It was the pain in her hands which finally dragged Kate back to reluctant consciousness and she fought against it, keeping her eyes closed and hoping that the drowsiness which still engulfed her would wash her back into a sea of oblivion. But it was not to be, for the pain in her hands became a steady throbbing which was taken up inside her head, and she muttered irritably and moved on the pillows. The movement instantly brought someone to her side—a young woman whom she did not recognise, though the pale blue dress was that of a nurse.
'Good morning, Dr Gibson. How are you feeling?’
‘Terrible.'
I’m not surprised. You've been pumped so full of drugs you're bound to feel a bit odd.
The nurse touched Kate's wrist. ‘Would you like some tea?' 'Not particularly.'
I’m sure you'll enjoy it once you have it. I’ll bring you a cup.' '
The nurse was proved right, for by the time Kate had drunk the tea and eaten a couple of biscuits she was feeling considerably better. Slowly her brain began to function and when the nurse returned to take away the tray, she asked how long she had been here.
Three days. You had concussion and your hands were badly cut.' Kate shuddered. I’m not surprised. The floor was like a glass carpet.' 'Don't think about it any more. It's all over.'
‘Yes,' Kate echoed, thinking of Joshua.
‘I’ve brought you a newspaper to cheer you up.' 'I don't want to read anything, thanks.'
'Just look at the pictures. There's a lovely one of you.'
'Of me?' Kate took the newspaper from the nurse and saw her own face staring out at her from the front page. It was a picture she did not recognise until she suddenly remembered that one like it had appeared in the national press after the fire in the apartment block.
'Heroine of the inferno,' was how it had been captioned then, though today's was only slightly less lurid and referred to her as a doctor who went through fire for her patients.
'I do wish reporters wouldn't exaggerate,’ she said crossly. 'Anyone else in my position would have done the same.'
‘Maybe,' the nurse said doubtfully, ‘but the fact is that you did it—and for the second time in less than four months. There's a whole story on the inside page about the first rescue you did. They say you'll get a medal for it, and probably for this rescue as well. It would be fantastic if you got two George Crosses.'
‘Fantastic,’ Kate murmured, and closed her eyes.
‘I’ll leave you to have a rest until lunch time,’ the nurse said, and rustled out of the room.
Kate was awakened by a tantalising smell of food and, feeling considerably clearer-headed, was able to take cognisance of her surroundings. She was in a large private room, simply furnished but turned into a bower of flowers. She glanced from one vase to the other and was still trying to count them when the nurse came in with her lunch.
‘I’ll do your hair and tidy you up afterwards,’ she said, helping Kate into a sitting position. 'You'll be allowed visitors this afternoon.'
‘I’d father not see anyone,' Kate said quickly.
‘We can't have you lying here getting morbid,’ the nurse replied, and picked up the knife and fork. I'd better cut the meat for you, with your hands in bandages you might find it difficult to do it.'
Kate thought she would find it easier if she were left alone without the nurse's constant chatter, but she did not say so and docilely allowed herself to be fed and then have her face washed and her hair brushed. Unbidden the nurse brought her a mirror and she was dismayed by her reflection: a pale face with dark shadows under her eyes and the eyes themselves like huge silver, grey pools. Only her hair seemed vivid, a shining cap that covered her head and clustered in curly tendrils across her forehead and along the tops of her ears.
‘You have lovely coloured hair,' the nurse commented, ‘We had to wash it for you. It was full of glass and it stank of sulphur.' The nurse put the mirror back on the dressing table, then took a filmy white bed-jacket from the top drawer and helped Kate to slip into it.
It lay round her like a sheaf of apple blossom, its silky folds deliriously cool against her warm skin. She knew she had a temperature but not enough to make her so agitated or apprehensive. No, these feelings came from the certainty that Joshua would be coming to see her and the fear that in her weakened state she might burst into tears at the sight of him.
She was so busy steeling herself up for his entry that when he finally arrived it was something of an anticlimax. One moment the room was quiet, the next it was dominated by a huge, broad-shouldered, black-haired man, his arms filled with a sheaf of creamy roses and a bottle of champagne.
