Saved By His Cinderella

She frowned. ‘So why are you staying in a hotel rather than with them?’

He smiled. ‘I love my family. Dearly. But they’d drive me crazy if I went back to live with them after fourteen years of being away—there’d be questions all the time. Far more questions than you ask,’ he added, seeing the colour rise in her cheeks. ‘And living with my older brother’s a definite no-no.’ He’d thought about it, on the grounds that maybe he’d be a steadying influence. But then again, George was too strong a character to be influenced by anyone.

‘Because you don’t get on with him?’ Jane asked.

Ed laughed. ‘No. I get on fine with George. It’s just that I’d never be able to keep up with him. He tends to burn the candle at both ends.’

‘And you disapprove of that?’

‘Not disapprove, exactly. I worry about him overdoing things. So I guess I’d drive him crazy, the same way the girls always nag me about working too hard.’ He paused. ‘What about you?’

‘I have my own flat.’

Sidestepping again, he noticed. OK. He’d ask her straight out. ‘Do you have family in London?’

‘No.’

And he noticed she didn’t say where her family was. ‘You really don’t like talking about personal stuff, do you?’ he asked softly.

She spread her hands. ‘What do you want to know? I’m twenty-eight, I’m working towards being a specialist registrar and I love my job. My parents used to live in London, but they’re retired now and they have a place in Cornwall overlooking the sea.’ She paused. ‘And that’s about it.’

Her body language was definitely telling him to back off. So he changed the subject to something he thought she’d find easier. ‘What made you want to be a doctor?’

‘I’m a fixer,’ she said. ‘I like to make things better. So it was the obvious career choice.’

‘Me, too,’ he admitted. ‘Why obstetrics?’

‘I was interested in IVF,’ she said. ‘I loved the idea of being able to give people hope, give them the family they’d dreamed about and longed for. Really making a difference.’ Giving them the dream family she’d so wanted herself. She pushed the thought away. ‘But then I did my rotation on the maternity ward, and I discovered just how much I like babies. There’s absolutely nothing to match seeing those first magical seconds of a newborn taking in the world. Oh, and I’d better warn you in advance—it makes me cry every single time.’

He’d guessed she was soft-hearted. From what he’d seen of her at work so far, she really cared about her mums.

‘But Theo knows I’m interested in IVF and I worked with the specialist team for a while, so my list tends to include more IVF mums. It means I’ve got the best of both worlds—I get to deliver babies, and I also get to look after mums who need a bit of extra care.’ She looked at him. ‘What made you choose obstetrics?’

‘The same thing, really. I’m the fixer in my family, too. Right from when I was small, I used to bandage the dogs’ paws and pretend I was making them better.’

‘So you wanted to be a vet?’

‘When I was that young, yes.’ He laughed. ‘Luckily the dogs were very indulgent. They’d let me listen to their heart with my stethoscope and stick a bandage on their paw. I was forced to use them as my patients because George—my older brother—was never still for long enough for me to bandage him.’ He turned his coffee cup round in his hands. ‘My sister Alice got meningitis when she was two. Luckily she was fine, but we spent a lot of time at the hospital, and I was desperate to make her better and make everyone in the family happy again. That’s when I decided that I wanted to be a doctor. I thought about being a children’s doctor, but then Frances had Bea. She was this little red-faced squeaky thing—just like Alice was—and everyone was smiling and so happy. And I knew then that was what I wanted to do—bring little red-faced squeaky things into the world and spread all that joy around.’

She laughed. ‘Do your sisters know you call them red-faced squeaky things?’

‘Yes.’ He grinned. ‘And I’m not going to tell you what they call me. Or what Charlotte calls me, for that matter.’

‘Alice, Bea and Charlotte. You’re Edward, and you have a brother George,’ she mused. ‘So who are the D and F?’

He liked the fact she’d picked that up. ‘My father’s David, and my stepmum’s Frances.’

‘Are there an H and an I, too?’

‘No. And I really hope the girls aren’t planning to make me an uncle to H and I before they’ve finished their education.’

‘They’re a lot younger than you, then?’

He nodded. ‘I’m six years older than Alice. She’s just about to be called to the bar, Bea’s training to be an architect and Charlotte—the baby—is in the last year of her degree. She’s on course for a First, so she’s planning to do a PhD in a really obscure bit of Roman history.’

‘So you’re all clever.’ Jane smiled. ‘What does George do? Is he a professor of astrophysics or something?’

