Australian Affairs: Seduced

Declan would soon have been thirteen.

She looked over to the little family at the next table—the toddler was eating ice cream now, the baby falling asleep on its mother’s lap, and sometimes, just sometimes, she would like to trade places.

Marnie took a long sip of her iced water and couldn’t come up with a suitable line as to why she had been avoiding her mother, so she settled for the usual instead. ‘I’m just busy, Ronan.’

So too was Harry.

After an evening spent trying to find vaccination certificates, as well as asking his parents if they could have the twins for a couple of days, Harry was in no mood for a very groomed Marnie the next day. She was busily writing on the white board while telling Kelly, who was frantically fishing to find out more about the elusive new manager, that the prawns she had had last night at Peninsular Pub were the best she had tasted.

He doubted Marnie would have been eating alone.

Yes, his response was terse when Marnie had the gall to ask him how Adam was.

‘He’s at my parents’,’ Harry said. ‘Along with Charlotte.’

‘Is she sick as well?’

‘Neither is sick. Well, Adam’s got a bit of a temperature,’ Harry said. ‘But my babysitter has shingles and I can hardly send them to day care knowing that any minute now they could break out in spots.’

‘Weren’t they immunised?’ She was so annoyingly practical; she might just as well have been asking if the puppies’ shots were up to date.

‘You’d have to ask my late wife,’ Harry snapped. ‘I can’t find the records.’

Ooh, they bristled and they snapped their way through the day, though the animosity was put on hold when a worried-looking Kelly came over and had a word with Harry, just as Marnie was finishing checking and ordering the scheduled drugs.

‘I’ve got a seventeen-year-old girl in who’s pregnant and bleeding. Sheldon estimates her to be around twenty-four weeks. The thing is, her parents are with her and Emily keeps insisting that she doesn’t want them to know that she’s pregnant. They keep asking for updates and are getting really angry that I won’t let them in to be with her and that the doctor hasn’t been in to speak with them. I’m just not sure how to deal with patient confidentially and Sheldon’s concerned…’

‘I’ll come now,’ Harry said, but as he made to go so too did Marnie.

‘I’ll come with you,’ Marnie said, then spoke with Kelly. ‘I’m happy to deal with her and the family.’

‘Please.’ Kelly let out a sigh of a relief. ‘I don’t blame Emily a bit for not wanting to tell her parents. They’re not exactly the most approachable pair.’

Emily was very young, very scared but very determined that this baby was wanted. Sheldon had already started an IV and an ultrasound machine was being wheeled in as Harry and Marnie took over. ‘Reece was going to come over at the weekend and tell my parents with me,’ Emily tearfully explained as Harry gently examined her abdomen. ‘Do we have to tell them now?’

‘Well, we don’t have to tell them,’ Marnie answered, ‘though I think they might start to guess what the issue is when they see you strapped to a foetal monitor or they see the sign for Maternity when I take you up.’ Harry saw the small smile on Emily’s lips as Marnie softened things with wry humour. ‘Do you not think they have an idea?’

‘I’m not sure,’ Emily admitted. ‘Dad did say that I was putting on weight and I was about to say something but then Mum said it was because I was spending all my time sitting down, studying.’ Emily started to cry. ‘They’re going to be so angry.’

‘They’re going to be concerned,’ Harry said, squirting some jelly on Emily’s abdomen.

Marnie bit down on her lip because, as good a doctor as Harry was, until you’d been there you simply didn’t understand.

Harry hadn’t been there.

Marnie had.

She took Emily’s hands. ‘We can tell your parents for you.’

‘You don’t understand…’

‘I do,’ Marnie said. ‘Sometimes news like this is better coming from someone who’s not so involved. Once they know about the baby and have calmed down, they can come in and speak with you.’

‘They’ll never calm down.’

‘Let’s just see,’ Marnie said. ‘For now you just worry about staying calm. The last thing we want is you stressing yourself and raising your blood pressure and things.’

‘Why am I bleeding?’

‘It looks as if your placenta is lying rather low,’ Harry said, running the ultrasound probe over Emily’s stomach, and Marnie watched Emily’s face as she stared unblinking at the screen and saw her baby for the first time. ‘The heartbeat is a good rate and strong,’ Harry said, pointing to the screen.

‘Can you tell if it’s a boy or girl?’

