Sheltered by Her Top-Notch Boss. Joanna Neil

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ relax and let the music soothe her battered soul.

      James slanted her an oblique look. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to tell me about it? Whatever it was, it seems to have made a powerful impact on you. Was it personal or something that happened in A and E?’

      Her first instinct was to stay closed up and keep things to herself. She certainly wasn’t going to tell him her worries about her brother and his constant battle with debt. Noah had phoned her first thing that morning, worried about the way things were going with his finances. She loved her younger brother and would do anything she could to help him out, but his situation troubled her.

      But as to the other problem—what was the point in keeping it to herself after all? No one could make it better, but perhaps talking it over with a colleague might help her to come to terms with what happened.

      She gave a shuddery sigh. ‘A patient died,’ she told him. ‘I know it happens from time to time, and as doctors we should be able to deal with it, but this was someone I knew—the aunt of an old schoolfriend of mine. I knew her quite well and it was such a terrible shock when she died. It was upsetting that I couldn’t save her. I kept asking myself if I did everything possible.’

      His brow creased in sympathy. ‘I’m sorry. It must have been terrible for you to go through that, especially with someone you knew.’ He turned off the main road and the car’s headlights picked out the country lane, stretched out like a ribbon before them, throwing the overgrown hedgerows on either side into deep shadow.

      She nodded. ‘But it was worse for Amelia. Her aunt virtually brought her up, and she was devastated when she died.’ She hesitated, her voice dropping to a hoarse whisper. ‘She blames me for letting it happen.’

      He exhaled sharply. ‘You mustn’t take it to heart. It’s the shock—sometimes people just can’t accept it when a loved one dies. They say and do things while they’re emotionally upset and often come to regret it afterwards. I’m sure you did everything you could for your friend’s aunt.’

      Ellie winced. ‘I’m afraid Mel doesn’t see it that way. Perhaps if she knew me better she might have more confidence in me, but we lost touch after we left school and moved in different circles.’ She frowned, thinking back over what had happened. ‘She thinks I should have changed her aunt’s medication and sent her for surgery, but I’m not sure if there was anything I could have done to change the outcome.’

      ‘What was wrong with her aunt?’ He slowed the car as a cluster of houses came into view, yellow points of light illuminating the village in the darkness.

      ‘There was an inflammation around her heart. She was brought to A and E in a state of collapse, with severe chest pain and breathlessness. I put her on oxygen and monitored her vital signs, did blood tests and sent her for a CT scan, as well as echocardiography.’ She sucked in a breath.

      ‘The tests showed that she had an acute bacterial infection that had caused the pericardium to become congested with purulent matter. I put her on strong antibiotics and started to drain the pericardial fluid, but in the end her heart simply stopped.’ Her voice choked. ‘I think her age and general frailty worked against her. Her heart couldn’t take the strain.’

      ‘And you explained all that to your friend?’

      She nodded. ‘Yes, but I don’t know whether she took it all in. I fetched her a cup of tea and sat with her for a while, and tried to explain, but it was as though she was frozen. She seemed not to hear what I said. She was upset and angry at the same time.’

      He pressed his lips together in a grim line. ‘It happens that way sometimes.’

      ‘I suppose so.’ She looked out of the window as the cottages drew near. ‘Mine’s the old farmhouse,’ she told him. ‘Turn next left, and it’s at the end of the track.’

      A short time later he pulled the car up on the gravelled drive outside the brick-built house. A lantern in the wide, slate-roofed porch gave off a welcoming glow, highlighting the ivy-covered walls and the tidy front garden.

      ‘Judging from what I can see by the light of the moon, you have a very attractive place here,’ James commented.

      Ellie nodded. ‘I’m glad you like it. I’d had my eye on it for a while, and when it came on the market I jumped at the chance to buy.’ She gave a wry smile. ‘It needed a lot of renovation, so at least it was within my budget. I like it because it’s not crowded out by other properties—there’s just the converted barn across the courtyard at the back of the house.’

      She paused then asked hesitantly, ‘Do you have time to come in for a coffee before your shift starts? I could give you a quick look inside, if you like.’ She’d only just met him, but he had a warm and sympathetic manner, and she wanted to be with him just a little bit longer.

      ‘That would be great, thanks. I like these old farmhouse cottages—they have a lot of character.’

      ‘That’s how I feel, too.’ She slid out of the car, leaving its comforting warmth for the coolness of the summer evening, and together they walked to the front door. ‘Though cottage is perhaps a bit of a misnomer—it’s quite cosy inside, but there are two storeys.’

      The door opened into a large entrance hall, and she led the way from there to the kitchen, where James admired the golden oak beams and matching oak units.

      ‘This was the first room I renovated,’ she said, spooning freshly ground coffee into the percolator. ‘The beams were dark with age, so I had them cleaned up and then picked out cupboards to go with the new, lighter colour.’

      James nodded. ‘They make the room look warm and homely.’ His gaze went to the gleaming range cooker that she’d lovingly restored and which had pride of place in her kitchen. ‘That must help heat up the kitchen.’

      She nodded. ‘It does. I love it—I spend lots of time experimenting with new recipes—it’s kind of a hobby. Cooking helps me to unwind.’ She smiled. ‘Though I live here on my own, so I often have to share what I’ve made with the family across the way … the people who live in the converted barn.’

      He looked her over, amusement sparking in his eyes, and once again she experienced that odd feeling of familiarity, as though she knew him from somewhere in the past, but once again the circumstances eluded her.

      ‘You cook as well?’ he said. ‘Wow. Fortune’s following me around today—I must have stumbled on my dream woman!’

      She chuckled. ‘I wouldn’t get too carried away, if I were you—I didn’t say I was any good at it.’

      He laughed, and while the percolator simmered, she showed him the living/dining room that was tacked on to one end of the open plan kitchen. ‘I had the wall taken down,’ she said, ‘to make the place seem bigger. I was a bit worried it might not work out too well.’

      ‘I don’t think that’s a problem at all.’ He stood close to her as they surveyed the room, and all she could think about was his nearness, the long line of his strong and lean body, the way his arm inadvertently brushed hers and sent a ripple of heat surging inside her.

      He glanced at her, and there was a stillness about him that made her wonder if he’d experienced that same feeling. He seemed distracted for a moment or two and then appeared to force his attention back to the subject in hand.

      ‘It all seems СКАЧАТЬ