by Sarah Morgan
After all, she’d been prepared to marry Freddie without love on either side. Why shouldn’t she marry Jago when she loved him so desperately?
She knew that she could never be happy with any other man.
She looked at him shyly. ‘You’re serious? You really want to marry me?’
In answer Jago lowered his head and kissed her thoroughly.
‘I’m going to marry you,’ he muttered against her lips. ‘As soon as we get back to England. And this time we’re going to just do it and not tell your father.’
She opened her mouth to point out that her father was bound to find out at some point, but he hauled her into his arms and all rational thought vanished into the Spanish sun.
CHAPTER TEN
THEY flew home the following day and Katy returned to work that afternoon feeling as though she was walking on air.
She was marrying Jago.
She still couldn’t quite believe it.
They’d agreed to keep it quiet until Jago could make the arrangements and she’d readily agreed. After all, she hadn’t advertised the fact that her relationship with Freddie had ended and she was more than a little uncomfortable about announcing that she was marrying another man so quickly.
She was checking a set of X-rays when Jago strolled up, dressed in a light grey suit that emphasised the width of his shoulders and the golden sheen of his skin. He looked incredibly handsome and thoroughly fed up.
‘I have a meeting with the hospital management about staffing levels,’ he murmured grittily, glancing at his watch with obvious irritation. ‘I have only one thing to say to them and that is that I need more staff, but doubtless they’ll make me sit there for hours, listening to arguments for reducing manpower to skeletal proportions.’
She smiled and then remembered that she had something to tell him. ‘I just rang the paediatric ward to check on Molly. Libby says she’s doing really well.’
A smile touched his firm mouth. ‘That’s good news. I’ll try and see her on my way to this meeting.’
Katy gazed at him longingly and he gave a low growl and stepped closer.
‘Stop looking at me like that or I’ll forget where we are and commit an indecent act in a public place.’
She chuckled and pushed him away, glancing round quickly to check that no one had seen them.
‘I’ll be back as quickly as I can,’ he muttered huskily, his mind very clearly not on his work. ‘If there’s a crisis, call me.’
With a last lingering look at her mouth he strode off down the corridor like a man on a mission, as lithe and agile as a panther and totally back in control.
Katy forced her mind back to work, finished checking the X-rays and then returned to the patient.
‘These X-rays are fine, Mrs Maxwell,’ she said, reflecting on how much her confidence had grown since she’d started working with Jago. Because he had such high standards, knowing that he believed her to be a good doctor meant so much more.
She saw a series of minor injuries and then, about an hour into her shift, Ambulance Control called to say that they were bringing in a patient with chemical burns.
Three of the other senior doctors were already dealing with a man who’d come off his motorbike and Katy was forced to call Jago’s mobile. She was reluctant to disturb him but knew that she was going to need his help. The other doctors were already pushed to cope with the volume of emergencies that had bombarded the department all morning.
‘He works in a glass factory but I have no idea what the chemical is,’ she told him, trying to sound calm. ‘I’m guessing it could be hydrofluoric acid.’
‘You’re probably right.’ Jago’s reply broke up slightly as the signal on his mobile faltered. ‘Get him into Resus and irrigate it with lots of lukewarm water. I’ll be right down. And, for goodness’ sake wear gloves before you touch him.’
She heard the ambulance siren as she replaced the phone and dragged on a pair of gloves before hurrying to meet the paramedics as they pushed open the doors and wheeled in the stretcher.
The man was writhing on the trolley, groaning in agony from the severity of the burns inflicted by the chemical.
‘He had an accident with hydrofluoric acid. It’s over both legs. We irrigated it with copious volumes of water while we were at the factory,’ the paramedic informed them, ‘but we wanted to transfer him as fast as possible.’
As they moved him into Resus Jago appeared at Katy’s side.
‘Keep irrigating it,’ he ordered immediately, seeing just how badly the man was burned. ‘Get both legs under a tap and then rub in some 2.5 per cent calcium gluconate gel.’
