the leaflets she’d read. ‘I thought it was asymptomatic in humans.’
‘It can be,’ he admitted.
‘How’s it treated?’
‘Antibiotics—usually a two-week course of erythromycin.’
She frowned. ‘But aren’t antibiotics bad during pregnancy?’
‘Let’s not cross that bridge just yet. We don’t know you’ve definitely been infected and we don’t know how pregnant you are.’ He took his left hand off the wheel for a moment to hold hers. ‘If it helps, most reported cases of problems are in the period from twenty-four to thirty-six weeks, and I’m pretty sure your dates aren’t in that area. And it’s also very, very rare for someone to lose a baby because of it nowadays.’
‘Because everyone knows the guidelines. If you’re a vet or you work with sheep, and someone in your family’s pregnant, you stay away from them during lambing—you don’t even let them near your clothes or boots, because they can pick it up from there. And it can cause problems with the baby’s development. I’ve seen the leaflets and the advisory notes, Dragan. I know what it can do. And I know what it can do to me, too. DIC.’
‘Disseminated intravascular coagulation is an extremely rare complication.’
‘But it’s a possibility.’ One which could kill her, if the heavy bleeding went along with shock and infection. She’d once heard Chloe talk about it and it had shocked her that in this century women could still die in childbirth. ‘So are complications of the liver and the kidneys. And EAE can lead to a woman losing the baby.’
‘In the severe form of the disease. And the chances are very high that you don’t have that.’
‘But what if I do? What if I’ve got it and I don’t have the symptoms?’ She dragged in a breath. ‘I didn’t know I was pregnant when I went out to the farm. I swear I didn’t.’
‘Nobody’s blaming you, carissima. And it’s going to be all right.’
‘Is it? You can’t give me a guarantee, can you?’ She released his hand and wrapped her arms round her abdomen. ‘I can’t lose this baby, I can’t.’ Her breath came out in a shudder. ‘It’s all I have left of you.’
Brides of Penhally Bay - Vol 2 Page 14