“A woman in love should look touchable. Turn around and I’ll show you what I mean.”

Before Maggie Carr could utter a word, he had spun her around to face the mirror. She watched in shocked silence as Luke Fabrizzi eased his fingers through her hair to separate the strands.

“That’s better.” His voice grated and the rawness it held simply added to the tension that had been building.

“Better?” she repeated, her own voice sounding unnaturally husky.

“Uh-huh.” His hands fell to her shoulders and she trembled when she felt their warmth on her skin. “Better, but not quite perfect…. Not yet…. ”

He turned her around to face him and she knew he was going to kiss her. There was a moment, one tiny, fragile particle of time, when she almost resisted, and then his mouth found hers….

Dear Reader,

Take one fiery, independent woman. Add one devastatingly attractive and sexy Italian-American man. Then step back and watch what happens!

When Maggie Carr appeared in one of my earlier books, I just knew that she had to have her own story! The problem was finding the right man for her.

Along came Luke Fabrizzi, the gorgeous Italian-American surgeon whom Maggie had met during a visit to her grandmother’s house in Milan. Sparks had flown when Maggie and Luke had first met so she isn’t at all happy when he turns up again at Dalverston General Hospital, where she works.

Luke is going to be working there on the hospital exchange scheme. That means Maggie will have to put up with him for six whole months! Quite frankly, she isn’t looking forward to it, but she soon realizes that Luke isn’t at all as she had imagined him to be.

When Maggie and Luke discover they are both victims of their families’ loving attempts at matchmaking, they decide to join forces. They can have six blissful months free from family interference. After all, neither of them is the marrying kind….

Enjoy!

Jennifer Taylor

The Italian Doctor

Jennifer Taylor

www.millsandboon.co.uk

CONTENTS

Cover

Dear Reader

Title Page

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

‘HE IS just so gorgeous! On a scale of one to ten he scores a definite eleven. It isn’t just his looks, though, is it? It’s the whole scrumptious package.’

Staff Nurse Maggie Carr bit her lip—hard! It was the only way to stop herself saying something derogatory. She had deliberately not joined in the conversation for that very reason and could only hope that her colleagues would change the subject soon.

Maggie sighed as she realised how unlikely that was. Ever since Luke Fabrizzi had set his well-shod, size-ten foot through the doors of Dalverston General Hospital the female members of staff had talked about little else. Frankly, she was sick and tired of hearing his name mentioned!

Picking up a magazine, she noisily flicked through its pages, trying to blot out what the other two were saying. Maybe she was biased, but even if she and Luke Fabrizzi hadn’t had that confrontation at her grandmother’s house in Italy earlier in the year she swore that she would have felt the same about the handsome surgical registrar.

She’d been dismayed when he’d arrived from Boston to work on the hospital’s exchange scheme. Frankly, she’d hoped never to see him again, only fate had intervened. Now they worked together on a daily basis and Maggie was finding it increasingly difficult to hide her feelings. Oh, he was an excellent doctor and she didn’t dispute that, but in her view Luke Fabrizzi was the most arrogant, the most egotistical, the most…

‘He’s just so honest. I think that’s his most attractive feature, although there are plenty to choose from, aren’t there?’ Angela Graham, the newest recruit to the surgical ward, sounded dreamy as she continued. ‘But to my mind the most important thing about a man is whether or not he tells you the truth. When Donna Parsons from Obs and Gynae started fishing for information about whether he had a girlfriend back in Boston, he was so open about why he didn’t have one.’

Angela sighed wistfully. ‘It’s such a shame that Luke’s so committed to his career that he feels he hasn’t time for a long-term relationship, isn’t it? But at least he admits it and doesn’t try to string a woman along, like so many men do.’

‘Oh, I agree!’ Doreen Baker, the middle-aged part-timer, added her own heartfelt endorsement. ‘If there’s one thing you need from a man it’s honesty. You don’t want someone who spins you a line all the time.’

There was only so much she could stand! Maggie tossed her magazine onto the table and stood up. She saw the other two look at her and shook her head in despair.

‘You two need your heads examined!’ she declared, her dark brown eyes flashing. ‘I can’t believe that you are so…so naïve that you’ve been taken in like this!’

Doreen grinned, not at all perturbed by the outburst. She and Maggie had worked together for some time and she was used to the younger woman’s sometimes fiery temperament. ‘Do I take it that you aren’t a member of Luke Fabrizzi’s flourishing fan club? Funny. I would have thought he’d be right up your street, Maggie. You two must have a lot in common with your family backgrounds.’

‘I have nothing whatsoever in common with that man!’

Maggie strode to the sink and emptied the dregs of her coffee down the drain. Renovations to the hospital’s canteen had begun the previous week so they were taking their morning break in the ward kitchen. Temporary canteen facilities had been set up in the basement, but it was such a trek from the surgical ward that they went there only at lunchtime. The work was being carried out on the floor above them and she raised her voice as the whine from some kind of high-powered machinery filtered down through the ceiling.

‘Maybe his parents and my mother are Italian but that’s as far as it goes. I don’t want you putting me in the same category as Luke Fabrizzi, thank you very much!’

‘Maggie,’ Doreen said warningly, but Maggie didn’t hear her. The noise from above was getting louder so she raised her voice even more to make sure that the other two heard her.

‘As for that so-called honesty of his, well, it’s simply proof of his arrogance. The wretched man seems to believe that every woman he meets is trying to lure him to the altar!’ She gave an unladylike snort as she swung round. ‘The reason Luke Fabrizzi isn’t looking for a long-term relationship is because he knows that he’ll never find anyone he could love as much as himsel…’

She didn’t finish the sentence. Maybe it was the expression on her friend’s face which warned her something was wrong or maybe it was the frisson that raced down her spine which stopped the words on her lips. However, she knew before she glanced towards the door who she would see.

Luke Fabrizzi treated her to a dazzling smile as he leant indolently against the doorjamb. ‘Don’t let me put you off, Staff. Finish what you were saying.’ He raised an elegant black brow as he looked at the other two women. ‘We’re dying to hear the rest of your words of wisdom, aren’t we, ladies?’

Maggie felt another tremor run through her. This one was compounded from a smidgen of embarrassment and a large dollop of annoyance. She’d had no idea that Luke had come into the room while she’d been speaking, but that wasn’t her fault. He should have said something to let her know that he was there. Anyone with an ounce of good manners would have done that!

It was another black mark against him and she used it to salve her conscience. She treated him to a smile that would have stopped a charging elephant in its tracks. ‘Oh, I don’t think there’s any need for me to labour the point. I believe I’ve made my feelings clear, Dr Fabrizzi.’

‘Perfectly clear, Staff. I’m sure none of us are in any doubt how you feel.’

There was a trace of amusement in his deep voice which brought a tide of angry colour to Maggie’s cheeks when she heard it. If he was at all upset by what he had overheard then it certainly didn’t show. Why should it, though? The wretched man’s ego was far too huge to be dented by anything she said!

It was another strike against him in her opinion but she decided that it would be better not to remark on it, hard though that was. It was unprofessional enough to have been caught discussing him, without making matters worse by starting an argument.

She pasted a polite smile to her mouth instead. ‘Did you want to speak to me about a patient, Dr Fabrizzi?’

‘I needed a word with you about Mrs Bradshaw, if you could spare me a moment,’ he replied equally formally. He moved aside as Angela and Doreen hurriedly made their exit. It was obvious that they were deeply embarrassed by what had happened, but Maggie refused to let it upset her. Every word she’d said had been true. She and Luke Fabrizzi both knew that.

‘Certainly. Is there a problem?’ she asked, leading the way to the office. Sister Clarke was away on holiday for the next three weeks and Maggie was in charge of the ward in her absence. It was a big responsibility but she was enjoying the challenge of ensuring that everything ran smoothly.