He reached for a pair of gloves and tugged them on with grim-faced efficiency.
‘Did someone call for calcium gluconate gel?’ Like a miracle of efficiency and teamwork, Charlotte appeared beside them and they washed the burn repeatedly and then finally applied the gel to the burns.
‘What exactly does this gel do?’ Charlotte asked as they worked.
Katy glanced at her. ‘In this case calcium gluconate acts as a neutraliser but you have to be careful with some chemical burns. If you attempt to neutralise the chemical you can create heat and make the burn worse. Hydrofluoric acid is the exception.’
‘Really?’ Charlotte looked at her in admiration and Jago smiled.
‘Chemistry was obviously your thing, Dr Westerling.’
‘I was always quite good at chemistry,’ Katy said modestly, concentrating on trying to stabilise the patient, who was still howling in agony.
‘Charlotte, call the plastic surgeon,’ Jago instructed. ‘He needs more pain relief so we’ll give him an injection of calcium gluconate. And then we need to take some bloods. Fluoride ions are absorbed by the skin.’
‘Even when it’s only damaged a small surface area?’ Katy gave the injection under the skin and then started to search for a vein.
‘You can get problems with as little as a two per cent body surface area burn when the chemical is concentrated 70 per cent hydrofluoric acid. Fluoride ions end up in the circulation and produce a variety of systemic problems. We’ll check his calcium and magnesium levels and his U and Es,’ Jago told her, nodding approval as Charlotte appeared with a cardiac monitor. ‘Good. We need to get him wired up so that we can keep an eye on his ECG.’
As Charlotte connected the machine to the patient, Katy watched the wavy line on the screen, seeing that it was showing a normal heart rate.
They waited for the results of the blood tests and in the meantime the plastic surgeon arrived to assess the burns.
‘Hmm. Nasty.’ He examined them closely and pulled a face. ‘Some of those burns are full thickness. There’s a bed on the ward so I’ll admit him and take it from there.’
Jago gave a full handover and Charlotte arranged for the patient to be transferred to the ward.
‘What will happen now?’ Katy asked, after they were finally left on their own.
‘Well, he’s probably going to need skin grafts to at least some of those burns,’ Jago said, finishing off the notes and sliding his pen back in his pocket. ‘Now, on to more important matters. What are you cooking me for dinner?’
Katy worked through to the end of her shift and made her way home via the supermarket where she picked up some food for supper.
Realising that she’d never actually cooked a meal for Jago before, she felt a smile touch her lips. She was looking forward to it.
Chopping onion and garlic, she suddenly heard the sound of a key in the door.
Expecting to see Libby, she turned with a smile on her face, excited at the prospect of confessing that she was going to marry Jago.
Her father stood in the hallway.
The smile on her face died. Katy felt her heart rate double and suddenly her palms were damp.
Reminding herself that she was twenty-nine years of age and that he couldn’t touch her any more, she dropped the knife she was holding and tried to control her shaking legs.
‘Dad! How did you
get in?’
‘I’ve got a key.’
Well, of course he had, Katy thought dully. Somehow, somewhere her father had managed to obtain a key to her flat. And now he was inside. And she was in trouble.
‘Did you want something?’
He moved towards her, his powerful bulk blocking the doorway of the kitchen, his expression ugly. ‘You’re seeing Rodriguez again.’
Her heart lurched and she fought the impulse to take several steps backwards. ‘That’s none of your business.’
She didn’t even question how he knew. Her father knew everything.
‘I wondered why you made that nonsensical speech about breaking off your engagement,’ he growled. ‘I should have guessed it was Rodriguez. And don’t try denying it. I had a call from a journalist today. They’ve got pictures of you together.’
Katy stared at him blankly. Pictures?
How?
They’d been in Spain, for goodness’ sake. Who on earth had managed to take a picture of them?
‘Some nonsense about you saving a life in Spain.’ Her father gave a dismissive snort. ‘It’s everywhere. Take a tip from me—next time you want to run away with your boyfriend, be more discreet.’