‘The one time I tried I got it wrong.’ Harry smiled. ‘I’m going to get the obstetricians down and they’ll examine you but for now I’ll let your family know what’s going on, if that’s okay with you?’ Emily gave a wary nod and then Harry asked about Reece and got a bit of history before they left to tell her parents. Marnie gave Emily’s hand a little squeeze before she left.

George and Lucia really were a rather formidable pair—the air was thick with tension as Marnie and Harry came in and sat down.

‘It’s ridiculous the length of time that we’ve been kept waiting,’ George said by way of introduction.

‘Well, we’ve been with your daughter,’ Harry calmly responded. ‘I just wanted to have a chat before you went in.’

‘We’d like to see her,’ Lucia said, instead of asking what was wrong with her daughter.

‘I’d like to speak with you before you do.’

‘I really just want to see her,’ Lucia insisted. ‘If you could just let us know what cubicle she’s in.’

They knew, Marnie realised, they simply didn’t want to hear it, and thankfully Harry wasted no time getting to the point.

‘Emily is pregnant,’ Harry said to the two rigid faces. ‘We estimate that she’s about twenty-four weeks, though when she sees the obstetrician she’ll have a more detailed ultrasound to confirm dates.’ They all sat in silence for a moment, Harry and Marnie waiting for questions as the parents awaited the doctor’s solution. ‘This must come as a bit of a shock,’ Harry offered.

‘She’s in her final year at school,’ George said, as if that might change things, then he turned to his wife. ‘I told you that she shouldn’t be seeing him. I knew this would happen.’ His fists balled as he gritted his teeth. ‘She’s got school to think of,’ George said, and then turned back to Harry. ‘She can’t have it.’

‘Emily wants to have the baby,’ Harry said, ‘and, as I’ve said, she’s about twenty-four weeks’ gestation and bleeding quite heavily. She’s terribly worried for her baby and frankly so am I…’

‘Baby!’ George simply would not accept it and Marnie was pleased this conversation was taking place well away from Emily. ‘How is she supposed to take care of a baby? She’s still at school herself and doing very well. She’s completely messed up her life.’ He started to stand and his wife went to grab his arm.

‘George, please.’

‘Please what?’ George demanded as he started pacing. ‘How the hell is she supposed to support it?’

‘Sit down,’ Harry said. ‘The last thing Emily needs now is to be upset.’

‘Well, she should have thought of that. Maybe she should think of that…’ George started heading for the door but then, realising he didn’t know what cubicle Emily was in, he turned to Marnie. ‘You’ll take me to my daughter now.’

‘Emily’s not allowed visitors at the moment,’ Marnie responded. ‘At the moment she needs calm.’

‘Don’t you tell me what my daughter needs.’

‘I really think,’ Marnie continued, ‘that it might help if you go for a walk before you visit Emily, or go to the canteen, or even just sit here and get used to the idea for a little while.’

‘What would you know?’ George shouted, and Harry was about to step in, perhaps even get Security, because there was no way he wanted Emily being subjected to her father’s anger. But Marnie didn’t need his help.

‘I know plenty,’ Marnie said. ‘I can remember every word my parents said when I was eighteen and I told them I was pregnant.’ She looked at Lucia. ‘My son died when he was two weeks old and, given what had been said, I wouldn’t let my mother comfort me. I still can’t. I can guarantee that your next conversation with your daughter will be replayed in her mind for the rest of her life.’ It was Marnie who stood then. ‘She’s in cubicle seven but, again, I suggest that before you go in there you take some time and really think about the kind of parents you want to be during this difficult time for your daughter.’

Yes, she loathed bringing her private life to work but she’d loathe even more Emily’s parents speaking in haste.

Marnie walked into the cubicle, glad that it appeared George wasn’t following. Emily was being seen by the obstetrician but she looked over anxiously as Marnie stepped in.

‘How are they?’ she asked, and Marnie hoped it would soon be the other way around—with her parents asking how Emily and the baby were.

‘They’re just taking it all in,’ she said. ‘You just focus on yourself for now.’

Her parents must have been doing some thinking because it was a good half-hour later, when Emily was about to be wheeled up to Maternity, that they came in.

‘You could have told me,’ were her mother’s first words.

‘I tried,’ Emily said, and now Marnie said nothing as she escorted them up to Maternity and saw Emily settled in. Steroids had been started to mature the baby’s lungs in case it needed to be delivered, but for now the bleeding had slowed down and things seemed a whole lot calmer.

