His Very Special Bride

Sarah nodded to show that she understood, and crouched down beside the young biker. ‘He’s still unconscious. Does he have any other injuries, apart from the leg?’

‘I imagine he has a head injury, and there may be internal injuries, but we won’t know until we’ve done scans at the hospital. Either way, it looks as though he has a broken thighbone, and he’ll most likely need to have surgery to pin it in place. He’s lost a lot of blood, but I might be able to make up for that by putting a line in and giving him fluids.’ He fixed her with his dark gaze. ‘What you need to do is to keep pumping the oxygen.’

Sarah did as she was told, and kept quiet so as not to distract him. The paramedic worked with him to splint the leg, and then between them they lifted him onto the protective board.

Ben stood up. ‘OK, you can hand over to the paramedic now,’ he told Sarah. ‘I’m going to take a look at the other patients.’

‘OK.’ She relinquished her hold on the oxygen bag and watched Ben cautiously as he moved away, not quite understanding his abrupt manner. Perhaps he thought it strange that she had a knack of turning up in odd situations, but that was his problem, not hers.

Paramedics were getting ready to move the man who had been clutching his chest. As to the driver of the black saloon, he had been released from the driving seat and removed to a place of safety. It appeared that he was suffering from pain and swelling around his knee. To Sarah’s untutored eye, it looked as though the knee had shifted in relation to his leg.

Perhaps she had said as much, because Ben glanced at her as she approached and said lightly, ‘Yes, it certainly looks that way.’ His mouth gave a faint twist. ‘I’m surprised to find that you’re still here. You’re not at all squeamish, then?’

Sarah lifted her shoulders in a noncommittal shrug. She had no idea whether she was or not. As far as she was aware, this was the first time that she had come across a situation like this. ‘So, what’s wrong with his leg? Do you know?’ she asked. ‘Is there a fracture?’

‘I can’t be sure whether there’s any fracture, but I expect the force of the smash has caused him to hit the dashboard with his leg and consequently the knee was dislocated. From the looks of the swelling and discoloration, it’s quite nasty.’

He turned his attention to the patient. ‘I’m afraid that your circulation is not as it should be in that limb, Colin, so I think that I should try to get the knee back in position without delay. I don’t believe we can wait until we get you to the hospital.’

Colin mumbled a response, and Ben obviously took that as agreement, because he said, ‘I’m going to give you something to take away the pain while I do that.’ He looked directly at the man. ‘As the paramedics are dealing with other patients, I’m going to ask this young woman if she will lend a hand with the procedure. Are you OK with that?’

The driver nodded, and Sarah guessed that he was in too much pain and discomfort to care one way or the other. She gave Ben a wide-eyed look.

‘I’ve never done anything like this before,’ she said in a low voice. ‘Are you sure that you want me to help?’

‘Quite sure.’ He was already drawing up a syringe of what Sarah imagined was painkilling medication. ‘All you have to do is position yourself at his head and thread your arms underneath his armpits. Clasp your hands together over his chest and keep up a counter-pressure when I pull on his leg.’ He started to give the injection, glancing from time to time at his patient.

‘How does that feel? Is it any easier?’

‘That’s better,’ the man said after a while. ‘The pain is going.’ He gave a slow sigh, and Sarah guessed that he was feeling a surge of relief.

Ben glanced at Sarah. ‘Do you think you’ll be able to help me out?’

‘Yes. I can do that.’

‘Good. Let’s get on with it, then, shall we?’

Sarah followed his instructions, kneeling down at the man’s head and placing her arms around his upper torso.

Ben, in the meantime, positioned himself to grasp the man’s leg in a way that would allow him to straighten it. ‘Are you ready?’ he asked, glancing at Sarah. ‘It’s really important that you counter my pulling on the limb.’

‘I’m ready.’

It was all over in a matter of seconds, and as soon as Colin’s leg had been straightened out, Ben started to check the circulation around the joint. ‘That’s improving already,’ he told Colin. ‘I’m going to splint it for you now, and then we’ll get you into the ambulance and off to hospital.’