‘Hello, Kate.' His greeting was calm though the look in his eyes was not. There was a-strange sparkle in them, a certain sharpness that made her wearily acknowledge that he was spoiling for a fight. But he could not have come here to quarrel with her. Even Joshua knew better than that.
‘You look beautiful,' he said matter-of-factly, 'and about sixteen.'
‘I feel sixty.'
He smiled and dumped the flowers and champagne-on the dressing-table before coming to stand at the foot el her bed. She remained resting against the pillows, for in this way she could see him without having to tilt her head and she saw his eyes move from her face down her body to her bandaged hands which lay supine on the coverlet. Pallor tinged his tan and when he spoke his voice was shaky.
'You could have been burned to death in the laboratory. A minute after we got you out, the whole place went up.'
'I remember hearing the explosion,' she confessed.
‘You were crazy!' he said violently. There were enough firemen and police to sink a battleship. Yet you had to go in——'
'I could say the same of you,’ she interrupted.
I’m a man,' he said violently, 'and they were my employees trapped in there.' I’m a doctor,' she replied, 'and they were my patients.'
‘Rubbish.'
It was impossible for her not to smile, though it was tinged with sadness. Even coming to see her in hospital he could not refrain from losing his temper with her. But it was an odd kind of temper, as was the way he was looking at her.
‘I suppose the whole laboratory is a write-off?' she murmured.
'It's covered by the insurance so it won't mean a financial loss.'
‘How many men were killed?'
‘Five.'
He half turned and stared through the window. She had rarely seen him in profile and she enjoyed being able to look at him without the fear of being discovered. Looking at him sideways, one noticed his well-shaped head and the strongly defined line of cheekbone and jaw.
'Janey sends you her love.' He turned abruptly their eyes met. ‘She wanted to come and see you, thought you wouldn't be feeling up to it. I said she would have plenty of opportunity when I brought you home.'
'Home?' Kate echoed.
‘My place. You'll be better cared for there.'
‘Mrs Pugh wouldn't like to hear that!'
‘She can come and look after you. You'll probably find enough for her to do at the Manor for us to keep her on.'
Kate swallowed, thinking she might not have heard correctly. 'I—I would prefer to stay in my own house,’ she said huskily. 'It's very kind of you to suggest I stay with you, but
—'
'It has nothing to do with kindness,' he cut in roughly. I’m doing it for my own peace of mind. You're staying ' with me until I can marry you—and that will be the minute you give the word.'
Kate no longer had any doubt that she was delirious and she went on staring at him. 'I was hoping you would be willing to end my contract with you and let me, return to London.'
‘I’ll take you to London when you're better,' he said promptly. ‘You can shop for your trousseau there or you might prefer to do it in New York. I have to go to the States and I thought we'd combine it with our honeymoon.'
'If this is your idea of a joke…' She choked on the words and in two strides he was beside her, bending low to catch what she was saying,
'I was never more serious in my life. I love you, Kate Gibson. I think I must have loved you the moment I saw you standing in front of me like an angry butterfly.'
'I was just about as effective,' she sniffed.
‘You would be surprised at how effective you were. Those delicate wings of yours gripped me like steel and from then on I was powerless.’
She tried not to be swayed by what he was saying, but his words made her tremble and she longed to feel his arms around her. Yet still the memory of Felicity persisted and it gave her the strength to stop the hands that reached out to touch her. 'Is it because of the fire?' she asked. 'Because you're grateful for what I did? Is that why I'm going to be the wife instead of Felicity?'
‘Felicity was never going to be my wife,’ he said clearly.
‘Never.’
Kate's eyes grew even bigger and Joshua lowered Ms huge frame gently on to the side of the bed.
‘I feel so big in this room,’ he said fretfully.
‘You are big,’ she whispered, and was overwhelmed with tenderness for him.
Sensing the change in her voice he caught hold of her forearm, careful not to touch the bandages. His hand was gentle and the fingers surprisingly soft on her skin. 'I have never asked Felicity to marry me, nor have I given her the impression that I would. In fact I made it clear at the start that we could only…’ He put her arm gently back on the coverlet and though he did not stand up from the bed he gave the impression of withdrawing, as if what he had to say was embarrassing to him and he needed to be isolated before he could do so. When I met Felicity again—after all the years she had been away—I was bowled over by her likeness to Janine. I suppose for ; that reason alone I started an affair with her.'