Luke followed her into the room and closed the door. His face was set as he focused on the patient rather than their differences. ‘Unfortunately, yes. I’ve just seen her X-rays and I’m not at all happy with what they show. The damage to the head of the femur is far more extensive than we thought it was.’

Maggie sighed. Alice Bradshaw had been admitted to the ward that morning after tripping over a loose flagstone in her garden. Fortunately a neighbour had heard her shouts and called an ambulance. She’d been taken to Casualty before being transferred to the ward prior to her operation. She must have been in a great deal of pain but she hadn’t complained once. Maggie had spent some time with her and was full of admiration for the old lady’s bravery.

‘Will you be able to repair it?’ she asked worriedly.

‘To an extent. However, the bone is so fragile that the joint is never going to be as good as I would have liked it to be. Like so many elderly women, Mrs Bradshaw is suffering from osteoporosis, which simply increases the problems when you’re performing this type of surgery.’

Luke’s handsome face drew into a frown as he thought about the difficulties involved. There was no doubting his commitment to his work, Maggie thought. He genuinely cared about the people he treated and the quality of life they would have after their surgery.

She felt a small flicker of admiration and quickly snuffed it out. His professionalism had never been part of the equation. It was his attitude that irritated her, that belief he seemed to have that every woman he met found him irresistible!

He suddenly looked up and she quickly averted her eyes in case her feelings showed. Luke Fabrizzi was undoubtedly the most handsome man she had ever met, with those classically perfect features, that lustrous black hair, that superbly proportioned six-foot frame. However, she wasn’t the least bit interested in him that way.

‘I thought I had better explain to Mrs Bradshaw what I’ve found before she goes to Theatre, but I wanted some idea of how she would take the news,’ Luke stated evenly. But there was a speculative light in his deep blue eyes when Maggie glanced at him that warned her his attention wasn’t solely on their patient now.

Had he picked up on her thoughts somehow? she found herself wondering, then quickly dismissed the idea. She and Luke Fabrizzi weren’t even on the same wavelength and she would have considered it an insult if anyone had suggested that they were.

‘I’m sure that Alice will accept whatever you tell her.’ Maggie resolutely returned her thoughts to their patient. Her voice warmed as she recalled what she had learned about the old lady. ‘I was talking to her this morning and discovered that she brought up five children on her own after her husband died. She had to do two jobs to support them, so it can’t have been easy for her. However, it’s a good indication of her strength of character so I don’t think that she’ll take the news too badly.’

‘Well, that’s a relief. It’s always good to have an idea how a patient will react. She sounds like a really plucky old lady, from what you’ve said. Thanks. It’s been a great help.’

Luke smiled and Maggie felt her heart perform the most peculiar manoeuvre, something that felt midway between a hiccup and a somersault…

She chased away that fanciful idea before it had a chance to take root. Luke Fabrizzi had no effect on her whatsoever other than to irritate the socks off her. So if he’d been hoping to charm her then he was in for a big disappointment.

‘Oh, I try my best to be of assistance whenever I can, Dr Fabrizzi,’ she replied with saccharine sweetness. ‘Would you like a word with Mrs Bradshaw now?’

She walked towards the door then stopped when Luke stepped into her path. ‘Tut-tut, Staff Nurse Carr, your animosity is showing again. I wonder why I seem to have this effect on you?’

He frowned as he studied her thoughtfully. Maggie forced herself to meet his stare without flinching, although it wasn’t easy, she had to admit. There was something decidedly unsettling about that intent scrutiny. It made her want to do all sorts of odd things, like smile inanely or make sure that her hair was in place. Maybe that was the effect Luke always had on a woman, making her feel conscious of her own femininity.

She swiftly shut off that thought as well, refusing to let herself go any further down that route. Her brown eyes glittered with impatience as she stared back at him.

‘I’ve no idea, Dr Fabrizzi. Perhaps it’s the fact that I have this deep-seated aversion to men who think they’re God’s gift to the female half of the population.’ She shrugged dismissively. ‘It seems a reasonable explanation to me, but what do you think?’

‘I suppose it’s possible, although I confess that I’m not convinced it’s the real answer.’

He shook his head so that a black lock fell onto his forehead. It gave him the appearance of a fallen angel, Maggie thought, then sucked in her breath as she realised that she was doing it again. It worried her that she couldn’t seem to control her own thoughts. It had never happened before and she wasn’t sure why it was happening now. She didn’t like Luke Fabrizzi so why did she behave this way around him? She was so confused that it was a moment before she realised that he was still speaking.

‘It’s more personal than that. Isn’t there a saying about hell, fury and scorned women? Maybe that’s a more accurate explanation.’

He treated her to a last mocking smile before he opened the door. It took Maggie a full sixty seconds to recover from her shock and by that time he had left the office. She felt her temper soar to new heights as she recalled what he had said.

Did he really believe that she was still smarting from what he’d said to her in Milan that summer? Did he honestly think that she’d been party to her grandmother’s plans?

The answers came back loud and clear. Yes! And yes again!

Maggie groaned in sudden dismay. Why, oh, why hadn’t she smelt a rat when she’d received that letter asking her to fly to Italy to visit her supposedly ailing grandmother? She’d spent most of her adult life foiling her family’s attempts to find her a husband so she should have realised it had been a ruse. It was just that the letter had been so convincing! She had caught the first available flight and rushed to her grandmother’s house, only to find the old lady looking as fit as a flea rather than languishing on her sickbed.

The rat should have been stinking to high heaven by that point but, no, she’d simply accepted that Nonna had made a miraculous recovery. She’d been so relieved it had never crossed her mind that she’d been set up until Luke Fabrizzi had arrived the following evening…

‘Can you answer that, cara?’ Lucia Di Marco smiled guilelessly at her granddaughter as the doorbell rung. ‘I thought it would be nice if we had company for dinner tonight.’

‘Are you sure, Nonna?’ Maggie frowned as she looked at the old lady. ‘You’ve been very ill and I don’t want you tiring yourself.’

‘Nonsense! It will be good to have visitors.’ Lucia patted her hand. ‘You and Luke will have a lot to talk about, cara. He is a doctor at this big hospital in America. His grandmother and I have been friends for many years, and I have heard so much about him that I feel as though I already know him—’ She broke off when the bell pealed a second time. ‘Luke is waiting, Margherita.’

Maggie bit back a sigh as she hurried from the room. She was starting to get an uneasy feeling about this new development. Call it paranoia but she had the nasty suspicion that their visitor might have been invited for some other reason apart from welcoming him to the country!

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she crossed the hall and paused when she caught sight of her exasperated expression. She took a deep breath and tried to compose herself while she took rapid stock of her reflection.

In deference to her grandmother, she had changed out of the jeans she’d been wearing that day into a pale green cotton shift dress, and the colour was the perfect foil for her dark brown hair and olive-toned complexion. With it she was wearing a pair of strappy leather sandals and she couldn’t help smiling when she glanced down at her bare feet.

It wasn’t often that she had time to pamper herself so it had been fun that night. She had passed a pleasant half-hour painting her toenails a delicate pistachio to tone with her dress. However, she couldn’t help wondering what their guest would think if he noticed.

Recalling some of the earnest young men her family had paraded before her in the past, she would hazard a guess that he wouldn’t be the type to appreciate green nail varnish, she decided as she went to the door. Good! The last thing she needed was the hassle of having to fend off the advances of some pathetic creature who needed his grandmother to find him a date…

‘Buona sera, signorina. Signora Di Marco, per favore.’

The man who stood on the step was light years away from the pitiful soul she’d been expecting. He was so fantastically good-looking, in fact, that Maggie’s mind seized up. It wouldn’t go forward or back, but stayed right where it was, enjoying what it was seeing.

Tall, dark and handsome was such a cliché yet it fitted him to a T, she decided, dizzily taking stock. However, it was when her eyes met the aloof blue ones that were studying her with far less enthusiasm that she realised he was waiting for her to say something.