‘And leave someone lying by the roadside?’ Katy looked at him with incredulity, registering just how callous he was. ‘And for your information, I wasn’t running away with anyone.’
‘But you’re seeing him. I can’t believe you’d be stupid enough to see Rodriguez again. I thought I’d managed to get rid of him eleven years ago,’ her father said nastily, taking another step into the room.
Suddenly realising that she could smell alcohol on his breath, she felt her stomach lurch with fear. ‘I want you to leave,’ she said quietly. ‘We can talk about this another time.’
‘There’s nothing more to talk about.’ He lifted a hand and stabbed a finger towards her. ‘You’re marrying Freddie, my girl, and that’s the end of it.’
‘I’m marrying Jago!’
The moment the impulsive declaration left her lips she knew she’d made a mistake and she closed her eyes briefly, cursing her stupidity.
Dear God, she never should have said that.
In his current mood, goodness only knew what her father was capable of.
He stared at her for a moment, stunned into silence by her passionate announcement, swaying slightly as he stood. ‘You’re marrying Rodriguez?’
Katy stood still, frozen to the spot, hardly daring to breathe.
Her father gave a short laugh. ‘Then you’re more of a fool than I thought you were. Do you really think he loves you?’ He gave a derisive snort. ‘Of course he doesn’t. He’s just using you. He wants your name, your reputation and your money. But most of all he wants revenge.’
Revenge?
She knew Jago wasn’t interested in any of the first three things, but revenge? Was it possible that her father was right?
After all, she knew that Jago didn’t love her.
Was that why he’d asked her to marry him? Because he knew that it would be the ultimate revenge on her father?
Filled with doubts, she suddenly wanted to be on her own.
She lifted her head and looked at her father. He’d done it again. Put doubts in her mind. Tried to ruin everything.
‘Go away.’ She couldn’t keep the choke out of her voice. ‘Just leave me alone. This is my life. My life.’ She never raised her voice but she was shouting now, the frustration of years of dealing with her father’s bully-boy tactics coming to a head. ‘I don’t ever want to see you again.’
Infuriated by her unusual attitude, her father stepped towards her.
‘You’ll marry Rodriguez over my dead body,’ he roared, and then staggered as a powerful arm clamped itself like a vice around his throat and pulled him away from her.
Jago’s tone was ice cold. ‘If you ever lay a finger on Katy, that’s exactly what’s going to happen.’
Charles Westerling gave a grunt of anger and tried to free himself, but Jago powered him against the wall and held him easily, the muscles of his shoulders bunched as he used his strength to subdue the older man.
‘When you agree to behave like a decent human being I’ll let you go.’ He spoke to Katy over his shoulder. ‘Querida, did he hurt you?’
Katy shook her head. ‘No. Let him go, Jago. Please.’
She just wanted him out of the flat so that she could think.
Was Jago really just marrying her to get revenge?
As usual, her father had managed to destroy her fragile happiness with a few well-chosen words.
Jago frowned slightly and turned back to her father, his expression menacing. ‘It is time we got a few things straight.’ His voice was raw and angry and his Spanish accent was more pronounced than usual. ‘I am marrying Katy with or without your approval. Your wishes are of absolutely no interest to us whatsoever. As you quite clearly cannot behave yourself you won’t be invited to the wedding, and in future if you wish to see Katy you can only do so when I’m present.’
Her father gaped at him, stunned that anyone would dare to speak to him like that. ‘You can’t dictate when I see my daughter!’
‘I just did.’ Jago’s eyes were as hard as flint. ‘Understand that the first duty of a Spanish male is to protect the woman he loves. I repeat—you won’t be seeing her unless I am present. Do you understand?’
Loves?
Katy heard the word and clung to it, desperate for any scrap of reassurance that came her way.
‘That’s outrageous.’ Charles struggled against that vicelike grip but Jago refused to release him.
‘No.’ Jago’s voice was ice cold. ‘It’s just the way it’s going to be. Your chauffeur is outside. Better not keep him waiting.’