‘He’s—’ Ed stopped. How much had Theo told the team about him? Or had Jane worked it out for herself that Ed’s older brother was the Hon George Somers, heir to the barony? From what he’d seen of Jane, she was very straightforward and absolutely everything showed in her face, so it would be obvious if she read the gossip rags and knew who George was.

‘He works in the family business,’ Ed prevaricated.

Jane knew a sidestep when she saw one. Probably because she’d learned to be so skilled in sidestepping herself. Ed didn’t want to talk about his brother as much as she didn’t want to talk about Jenna. And yet he’d sounded affectionate when he’d said he worried about his brother. Something didn’t quite add up, here. Though it was none of her business and she didn’t want to pry—in case he started asking questions back.

She glanced at her watch. ‘We need to be getting back to the ward.’

‘Of course. So are we having dinner or going to the cinema tonight?’

Help. She’d hoped that getting him to talk about himself would’ve distracted him enough to make him forget the idea of going out. ‘It’s really nice of you to ask, but I can’t make tonight. Some other time?’ Though she was careful not to give an excuse that he could easily topple over, or to suggest anything specific—like an actual date when she could go out with him.

‘Sure.’

Back on the ward, they were both kept busy, and the rest of the day shot by.

‘See you tomorrow,’ Ed said. ‘Have a nice evening, whatever you’re doing.’

Dinner for one and a pile of textbooks. But she liked it that way. ‘You, too,’ she said with a smile.

Even so, she couldn’t get Edward Somers out of her head all evening, and she caught herself mooning over him when she was supposed to be studying. Which was ridiculous. And she was glad when the phone went and the caller display showed her best friend’s number.

‘Am I interrupting your studies?’ Sorcha asked.

‘I was about to take a break anyway,’ Jane said.

‘Hmm. Just checking on how you’re doing.’

Jane knew exactly why Sorcha was calling. Because today was the day that horrible magazine had come out. ‘I’m fine. Honestly, I am. Nobody on the ward’s mentioned that article, and Theo’s gone well above the call of duty and arranged that the hospital shop won’t sell the magazine this week.’ She bit her lip. ‘Actually, I think he bought all the copies.’

‘If he hadn’t, Maddie and I would’ve clubbed together and done it,’ Sorcha said. ‘I’m not going to nag you about Jenna, because I know it’s hard for you.’

‘Good.’

‘But I still think she’s incredibly mean to you and you’re a saint to put up with it.’

‘Do you mean doormat?’ Jane asked wryly.

Sorcha sighed. ‘No, because you don’t do it because you’re weak. You do it because you’re nice, and I guess family relationships are complicated. Though I’d disown her if she was mine. You know, just because you’re related to someone, it doesn’t mean you have to like them—or put up with them behaving badly towards you.’

Jane just coughed.

‘OK, OK, I’ll shut up. So what’s your new colleague like?’

The gorgeous stranger I spent the night with on Saturday, and still haven’t told you about, Jane thought. My guilty secret. ‘Fine.’

‘Come on. Deets.’

‘There aren’t any.’

‘Well, is he nice?’

‘Yes.’

‘Single?’

Yes, but she didn’t want to tell Sorcha that. Or that Ed had asked her out to dinner tonight. Because then Sorcha would nag her about letting Shaun’s betrayal ruin her life. And Jane already knew her best friend’s ‘the best revenge is living well’ speech by heart. ‘It’s hardly the first thing you’d ask a new colleague.’ She really needed to change the subject, now, before she ended up telling Sorcha more than she intended. ‘How’s Jake?’

‘He’s wonderful.’

‘Good.’ Jane smiled. ‘It was about time he noticed you. I’m so glad it’s working out.’

‘I just wish I had a magic wand and could find someone nice for you,’ Sorcha said.

‘There’s no need, honestly. I’m fine on my own.’

‘Really? Because I worry that you’re lonely. I think what happened with Shaun last year broke something in you.’

It had. ‘I guess I learned my lesson the hard way,’ Jane said lightly. ‘I’m sticking to friendship from now on. It makes life a lot easier.’

‘Not every man’s as shallow as Shaun was.’

‘I know.’ Ed definitely wasn’t shallow. But she didn’t want to analyse her feelings about him too closely. She’d thought she had a future with Shaun, that with him she’d make the close family she’d always wanted, filled with unconditional love. And she’d been so wrong. What was to say that she wouldn’t be wrong about Ed, too? One night was just one night, and she was fine with that. ‘I’m fine, Sorcha. Really.’ Protesting a little too much, perhaps. But she’d get there.

‘Well, you know where I am if you need to talk. Even if it’s stupid o’clock in the morning.’

‘I know, and thank you. I’m just glad you’re my best friend.’