‘Come in. I mean, um…’ She spoke fluent Italian normally but for the life of her Maggie couldn’t think of the words she needed at that moment.

‘Don’t worry. I speak English.’ The man gave her a smile that was on the chilly side of polite as he stepped into the hall. ‘The name’s Luke Fabrizzi, by the way.’

‘Maggie Carr,’ she responded automatically. She shut the door then took a deep breath and quickly marshalled her thoughts. She was twenty-five years of age and held down a responsible job so it shouldn’t be beyond her to manage a few polite words of greeting!

‘Which part of the States are you from?’ she asked as she led the way to the salon where her grandmother was waiting.

‘Boston. My parents moved there soon after they married and I was born there.’

He leant past her to open the door and she jumped nervously when his arm brushed hers. He was wearing perfectly cut black trousers and a white silk shirt; the silk felt so cool against her bare skin that she shivered then found her eyes winging upwards as she tried to gauge whether he’d noticed.

She looked away in embarrassment when she saw that he had. It made her feel decidedly unsettled to realise it and her voice became huskier than normal. ‘I see. Nonna told me that she has known your grandmother for some time and that they’re great friends. I got the impression that she considers you to be almost part of the family.’

She cleared her throat and hurried on, not understanding why his eyes had seemed to narrow when she’d said that. All she’d been trying to do had been to make him feel welcome. ‘I take it that you’re in Italy to visit your grandmother?’

‘That’s right. Quite a coincidence, isn’t it?’ His tone was so silky that Maggie just managed not to shiver once again when she felt the vibrations from it dancing across her skin.

‘Coincidence?’ she repeated, trying to get a grip on herself.

‘That we should both be in Italy at the same time, visiting our grandmothers, of course.’ He gave the slightest shrug but his eyes were cold. ‘Although I’m not a great believer that things happen purely by chance, I’m afraid.’

He opened the salon door, leaving her no opportunity to question what he’d meant. However, several times throughout the evening Maggie found her thoughts returning to that comment he’d made. She had her suspicions as to why Luke Fabrizzi had been invited that night, but surely he couldn’t have guessed that there might have been an ulterior motive to the invitation?

Frankly, it was a relief when dinner was over and Nonna announced that she was going to bed because it meant that the evening could be brought to a close. However, the old lady insisted that Luke should stay for coffee so Maggie had no choice but to play hostess even though she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the role. There was just something about Luke Fabrizzi that put her on edge.

‘Right, now that the formalities have been observed, perhaps it would be best if we got down to the real reason why I was invited here tonight.’

Luke didn’t even glance at the cup of coffee she’d placed in front of him. His gaze was so sharp as he speared Maggie with it that she had difficulty not squirming. It was only a deep reluctance to let him know that he had the ability to affect her that kept her still.

She put down her own cup and clasped her hands together to keep them steady. ‘And that is?’

‘Well, I’m glad you aren’t going to pretend that you don’t know what I’m talking about.’ Luke’s tone was as glacial as the smile he treated her to and Maggie felt a chill invade her. She had a horrible feeling about what he was going to say but she’d be damned if she’d let him see how uneasy she felt!

‘Why pretend? It only wastes time and I’m sure neither of us wants to do that.’ She shrugged, feeling rather pleased with how that had sounded. ‘If you have something to say, please, get on with it.’

‘Fine, I’ll do just that. To put it bluntly, Maggie, I’m not interested. Oh, you’re a very beautiful woman and I’m sure you ring a lot of bells for a lot of men, but I’m not one of them.’

He regarded her thoughtfully. ‘Of course, I blame myself for not realising what was going on when I accepted this invitation. I must have been more tired than I thought I was. But I want you to know that whatever plans you and your family have hatched with my grandmother aren’t going to amount to anything.

‘I’m not looking for a wife—full stop. I’m not interested in home, family and all the other things everyone thinks I’m lacking in my life. I’m perfectly happy the way I am. To put it bluntly, I’m not the marrying kind. So if you have set your sights on me then I suggest that you think again because I’m not interested.’

Maggie didn’t know which bit of the statement to reply to first. Should she first of all deny that she’d been party to her grandmother’s machinations or leave that until she’d told him exactly where he could get off? The sheer arrogance of him took her breath away, but not for long, mercifully enough.

‘This may come as a shock, Dr Fabrizzi, but I had no idea what Nonna had planned. If I had done then, believe me, I wouldn’t be here now!’

Luke shrugged as he got up. ‘Whatever you say. I don’t intend to argue the point. So long as we both know where we stand, that’s fine by me.’

He walked to the door but Maggie got there ahead of him. Her dark eyes blazed as she glared into his face. ‘Well, it isn’t fine with me! I’ve met some arrogant people in my time but you’re in a league of your own. Do you honestly believe that every woman you meet is so smitten with your charms that she’s longing to snare you into marriage?’

She laughed scornfully and was pleased to see a flicker of annoyance cross his face. Good! It was about time that someone took Dr I-love-me Fabrizzi down several large pegs.

‘Sorry, handsome, but you leave me cold. I like my men to have a bit more going for them than mere good looks. Personality is a definite plus factor, humility another wonderful attribute, and then, of course, there’s intelligence.’

Her scornful gaze swept from the tips of his elegantly shod feet to the top of his well-groomed head before she smiled. ‘I’m afraid you score a big fat zero on all those important points.’

His face hardened. Maggie felt her breath catch when she saw the fire that blazed in his eyes all of a sudden. She stood stock-still, afraid that if she moved she might precipitate a reprisal. How did she know that he was within a hairsbreadth of kissing her until she was forced to retract every word?

Luke took a deep breath and even as she watched the fire faded from his eyes. He smiled at her, that coolly taunting smile she was starting to dislike intensely. ‘Then it seems we have both got what we wanted from this encounter after all, Maggie. You’ve checked me out and found me lacking and I have made my position clear.’

Before she could object he bent and brushed her cheek with his lips. ‘Ciao, cara. It’s been a pleasure meeting you…’

The telephone rang. Maggie snapped back to the present with a jolt. She quickly dealt with the query then hung up. Glancing at her watch, she realised with a start that only a few minutes had passed since Luke had left the office. It felt much longer than that…

She left the office, determined not to waste any more time by daydreaming. Hurrying into the ward, she went straight to Alice Bradshaw’s bed. The curtains had been drawn around it and Luke was sitting by the bed, holding the old lady’s hand. He looked round when she appeared.

‘I’ve just been telling Mrs Bradshaw that there’s a bit more of a problem with her hip than we’d first thought,’ he explained quietly.

Maggie smiled reassuringly at the old lady. ‘I told Dr Fabrizzi that you’d prefer to know exactly what was wrong, Alice.’

‘That’s right, dear. I can’t see much point beating about the bush.’ The old lady smiled at Luke. ‘Although I wouldn’t mind spinning it out just so you could sit there holding my hand a bit longer!’

He laughed. ‘Now, that’s what I call a compliment. It’s taken me years to perfect my bedside manner so it’s good to know that it’s appreciated.’

‘Oh, it’s appreciated all right!’ She turned to Maggie and winked. ‘I think most of us ladies enjoy having a handsome man paying us attention, don’t we, dear?’

Maggie’s smile was a trifle forced. She steadfastly avoided Luke’s eyes because she knew what she would see in them…

Her heart performed that irritating little manoeuvre once again—seeming to curl up and roll over inside her chest. Why did the thought of his amusement at her being put on the spot make her feel all shivery inside? Surely she should have found his conviction that any woman would delight in his attentions more irritating than anything else? Yet for some strange reason it wasn’t irritation she felt right then.

‘I expect most women enjoy a bit of flattery once in a while,’ she said as calmly as she could. ‘However, I think we’re basically too level-headed to be swayed by it.’

