Doctor Knows Best (16 page)

Joanna grinned. “Don't worry, I think I've almost convinced her myself. She only needs a little push in the right direction.”

“And I'm supposed to give that little push?” queried Megan.

“That's the general idea,” answered Joanna.

“Whose idea?” Megan couldn't resist asking. “Yours or your father's?”

“Both,” came a deep voice from the doorway.

Megan stood up hastily and self-consciously smoothed her uniform, acutely aware of his steely blue gaze on her.

He smiled. “Why is it all nurses smooth their uniforms?” he said. “You look impeccable as usual.” His blue eyes twinkled and Megan found herself smiling back against her will.

“It's a habit, I suppose,” she said. “Something that lingers on from student days, when one was always being told off for some little thing.”

“Joanna has told you that she is making excellent progress I suppose?” he said.

Megan laughed. “Yes, something about taking the plaster off a week early, I believe.”

“That remains to be seen,” said Giles. “I've been talking to Mr. Morgan about that and we'll see after the next X-ray.”

“Dad, honestly!” protested Joanna. “You treat me as if I'm a china doll. Are you like this with all your patients?”

“Yes,” answered her father sternly. “I believe in erring on the side of caution.” Joanna glowered at him but said nothing as Giles continued, “I've made a booking for a meal tonight for seven-thirty—will that suit you, Megan?”

“That will be fine,” answered Megan, suddenly feeling self-conscious again. “What time will you pick me up?”

“At seven o'clock,” said Giles matter-of-factly. “That will give us a short time for introductions and a drink before the meal.” He looked at his watch. “Come along, you lady,” he said to his daughter. “You and I are due back.” He smiled briefly at Megan as they left the office. “See you at seven.”

Megan nodded mutely. From seeming relaxed and friendly when he had first come in, he now seemed to have withdrawn again. I know this evening is going to be awful, thought Megan. I'm going to feel such an outsider. I wish I hadn't agreed to go. But she had, and she couldn't get out of it at that late stage, so that was that.

At seven promptly she was waiting outside the nurses' block. She had cursed herself for not asking Giles where they would be dining, but had guessed that it would be somewhere fairly expensive and had dressed accordingly. She had bought herself a new soft blue woollen dress before Christmas and had then forgotten to take it home with her and so had not worn it. Now seems a suitable opportunity she had thought as she got ready that evening. It was completely plain, a slim, knitted dress that clung to her shapely figure. With it she wore a simple gold locket as her only adornment. Her abundant brown hair she brushed back loosely and left it hanging in soft curls around her shoulders. She had been going to put it up, but remembering the last time she had dined with Giles she left it down. But why? a mocking little voice inside her taunted. It isn't going to be just the two of you alone this time, is it?

She had only waited a moment when Giles' car drew up silently alongside her. To her surprise it was empty save for Giles.

“But where are the others?” she asked.

“Waiting for us back at the hotel,” answered Giles smoothly in a non-committal voice as he opened the car door for Megan. “As Fiona is staying at The Royal, and the food is good, I thought we might as well eat there. Fiona prefers hotel restaurants to other types of eating places anyway.”

“Oh,” said Megan, not knowing what else to say. The Royal was the most expensive hotel in town and she was glad she had worn her new dress, but wished she'd had a smarter coat to put on. “I'm not looking terribly smart for The Royal,” she said, indicating her old brown velvet coat. “I wore it for warmth.”

“Very sensible,” said Giles in the same non-committal tone of voice.

Oh hell, thought Megan despondently, this is going to be an awful evening, I just know it is.

She was sure the attendant at The Royal took her coat disdainfully as she handed it to him in the cloakroom, and it made her even more despondent. A fact not helped when she first set eyes on Fiona, Giles' sister-in-law. Megan had expected her to be attractive, but she had not expected her to be like something out of a fashion magazine. She was exquisitely groomed, from the pale golden hair on her head, down to the delicately painted toenails that peeped through the sheerest stockings out of impossibly high sandals. Suddenly the blue dress, which Megan had thought looked quite attractive, paled into insignificance. I might as well have got it from Oxfam thought Megan sourly, I can't compete with glamour like this.

