Second Chance with Lord Branscombe

by Joanna Neil

  Nate shook his head. ‘I’m afraid not.’

  The woman stiffened and Sophie pulled up a chair and went to sit with her at the side of the bed.

  ‘There’s some sort of blockage in the arteries,’ Nate explained, ‘and that is what’s making her have high blood pressure and causing the severe headaches and so on. It also means that the blood flow to her kidneys is not what it should be. We have to do something that’s more invasive, I’m afraid. If we don’t do anything, things could get much worse and there might be damage to the kidneys.’

  The woman’s hands started to shake and Sophie covered them with her own, wanting to comfort her and at the same time not wanting Lucy to see her mother upset. ‘We need to do a procedure called angiography,’ she explained. ‘This will clear the blockage and open up the arteries, but Lucy will be anaesthetised so she won’t feel anything or need to worry about what’s going on.’ The little girl was watching and listening through all this, wide-eyed, and Sophie glanced at her. ‘How do you feel about that, Lucy?’

  Lucy paused briefly to think about it. ‘Will it make me better?’

  ‘It should do. That’s what we’re aiming for.’

  Lucy was quiet for a moment or two, thinking about it. ‘If it’s going to help, I think it’s okay.’ Seemingly older than her years, she glanced at her mother and said, ‘I’d like to stop feeling this way, being ill all the time.’

  Slowly, her mother nodded. She exhaled heavily. ‘All right. I’ll phone your dad and explain things to him.’ She looked up at Nate. ‘When will you do it?’

  ‘Tomorrow morning, most likely. I’ll speak to the radiology consultant who’ll be carrying out the procedure. He’ll want to see Lucy, and he’ll explain things to you...but basically he’ll thread a catheter from the groin through the blood vessels to look at the kidneys. Then he’ll place a small balloon inside the artery and inflate it to open up the blood vessel and restore the circulation. When that’s been done satisfactorily, he’ll withdraw the balloon and catheter. He’ll need to do the process for both arteries.’

  Lucy’s eyes grew even wider. ‘Are you sure I won’t feel any of it?’

  He nodded and smiled. ‘I’m quite sure. You might feel a little bit sore at the injection site afterwards, but you’ll be given painkillers, so it shouldn’t be a problem.’ He studied her expression. ‘Are you still all right with it?’

  She nodded.

  ‘Good.’ Nate stood up and smiled. ‘We’ll leave you to talk to your mum and dad about it, and I’ll let the nurse know what’s happening so she can answer any of your questions.’

  ‘Thanks.’ Lucy’s mother smiled at both of them as they went to leave the room. ‘I’m really grateful to you for the way you’re looking after her.’

  They went over to the computer room so that Nate could type up his case notes and confirm things with the radiology consultant.

  Sophie wrote up her own notes on Josh, and when they had both finished, Nate swivelled round in his chair to look at her. He said, ‘I’m glad we’ve finally managed to catch up with one another. It’s been so busy here we haven’t had a chance to talk...but it was good being with you on Saturday. I wanted to tell you I enjoyed the whole afternoon, walking with you, spending time at the house...especially spending time at the house...’ He smiled, but she couldn’t be persuaded to do the same. She was still struggling with anxiety at her lack of self-control after the way she’d responded to him that day.

  ‘It’s certainly a beautiful house,’ she said, dodging around the issue.

  His mouth tilted at the corners. ‘You won’t admit you liked being with me, will you?’

  ‘How can I?’ She sighed. ‘I feel I shouldn’t have let things get that far.’

  ‘I don’t see why.’ His shoulders moved in a nonchalant fashion. ‘Anyway, it was just a kiss.’

  She sucked in a silent breath at that. Just a kiss? Had it meant nothing to him? She was shocked.

  ‘It was exquisite...sensational...wonderful...’ he added. ‘But it was just a kiss, after all. I don’t see that you’ve any reason to regret it. It was instinctive. We didn’t plan it. It just happened.’ His glance flicked over her, moving from her burnished shoulder-length curls to glide down over the simple sheath dress she was wearing and trace the long line of her shapely legs. ‘Though I wouldn’t have been sorry if it had gone further.’ His green eyes darkened. ‘I always wanted you, Sophie...from back when we were teenagers. And I would definitely have staked a claim there and then if you hadn’t decided to skip off to Medical School and disappear from my life for endless years.’

