NELL HEARD THE knock on the connecting door between their apartments, just as she was putting the last of her clothes into her suitcase. When she answered it, Hugo was looking rested, which was a great deal more than she felt.
‘You’ve had breakfast?’ He grinned at her and she felt her stomach lurch. That would have been entirely appropriate if the engagement they were planning wasn’t all a fabrication.
‘No, I’ve been packing my bags. I was going to get that done first.’ They’d agreed last night that it would be best for them both to leave the palace. Hugo’s house in the country had no staff and was small enough that Ted and his team could maintain close security.
‘Would you like to join me, then?’
She nodded. ‘Yes. That would be nice, thank you. Just toast...’
An awkward silence accompanied the arrival of the tray from the kitchen, and Hugo motioned towards the balcony table, indicating that the tray should be set down there. Nell sat down, reaching for the coffee and pouring it.
‘You still want to go through with it?’ He didn’t need to say what.
‘Yes, I do. I’m even more sure this morning.’
He nodded, taking a tissue paper package from his pocket, undoing it and laying four rings in a line on the table. ‘These are my mother’s. She’d like you to have something nice to wear.’
In Nell’s book, something nice didn’t necessarily have to cost as much as the average house. ‘They’re real?’
‘Yes, of course they are.’
‘I can’t wear any of these, Hugo, they must be worth... I can’t even think how much they might be worth. Can’t I wear a fake?’
He shook his head. ‘No fakes, Nell, please. This engagement may not be real, but I want to say to you now that my promise to protect you is. I believe that you want to protect me, too.’
It wasn’t the proposal that every girl dreamed of. But suddenly Nell felt that there was something real about this. Hugo was a better man than she’d thought he was, not just a spoiled prince who could destroy her if he wanted, the way that Martin had tried to.
‘I will protect you, Hugo. I promise you that.’
He nodded. ‘Then I’d like it if you would choose whichever ring you like the best.’
That sounded like something she could put her heart into. She looked at the rings, not daring to touch any of them. One had a massive ruby at the centre, and it looked far too opulent. The other three were all large diamonds.
‘That one...’ She pointed awkwardly to a diamond solitaire that flashed blue-white in the morning sunshine.
‘That’s a very good choice. It’s the best stone.’
Nell went to protest that the only thing she’d seen was that it was the smallest stone, and he silenced her with a laugh. Picking up the ring, he held it out towards her. ‘Will you wear it now?’
‘The announcement hasn’t gone out yet. I shouldn’t wear it until tomorrow, should I?’
‘We’ve made a promise. I’d like it if you would wear the ring now, because that’s what it is to us. You can wear it on your right hand until tomorrow.’
Still he wouldn’t touch her. It was as if this new arrangement had blotted out any possibility of an innocent touch, and anything physical was now laden with some kind of meaning. Nell reached out, putting her hand in his.
‘Then...would it be appropriate for you to put it on for me, please?’
‘I think that would be entirely appropriate.’ His voice sounded inappropriately husky, and Nell avoided his gaze. Looking into his eyes wasn’t necessary.
She felt him slip the ring onto her finger, twisting it a quarter turn to get it past the knuckle. ‘It looks nice.’
Nice was a bit of an understatement. It looked amazing, and far too good for Nell.
‘It’s beautiful. I’ll take care of it and return it to your mother in good condition.’
He wrapped the remaining three rings in the crumpled tissue paper, and then put them back into his pocket, withdrawing a piece of folded notepaper. He handed it to Nell and got to his feet. ‘I’ll leave you to read that.’
Nell read the note. Queen Margaux would be most grateful if she could accept whichever ring she and Hugo chose, as a gift. It would be a symbol of gratitude and of enduring friendship between them.
Nell put the letter down on the table. It was too generous, and she’d have to ask Hugo if there was some way she could express her gratitude to his mother, whilst refusing the gift. She had the feeling that wearing it after the arrangement was over wasn’t going to be a particularly comfortable option.