‘Thanks, Marnie,’ Emily said, once Marnie had handed over to the midwife taking over Emily’s care and had popped in to say goodbye.

‘I’ll pop back and see you when I…’ Her voice trailed off as a very pale and clearly terrified young man came into the ward.

‘I told you not to come yet,’ Emily said tearfully.

‘I couldn’t just stay at work.’

Marnie watched as, instead of anger, George somehow found it in himself to go over and shake Reece’s hand, and as Marnie headed back down to the department she knew that of all the things that had moved her about today, Reece had moved her very much. A young man who, instead of letting Emily deal with it alone, had been brave enough to leave work and come and face the music.

She could still remember the feel of Craig trembling beside her as they’d told her parents. She hadn’t wanted him there but had been so proud that he had insisted on it.

Was it any wonder they had broken up even before Declan had been born?

Yet he had still been there for the birth of his son.

She could see Harry chatting to a colleague and Marnie decided she would go to lunch.

She was a touch embarrassed that she’d told her tale in front of him, but then, he wasn’t the first colleague that had heard the same. Part of her job, and the reason she loved it, was that you saw people at their most raw and could actually make a difference. It had just felt a little awkward and clearly Harry thought it an issue because a few moments after she’d sat down he knocked at her office door.

‘How’s she doing?’

‘Better,’ Marnie said. ‘The bleeding has stopped and the parents are a lot calmer. Her young man just arrived and George actually shook his hand.’

That wasn’t what Harry was there for.

‘I’m sorry for what I said yesterday,’ Harry said, and he sat down when Marnie really would have preferred a more fleeting visit.

‘It’s really not a problem—believe me I’ve heard that, or similar, many times before.’

‘I didn’t know,’ Harry said, then shook his head. ‘Not that that’s an excuse. I’ll be more careful when I say things like that in the future.’

‘Good.’ She gave a small smile; he really did look uncomfortable and that had never been her intention. ‘Harry, I don’t broadcast what happened to me to everyone but, on the other hand, I don’t hide it either. I am a mother, I had a son. I felt today that it was appropriate that I tell those parents what had happened to me before they marched into Emily and made exactly the same mistake my parents made…’

‘A lot of parents do.’

‘Well, hopefully Emily’s parents shan’t now,’ Marnie said. ‘I certainly didn’t tell them to make you feel uncomfortable.’

‘They didn’t take it well, then?’ Harry asked. ‘Your parents?’

‘No.’ Marnie hesitated. Normally she’d add something sharp here, like, ‘Just because you know about it doesn’t mean that I want to discuss it.’ Except today, right now, she did. Maybe it was because Harry, given he had lost his wife, surely knew grief. Or maybe it was just with Declan’s birthday coming up and Ronan hinting that her mother was upset, it had all been brought to the surface.

Then she looked up to his green eyes that were waiting patiently and realised that maybe it was just because it was Harry. ‘They’re very strict,’ Marnie said. ‘Or rather they were when we were younger. My mum went crazy when she found out. She said that it would kill my granny and my father…’ She gave a tight smile. ‘Though not till he’d killed the baby’s father.’ Marnie closed her eyes at the weary memory of that time. ‘All the usual stuff.’

‘Like?’

‘I’m sure you can guess.’ Marnie gave a tight shrug. ‘She also made it very clear that she didn’t think I should keep my baby. Anyway, a few months later when my son was on the neonatal unit, the person I wanted was my mum but at the same time I didn’t want her. We can’t discuss it, even now.’

‘Have you tried?’

‘Nope.’ Marnie shook her head. ‘And I won’t be trying either.’ She looked at Harry. ‘It couldn’t end nicely.’ Marnie felt uncomfortable now; the only person she really discussed Declan with was her friend Siobhan and, feeling she’d said more than enough, Marnie changed the subject. ‘I’m just very glad that Emily’s father didn’t march in and vent his spleen. She had a big abruption, and she could start bleeding again any time soon,’ Marnie said. ‘That baby’s far from safe.’ She wanted to stop talking about it, she wanted to just end the conversation, to dismiss Harry and get on with her day, except Marnie felt her nose redden and Harry saw a flash of tears in her eyes.

‘Marnie…’ Harry was struggling for words—he was used to death, both personally and professionally, and had it been anyone else he’d have stood, gone over, but it was Marnie, and he didn’t. Not because he didn’t want to, more because of how much he did.