‘Speak for yourself!’ Alice retorted. ‘This young man could turn my head if I was thirty years younger, and I don’t mind admitting it!’

The old lady’s tone was so wry that Maggie had to laugh. ‘You’re shameless! Whatever will Dr Fabrizzi think?’

‘That if we could magic away those thirty years then I would be having to get to the back of the line. I can’t imagine that the guys around here are slow to spot a good-looking woman,’ Luke replied dryly.

‘Well, I had my share of admirers in my younger days, I have to admit.’ Alice’s lined face broke into a delighted smile so that Maggie had a glimpse of the lovely young woman she must have been in her prime.

She felt her heart warm when she realised how much the compliment had meant to the old lady. Far too often doctors failed to think of the elderly as anything more than a set of medical conditions, but not Luke. He saw the old lady as a real person with real feelings, not just as an illness that needed treating. It surprised Maggie how pleased she felt to know that.

‘I bet you did.’ Luke’s smile was warm as he squeezed the old lady’s hand. ‘And I’m sure you’ll have more in the future once we get this hip sorted out.’

Alice sighed. ‘Will you be able to fix it though, Doctor? The thing that scares me most is the thought of ending my days in a wheelchair. Oh, I know I can’t do half the things I used to do when I was younger, but I value my independence. I don’t want to end up being a burden to my family.’

‘I’m not going to lie to you, Mrs Bradshaw, and claim that this is going to be easy. And I’m not going to assure you that you’ll be back to normal in a couple of weeks either.’

His tone was uncompromising yet Maggie saw the old lady smile. ‘Then what are you going to tell me?’

‘That with care, plus a lot of determination on your part, you will be back on your feet. It isn’t going to happen overnight nor will your hip ever be as good as it was when you were younger. As I explained, you’re suffering from osteoporosis, which means your bones are far more brittle than they used to be, so we are going to have to take that into account.

‘I’m going to replace the worn-out joint but you’re going to have to be very careful not to put too much pressure on it afterwards. It’s going to take a lot of hard work to regain your mobility, but I’m convinced that you’ll be able to get around unaided eventually,’ he stated firmly.

‘Then that’s good enough for me. Thank you.’ Alice’s eyes swam with tears of relief. ‘I know you’ll do your best and that’s all that matters. I was so afraid that nobody would bother, you see. You read all those dreadful stories in the newspapers and I thought that as I’m in my seventies everyone would think it was a waste of time and money to bother with me.’

‘No way!’ Luke’s tone was grim. Maggie was surprised by the vehemence it held. ‘Giving people the chance to lead a happy and pain-free life at whatever age isn’t something that can be counted in terms of dollars…or pounds.’ He gave the old lady’s hand a final squeeze. ‘I’ll see you in surgery in about an hour, Mrs Bradshaw. And that’s a date!’

He left the cubicle and Alice sighed softly. ‘I think I’ve been very lucky, don’t you, my dear? In fact, I’d say Dalverston is lucky to have a man like that working here. You don’t get many doctors like your Dr Fabrizzi.’

Maggie smiled but the word seemed to be buzzing inside her head. ‘Your Dr Fabrizzi…’

She took a deep breath when she realised that once again her mind was running off at tangents. Maybe there was an explanation for the way it had been behaving of late but she wasn’t going to waste any more time that day looking for one.

‘I’m sure you’re right,’ she said briskly as she straightened the old lady’s bed. ‘Now, try to have a little rest. One of the theatre staff will be up shortly to give you your pre-med.’

She moved away from the bed as the old lady closed her eyes, and glanced around the ward, automatically checking that everything was in order. The surgical ward was one of the busiest in the hospital and there was always something that needed doing.

Her eyes alighted on Luke, who had been waylaid by one of the male patients. The ward was a mixed one, although male and female patients were placed at opposite ends. Now Maggie watched with interest as he stopped to speak to David Garner, a young rugby player who’d been admitted the previous day with a shattered kneecap.

David was due for surgery that afternoon and was very worried about the after-effects of his operation and whether he would be able to play rugby again. Maggie couldn’t help wondering if Luke would have the same rapport with this patient as he’d had with Mrs Bradshaw. In her experience, men who got on well with women rarely related well to other men so it was interesting to observe what was happening.

A burst of laughter rang around the ward and she shook her head in amazement when she saw David Garner slap Luke’s hand in a high-five. To her mind, the two men shouldn’t have had a thing in common yet they looked as though they were the best of friends!

‘He certainly has a way with him, doesn’t he?’ Doreen paused on her way to fetch one of the patients a fresh jug of water. She gave Maggie a teasing look. ‘There’s a lot more to our Dr Fabrizzi than just a handsome face, isn’t there? Admit it, Maggie, he’s one heck of a doctor.’

‘I never said that he wasn’t!’ Maggie heard the snap in her voice and quickly moderated her tone. ‘It’s obvious that he’s highly skilled.’

‘But it’s going to take more than his expertise to win you over?’ Doreen shook her head. ‘I’ll give it a month and then I bet you’ll be as smitten as the rest of us, Maggie Carr. In fact, I’m so sure I’ll be proved right that I’m willing to put my hard-earned money on it. A fiver says that you’ll be a paid-up member of the Fabrizzi fan club by this time next month.’

‘You’re on!’ She shook Doreen’s hand to seal their bet. ‘A fiver will come in very handy, thank you. It will be easy money, too.’

The older nurse just laughed. ‘Oh, I don’t think so. It seems to me that our Luke has already got under your skin, Maggie. You could be in for a big surprise!’

Doreen went on her way, still smiling. Maggie rolled her eyes. Under her skin indeed? What rubbish!

Another burst of laughter had her gaze winging back down the ward and a shiver danced along her nerves. How could she explain the strange way she reacted around Luke? She could deny it until she was blue in the face but there was no doubt that she was unusually aware of him. Far too often in the past weeks she’d found her thoughts straying to him. Was it because they’d got off to such a bad start that she felt she had to be on her guard around him?

She sighed as she realised that she had no idea what the real answer was. She quickly headed for the office and a mound of paperwork that needed her attention. Maybe Doreen hadn’t been so far off track after all because it was obvious that Luke Fabrizzi was fast becoming a veritable thorn in her flesh!

CHAPTER TWO

THE morning passed in fits and starts. There was the usual rush to get patients ready for Theatre, followed by a lull while they waited for them to be returned to the ward. Maggie completed her paperwork then decided that as there were three new admissions scheduled for that afternoon she would take an early lunch.

It was a trek to the bowels of the hospital where the makeshift canteen had been set up, and once there the surroundings left a lot to be desired. Maggie stared glumly at the sage-green-painted walls and murky brown ceiling. ‘Not very cheering, is it? Roll on when they get the renovations finished.’

‘Amen to that!’ Rachel Hart, a sister on Children’s Medical, picked up a plate of limp-looking sandwiches and stared despondently at it. ‘If this is the best we have to look forward to for the next six months then heaven help us!’

She plonked the sandwiches on her tray as Maggie laughed. ‘It should be good for our figures if nothing else. We certainly won’t be rushing back for second helpings.’

She selected a plate of the uninspiring sandwiches for herself, added a cup of tea to her tray, then followed Rachel to a table in the corner once they’d paid for their meals. There were quite a lot of staff taking early lunches and the sound of their voices echoed in the cavernous room.

‘What a din!’ She winced as she drew out a chair from the table and its legs made a horrible screeching noise as they dragged across the concrete floor. ‘Oops, sorry.’

Rachel carefully eased out a chair and sat down. ‘You’d think they could have come up with something better than this, wouldn’t you? It’s an absolute disgrace. I am seriously thinking about having a word with our union rep about it.’

Maggie shrugged, although she couldn’t help thinking that it wasn’t like Rachel to complain. She was normally such a positive person and made the best of any situation. ‘I suppose it was all the management could think of in the circumstances. It can’t be easy, fitting everything around the refurbishment programme.’

