Falling for Her Impossible Boss. Alison Roberts

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СКАЧАТЬ died a while ago, didn’t he?’ Kate put in. ‘Sir David? I seem to remember that there was some big mystery about it all. Lady Dawson vanished from the social scene anyway and there was a rumour there was more to it than grief.’

      ‘Lady Dorothy.’ Bella couldn’t help the correction.

      Kate raised her eyebrows. ‘How do you know her name?’

      ‘Must have heard it mentioned somewhere and remembered,’ Bella said vaguely. ‘Information is power and all that, you know.’

      ‘Mmm.’ Kate was trying not to smile. ‘Talking about information … shall we tell her, Connor?’

      ‘Might be a good idea,’ he said. ‘Seeing as she’s going to be chief bridesmaid.’

      ‘The only bridesmaid,’ Kate shot back. ‘This is going to be a quiet affair, remember?’

      ‘Oh, my God …’ Bella ran to hug her aunt. ‘You’ve set a date? For the wedding?’

      Kate hugged her back, nodding happily. ‘In a month’s time. I didn’t want to risk you deciding to shoot off overseas early or something.’

      ‘Not much chance of that, the way my saving is going.’ But Bella shook off the depressing thought. ‘This is so cool. Where is it going to be?’

      ‘We’re thinking Piha beach.’

      ‘A beach wedding? Excellent. And are you having a honeymoon?’

      ‘For a few days maybe. At a beach where it’s a bit safer to swim. Rarotonga or Samoa. Would you be able to cat-sit if we were away?’

      ‘No worries. I’d love to. Ooh … what are you going to wear? Hey … what am I going to wear?’

      ‘I’m out of here,’ Connor groaned. ‘I’ll take my wine and go and sit in the garden while you two do the girly thing.’ He crossed the kitchen to hand Kate a glass of wine and plant a soft kiss on her lips. ‘Call me when dinner’s ready?’

      Bella watched him go as she took a sip of her own wine. The countdown had really begun. No way could she still be living in this house when these guys came back from their honeymoon.

      She’d have to find a flat to share and that meant she’d have to start paying rent. The delicious aroma coming from the pasta sauce Kate was currently creating reminded her that she would have to spend more on food than she was allowed to contribute here as well. If the money in her savings account was going up so slowly now, how much worse would it be when she had to factor in additional living costs? The dreams of going overseas to get her wanderlust out of her system before she settled down to get married and have babies was starting to look like a rather big ask.

      Maybe she could get some extra shifts at work. Bella made a mental note to ask Sally about it tomorrow.

      ‘I’m sorry, Bella, as much as I’d like to cure my staffing problems this way, there are rules about how many hours you can do on the trot. Double shifts aren’t allowed.’

      ‘OK. It was worth a try.’

      Sally sighed. ‘I can’t even use you on the ward this morning, so I’ll have to get a temp in.’

      ‘What?’ Bella bit her lip. ‘Have I done something wrong? Was it my line-dancing class?’ Or had Oliver dobbed her in about sneaking the kitten into the ward last night?

      No. As much as she knew he might have liked to do the right thing about breaking such rules, Bella had complete confidence that a promise had been made that would be kept. What had gone on in that room would stay in that room. Maybe that went with all the privileged background stuff too. Bella was quite sure that Oliver Dawson was a man of his word.

      Sally laughed. ‘Not at all. No … Lady Dorothy apparently pulled some strings and declared that she doesn’t want another nurse in her room. You’re it.’

      ‘Can she do that?’

      ‘When you come from a family that’s supported hospital fundraising to the extent the Dawsons have, I think you can pretty much call the shots. Do you mind?’

      ‘Not at all. I really like her. She reminds me of my nanna.’

      ‘That’s good. I get the impression that Lady Dorothy can be formidable if she doesn’t get what she’s set her heart on.’

      What Lady Dorothy had really set her heart on became apparent a little later that morning, after Bella had helped her get dressed and sat with her while the physiotherapist put her through a range of exercises intended to keep her joints mobile. Bella went to fetch Lady Dorothy a cup of the Earl Grey tea she preferred when the session was finished and when she came back, she found that Oliver was visiting his mother.

      They seemed to be finishing a rather intense conversation, in fact.

      ‘I can’t stop you,’ Oliver was saying in a low voice. ‘It’s your life and your house, after all, but I think it’s ill-advised.’ When he saw Bella enter the room, he turned away, walking two strides to the outside window where he stood staring at a view she knew was not that fascinating.

      Bella had made the tea cool enough to be safe and it was in a cup with a straw.

      ‘Put it there, dear.’ Lady Dorothy waved at her bedside table. ‘There’s something I want to talk to you about.’

      Bella set the cup of tea down and turned. She looked at Lady Dorothy sitting up quite straight in her chair. She was smiling. She looked at Oliver’s back. He was standing very straight. Bella had the distinct impression that if he turned around, he would not be smiling.

      ‘I want to go home,’ Lady Dorothy announced. ‘But I realise I’m going to need some help until I get better. Oliver suggested that I get a private nurse.’

      ‘That sounds like a very good idea,’ Bella said cautiously, not sure what this had to do with her.

      Lady Dorothy beamed at her. ‘So you’ll take the job, then?’

      Bella’s jaw dropped. ‘I’m not a private nurse. I work here, at St Patrick’s.’

      ‘That’s what I told you, Mother,’ Oliver said, without turning around. ‘Private nurses probably have specialised training.’

      ‘Nonsense,’ Lady Dorothy said. ‘A nurse is a nurse.’ She was still smiling at Bella. ‘What’s to stop you taking on a private job?’

      ‘Oh … no, I couldn’t.’ Bella was taken aback. ‘I’m only working until I can save enough money to go overseas.’

      ‘There you go,’ Oliver said. ‘You need someone who can commit to more long-term employment.’

      ‘I’d pay you very well, dear.’ Lady Oliver frowned at Oliver’s back. ‘And Oliver won’t be in the way. His wing of the house is quite separate, really.’

      Bella couldn’t help sucking in an audible breath. His wing of the house? Her astonishment came out as a rather different query, however. ‘You live with your mother?’

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