  ‘Oh, really?’ She pretended to be surprised. ‘But you didn’t try to find me, did you, and am I to believe you didn’t go out and console yourself with any other girls in all those years?’

  ‘If I didn’t come after you it was because life got in the way. And as for any other women, trust me, no one could ever hold a candle to you.’ All at once his expression was sincere, his gaze steady, and she almost faltered under the influence of that persuasive, utterly convincing guise until she managed to collect herself just in time. Was she a naive teenager?

  ‘Well, that’s good to hear.’ She sent him a flashing blue glance. ‘Although...you know I don’t believe a word of it, don’t you?’ She frowned. ‘There’s no Irish in you, is there? I’m wondering because somewhere along the line you seem to have kissed the Blarney Stone.’

  He tried to look offended but failed due to the faintly amused quirk of his mouth. His dark brows shot up. ‘Not a drop. How could you say that to me? My ancestry is founded in the deepest combes—in the hills and valleys of ancient Devonshire—as you well know. I would never resort to such tactics.’

  ‘Hmm. That’s yet to be proved.’ She pulled a wry face and might have said more but her phone rang and she unclipped it from the purpose-made jewelled clasp on the narrow belt around her waist. Then she glanced at the small screen and frowned. ‘I’m sorry; I ought to take this,’ she told him. ‘It’s my sister, Jessica. She almost never rings when I’m at work.’

  ‘That’s okay. Go ahead.’ He was immediately serious but turned back to the computer while Sophie walked a short distance away to take the call.

  ‘Oh, Sophie—’ Her sister’s voice came over the airwaves. ‘I wasn’t sure what to do—I didn’t know whether to ring you or not. I don’t know what to do.’

  ‘It’s all right—try to calm yourself.’ Sophie used a soothing tone. ‘I’m sure we can sort it out, whatever the problem is.’ Intuitively, she asked, ‘Is everything okay between you and Ryan?’

  ‘Yes, except that he’s had to go off to Canada on an engineering job—right now when my due date is so close.’ Her sister pulled in a quick breath. ‘I’ve been feeling so tired lately. I’m nearly full term, my back hurts, I’m getting these odd contractions—the midwife says they’re Braxton Hicks—and he’s away, working. It came up out of the blue and he said he had no choice but to go.’

  Sophie tried to soothe her. ‘I expect he’s gone because he wants to boost your funds. Everything’s been a struggle for you up to now, hasn’t it, financially? He’d have known that Mum and Tom were close by if you needed them.’ They hadn’t counted on a baby coming along quite so soon.

  ‘Yes, that’s true. He’s doing everything he can to make sure we’re okay. It was all right till I had to stop working. I didn’t realise how much we relied on my salary. We were doing all right, but then the boiler broke down and it’s too old to be repaired, and now there’s a problem with the plumbing that needs to be sorted but the plumber says he can’t fix it for at least three weeks.’ She sighed. ‘I can’t stay here but I don’t know what to do. Can I come and stay with you for a while?’

  ‘Oh, Jess...of course you can. Pack a case and catch the earliest train down here and I’ll get the spare room ready for you. We’ll book you i
n with a local midwife and arrange for you to have the baby in the local hospital. I’m sure everyone will be accommodating once we explain the situation.’

  ‘Could I? Would you?’ Jessica’s words were tumbling over themselves in her relief. ‘Oh, thank you, Sophie. Thank you. Oh—’ She broke off suddenly and Sophie could feel there was something more to come.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘Well, it’s nothing wrong, exactly, but I think Rob wants to come and stay with Dad for a while. You know what he’s like once he makes up his mind about something. He’s very impulsive. He keeps saying he wants to help look after him. Mum’s okay with it, and I know Dad will be happy, but I don’t know where he’ll stay—Dad’s spare room is being used for storage at the moment, isn’t it?’