Sarah watched Ben as he worked. He had a sure touch, and she could see that anyone who came into his care would be well looked after. There was no hesitation, no debating what to do, and each procedure followed on from the one before like the turning of a well-oiled engine.

‘Is this what you do every day?’ she asked softly, as he beckoned to the paramedics who were coming from one of the ambulances.

‘Emergency work, you mean?’

She nodded. ‘Yes. I was wondering if you worked with the ambulance service or whether you’re based at the local hospital.’

‘It’s a bit of both, actually.’ He worked with the paramedics to lift the patient onto a stretcher, and made sure that he was strapped securely in place. ‘I’m based in the A and E department at Woodvale Hospital, but I’m often called out with the ambulance service if there’s a multiple accident.’

‘Oh, I see.’

He studied her for a brief moment. ‘What about you? Are you not at work today?’

‘I was on my way to work when this happened.’

He nodded, and then directed the paramedics to transport the patient to the ambulance. ‘I expect you’ll be delayed for a while longer. The police will want to hear your account of what happened.’

‘Yes, I imagine they will.’

He was already turning away to go with his patient, and Sarah remained where she was. Ben inclined his head briefly towards her, and then it was as though he had dismissed her from his thoughts. His attention was solely on the injured people.

That was how it should be, of course. He had been focused on his work the whole time, and finding that Sarah was already here had been just a momentary distraction, one that had actually worked to his advantage when he had enlisted her help. She doubted that he would even give her a second thought after this.

A small qualm of unease ran through her. Why did it bother her that he might so easily dismiss her from his mind? She frowned. Perhaps it was all part and parcel of her mindset since the trauma that had happened to her.

She had lost her memory and therefore she was by association unmemorable—wasn’t that the case? After all, no one had come looking for her to tell her that she belonged within his or her family unit, had they? It was one more thing that made her doubt herself and wonder where she belonged.

She braced her shoulders. She had to put all that behind her. She had her child, her work and the chance of a new beginning, and wasn’t it a fact that she could turn some of this to her advantage? Everything that had occurred this morning would make for an excellent news item for the local paper, wouldn’t it?

It wouldn’t take her long to write her exclusive account of what had gone on, and as she had her camera with her in her bag, this was an ideal opportunity for her to take some photos of the wrecked vehicles.

No sooner had the thought sparked in her mind than she started to act on it. She rapidly took several snapshots of the scene, quelling a sudden uprising of guilt by telling herself that there had been no fatalities, and that she would be foolish to miss this chance of a story. This was her livelihood after all.

Then, while she waited for the policeman to come and question her, she took out a notepad and started to draft the article.

‘What do you think you’re doing?’

She jumped as Ben’s voice sounded in her ear. ‘I’m sorry. What do you mean?’

‘I saw you taking photos. How could you do that? Don’t you have any sense of propriety?’

‘It’s my job,’ she said, on a defensive note. ‘I write for the local paper.’

His expression was cynical. ‘Is that supposed to be an excuse? Don’t we have enough people behaving like ghouls, feasting on other people’s tragedies?’

‘You don’t know anything about the way I write,’ she said, her voice taut. ‘Why should you assume the worst?’ She glowered at him. ‘Anyway, shouldn’t you be concerning yourself with your patients?’

‘You’re right.’ He glanced over at the ambulance where the paramedic was getting ready to close the doors at the back of the vehicle. ‘I can see that I’m just wasting my time talking to you.’

He walked briskly over to the ambulance and climbed in the back without a second glance in her direction.

Sarah watched the vehicle pull away, aware of a slow tide of dejection washing over her. How would he react when he discovered that she was going to be living next door to him? He had already formed the worst possible opinion of her.

She pressed her lips together. Most likely, once he was over the initial shock, he would simply leave her to her own devices.

That suited Sarah well enough. She had enough problems to cope with, without having to fathom the mindset of a reclusive neighbour.

CHAPTER THREE

‘I WANT you to come into the house now, Emily,’ Sarah called from the kitchen. ‘I’m just getting your supper ready, and then it will be time for bed.’