“So nice to meet you, my dear, I've heard such a lot about you,” Fiona drawled with a heavy American accent.

Megan smiled and extended her hand. “It's nice to meet you,” she said briefly.

“Darling, do go and get us all a gin,” Fiona said imperiously to Giles. Then turning back to Megan she asked, “Or would you prefer a Martini or something?”

Megan shook her head. “Gin and tonic will be fine.” This was a Giles she hadn't seen before. Somehow she had never imagined him being ordered about by a woman, but he just nodded at Fiona and went across to the bar.

“I suppose you know why we've dragged you here,” said Fiona, lighting a cigarette.

Megan nodded, watching with fascination as her fingers with their incredibly long, red-painted nails cupped around the cigarette she was lighting. “Yes, you want to know about Earlsfield School,” she said. “As I told Giles, it is some time since I left but I have kept in touch through various functions.”

Fiona laughed and it was a low, sexy sound. “Some time since you left! My dear, you look as if you left yesterday. I find it incredible to think you are actually a Sister at the hospital.”

“Well, she is, Aunt Fiona,” interrupted Joanna, “and a very good one too.”

“Yes, yes, I know, your father is always telling me,” said her aunt. Then she patted Joanna on the hand. “Don't look so worried, I'm not going to upset your friend.”

As the evening wore on Megan actually began to quite like Fiona. She was amusing, in a bitchy kind of way, and was quite obviously a woman of the world. Giles was strangely quiet though, and Megan wondered whether it was because she was there. He would probably prefer to be with Fiona on his own she thought, watching him as he was speaking to her. What was going on inside that handsome dark head of his? He seemed to be friendly and yet aloof, but Megan noticed that whatever Fiona wanted he ordered immediately.

By the end of the evening Fiona announced to the table at large that she was satisfied that Earlsfield School would be a suitable place for her niece to be educated. “Although I do make one stipulation,” she said to Giles across the dinner table.

Megan glanced at Giles and saw his face harden. His mouth was tight as he answered, “Oh, and what is that?”

“That Joanna spends the long summer holidays with me. The Californian sunshine will do her good.”

“Yes,” Joanna answered, “I don't mind coming over for six weeks. That would be fun, as long as you promise we can go to the beach house.”

“I promise,” said Fiona, pulling a face, “as long as
you
promise you don't expect me to keep you company and lie out in the sun with you. The sun is so ageing to one's skin, don't you think?” she said turning to Megan.

“Why, I…er, I hadn't ever thought about it,” said Megan truthfully. Now that she looked at Fiona closely she could see that she wasn't quite as flawless as she first appeared. Skillfully applied make-up hid her faults.

“No,” said Fiona with a little laugh, “I don't suppose you have. When you are as young as you are, you don't have to worry about lines and wrinkles.”

“Oh, I never will,” answered Megan emphatically. “If the wrinkles come, let them. Laughter lines, that's what my mother always call them.”

“Character lines,” said Giles.

Fiona glanced at him, annoyance written all over her face. “If Giles had his way, women would go without make-up altogether,” she said.

In that brief moment Megan caught a glimpse of the relationship between Giles and Fiona. They were obviously both strong characters and she knew instinctively that they must have clashed head-on over something. Still, that doesn't always stop you loving someone she thought, remembering what Giles had said about not being able to switch off love. They were closely tied, she could see it, and the thought rankled. It's no good, she thought bitterly. Much as I love him, I could never play second fiddle to that fascinating creature. That is, even if he asked me! He'll never find another woman like her, and certainly an uninteresting little hospital sister, who has done nothing special and been nowhere in particular, can ever hope to take her place.

As soon as they had finished their coffee Megan made her excuses. “Thank you for a lovely dinner,” she said politely to Giles. “It was nice meeting you, Fiona, and I'm glad if I've been able to help.”

“You have, my dear,” drawled Fiona, extending her long white hand tipped with the blood-red nails. “I feel satisfied in my own mind now.” She smiled at Megan. “Perhaps I'll see you again some time.”