‘Me, too. Now, don’t study too late.’

‘I won’t,’ Jane promised.

‘And I’ll see you for lunch tomorrow. Call me if you get held up, OK?’

‘Will do. See you tomorrow.’

CHAPTER FIVE

‘ED, I’VE got one of my mums on the way in. She’s bleeding. And I could do with another view on the situation,’ Jane said. ‘Would you mind?’

‘Sure. Fill me in on the background. Is she one of your IVF mums?’

Jane nodded. ‘Pippa Duffield. She had a low-lying placenta at her twenty-week scan.’

‘Nearly a third of women do. You know as well as I do, in most cases, it stops being a problem as the uterus develops further,’ Ed said. ‘I take it you’re thinking placenta praevia in Pippa’s case?’

Jane nodded. ‘She’s got more than average risk factor. IVF increases the chances of her placenta growing in the lowest part of the womb and covering the opening of the cervix, plus she’s having twins.’

‘OK. How many cycles did she have, and how old is she?’

‘This was the fourth cycle, and she’s thirty-eight.’

‘So her age is another risk factor.’ He looked grim. ‘Let’s hope for her sake that it’s praevia and not an abruption.’

Jane hoped so, too. An abruption, where the placenta tore away from the uterus, could be life-threatening for both the babies and the mum.

Ed looked thoughtful. ‘How far is she?’

‘Thirty-two weeks.’

‘So we’d be considering delivery at thirty-five weeks anyway. Provided we can get the bleeding under control, if the ultrasound shows it’s praevia, I’d like to keep her in the ward on bed rest until delivery, so we can keep an eye on her and monitor the babies,’ he said. ‘Are you happy with that?’

She spread her hand. ‘Hey, you’re the consultant. It’s your call.’

‘She’s one of your mums. You asked me for my opinion—I’m not muscling in and giving orders you’re not happy about.’

‘Thank you. Though, actually, my clinical decision would be the same as yours.’

‘Good.’ He smiled at her. ‘I’m glad we’re on the same wavelength. It feels as if I’ve worked with you for years, not just for a day or so.’

Funny how that warmed her. ‘Me, too. And that makes life so much easier for our mums.’ She smiled back at him. ‘I should warn you, Pippa’s desperate for a natural birth—the way she sees it, it’ll make up for the fact she couldn’t conceive without help.’

‘That really depends on the ultrasound,’ he said. ‘If the placenta’s within ten millimetres of her cervix, then it’s too much of a risk to go for a normal delivery—both for her and for the babies.’

‘Agreed,’ Jane said.

Jane had asked one of the porters to meet Pippa’s taxi and bring her up to the department in a wheelchair; just as she and Ed were sorting out the consulting room, Joe brought Pippa’s wheelchair in.

‘Thanks, Joe. I appreciate your help,’ Jane said with a smile. ‘Pippa, how are you doing?’

‘I’m so scared, Jane. I can’t lose my babies. Not now. Not after all we’ve been through. I just can’t.’ Pippa’s face was blotchy with tears. ‘When I started bleeding…’ She dragged in a breath. ‘I’m just so scared.’

‘Of course you are. Any mum-to-be would be worried, in your shoes, and you did exactly the right thing by coming straight in,’ Jane soothed, giving her a hug. ‘But first of all remember that you’re thirty-two weeks now, so even if the twins arrived today there’s a very good chance of them being absolutely fine. And secondly, there are all sorts of reasons why women start spotting or even having quite a big bleed. Until we’ve examined you, I can’t tell you what’s happening, but you’re in the best place right now. And the best thing you can do for your babies is to take some big, deep breaths for me.’

She coached Pippa through the breathing until the other woman was calmer. ‘Brilliant. That’s got your blood pressure back down a bit. Now, I’d like to introduce you to our new consultant, Mr Somers. Ed, this is Pippa Duffield.’

‘Oh, my God.’ Pippa’s eyes widened. ‘The bleeding’s serious enough for me to see a consultant?’

‘No. I’m just the new boy, it’s my first week here, and I’m working with Jane,’ Ed said cheerfully.

‘And he’s very good,’ Jane said. ‘More experienced than I am. So between us you’re in great hands.’

Pippa gave her a wan smile.

‘May we examine you, Mrs Duffield?’ Ed asked.

‘Call me Pippa,’ she said. ‘Yes.’

‘Thank you, Pippa. And I hope you’ll call me Ed.’

She nodded.

Gently, he examined her. ‘Are you feeling any kind of pain?’

‘No.’