Emily, though, wasn’t taking too much notice of what she was saying. The overgrown garden was proving too much of a temptation, with its sheltering shrubs and lots of hidden nooks and crannies, and so far she had only managed to explore a small part of it to her satisfaction.

Moving to the cottage had been a great adventure as far as Emily was concerned, and in a way that was a relief for Sarah, because she had been worrying about what effect changing homes would have on her.

The phone rang as Sarah was about to go and bring the child into the house, and she hesitated before deciding to answer the call. Keeping an eye on the little girl through the kitchen window, Sarah picked up the receiver.

‘How are you getting along?’ Carol asked in a cheerful tone. ‘Have you managed to make any more headway with the unpacking? I know Emily was keen to look through all the boxes.’

‘I’m nearly there,’ Sarah told her. ‘Emily thought it was a treasure trove, finding the toys that you had passed on to her, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am to you for giving me all that bed linen and the bits and pieces for the kitchen. It was so good having you here to help out this afternoon. I don’t know how I would have managed otherwise. Emily’s really excited. She seems to have taken to the place, but she did make me promise that I would bring her back to see you at the weekend.’

‘That would belovely.’ Sarah couldfeel the smile that must be on Carol’s face. ‘Actually, I might see you before then. I’ve just realised that I have a couple of good-sized rugs stored up in the attic that might come in useful for you. I had them cleaned before they went up there, so they should be in a reasonable condition, and they might make the place look a bit more cosy. I could bring them over tomorrow some time, if you like.’

‘That would be great,’ Sarah said.

‘I’ll do that, then. Perhaps I’ll even get to meet your neighbour. Has there been any sign of him yet?’

Sarah winced. ‘Not so far. He’s been out all day. I’m not quite sure how he’s going to react when he finds that we’ve moved in next door to him. I expect that he thought nobody would want to take the place on.’

They chatted for a while longer, until Sarah glanced out of the window and realised that she could no longer see Emily in the garden.

‘I’m going to have to go and look for Emily,’ she told Carol. ‘She’s been playing outside for the last half-hour, but it’s growing dark now and I need to keep track of her in case she finds a way to get from the garden out into the fields. There’s a good fence, but you know her. I wouldn’t put it past her to find a way to climb over.’

‘She’s certainly a bundle of mischief,’ Carol agreed. ‘You go and find her. I’ll give you a ring in the morning.’

Sarah hung up and hurried out into the garden. ‘Emily, where are you?’ she called.

There was no answer, and Sarah began to look around. It wasn’t a particularly large garden, but the trees and shrubs cast shadows over the ground now that the light was fading, and there were so many corners that were hidden from view by trel-liswork and rustic pergolas that it took several minutes of searching before she realised that Emily wasn’t anywhere to be found.

A feeling of panic ran through her. She had checked the fence earlier to make sure that there weren’t any gaps in it, hadn’t she? Now she looked to see if Emily had used anything to help her to climb up, but there was nothing resting against the fence, except for the twisted stems and branches of climbing plants.

Alarmed now, Sarah called out again. ‘Emily, I need you to tell me where you are. I’m not playing hide and seek.’

She ran her hand along the top of the fence and at one point discovered a slight indentation. It was a concealed gate, made to look as though it was part of the fence, and the bolt was on the other side. Leaning closer to get a better grip, she felt one of the panels give way slightly as her foot touched its base.

Crouching down to examine it more carefully, she realised that the wooden slats moved to one side when they were touched in a certain way, probably because some of the nails that should have held them in place from the other side were missing. Was it possible that Emily had squeezed her way through the panels and gone into the neighbouring garden?

She had to find out. Undoing the bolt, she opened the gate and went through.

Like the house it belonged to, this garden was a huge contrast to hers. It was wide, for a start, and it had been beautifully landscaped, with a velvet green lawn and low stone walls. There were curving pathways that led through ornate archways into areas beyond. Sarah followed one of the paths, peering into the shrubbery on either side.

‘I don’t believe this is happening,’ she muttered to herself.

‘Is something wrong?’ The deep voice came from somewhere behind her and Sarah swung around to face her neighbour.