‘I suppose not. Sorry, I didn’t mean to moan.’ Rachel grimaced. ‘I feel a bit down in the dumps at the moment so everything seems to be getting on top of me.’

‘Any particular reason for it?’ Maggie queried, taking a bite of her sandwich and discovering that, thankfully, it tasted better than it looked.

‘Oh, you know…this and that,’ Rachel replied noncommittally. She picked up her cup then abruptly put it back on the saucer. ‘Can I ask you something, Maggie? In confidence, I mean.’

‘Of course. Fire away.’ Maggie frowned, wondering what her friend wanted to ask her. She and Rachel had become friends during their training when they’d worked together on the children’s ward, and it bothered her to see the other woman looking so downcast.

‘Has Luke mentioned anything about Tom?’ Rachel coloured when Maggie looked at her in surprise. ‘I thought he might have said something in passing about how Tom is getting on.’

She tailed off uncertainly and Maggie stifled a sigh. Rachel had been dating Tom Hartley before he’d flown to Boston on the exchange scheme. Although she didn’t know what had gone on between him and Rachel, she’d always suspected that her friend had been very fond of the young surgical registrar. However, there was little she could tell Rachel for a number of reasons which she thought it best not to go into. To admit that she and Luke hadn’t held a single civilised conversation in the whole two weeks he’d been at Dalverston General wasn’t something she wanted to admit to anyone, least of all Rachel, who would be bound to ask questions.

‘I’m afraid not,’ she replied evasively. ‘Tom’s name hasn’t cropped up, but you could always ask Luke yourself, couldn’t you? Maybe he knows where Tom is staying while he’s in Boston so you could write to him.’

Rachel shook her head. ‘No, I don’t think so.’

She quickly changed the subject by telling Maggie about the pop concert she’d been to the previous weekend with her niece. Maggie didn’t try to pursue the subject but she couldn’t help feeling guilty that she hadn’t been able to help. It made her realise how bad the situation really was between her and Luke, and that worried her. She didn’t like the idea of being so much at odds with someone she worked with.

The thought lingered at the back of her mind after she and Rachel had parted company to return to their respective wards. One of the afternoon admissions had arrived early so Maggie went to get her settled in while Angela and Doreen went for lunch.

The patient’s name was Lauren Atkins, a nineteen-year-old ballet dancer. She’d sprained her ankle very badly during rehearsals the previous day. Subsequent investigations had shown that the ligaments were torn and would need to be surgically repaired. Lauren was accompanied by her mother and it took only a few minutes for Maggie to realise that she was going to need a lot of tact and patience to deal with the older woman.

‘If I’d had my way Lauren wouldn’t be here!’ Gloria Atkins glared at Maggie as though it was her fault her daughter had needed to be admitted to hospital. ‘Lauren should be treated privately, not by the NHS. It’s her whole future at stake here, everything we’ve worked so hard for. I don’t want just anyone operating on her ankle!’

‘Mum—please!’ Lauren implored, looking embarrassed. Maggie gave her a reassuring smile. It wasn’t the first time she’d encountered this sort of attitude neither would it be the last. A lot of people were under the illusion that paying for treatment ensured they would receive better care. They seemed to overlook the fact that it was often the same surgeons who operated on both private and NHS patients.

‘I assure you that Lauren will receive the very best treatment possible, Mrs Atkins. The surgeons here are some of the best in Britain.’

‘Hmm, I have my doubts about that. Not that I’m reassured, of course.’ Gloria refused to be mollified. ‘Everyone knows that the really innovative medicine comes from the States. If I’d had my way then Lauren would have been on the first flight over there this morning. However, her father took the decision to let her come here.’

Maggie felt her hackles rise. However, a glance at Lauren’s miserable face was enough to make her swallow her sharp retort. The poor girl must be worried enough, without having to listen to that sort of nonsense.

‘How long have you been dancing, Lauren?’ she asked instead, helping the girl onto the bed and ignoring her mother.

‘Oh, years. Since I was three or four.’ Lauren grimaced. ‘I must be mad, mustn’t I?’

Maggie smiled although she’d heard the faintly resentful note in the teenager’s voice. ‘You must be dedicated. I know how gruelling ballet dancing can be and how much work you must have put in to reach your present standard.’

‘She has a natural talent. Everyone says so.’ Gloria leaned over and fussed with her daughter’s hair. ‘She takes after me, you see. I was a ballet dancer, although I never had the advantages Lauren has had.’

Maggie didn’t say anything. She had seen the shadow that had crossed Lauren’s face and couldn’t help wondering if the girl believed that she’d been so lucky. Had Lauren been pushed by her mother into choosing ballet as her career? It seemed a distinct possibility.

It wasn’t her place to ask, however, so she carried on getting Lauren settled. She was just showing the teenager how to operate the radio when the sound of footsteps made her glance round, and she felt herself colour when she saw Luke. She hadn’t expected him to appear so soon and felt a little flummoxed by his early arrival.

‘I…um…this is Lauren Atkins, Dr Fabrizzi.’ She quickly gathered her wits and made the introductions. ‘You’ll be operating on her ankle tomorrow morning, I believe.’

Before Luke had a chance to reply, Mrs Atkins cut in. ‘You look very young to be performing such a skilled operation. I must say that I expected someone more experienced. I don’t know if I’m happy about you treating my daughter. Lauren’s whole future is at stake here!’

‘I understand your concerns, Mrs Atkins.’ He smiled politely at the woman. He didn’t appear at all perturbed by her comments, although Maggie knew that a lot of doctors would have taken a very dim view of being spoken to that way.

‘However, I assure you that I’ve performed this operation a number of times in the past and each time the outcome has been entirely successful.’

‘You’re American!’ Mrs Atkins visibly brightened.

‘That’s right. I’m from Boston. I was fortunate enough to be offered a placement on the exchange scheme so I shall be working in Dalverston for the next six months,’ he explained calmly.

‘And you’re a surgeon back in Boston?’ Gloria persisted.

‘I am. I’m working here as a senior registrar. However, when I return home I shall be taking up a consultant’s post.’ He shrugged modestly as he continued outlining his qualifications. ‘I’ve done a lot of research into the causes and problems of sports-related injuries, including publishing a number of papers on the subject. It’s an area that I am extremely interested in.’

Maggie was amazed by what she’d heard. She’d had no idea that he was so highly qualified. It made her wonder why he’d decided to accept the post on the exchange scheme. Most of the doctors who did so weren’t nearly as high up the professional ladder as he was.

There was no time to dwell on it, though, not with Luke waiting to examine Lauren and take her case history. That was another strange thing he did, now that she thought about it. Most of the senior staff left it to the junior housemen to take patients’ medical histories but Luke preferred to speak to those he would be operating on himself. It made her realise that there was a lot she didn’t know about Luke Fabrizzi and that was worrying, even though she wasn’t sure why it should be.

It took a bit of persuasion to remove Mrs Atkins from her daughter’s bedside but Maggie was firm. She ushered the woman into the day-room then went back to the ward. Luke had drawn up a chair beside the bed and was chatting to Lauren. Maggie was pleased to see that the girl looked far more relaxed now, although that was probably due to Luke’s presence, of course!

Her mouth set into a prim line. Most women would find it hard not to respond to a man as good-looking as Luke was, whatever their age. However, she hoped that he wouldn’t lay on the charm with too heavy a hand. She had seen cases before where patients had developed crushes on their doctors and they were always tricky to deal with. The thought of having to cope with a love-sick teenager wasn’t one that appealed at all.

He looked round and his brows rose when he saw her set expression. ‘Nothing wrong, I hope, Staff?’

‘Not so far,’ she replied with a smile that could have drawn blood. She turned her attention to Lauren and smiled more warmly this time. ‘We need to take a few details, Lauren, if you will bear with us. I know it’s a bind, having to answer all these questions, but we’ll get them done as quickly as we can.’