‘Good. Are you having any kind of contractions, even practice ones or tiny ones?’

‘I don’t think so.’

He nodded. ‘Jane, would you mind checking the babies’ heartbeats?’

Jane did so. ‘The good news here is that their heartbeats both sound normal. Now, at this stage, we’re not going to do an internal exam, Pippa.’ Until they were sure it was placenta praevia and not an abruption, she didn’t want to take the risk of causing a much worse bleed. ‘But we’d like to do an ultrasound so we can get a better idea of what’s causing the bleeding, if that’s OK with you, Pippa?’

‘The babies are all right. Thank God.’ Pippa closed her eyes briefly in seeming relief. ‘Do whatever you need to, Jane.’

‘I’ll also need to take some blood,’ Jane said.

She swiftly took blood samples and assessed how much blood Jane had lost, before putting a line in for IV access; meanwhile, Ed had gone to locate the portable ultrasound scanner.

The scan showed exactly what she and Ed had expected.

‘Your placenta’s right near the bottom of your womb and it’s partially blocking your cervix,’ Ed said. ‘What happens in the last trimester of pregnancy is that your cervix starts to get thinner and stretch, ready for the birth, and in your case some of the blood vessels have broken—that’s what caused the bleeding. Jane tells me you haven’t lost a huge amount of blood, so I’m not too worried. We can keep an eye on you. The good news is that there’s a really strong chance that we can deliver the babies as originally planned, at thirty-five weeks.’

‘And the bad news?’ Pippa asked.

‘Jane tells me you were hoping for a normal delivery.’ He took her hand and squeezed it. ‘I’m sorry, we can’t do that, because the placenta’s going to be in the way. You could end up losing a lot of blood, and we just can’t take that risk—for you or for the babies.’

A tear trickled down Pippa’s cheek. ‘I couldn’t conceive normally and I can’t even have a normal birth. I’m going to be a rubbish mother.’

‘No, you’re not,’ Ed said. ‘Lots of women need help with conceiving, and lots of women end up having a Caesarean. But the good news is that we can plan it, so you won’t have to go through a trial of labour first, then end up in emergency surgery because the babies are in distress and you’re exhausted. It’s tough enough being a mum to twins without all that on top of it.’ He smiled at her. ‘Right now, I’d guess you’re feeling disappointed and relieved and worried, all at the same time. In your shoes, I think I’d be bawling my eyes out. So I’d say you’re doing just fine.’

Pippa bit her lip. ‘So what now? I go home and have to rest?’

‘No. We’d like to keep you on the ward,’ Jane said, ‘so we can keep an eye on you.’

‘Overnight?’

Ed shook his head. ‘Until you have the babies.’

‘Three weeks? But—I can’t.’ Pippa looked horrified. ‘I haven’t sorted out the nursery yet! I only went on maternity leave last week.’ She shook her head in distress. ‘I’ve been so careful not to overdo things and rush around like I normally would. I’ve taken it really easy and waited for Mike to paint the walls instead of grabbing the step ladders and doing it myself. And now…’ She rubbed a hand across her eyes, scrubbing away the tears. ‘I don’t want Mike’s mother taking over and making the room what she thinks it should be like, instead of what I want.’

‘Can your mum maybe step in and bat your corner for you?’ Ed asked.

‘No. She died from breast cancer, two years ago.’ More tears slid down Pippa’s cheeks. ‘I wish she was here. I wish she was going to meet my babies. She would’ve been such a brilliant grandmother. She wouldn’t take over and try to boss me around all the time, like Mike’s mother does.’

‘Ed, would you mind calling Mike for us while I sit with Pippa for a bit?’ Jane asked.

‘Sure.’ Moving so that Pippa couldn’t see his face, he mouthed, ‘I’ll give you a yell when he gets here and we’ll talk to him.’

Jane sat with Pippa, holding her hand and soothing her until she’d calmed down. ‘I know this is rough on you, but we can work round things. Ed and I are happy to talk to anyone you need us to, so they know exactly why you’re in and that you need a bit of TLC.’

‘I don’t think Mike’s mother knows how to give TLC,’ Pippa said wearily. ‘And he never stands up to her.’

‘You’d be surprised how much it changes you, becoming a parent,’ Jane said softly. ‘Where you might not stand up for yourself, you suddenly find that you do for your children.’ At least, you stood up for your favourite one. But Pippa didn’t need Jane dumping her own inadequacies on her; she needed support.

Rosie, one of the midwives, came in. ‘Jane, sorry, Ed needs a quick word with you in his office.’