  ‘I’m sure we’ll sort something out.’ Sophie tried to stay focused on the situation in hand. ‘See if you can get the evening train over here. I think there’s one that gets into town at about nine o’clock. I’ll come and meet you at the station. We’ll work out what we can do about Rob, but the priority is to get you settled first. You have to think about your health and about the baby.’

  ‘Okay, I’ll do that... Thanks, Sophie. You’re the best.’ Jessica cut the call a minute or so later and Sophie frowned as she turned back to Nate, trying to work out what she needed to do. She would have to go home after her shift and make sure everything was ready for her sister.

  ‘Trouble?’ Nate was sympathetic, ready to listen.

  ‘Not really. It’s just that I need to get organised.’ She explained what was happening with Jessica and how Rob wanted to come over.

  ‘I don’t see how she can stay on her own in those circumstances...but I’m sure she’ll be glad to have her big sister’s support.’ He gave her a brief smile before asking seriously, ‘Is there any way I can help out with Rob?’

  It warmed her through and through to know that he would do what he could for her. ‘I’m not sure, to be honest,’ she said. ‘But thanks for offering.’ It was good of him—there had been no hesitation; he was ready to help in an instant.

  She paused for a moment, thinking about what she was going to do. ‘I won’t be at all surprised if my mother turns up at my place some time soon. This is just the kind of thing that would set her off. With all the changes going on, she’ll probably forget to take her medication.’

  He nodded. ‘That could happen. She used to take off for days at a time, didn’t she? I often wondered, back then, how you coped. You were only about sixteen when your parents’ marriage broke up, as I recall, and your mother was in a bad way for a long time. I caught up with everything that was happening whenever I came home from Med School and Charlotte would phone me every week and let me know all the village news.’ Nate’s expression was pensive. ‘Yet you seemed to take it all in your stride—you took on the role of mother to Rob and Jessica. They must have been...’ he worked it out in his head ‘...seven and nine at the time?’

  She nodded. ‘That’s right. They were very young, so I tried to be strong for them. It was hard because I was upset and hurting too. Dad was unhappy and not coping very well. It was still hard when Mum married Tom and we moved to Somerset. It was a new life, a new place, but we felt as though our roots had been torn.’

  ‘I can imagine.’ His gaze narrowed thoughtfully. ‘I don’t suppose there’s room for Jessica at your mother’s place?’

  She shook her head. ‘When Jess married they turned her room into an office. Anyway, she craves peace and quiet—mentally, if not physically.’ She shot him a quick, amused look. ‘A bit like you, really. You’d never be able to put up with some of the organised chaos we live in.’

  His mouth curved. ‘Probably not. I’m used to things running smoothly, like a well-oiled machine. I suppose Charlotte had a lot to do with that.’ He glanced briefly at his watch. ‘Your shift’s about due to finish—why don’t you go home and make a start on getting things ready? It’s going to be a bit of a squeeze for you in your small cottage, I imagine—and you’ll need to make room for a cot in case the baby arrives in the next couple of weeks, won’t you?’

  ‘Oh, heavens! I hadn’t thought of that! What am I going to do for a cot?’

  He was thoughtful for a moment or two. ‘There might be one stashed away in the attic back at the Manor. In fact, now I think about it, I’m sure there is. My father has things up there going back generations. He never throws stuff out.’

  ‘Oh, bless you! That would be marvellous.’ She studied him cautiously. ‘Is there any news on your father?’

  He pulled a face. ‘There’s been no change, really. He’s being well looked after at the convalescent home, but his recovery’s going to be a long haul, I think. He’s very breathless and needs a lot of rest.’

  ‘I’m sorry. It must be difficult for you.’

  ‘Yes. Thanks for asking.’ He sent her a quick glance. ‘Is your father making any headway?’

  She nodded, smiling. ‘He managed to stand and bear his own weight for a short time. It’s a start. He took a couple of steps with support. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he’ll keep on making progress.’

  ‘I’m glad.’

  She left the hospital a few minutes later, her mind racing, full of things she had to do. It occurred to her that Jake had mentioned seeing her later, so she tried calling him. When he didn’t answer, she sent him a text message telling him what was happening. He was probably in a meeting.