‘There’s no rush!’ Lauren laughed self-consciously and Maggie sighed as she realised that her suspicions had been correct. Obviously, the girl wasn’t in a rush to get the formalities over with if it meant prolonging the time she spent with Luke.

‘The longer you can keep Mum away from me the better, although I know that sounds an awful thing to say.’ Lauren grimaced. ‘She means well but I wish that she would let me get on with my life, instead of interfering all the time!’

Luke laughed softly although his gaze had sharpened. ‘A lot of mothers tend to be over-protective, Lauren. It comes with the job.’

‘Oh, I know that! But it’s more than that. Mum seems to want me to do all the things she wanted to do. She doesn’t understand that I’m not her.’ A tear slid down her cheek. ‘I don’t know how to make her understand that I want to lead my own life, not the one she has mapped out for me!’

There was a wealth of anguish in the girl’s voice. Maggie glanced at Luke and could tell that he was as concerned as she was. It was obvious that the situation was causing Lauren a great deal of distress and that was the last thing they wanted.

‘It isn’t easy to make parents understand that you know what you want, Lauren,’ she explained sympathetically. ‘I know that only too well.’

‘Do you?’ The teenager looked expectantly at her and Maggie sighed as she realised that she had to explain what she’d meant. It made her feel a little uncomfortable to talk about her own situation with Luke there, but maybe it would be for the best, in a way. It was about time he realised that he’d made a mistake when they’d met in Milan.

‘I do. My family’s dearest wish is to see me married, you see. And they’ll go to almost any lengths to make it happen, too.’ Her tone was rueful. ‘I can’t count the number of times they’ve tried to set me up with some suitable man. It’s got to the point where I won’t tell my mother that I’m going to visit her because I’m terrified there will be another prospective candidate sitting on her sofa!’

Lauren groaned in sympathy. ‘Really? Oh, poor you! But what are they like, all these men? Or shouldn’t I ask?’

‘Definitely not! I wouldn’t want you having nightmares.’

She smiled as the younger girl laughed. However, she couldn’t help glancing at Luke and was surprised by the expression on his face. What was it that she could see there? Regret? Apology? Neither seemed quite right.

She looked away, not wanting to fall into the trap of letting her mind start wandering again. ‘Anyway, Lauren, I do know how hard it is to make a stand, but it’s something you have to do. You can’t live your life for other people, you have to live it the way you want to.’

‘I know that. It’s just that I’m such a coward. I hate arguments and the thought of telling Mum that I don’t want to dance any more terrifies me because she’ll be so upset.’ Lauren sighed. ‘That’s why I was glad that I hurt my ankle. I was hoping that it might mean I wouldn’t be able to dance again.’

‘It would be a rather drastic solution to your problems, Lauren.’ Luke’s dry tone brought a touch of colour to the teenager’s face. ‘Wishing that you were permanently incapacitated isn’t the answer, believe me. As Maggie said, you have to stick to your guns.’

It was the first time that he’d called her by name since they’d been working together. Maggie knew that it meant nothing yet she couldn’t control the ripple that ran down her spine. She busied herself with the admission forms, not wanting to dwell on it. So Luke had called her Maggie—big deal! Yet it felt as though their relationship had shifted slightly and that bothered her a lot.

He went through the admission procedure in his usual thorough fashion and she had to admit that she was impressed by his attention to detail as he asked Lauren to explain what she’d been doing at the time of the accident. He noted everything down on the form then put the cap on his pen.

‘That’s been a big help. I like to know exactly what I’ll be dealing with. It’s vital that the ligaments are repaired in a way that won’t cause you any problems in the future even if you do decide not to pursue a career in ballet.’

His voice was firm as he continued. ‘However, the operation is only the first step, Lauren. You will be seeing a physiotherapist afterwards and will be given a series of exercises that you’ll need to do to get your ankle back to full strength. Please, don’t cut off your nose to spite your face. Being left with a permanently weak ankle would be too great a price to pay just to avoid telling your mother the truth.’

‘I promise I won’t be that stupid, Dr Fabrizzi,’ the girl muttered, looking so uncomfortable that Maggie knew she’d been contemplating doing just that.

What a good job that Luke had been astute enough to guess that, she thought as he stood up. But, then, he did appear to have a rare ability to relate to people and understand them. That thought certainly didn’t seem to gel with the image she’d formed of him. If Luke really was the arrogant, egocentric man she’d imagined him to be then surely he could never have been so perceptive about other people?

It was another unsettling thought and she was only too happy to brush it aside when he turned to her. ‘Seeing that Lauren has promised to be a model patient, I suggest we help her out now. How do you feel about persuading her mother that she’s not needed here?’

The suggestion made her smile. ‘Well, I’m willing to give it a shot, but it won’t be easy.’

He grinned. ‘No, it won’t, but I’m sure we can sort something out if we work together.’ He adopted a deliberately professional tone but his blue eyes were dancing with mischief. ‘In my opinion, this patient needs complete rest, Staff Nurse Carr. Would you advise Mrs Atkins that I feel it would be beneficial if Lauren didn’t have visitors for the remainder of the afternoon?’

‘Certainly, Doctor. I shall go and inform Mrs Atkins of your decision straight away.’

Maggie just managed to smother a giggle when he winked at her. He was obviously having difficulty keeping his face straight as well. Lauren was chuckling softly, a hand pressed to her mouth to contain her mirth. She looked a world removed from the unhappy teenager who’d been admitted a short time earlier, so Maggie had no qualms whatsoever about what they were doing. Lauren would benefit greatly from a breathing space away from her overbearing mother, in her view.

‘Thank you, Staff. You know where to find me if there’s a problem,’ Luke said with commendable aplomb as they moved away from the bed.

‘Oh, never fear! I’ll have you paged if there’s any backlash from this,’ Maggie retorted, following him down the ward. He paused to open the door for her and she felt her pulse skitter when she saw the laughter on his face. He looked so different when he laughed like that, she thought. It was like being given a glimpse of the real man beneath the handsome exterior, a warm, caring person whom she could learn to like a lot.

‘I’m always at your service, Maggie, although I would prefer not to have to deal with an irate mother if it could be avoided.’ There was an unashamedly coaxing note in his voice as he placed his hand on her arm. ‘So try your best to persuade Mrs Atkins that she isn’t needed here—for my sake?’

She took a deep breath. The touch of his hand was setting up a chain of reactions that ranged from a flutter beneath her skin to a tingle that was working its way right down to her toes. The temptation to see what other reactions it might cause was enormous but something warned her that would come under the heading of ‘Big Mistake’ and she tried to avoid making too many of those!

She moved away so that his hand fell from her arm, striving for a suitably light note to hide her confusion at the way she was behaving. ‘I’ll do my best, although I can’t make any promises, you understand.’

Luke’s smile appeared a trifle strained. ‘Your best is good enough for me.’

There was a moment when she thought that he was going to say something else but then his pager beeped. He frowned as he unclipped it from his belt and checked the display. ‘Theatre. I wonder what’s wrong. I’d better go and see. Page me if you have any problems, Staff.’

He was back to normal again, his tone coolly professional once more. Maggie sighed as he hurried towards the lifts, feeling the tension oozing out of her. It was good to be back on a firm footing again. She far preferred the status quo to any surprises when dealing with Luke.

She went to find Mrs Atkins, expecting to have a battle on her hands. However, the older woman accepted what she told her without question.

‘What did you say to her?’ Lauren asked in astonishment as her mother happily waved on her way out of the ward. ‘It just isn’t like Mum not to make a fuss!’

Maggie shrugged, although she had to admit to being surprised by Gloria Atkins’s easy acquiescence. ‘I just told her that Dr Fabrizzi had suggested you should rest. She seemed quite happy to accept it.’