‘You loved your wife very much?' Kate could not help asking.
'I loved her as a young man loves the innocent young girl with whom he grew up. It was a summer love, Kate, and I doubt if it would have filled the autumn or winter of my days.
I was beginning to suspect it when she was killed. That's why I felt so guilty at her death,’
'But it wasn't your fault. It was a riding accident,’
'It was my horse she was riding at the time. I had made her promise not to do so, but she was headstrong that——-'
‘Like me,’ Kate murmured.
‘Not a bit like you. Janine was headstrong because she was foolish, whereas you know exactly what you are doing and are determined to do it. You are also obstinate, self-willed and—where I'm concerned—incredibly blind!' His hand came out to catch her arm again. ‘You are the only woman with whom I want to share my life and when you turned me down, I couldn't believe it I was so sure you loved me and I couldn't make any sense out of your behaviour. If I'd been unemotional and had used my mind instead of my feelings, I'd have known straight away that something had happened to make you misunderstand me. It wasn't until I spoke to Dermot that I found out what it was. That's why I came in search of you.'
'And then the laboratory exploded,’ He gave a rueful shake of his head. 'I guess my fury must have sparked it off!'
Kate lowered her eyes and stared at his hand resting on her arm. Everything seemed to fall logically into place yet she was still afraid to believe him, not sure if his proposal was prompted by relief that she had not been injured and gratitude for what she had done.
‘What exactly did Dermot tell you?' she asked. That you didn't love him. That made me wonder why you wanted me to think you did. If you had been an . ordinary woman I'd have said it was from pride, but you were too intelligent for that, and the only logical assumption was that you did it to hide your real feelings. It wasn't until I spoke to Janey last night—trying to reassure her you weren't going to die—that she burst into ears and begged me not to marry Felicity. That’s when I realised Felicity must have made
mischief between us,’ His voice was grim and Kate glanced at him and then looked away.
'It seems Felicity told Janey she was going to marry me and that was why I was sending her to Switzerland. So then I thought that if Felicity could say this to a child, she could as easily have said it to you and once I started to think along those lines then everything else fell into place.' His fingers caressed her skin. 'You see how simple everything is if you think things out?'
Her eyes dropped lower still. 'I loved you too much to be able to think at all,’ she whispered. 'Felicity was so plausible that I never doubted her.'
‘So she did talk to you the way she did to Janey ?' ‘Very much so. She said you were going to marry her this summer. She said——-'
'I don't want to hear any more. She's made us waste enough time. We won't talk about her again. You are my only concern, Kate; you and Janey.'
Carefully he drew her into the circle of his arms. She felt their tremble and knew how strong was his urge to hold her tightly. She buried her face against the warm column of his Heck.
'Our marriage won't be easy, Joshua. A wedding ring won't make either of us change.'
'I should hope not. There'll be times when I'll resent your work and there will be times when you will resent my bossiness! But we'll have a marriage that is alive. Alive and growing better all the time.'
She gave a little murmur and his hands moved away from her shoulders and down her back. She was aware of the flimsiness of her nightdress and knew from the sharp intake of his breath that so was he. But he still kept his control, though the rigidity of his muscles told her the effort it was costing him. Gently she drew back from him, though their eyes remained interlocked.
'I won't go on working at the factory,' she said softly, ‘but I would like to keep the rest of my practice going.'
'I wouldn't have it otherwise,' he replied. ‘You are a doctor and a woman and I love both aspects of you.' He bent forward and rested his mouth on hers, his lips moving backwards and forwards in a tender motion. It’s agony for me to be so close to you and not make love to you. How soon will you be well enough for us to get married?'
'A couple of weeks,' she hazarded.
He groaned. 'Fourteen days of torture!'
‘I’ll prescribe something for you,' she teased. 'An antidote to love.'
He shook his head. There is no antidote for my love for you, darling Kate. I'm afraid my illness is incurable.'
'So is mine for you,’ she said huskily, and raised her mouth. ‘Kiss me, Joshua. It won't cure the ache but it will help to make it bearable.'
With a soft chuckle he obeyed.