‘Sure. I’ll be back in a minute, Pippa.’ She smiled at the midwife. ‘Rosie, would you mind sitting with Pippa for a bit?’

‘Of course I will.’

When Jane got to Ed’s office, Mike Duffield was sitting on the chair at the side of Ed’s desk.

‘Jane, is Pippa all right? And the babies? Ed’s just been telling me what happened. Can I see her?’

‘They’re all doing OK,’ Jane reassured him. ‘Mike, I know you’re worried and you want to see Pippa, but we wanted a word with you before you go in.’

‘Why? Is there something you haven’t told her?’

Jane shook her head. ‘We want to keep her in so we can keep an eye on her, and she’s really upset about it.’

Mike frowned. ‘So there is something wrong.’

‘I’ve told you everything, Mike,’ Ed said gently. ‘We want to keep an eye on her because she might start bleeding again. We can monitor her and the babies here; if things get sticky and we need to deliver the twins, then there won’t be any delay. Pippa’s upset because she hasn’t finished decorating the nursery.’

Mike’s face cleared. ‘Well, I can sort that out for her, and my mum will help.’

Just what Pippa had been afraid of. Jane steeled herself for a difficult conversation. ‘Mike, there isn’t an easy or tactful way to put this, and I apologise in advance if I’m stepping over the line here, but that’s one of the things that’s worrying Pippa—that she’ll end up having the nursery your mum wants, not the one that she wants.’

Mike looked taken aback. ‘You what?’

Ed glanced at Jane and gave a tiny nod. ‘Is there a chance maybe you could talk to your mum?’ he asked. ‘Maybe you could tell her that Pippa’s upset about being in hospital and not able to do things the way she wants, and ask her if she’d consider helping you carry out what Pippa planned. But most importantly she needs to come and see Pippa, to reassure her that it’s going to be her choices that matter.’

‘I…’ Mike blew out a breath. ‘To be honest, Mum and Pip tend to clash a bit. They both have strong ideas. If Mum thinks that Pip doesn’t want her help, then it’ll put her back up.’

And clearly Mike didn’t relish being stuck in the middle. Jane’s father was like that, so she understood exactly why Pippa hated the fact that Mike would never stand up for her. ‘Is there someone else you can ask to help with the nursery? A friend, another relative?’ Jane asked. ‘Because Pippa needs to rest and be as calm as possible, for her sake and that of the babies. People who haven’t gone through IVF often don’t really understand the kind of emotional and physical strain it involves, and maybe your mum doesn’t appreciate what Pippa’s gone through.’

Mike grimaced. ‘Mum doesn’t actually know we had IVF. Pip didn’t want her to know. She’s got this thing about how people are going to think she’s not a proper mum because she couldn’t conceive without help.’

‘She did say something like that,’ Ed said, ‘and I told her that of course she’s going to be a good mum—it’s got nothing to do with the way the babies were conceived or how they’re going to come into the world.’ He looked thoughtful. ‘What about Pippa’s dad? Or does she have a sister who can help?’

‘Her dad’s a bit frail, and her sister…’ Mike wrinkled his nose. ‘They’re not close. I really don’t think Pip would want me to ask her.’

Jane could appreciate that. She knew all about difficult sisters, too. Jenna would be the last person she’d ask for help—because she knew the answer would be no. ‘What about her best friend? That’s who I’d want to help me, if I were in Pippa’s shoes. And if that would reassure Pippa, then as her doctor my advice to you would be to talk to her best friend.’

‘Well, I could ring her,’ Mike said slowly. ‘Shelley’s a bit bossy.’

‘So’s my best friend,’ Jane said with a smile. ‘It’s one of the things I love about her. She gets things done.’

‘All right. I’ll call her,’ Mike said. ‘And I’ll tell Pip not to worry about the nursery. I’ll make sure it’s how she wants it.’

‘Thanks. Taking something big like that off her mind will really help a lot. I’ll take you through to her.’

Jane ended up spending the rest of the morning with the Duffields; when she went to collect her handbag from the rest room at the beginning of her lunch break, Ed was there, too.

‘How’s Pippa?’ he asked.

‘Much more settled. And thanks for having a word with Mike. That really helped.’

‘Any time.’ He smiled at her. ‘Got time to have lunch with me?’

She shook her head regretfully. ‘Sorry, I’m already meeting someone.’ She glanced at her watch. ‘And I’m going to be late! Gotta go. Catch you later.’

Jane didn’t see Ed for the rest of the afternoon. She did a last check on her patients, making especially sure that Pippa had settled, at the end of her shift. She was about to leave the ward when she passed Ed’s open door.