‘Figures.’ Lauren gave a relieved sigh. ‘He sort of exudes confidence, doesn’t he? It’s no wonder that Mum’s decided he knows what he’s talking about. I just wish I could bottle some of his confidence and take it home with me when I leave here. Maybe I’d be able to stand up for myself then.’

Maggie didn’t say anything. Frankly, there wasn’t much she could think of to say. She left Lauren fiddling with the radio and went back to work. Doreen and Angela came back from lunch soon afterwards and then the other new admissions arrived. The afternoon flew past because they were so busy but several times she found her thoughts returning to what Lauren had said about Luke. It disturbed her because it made her question her own view of him once again.

Had she been wrong about him all along? Had she misread his confidence for arrogance? She couldn’t decide and that was the real problem, of course. She would need a lot more to go on before she was prepared to alter her opinion of him.

There was a party being held that night to which Maggie had been invited. One of the nurses from the surgical ward, who worked a different shift, had got engaged, and she and her fiancé had invited everyone round to their house to celebrate. Everyone was meeting up at the pub beforehand so it was a bit of rush to get ready once she arrived home.

She took a shower and washed her hair. She tried to avoid using a hair-dryer whenever possible because her hair was naturally curly and tended to frizz up. However, with time marching on, she had no choice but to use the dryer that night, which resulted in a frothy mass of curls which defied all her attempts to pin them up.

Sighing, she decided that she didn’t have the time to do anything else. She simply brushed her hair then left it loose. It didn’t look too bad, she decided critically after she’d slipped into a raspberry pink blouse and pair of silky grey trousers. The tousled look was a bit girlish perhaps but it could have been worse.

She slid her bare feet into a pair of high-heeled sandals then grabbed her bag and headed for the door. It was mid-August and the night was warm enough for her not to need a coat. However, she began to rue her choice of footwear before she’d gone very far. She wasn’t used to wearing such high heels and her feet were hurting by the time she arrived at the pub, a huge blister already forming on her heel where the strap had been rubbing. Still, the sandals looked a lot more glamorous than her usual sensible flatties so she would just have to grin and bear it.

‘Maggie! Over here. We’ve saved you a seat.’ Angela stood up and waved when she saw Maggie coming in. The pub was used a lot by staff from the hospital and it was packed that night. It had just gone eight and the middle shift had just finished work; quite a few of them had stopped off for a drink on their way home.

‘Thanks! What a scrum. Anyone would think we were all alcoholics if they saw how many hospital staff used this place,’ she declared pithily, squeezing into a gap on the wooden settle.

‘Not that any of us fall into that category, of course,’ Donna Parsons put in, rolling her eyes expressively. ‘We aren’t here for the drink but purely for the pleasure of each other’s company!’

‘Speak for yourself. I make no bones about the fact that I need a drink after the day I’ve had!’ Robin White, the newest houseman on the surgical team, picked up his pint glass and took a long swallow. ‘At one point I found myself wondering why I had willingly gone in for medicine as a career. I mean, I could have been a solicitor or an accountant or…or anything rather than a doctor!’

Everyone laughed, but Maggie could tell that Robin hadn’t been joking. Something had obviously upset him that day and she couldn’t help wondering what had caused the normally easygoing young doctor to feel like that.

‘So what happened?’ she asked under cover of the conversation.

‘What didn’t happen would be an easier question to answer!’ Robin set his glass on a coaster. His pleasant face looked unusually grim. ‘We had an emergency in Theatre. Jefferson was operating on this chap who had been thrown off his motorbike and suffered multiple fractures. He was a mess, I can tell you, and it was obvious that old Jeffers was out of his depth.’

Maggie sighed. Norman Jefferson had worked at Dalverston General for more years than anyone could care to count. It was rumoured that he’d refused to retire when he’d been offered the chance a few months earlier. There was no doubt that he must have been a skilled surgeon in his younger days, but those days were long past. Frankly, it was fast reaching the point where he was becoming a liability. Maggie knew that the surgical team had a tacit agreement to make sure that Jefferson was never left to deal with any difficult surgery by himself, but obviously the system had fallen down that day.

‘So what went on?’ she asked softly, glancing round to make sure that nobody was listening. Although everyone in the hospital was aware of the situation, she guessed that Robin would feel uncomfortable about the others hearing him criticise the older man.

‘Just about everything that could go wrong did so. Everyone was on pins as soon as they discovered that Jefferson would be operating. Normally, someone would have headed him off at the pass, so to speak.’

He gave her a grim smile. ‘It was just unfortunate that another casualty had been brought into A and E a few minutes earlier, needing urgent surgery. It meant that everyone was tied up when the motorcyclist was sent up to Theatre so there was nobody there to step in when Jefferson announced that he would deal with the case.’

‘Tricky situation,’ she murmured sympathetically.

‘You can say that again! Anyway, we were all keyed up, as you can imagine. It seemed to be going quite well at first and then somehow or other Jefferson nicked the femoral artery…’ Robin shrugged, not needing to explain the problems that had caused.

‘What on earth happened after that?’ Maggie exclaimed in horror, trying not to visualise the scene of chaos that must have ensued. She felt quite sick when she thought about the injured motorcyclist possibly bleeding to death on the operating table. ‘He didn’t—well, you know?’

‘Die? No, but it was a close call, I can tell you. Jefferson just seemed to go to pieces, he didn’t appear to have any idea what to do. I just grabbed the phone and rang for help—’ Robin broke off. A smile brightened his face as he looked towards the door. ‘Aha, here he is now, the hero of the hour!’

Maggie looked round and felt her stomach sink when she saw that Luke had come into the pub. She’d had no idea that he’d been invited to the party that night, although she should have guessed, she thought as she watched him making his way towards them. The staff at Dalverston General had taken to him in a big way, as was evident from the number of people who greeted him en route. It wasn’t just the staff from the surgical wards either—everyone seemed to know him and be pleased to see him.

Her brow furrowed. Everyone liked Luke. Everyone admired him. Robin considered him to be a hero, even. So how come she didn’t feel the same way about him as everyone else did? Why was her view so opposed to the general consensus? Exactly who was right? Her or them?

She took a deep breath, feeling her heart hammering against her ribs because the next, logical step scared her. She had a duty to find out who the real Luke Fabrizzi was.

CHAPTER THREE

‘HI, THERE. Sorry I’m late. I had trouble finding a cab.’

Luke smiled around the assembled group. His eyes seemed to linger a fraction longer on Maggie than they did on anyone else, but that was probably her imagination, she told herself sternly.

‘Dalverston night life isn’t much to shout about so taxis tend to be rather thin on the ground,’ Robin explained as he got up and edged past her. ‘Anyway, it’s my round so what will you have to drink?’

‘Beer, but only if they serve one that’s chilled.’ Luke laughed when there was a chorus of catcalls. ‘I know, I know. But it isn’t my fault that I have an uneducated palate and can’t appreciate the finer points of warm beer!’

‘We’ll have to attend to his education post-haste, won’t we, folks?’ Robin replied with a grin. ‘You can’t live in England and not learn to enjoy the delights of a nice pint of bitter!’

‘I don’t know if my taste buds are ready for it.’ Luke groaned. ‘I’ve only just learned to drink that revolting stuff you claim is coffee so have some pity. There’s only so much torture a guy can take!’

‘I suppose we shall have to make allowances a while longer, then,’ Robin declared as everyone laughed. ‘Anyway, sit yourself down and I’ll fetch the drinks.’

Luke turned to her as Robin hurried away. ‘Is there room for me or will it be too much of a squeeze?’

‘Of course not.’ She scooted along the bench to make room for him, feeling the shiver that raced along her nerves when he eased himself into the gap. His thigh was pressed hard against her own, his hip bumping hers when he tried to get comfortable.

‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to squash you.’

‘It’s fine…really,’ she said quickly, then hurried on when she heard how breathless she sounded. ‘I… I didn’t know you were coming tonight,’ she said, more for something to say than for any other reason. His nearness was having the strangest effect on her, making her whole body tingle with awareness. She didn’t like the feeling and was determined to nip it in the bud before it got worse.