  As soon as she arrived back at the village, she checked up on her father and heated up a beef casserole she’d made earlier.

  ‘Rob told me he wants to come over,’ he said as they ate together. ‘I told him I’d love to have him stay with me but there’s only the box room and that’s filled with physio equipment and so on. It would take a bit of work to sort it out.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it, Dad,’ she said. ‘We can deal with that later.’

  ‘And what about Jessica? Are you going to have room for her and perhaps for a baby as well at your place?’

  ‘I’m sure we’ll manage.’ She looked at him thoughtfully. ‘Anyway, how did you get on with the physio today—it was your day for the hospital workout, wasn’t it?’

  He grimaced. ‘It was okay. I managed a couple of steps again, with a lot of help. Some days I don’t seem to have the strength...’

  ‘You’re getting there—that’s the main thing. A year ago we wouldn’t have thought you’d come this far.’ She clasped his hand warmly and smiled at him and he brightened, seeming to absorb some of her optimism. ‘Now—I’ll take Charlie for his walk and then I’ll have to love you and leave you. I’ve a dozen things I need to do before Jessica gets here.’

  Charlie’s ears perked up at the mention of a walk and they set off along the moorland path, heading for the local village shop. Sophie stocked up on extra provisions and then dropped Charlie back home.

  She went back to her own white-painted cottage and put away the groceries. With any luck, Jessica would be arriving in the next couple of hours and by then she would have everything more or less in order. She put fresh linen on the bed in the guest room and made sure there were plenty of clean towels in the bathroom. When she had finished it was still light, so she went out into the garden to breathe in the fresh air and gather some flowers from the border. She loved her garden with its curving lawn and pretty display of colourful blooms. There were trellis panels covered in sweet peas in warm pastel shades, with deeper lavender, mauve and blue colours interspersed.

  The sun was setting on the horizon when she turned back towards the house, carrying a wicker trug filled with bright pompon dahlias and a posy of delicate sweet peas.

  ‘I thought I might find you out here.’ Nate’s deep voice startled her. He walked around the side of the house and came across the small terrace towards her, smiling. ‘I rang the doorbell and knocked, but I s
aw your car outside, so I guessed you were still at home. I brought the cot and came to see if you needed any help.’

  ‘Oh... I didn’t expect you to look for it right away.’ She was a bit breathless all at once, seeing him standing there. He looked wonderful, dressed in casual chinos and an open-necked shirt with the sleeves rolled up. All the nervous excitement of the last few hours seemed to flow out of her as she looked at him, to be replaced by a warm feeling inside. It was so good to have him here.

  ‘That’s really thoughtful of you,’ she said. ‘It’s good to see you, Nate.’ She started towards the house once more, heading towards the open square-paned French windows. ‘I was just going to put these flowers in water. Jessica likes sweet peas, so I thought I would put some in her room—and the dahlias will look good in the living room.’ She was babbling, startled by his arrival, but thrilled to see him.

  ‘Have you heard anything from your brother?’ He followed her into the kitchen.

  ‘No, nothing. I tried calling him but I couldn’t get through. I expect his battery’s low.’ She set the trug down on the white table, then switched on the kettle and set out a couple of porcelain mugs for coffee. ‘I’ll just put these flowers in water. Sit down—I can get you some scones to eat if you’re hungry.’

  ‘No, thanks, I’m fine. Besides, you have enough to do without bothering about me.’ He watched her as she arranged the sweet peas in a glass vase. ‘Look—why don’t I go and meet Jessica at the station? She’ll remember me from before your family left the village—and we met up briefly in the village last time I was home.’

  ‘Are you sure you don’t mind doing that?’

  ‘Of course not. I told you, I want to help.’

  ‘Thanks. That would be such a relief. I’m really grateful.’ She made the coffee and slid a mug towards him. ‘I’ve been thinking about her, wondering if it will all go smoothly.’

  He looked at her curiously. ‘You don’t show your feelings to the world, do you? You look very calm and composed on the outside, but I know you’re a little anxious inside. That’s probably what makes you such a good doctor. You get on with the job in hand—no panic, no fuss, just sheer concentration and doing the best you can.’