‘Yes,’ she said, recovering herself. ‘There is, there definitely is, or I wouldn’t be here, would I?’ She flung the words at him, almost as though they were a challenge. Dismayed at being found in the wrong place at the wrong time once more, she stared at him.

‘I wouldn’t know about that,’ Ben said. ‘Going on past experience, all manner of things spring to mind.’

She gritted her teeth. Why did she have to deal with him, of all people, here and now? Wasn’t it enough that she was out of her mind with worry over Emily? ‘Before you start grilling me all over again, this isn’t what you think.’

‘I wasn’t intending to do anything of the sort,’ he said in a low drawl, and to her surprise, his mouth made a wry, amused shape. ‘To be honest, nothing you do surprises me any more. I’m sure you’ll fill me in on the details when it suits you.’

Her blue eyes glittered with frustration. ‘I’ve lost Emily. She must have come through here, because there’s nowhere else she could have gone. She wouldn’t have been able to do that if you had looked after your fence properly.’

She looked around in desperation, calling out, ‘Emily, I need you to come here—now.’

His dark brows lifted. ‘I’ve no idea what you mean. The fence is fine, as far as I’m aware.’

‘No, it isn’t—that’s just the point. The slats are loose on your side. I checked it earlier and I thought it was all right, but it isn’t, and now she’s gone, so I came in through the gate.’ She came to a sudden halt, gathering her breath. ‘And why would you need a gate in the fence anyway, if the cottage belongs to somebody else?’

‘I don’t think I’m following any of this.’ He looked perplexed. ‘Are we talking about a dog? What kind of dog is she? I suppose she must be fairly small to get through a break in the fence.’

She sent him an exasperated look. ‘No…Emily’s not a dog. She’s my little girl. She was playing in the garden, and then she wasn’t, and I don’t know where she could be, except here. She’s only two years old, going on three. It’s not her fault. She wouldn’t know that she was doing anything wrong.’

He frowned. ‘I didn’t realise that you had a little girl.’ He shook his head. ‘I dare say I should have thought of the possibility.’ He glanced towards her ringless left hand and Sarah’s fingers curled into a fist.

She hadn’t been wearing a ring when the paramedics had found her all those months ago, but there had been a thin, pale line on her finger, which pointed to the fact that she must have worn one at one time. It was another unanswered question about her past, and one that she would rather not deal with here and now.

‘I have to find her.’ She waved her hands about her in an agitated gesture.

‘Of course you do.’ He reached out and placed the palms of his hands over her shoulders, gripping her firmly, so that she stared at him in shock. ‘But first of all you need to calm down, and deal with things one at a time. How long has she been missing?’

‘A few minutes.’ She tried to gather her breath, but her lungs felt as though they were constricted. ‘I was in the kitchen, and the phone rang, and then when I looked back she wasn’t there.’

‘All right, take a few deep breaths and get yourself together. We’ll both look for her. She can’t have gone far.’ His warm hands still circled her shoulders and she realised that he wasn’t going to let her go until she showed some sign that she was in control of herself.

‘Yes,’ she managed. ‘You’re probably right.’ She pulled in a deep breath. ‘I’m fine. You can let go of me now.’

‘Are you sure?’

She nodded. ‘I’m sure.’

‘OK.’ He slowly released her. ‘Why don’t you go on searching for her on this side of the garden while I go and get a torch from the house?’

Sarah hurried to do that, churned up inside because of the delay. Was Emily hiding from her, thinking that it was a game? Was that why she wasn’t answering?

Ben was only gone for a minute or two, but although she had explored every part of that side of the garden while he’d been gone, she was still no nearer finding Emily.

‘We’ll do this area together,’ he murmured, indicating the far side of the garden, ‘and then, if we still haven’t found her, we’ll retrace our steps. I suppose she might have gone to hide behind the summerhouse.’

Some five minutes later they still hadn’t found the little girl, and Sarah was beginning to feel shaky with anxiety. Ben must have sensed that because he put an arm around her, holding her in a way that was strangely comforting, considering that she barely knew him, and that for the most part they had been at loggerheads. Now, though, he was letting her know that he understood what she was going through, and that he was there for her.

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