Her father staggered slightly as Jago released him and made a move to approach Katy, but Jago stepped in front of him, preventing access.
With a last furious grunt her father turned and strode out of the flat, past Libby who’d just returned from work.
Libby flinched as the door crashed shut and she shot Jago an apologetic look.
‘It’s a wonder we’re even vaguely normal, isn’t it?’ she delivered calmly, dropping her bag on the floor and strolling into the kitchen. ‘Always such a pleasure to have a visit from one’s parents.’
Katy sank down on one of the kitchen chairs, her legs still shaking.
‘He said that we’re in the papers. Someone took a picture of us together when we stopped to help that girl.’ She looked at Jago blankly. ‘I didn’t even notice anyone.’
‘That’s always the trouble with the paparazzi,’ Libby grumbled, reaching into the cupboard for a jar of peanut butter. ‘If you don’t notice them you can never give them your good side. Not that you have anything but a good side, it has to be said. I just hope you didn’t damage my favourite shoes when you were performing heroics in the hot dust of Spain.’
Katy looked at her sister in exasperation and then laughed. Trust Libby to inject a bit of frivolity into the proceedings. ‘Your shoes are back in your dressing room.’
‘Phew. I can breathe again.’ Libby smiled happily and started to eat peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon. ‘I’m going to my room to watch something mindless. Night.’
Katy watched her go, aware that she hadn’t even told Libby her news. All day she’d been bursting to tell her and then suddenly the bubble of excitement had burst. Thanks to her father.
Suddenly aware that Jago was watching her with an ominous frown, she stirred. ‘I’m glad you arrived when you did,’ she said quietly, and he tensed still further.
‘Would he have hit you?’ he demanded rawly. ‘Has he ever hit you?’
Katy hesitated. ‘Once,’ she said finally. ‘When I was a child.’
Jago’s fists tightened, his fury unconcealed. ‘What happened?’
‘Alex hit him with a cricket bat,’ Katy muttered, hating to remember those days. ‘And Libby called the police.’
Jago threw back his head and laughed. ‘You three do stick together, don’t you?’
Katy nodded and gave a slight smile. ‘He never, ever tried it again but he often came close, particularly when he drank too much. Which he did frequently.’ She stared at her hands. ‘The truth is that he found other, more clever methods of intimidating us.’
Jago frowned. ‘Answer me something else…’ He hesitated, running a hand over the back of his neck as he braced himself to ask the question. ‘Was he the reason you lost the baby? Libby said that you fell.’
‘It was my fault,’ Katy said quickly. ‘I wasn’t looking where I was going and I fell down the stairs.’
Dark eyes locked onto hers with disturbing intensity. ‘But why weren’t you looking where you were going?’
She hesitated. ‘Dad guessed I was pregnant,’ she confessed quietly. ‘He was shouting at me and…he scared me. I backed away and tripped. It was an accident.’
Jago looked at her in naked disbelief. ‘You are so incredibly forgiving, querida. How can you bear to see him?’
‘He’s still my dad,’ Katy said simply. ‘And I’ve never given up hoping that one day he’ll be proud of me. But I have to confess that these days we usually only get together for family gatherings. I would never choose to see him alone. He caught me by surprise, turning up here tonight. I didn’t know he’d managed to get a key.’
‘Well, that won’t happen again,’ Jago growled, stepping forward and pulling her into his arms. ‘I’m staying with you tonight, and tomorrow you’re moving in with me and I’ll brief the security guards. He won’t be allowed access.’
Katy stood unresisting in his arms, but the happiness that she’d felt since Spain had totally vanished.
Was Jago really marrying her to avenge himself on her father?
She’d never really understood his reasons for proposing. The only thing she knew for sure was that he didn’t love her.
‘Jago…’ Her voice cracked. ‘I—I’ve changed my mind about marrying you.’
How could she marry him when she knew he didn’t love her and when there was so much unpleasant history between them? Her father had treated him appallingly. She could hardly blame him for wanting to extract the ultimate revenge, but that didn’t mean that she wanted to be a part of it.