“Perhaps,” said Megan, resisting the temptation to add,
but it's highly unlikely!

Giles rose with Megan. “I'll get your coat,” he said, “and then I'll drive you back to the hospital.”

Megan protested. “That isn't necessary, I can take a taxi, it's no problem.”

“It's no problem for me to drive you either,” he said brusquely. “I'll get your coat.” Without waiting for her reply he strode across to the cloakroom.

On the drive back they engaged in a stilted form of conversation. Megan felt miserable; he was so near and yet so far away His thoughts were still with Fiona, she supposed sadly. She longed to reach out and touch his stern profile, but knew she daren't however much she wanted to.

“I'll be glad when Richard starts his term again,” she said for want of something better to say. “At least then I'll have my car back again.”

“Yes,” said Giles, “you'll be able to get out and about with your friends.”

“Oh, I do that anyway,” replied Megan without thinking and then stopped, remembering when he had telephoned and Johnny had answered.

“I'm aware of that,” said Giles smoothly, his voice sounding cold and hard.

Megan felt even more miserable. It was bad enough her loving him and him not being particularly interested, but somehow the fact that he thought she was having an affair with Johnny Cox made it even more unbearable. Yet what could she do? It would be quite ridiculous for her to tell him that Johnny and Susan were the ones who had fallen in love—he wouldn't be interested. Even worse, he might guess the reason she wanted him to know. But in spite of logic telling her otherwise, Megan rashly decided to take the plunge.

“Johnny Cox isn't my boyfriend, you know,” she remarked as casually as her voice would allow. “He's very smitten with Susan North and I wouldn't be surprised if they got engaged soon.”

Giles turned and looked at her with a strange expression in his blue eyes. “Oh, I'm sorry Megan,” he said.

“Why?” asked Megan, not expecting this reaction from him.

“I don't like to think of you being hurt,” he said quietly.

“Johnny hasn't hurt me,” said Megan emphatically. “He has only ever been a plain, ordinary friend to me, nothing more, and I'm glad for him and Susan.”

“I see,” said Giles. “I must have been mistaken then, but from what Richard said, or rather, perhaps
didn't
say, I gathered that he thought there was someone rather special in your life.”

There is, there is, it's you, Megan wanted to cry out, but all she said, in an almost inaudible whisper, was, “There is, but nothing will ever come of it.”

“Why not?” demanded Giles.

“Because…” Megan hesitated. How could she get out of this hole without letting him guess the true identity of the man she loved. “It's too complicated and anyway it wouldn't interest you,” she said at last rather lamely.

“Oh,” said Giles. Then he said, “The course of true love never does run smoothly, so they tell me.” How well I know it thought Megan, but said nothing as Giles brought the big car to a halt outside the nurses' home.

“Thank you once again for a pleasant evening,” she said, her voice sounding small and tight in her ears. She felt like an awkward schoolgirl, groping for the right words.

“Thank you for convincing Fiona,” he said. “The evening went very smoothly I thought.”

“Oh yes,” said Megan quickly, “I liked Fiona and she's very glamorous, isn't she?”

“Yes,” said Giles abruptly and in a tone of voice that precluded any further conversation. “Goodnight, Megan.” He leaned across and opened the car door for her. As he moved, the weight of his body brushed against her. Megan felt her senses drowning as she smelled the heady odour of his aftershave, the tangy masculine fragrance of his skin. She longed to brush her lips against his dark head and put her arms around him.

He turned to her as he drew back from opening the door and for a moment Megan thought her dreams were to be answered and that he would kiss her, for his face came nearer to hers. She could just see the rugged outline of his features in the semi-darkness and she felt herself being drawn towards him as if he was a powerful magnet. It seemed to Megan that they lingered like that for a lifetime, quivering on the brink of a kiss. Then swiftly he drew back.

“I must get back to Joanna and Fiona,” he said.

“Yes,” said Megan dully, “you must.” She climbed out of the car, her heart a leaden weight of pain. She could have cried out loud in her anguish, but instead she managed a bright smile and a wave as she closed the door.