But while she had it on her finger, she’d do her best for Hugo. She’d take care of him, and help him raise the money he needed for the clinic. That was a promise.
* * *
Hugo was aware that this arrangement had to be treated with the utmost delicacy. He must show how much he valued Nell as a friend. Slipping into anything more would be horribly easy, and something that he had promised himself he wouldn’t do.
All the same, their departure from the palace seemed like the start of something new and exciting. With the top of his convertible rolled back, and Nell at the wheel, it felt as if he was making an escape with a beautiful woman at his side. Who knew what might happen when they were finally alone, away from the bustle of the palace?
Ted’s voice from the back seat jerked him back into reality. ‘Left-hand side...’
Nell obligingly swerved to the left of the palace driveway, and came to a halt, waiting for the palace guard to open the gates.
‘Thanks. I nearly forgot.’
She waved to the guard, the ring flashing bright on her finger. Then she turned out of the gates into the anonymity of the busy city on a warm summer’s morning.
* * *
Their destination was only half an hour’s drive away, which was about as far as anyone could go from the capital of Montarino and still remain within its borders. There was no suburban sprawl, just a sudden change from houses to open countryside. And the countryside in Montarino was beautiful.
Hugo directed Nell through rolling hills and around the edge of a wide, blue lake. Another mile and they reached a high wall, built of weathered bricks, driving the length of it until they reached an archway, protected by a heavy wooden gate.
The gate swung open and Ted got out of the car, speaking briefly to the man who had opened it. He waved the car through, and Nell drew up outside the house. It was small by the standards of the palace, built in stone and shaded by trees. A small garden at the side was overlooked by arches, the weathered stone now housing state-of-the-art single sheets of glass.
‘It’s lovely. This has been in your family for a long time?’
Hugo quirked his lips downwards, shaking his head. ‘No. I bought this place with my doctor’s salary. Since I have almost everything else provided for me, it seemed like a good idea to have my own bolthole.’
Nell wondered what it must be like to have to take your own independence that seriously. She took it for granted that everything she had was the product of her own work, but Hugo seemed to need to make a distinction between what he’d been given and what he’d earned.
Inside, the house was light, airy and simple. None of the folderols of the palace, just plain furniture in neutral colours, exposed wooden beams and a utilitarian kitchen. Upstairs, there were three bedrooms, one of which was clearly Hugo’s. He directed her towards a second, which commanded stunning views of the hills stretching off into the distance.
‘I suppose I’ll have to keep away from the windows when the news breaks.’ Nell wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.
‘Not really. Because of the Agreement, the paparazzi won’t be able to sell any pictures they take, so it’s not worth their time. And Ted’s team will make sure that no one disturbs us here.’
‘You usually have this much security?’ Nell had
counted four men outside.
‘No, it’s usually just Ted, and he generally doesn’t have all that much to do. He stays in the guest house at the back.’
Nell walked over to the window, looking out. Beyond the garden, and shielded by trees, was a small cottage, nestling against the perimeter wall.
‘It all sounds reassuringly normal.’
‘Not quite. But we try to make it so.’ Hugo was watching her speculatively. ‘There is one thing I want to ask you.’
‘What’s that?’
‘Nadine, the little girl in the brochure, wearing a pink dress. I told you she’d had an operation recently...’
‘Yes, I remember.’
‘Dr Bertrand, the head of department, is the only one there who knows that I’ve been ill—everyone else thinks I’m taking a leave of absence for fundraising. He told me that he’d have me removed by security if I went in to see Nadine earlier than seven days after my own operation.’
Nell grinned. ‘He sounds like a good man...’
‘He’s a very good man. You’d like him.’
‘And since this is the seventh day, you’d like to go and see Nadine.’
‘It would be best to go today. After the news of our engagement breaks, my turning up on the ward might cause a bit of a stir.’
‘Where is the hospital?’