‘It’s fine.’ Marnie filled the silence. ‘I’m fine. It was all just a bit too close to home.’ She blew out a breath. ‘It’s his birthday coming up.’

‘Look, do you want to…?’ Harry’s voice trailed off as there was a knock at the door.

‘Matthew!’ Harry noticed that she flushed a little as a rather well-dressed man entered. ‘What are you doing here?’ Marnie asked.

‘I had a client nearby,’ Matthew said. ‘I thought I might see if you were free for lunch. Oh, and I wanted to tell you in person that I got the tickets.’ He handed an envelope to Marnie. ‘Opening night, don’t ask me how I got them!’

‘Oh!’ Marnie’s anger at having her workspace invaded was temporarily thwarted because, more than anything, she loved the ballet and the opening night had sold out the day the tickets had been released. ‘Wow!’

‘It might be better if you look after them,’ Matthew said, not even bothering to introduce himself to Harry, who had already made up his mind that he didn’t like him.

‘I’ll leave you to it,’ Harry said, and walked out.

Harry wasn’t sure if he was jealous of Marnie’s freedom or just plain jealous—Harry had been very close to suggesting they leave the department and get lunch.

Stupid idea, Harry, he told himself. Those days were long gone—he kept things well away from work.

A moment or so later he looked up from a patient and saw them walking out of the department, Matthew sliding a hand around Marnie’s waist.

He didn’t like that and neither did Marnie—she wriggled out of Matthew’s embrace and it was clear she was cross.

‘Are you going to show me where you live?’ Matthew asked as she got into his car and he started the engine.

‘Sure,’ Marnie said, her tongue firmly in her cheek. ‘My brother Ronan is over for a couple of days. You can say hi if you like…’

‘Maybe not, then.’

Sitting in a bayside café a little while later, Marnie told him that she was far from impressed.

‘Why would you drop in on me at work?’ Marnie asked.

‘I told you—I was in the area and I wanted to give you the tickets for the ballet or I’d end up losing them. I’m going straight from here to the airport.’

Marnie refused to buy it. ‘Until recently I lived a stone’s throw from your office and I would never have dropped in on you!’ She was angry, very angry—part of the loose arrangement they had was that there would be no popping in. She and Matthew went out now and then. They were social and, yes, they slept together, but they did not invade each other’s lives and that was the way Marnie wanted it. ‘Whatever possessed you?’

‘Okay, okay,’ Matthew said, deciding against suggesting that she call in sick this afternoon. ‘I shan’t stop by again.’ He watched as Marnie’s hand, which had just dipped her bread in oil, paused over the salt. ‘I wouldn’t want to disturb anything.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘You and your colleague looked very cosy.’

‘We were talking about a patient!’ Marnie so did not need this. ‘He’s got two children…’ Marnie shook her head and then reached for her bag. ‘I need to get back.’

They drove in silence. Marnie was still cross, not just that Matthew had dropped by at her work but cross with herself for all she had told Harry. Cross too that Matthew had interrupted them.

‘The ballet will be great,’ Matthew said, as he dropped her off. ‘Get you back to civilisation.’

Far from being offended, she actually laughed. Maybe she did need a night of being spoilt, it might stop the constant thoughts about Declan’s birthday.

And about Harry.

As she went to get a drink of water from the staff kitchen she was met by a very stony-faced Harry, who was rinsing his mug.

‘Nice lunch?’

‘Lovely, thanks.’

‘Your boyfriend—?’

‘Boyfriend?’ Marnie rapidly interrupted. ‘I’m thirty-one—I’m a bit old for boys.’

‘Sorry.’ Harry gave a wry grin. She was the most impossible person he had ever met, yet, for reasons of his own, which he didn’t really want to examine, he ploughed on. ‘Your partner, then?’

‘Partner?’ Marnie challenged him right there and then. She was sick of men and the different rules that applied to them, and Marnie told him so. Despite never gossiping herself, Marnie was very clued in and had heard all the rumours about Harry. ‘Is that what you called your last nanny? Your partner, your girlfriend?’ Harry let out a breath as Marnie continued, ‘Or did you upgrade her title to your live-in lover?’

‘I was just going to say he seemed nice.’

‘Well, I’ll let you know when I need your opinion.’

Marnie dived into work, refusing to go to her office because that would look like she was hiding. And why would she be hiding? There was nothing to feel embarrassed or awkward about—a friend had merely dropped in to take her to lunch.