‘On this side of the city, so it’ll only take twenty minutes to get there. I’m feeling better every day, and I’d really like to see Nadine.’
If this was normal, then it was a new normal that Nell hadn’t experienced before. Hugo asking her whether or not he could do something. ‘It sounds like a lovely idea. May I come along? I’d like to see the hospital.’
Hugo smiled. As time went on that smile was surfacing more and more, and it convinced Nell that everything was going to be all right. ‘I was hoping you might. You’ll have to drive.’
CHAPTER NINE
NO ONE SEEMED to notice Hugo’s presence as they walked through the reception area at the hospital. He exchanged smiles with the receptionist at the main desk, who waved him through in much the same way as she probably would have done with anyone else she knew. Here, Hugo appeared to shed the mantle of royalty.
He led her through a maze of corridors, mysterious box in hand, and a high-speed lift took them to the seventh floor. Hugo punched a code into a keypad at the entrance to one of the wards and the doors opened automatically, allowing them through.
This might just be Hugo’s greatest test. Fooling a group of luncheon diners that there was nothing wrong with him was one thing. Fooling a senior nurse was quite another, and just such a person had looked up from her conversation at the nurses’ station and was heading straight towards them.
‘Hugo. This is unexpected.’ The woman spoke in French.
‘I’ve come to see Nadine. This is Dr Nell Maitland, she’s a cardiac specialist from London. Nell, this is Senior Nurse Adele LeFevre.’
Adele smiled, holding out her hand to Nell and switching to English. ‘I’m pleased to meet you. I hope you see much that you like here.’
‘I have already. This is a beautiful hospital.’
‘Thank you. We are proud of it. When the new cardiac unit is built, we will be even more proud.’ Adele’s English was almost perfect, like that of so many of the people of Montarino. And she was keeping hold of Nell’s hand, staring at her.
‘I called Dr Bertrand to let him know we were coming. Is he free?’ Clearly Hugo didn’t expect everyone here to drop what they were doing as soon as he arrived.
‘He is finishing his rounds.’ Adele barely seemed to glance at Hugo. ‘Ten minutes.’
‘Very well. May I show Nell around, and then go to see Nadine?’ He had the grace to ask that as well.
‘Of course.’ Adele flashed Nell a smile and turned back towards the nurses’ station.
They walked through the cardiac unit, and Hugo showed her the light-filled wards, exchanging greetings with some of the nurses as they went. There were treatment rooms and a small sitting room with a dining room to one side for ambulatory patients. Everything was gleaming and state of the art, but Nell could see that the unit was working at its full capacity, with no empty beds in any of the wards.
‘Why is everyone staring at me?’ Nell whispered to Hugo as he punched a number code into a keypad next to the door at the far end of the ward.
‘This is the first time I’ve ever brought a friend here.’ He turned to her, looking a little sheepish.
So this was a first taste of the interest that would be shown in her, then, after the press release went out. Nell had anticipated something of the kind, but she hadn’t expected to feel so exposed, as if she wanted to cling to Hugo for shelter.
‘I suppose...if they’re staring at me, then at least they’re not looking at you. A lot less chance of anyone noticing that you’re still recovering from an operation.’
‘There is that.’ He leaned closer, his arm moving protectively around her but not touching her. ‘There’s still time to change your mind. The press release won’t go out for another couple of hours.’
Maybe this was why he’d wanted her here with him. To give her one last chance to back out of the engagement.
‘I’m not changing my mind, Hugo. I’ve got the ring now.’ She’d be wearing it on her left hand and not her right tomorrow. But today it meant the same as it would tomorrow, a symbol of their agreement to protect each other.
‘Thank you for wearing it...’ He reached out, as if to take her hand, and Nell heard a stifled giggle coming from somewhere behind them. Two young nurses were at the other end of the corridor, staring at them. Adele bore down on them, shooing them back to work, and then shot a smile in Nell’s direction.
Hugo ushered her through the door and one look told Nell that this was the children’s ward. There was a riot of colour on the walls of the reception area and an open door revealed a play area, where young patients were being supervised by play leaders in bright tunics.
Hugo led Nell into a small ward, nodding a greeting to the nurse. Nell recognised the little girl who lay in one of the beds, as well as the teddy bear at her side.
‘Hey, Nadine.’ He dangled his fingers over the safety rail on the side of the bed, tapping the back of her hand, and she opened her eyes.
‘Uncle Hugo.’
‘I told you I’d come. I brought you something.’ He opened the box he was carrying and drew out a beautiful silk flower, dangling it over the rail so that Nadine could see it.
‘Thank you, Uncle Hugo.’
Nadine smiled, but didn’t reach for the flower. Nell saw concern in Hugo’s eyes and she knew what he was about to do next.
‘Speak to Dr Bertrand,’ she whispered in his ear and he ignored her.
‘How do you feel, sweetie?’ He reached forward to brush her forehead with his fingertips.
‘I’m all right, Uncle Hugo.’
Hugo went to reach for the notes at the end of the bed, and Nell bowed to the inevitable and fetched them for him. ‘I’m just reading about you.’ He smiled at Nadine and she gave him a smile back.
He studied the notes carefully, and then checked the monitors by Nadine’s bedside. From what Nell could see, everything was completely normal, and Nadine was just a little drowsy.
Hugo wasn’t giving up, though. He reached for the sheet covering Nadine’s body, pulling it back slightly to reveal her shoulders and a large plaster over the right side of her chest.
‘No, Hugo. You are not to examine that child. You’re on sick leave.’ He’d probably survive, but goodness only knew what kind of medical liability issues it might raise.
‘There’s clearly something the matter with her.’ He reached for a pair of surgical gloves from the dispenser on the wall, wincing slightly.
‘Then we’ll call for a doctor.’ Nell bec
koned to the nurse, asking her in French to fetch someone.
‘I’m a doctor. Nadine is my patient.’ She could hear the pain in Hugo’s hushed voice, and Nell wondered what she’d do in his shoes.
‘All right. Out of the way, I’ll do it.’ She grabbed the surgical gloves, pulling the heavy ring from her finger and putting it into his hand. Nell wasn’t entirely sure what kind of liability issues that might also raise, but at least she was officially fit and well. And the thought that Hugo knew Nadine, and his instinct told him there was something wrong, was nagging at her.
‘Thank you.’ His green eyes flashed with warmth, and he turned to Nadine. ‘Sweetie, this is Dr Nell. She’s my friend.’
He stepped back but Nell could feel his eyes on her as she carefully moved the sheet that covered Nadine’s chest further down. Everything seemed fine. The dressings were clean and there was no blockage that Nell could see in the surgical drain. When she gently touched Nadine’s skin, it was cool.
All the same, she took the thermometer from the cabinet by the bed, inserting it carefully into Nadine’s ear. The little girl was watching her solemnly. Nell looked at both her hands, and even her feet, for some sign that something might be wrong.
‘I don’t know, Hugo. I can’t find anything.’
‘Okay. We should try Claude.’ He nodded towards a teddy bear propped up at the side of the bed.
Nell picked up the teddy bear. ‘Hey, Nadine. Is Claude all right?’ She spoke slowly, in French.
Nadine shook her head.
‘No? Will you tell me what’s wrong with him? I’d really like to make him better.’
‘He has a pain.’
It was too much for Hugo. He moved in close and Nell shooed him back, out of the way. She leaned over the bed, holding Claude where Nadine could reach him. ‘Where does Claude have a pain, Nadine?’
‘There.’ Nadine traced her finger over Claude’s chest. Out of the corner of her eye, Nell could see Hugo flipping through Nadine’s notes again.
‘She’s been having pain relief regularly. Not as much as she might, and my guess is that she’s been telling everyone that it doesn’t hurt. Nadine will do that.’
From Doctor to Princess? Page 8