It was just that Marnie didn’t like her worlds colliding and, as the afternoon progressed, the tension seemed to increase. Near home time she glanced up and briefly caught sight of a very dark-looking Harry walking past, and she knew it wasn’t just that Matthew had dropped by that was unsettling her.

It was Harry.

In a nice way, though.

There was a tiny flutter in her chest as she met his eyes and it was still fluttering as she looked away and tried to concentrate on what Kelly was calling out to her.

‘Sorry?’ She looked at Kelly.

‘There’s a guy on the phone for you,’ Kelly repeated. ‘He says it’s personal.’

‘I’ll bet it is,’ Harry muttered, but thankfully well out of earshot.

What the hell did Matthew want now? Marnie thought as she made her way over. Only it wasn’t Matthew calling her at work and she saw Harry’s jaw grit as she said another man’s name.

‘Ronan, what are you doing, phoning me at work?’

He wanted to take the receiver from her and replace it. He wanted to turn her round and tell her part of the reason for his dark mood.

He couldn’t get her out of his mind.

CHAPTER SIX

HARRY REACHED FOR his jacket. It was ten to five and he was in no mood for another dose of salt to be rubbed into a very raw wound, and anyway he had to get to his parents to pick up the twins and inspect them for chickenpox.

Fun!

‘Are you heading off?’ Dr Vermont said, and Harry nodded.

‘You’re not in tomorrow?’ Dr Vermont checked.

‘I can’t leave them with my parents for too long,’ Harry said, and Dr Vermont nodded. He knew Harry’s father’s health wasn’t brilliant and the twins were hard work at the best of times. By the time Harry had signed off on some paperwork, Marnie had gathered her bag and was walking briskly through the department, jangling her car keys.

‘You’re in a rush, Marnie,’ Dr Vermont commented, because Marnie never usually left till well past six. ‘Is everything okay?’

‘I’ll be back,’ Marnie said. ‘My brother just called and he’s cut himself—his finger. I’m just going home to fetch him and bring him in.’

‘I’ll stay around to see him,’ Dr Vermont said, and Marnie gave a grateful smile, though, in truth, it was a bit of a forced one because she desperately wanted Harry to offer to stay back. He was, as she was starting to find out, not just considered the best hand surgeon in the hospital but one of the top in the country.

Harry made no offer; instead, he joined her as she headed out.

She walked to the car park with him. Their footsteps were rapid and the atmosphere between them was tense but it was Harry who broke the strained silence. ‘Do you think it’s serious?’

‘It’s deep. I told him to make dinner and he couldn’t find my tin-opener so he decided to use a knife…’ She was waffling, stupidly feeling guilty for insisting that Ronan cook, but she was evading the real answer, not because she didn’t want to tell Harry, more because she didn’t want to think what it might mean to Ronan. ‘He says it’s bad.’ Harry could hear the slight panic in her voice as she elaborated, ‘I’m worried he might have cut a tendon.’

‘You haven’t even seen it yet.’ Harry was practical.

‘He plays the piano.’ Marnie glanced at Harry. ‘I mean—he plays it really well.’ She closed her eyes for a second. If Ronan had indeed injured his tendon it was going to be a tough few months ahead for him, with no guarantee his hand would return to full dexterity.

‘If he has injured his tendon, Dr Vermont will refer him to Stuart. He’s on tonight and he’s a great surgeon.’

She wanted Harry.

They were now at her car and, given how inflexible Marnie had been with his children, she was in absolutely no position to ask him a favour, except it was Ronan. For that reason, and that reason only, Marnie swallowed her pride and went to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out. Harry watched as she ran one of those very beautiful hands through her dark hair as again she tried to swallow her pride.

For Ronan, Marnie told herself.

‘If it needs doing, is there any chance of you repairing it tomorrow?’ There were two spots of colour appearing on her pale cheeks. ‘If Dr Vermont orders it to be elevated tonight, you could—’

‘I’m not coming in tomorrow.’

‘Oh, I thought you were on.’

‘No.’

When Harry didn’t elaborate, Marnie just nodded and got into her car. She loathed that she’d asked him but, more than that, she loathed that he’d said no.

When she got home, Marnie let herself in and Ronan called out to her. ‘I’m in here.’

He was sitting on the floor of Marnie’s bathroom with his hand wrapped in a towel and he was holding it up.