‘No?’ He shrugged so that his shoulder brushed hers this time, sending another spiral of sensation flowing through her before she could stop it. ‘I never thought to mention it. It isn’t a problem, is it?’

‘Of course not! Why should you think I have a problem about you being here?’ Maggie heard the defensive note in her voice and bit her lip. She almost jumped out of her skin when he suddenly reached over and squeezed her hand. Her eyes flew to his face and she was stunned by the look of regret she saw there.

‘Because you and I got off on the wrong foot when we first met and it was all my fault.’ Luke’s fingers tightened around hers and her heart bumped up and down in her chest when she felt the gentle increase in pressure. ‘I can understand why you wouldn’t be pleased to see me after what I said to you that night at your grandmother’s house, Maggie. I was way out of line then and I apologise for it.’

‘I don’t know what to say.’ She was telling the truth because she was so surprised that it was hard to think straight. Whether it was the unexpected apology or the fact that Luke was still holding her hand which was causing the problem she wasn’t sure, but her thoughts seemed to be completely clogged up.

He smiled ruefully as he released her. ‘You don’t need to say anything because your face says it all. I can’t believe I actually said what I did that night. You must have thought I was the biggest jerk you’d ever met!’

Maggie felt the blush reach her hairline in two seconds flat. ‘Oh, well, you know,’ she muttered uncomfortably.

‘I do! Unfortunately.’ He laughed wryly. ‘It makes me cringe when I think about that night. My only excuse is that I had totally misread the situation. I hadn’t realised that you and I were in the same boat.’

‘What do you mean?’ She looked at him uncertainly but Robin arrived back with their drinks just then. He shook his head when Luke offered to let him have his seat back and moved to the other end of the table, squeezing into the space Angela had made for him. Everyone was discussing a film that had been on television that week; nobody seemed to be taking any notice of her and Luke. It lent a strange kind of intimacy to their conversation, a feeling heightened when he lowered his voice so that only she could hear what he was saying.

‘That your family is putting pressure on you to get married, like mine is. I heard what you said this afternoon and it was like a rerun of what’s been happening to me over the past few years. I can’t count the number of suitable women my mom has tried to fix me up with!’

Maggie couldn’t help laughing at the wealth of disgust in his voice. ‘It’s a nightmare, isn’t it? And the worst thing is that you feel so guilty about it. I mean, you don’t want to get married but somehow they make you feel that you’re letting them down.’

‘I know just what you mean.’ He picked up the chilled bottle of imported beer that Robin had bought him and took a swallow. ‘Mothers really know how to lay a guilt trip on you, don’t they? There’s all the little hints to begin with about how their friends’ children are getting married and how wonderful it must be to have a wedding to plan. Then things start to get really heavy and before you know it there’s the pointed comments about whether they’ll be too old to enjoy their grandchildren by the time they arrive…’

‘Or if they’ll still be around to see said grandchildren,’ Maggie put in, shaking her head in despair. ‘It’s an impossible situation, isn’t it? No matter how you try to explain that you’re perfectly happy the way you are, they don’t believe you. They think that we—and them—are missing out because we don’t want to get married.’

‘Exactly. I couldn’t have put it better myself. It’s so good to be able to talk to someone who understands, Maggie.’ He grinned crookedly. ‘Maybe it also means that you understand why I behaved like such an idiot when we met and can find it in your heart to forgive me?’

‘There’s nothing to forgive,’ she assured him, feeling her heart lift. It surprised her how pleased she felt to know why Luke had acted the way he had. She laughed when he offered her his hand.

‘Truce, then?’

‘Truce!’ she agreed, placing her hand in his. They let the matter drop after that, joining in the conversation as it flowed around the table. However, she couldn’t deny her relief that there was no longer any reason for her and Luke to be at loggerheads. Why she should be so pleased about the change in their relationship was hard to explain so she didn’t waste time worrying about it. Most likely it was because she hated being at odds with anyone.

They finished their drinks then moved on to the party. It wasn’t far to walk but Maggie was limping by the time they reached the house where her friends, Ruth and Greg, lived. The blister on her heel had broken and each step was pure torture as the sandal strap rubbed against it.

‘Are you OK?’ Luke put a steadying hand under her elbow when she stumbled as she made her way up the steps to the house.

She grimaced as she lifted her foot and showed him her heel. ‘A blister. I should never have worn these wretched sandals. I should have known they would rub.’

‘That looks really nasty. You’re going to need a dressing on it. Let’s see if Ruth has a first-aid kit and get you sorted out.’

‘Oh, I don’t want to be any trouble—’ she began, but he cut short her protests.

‘Doctor’s orders, Staff. No arguing, now,’ he said sternly but with a definite twinkle in his eyes.

Maggie laughed. ‘Oh, far be it from me to argue with you, Doctor.’

‘Well, that’s progress.’ His tone was wry as he helped her up the last step. ‘From what I overheard you saying this morning I didn’t think you would ever agree with anything I said.’

‘I’m sorry—’ she began

‘Only teasing.’ He held up his hand. ‘You had every right to say what you did. It wasn’t your fault that I made such a rotten impression when we met. However, that’s all in the past, isn’t it, Maggie? Let’s move on from there.’

She smiled, feeling her heart going pitter-patter inside her chest. Of course, it was relief at having ironed out their differences that caused it to react like that, she assured herself. But it was hard to believe that was the only reason so she didn’t dwell on it. ‘That sounds like a good idea to me, Luke. I’d like to think that you and I can be friends.’

He smiled but there was the strangest gleam in his eyes as he looked at her. ‘Friends it is, Maggie.’ He bent and kissed her lightly on the cheek then glanced round when there was a burst of exaggeratedly noisy coughing behind them.

‘I hate to butt in but Ruth wants to know what you two would like to drink,’ Angela announced with the biggest grin.

Maggie could feel herself blushing even though the kiss had been no more than a token to seal their new-found friendship. However, she knew that she would come in for a lot of teasing once the news got round that Luke had kissed her.

‘Would you tell Ruth that what we need more than a drink at the moment is a first-aid box?’ Luke appeared unfazed by Angela’s amusement but, then, why should it have upset him? Maggie thought. The kiss had meant nothing when all was said and done.

Her spirits plummeted although she had no idea why. It was a relief not to have to think about it when Angela immediately demanded to know why they needed first-aid equipment. Maggie showed her friend her heel then murmured her thanks when Angela offered to find her something to put on it.

Angela came back a few minutes later with a green plastic box and handed it to Luke. ‘Ruth said to tell you that there’s antiseptic in the bathroom cabinet as well if you need it.’ She glanced round as Robin called her. ‘Right, I’ll leave you to it, then. At least you two should know how to play doctors and nurses properly!’

There was no mistaking what she meant. Maggie shook her head in despair as the younger woman hurried away. ‘Trust Angela to come out with something like that. Sorry.’

‘Don’t worry about it. In fact, it’s given me an idea. But first things first—let’s get you sorted out before I tell you about my brainwave.’

Maggie had no idea what he was talking about. However, it was obvious that he had no intention of explaining until he’d attended to her heel. She slipped off her sandals and went upstairs in her bare feet to avoid making the blister any worse.

The bathroom was surprisingly large so that the vast, claw-footed bath, old-fashioned basin and stately lavatory didn’t look at all out of place. Luke looked round approvingly as they went into the room.

‘I love these old fitments. They were made to be used, weren’t they? Unlike the bathroom suites you get nowadays.’

He went to the sink and turned on the tap, talking over his shoulder. ‘My hotel room has everything you’d expect but the bath is minute. I’ve given up all hope of having a lovely, long soak while I’m staying there because it’s just too uncomfortable.’

Maggie laughed as she closed the lavatory lid and sat down. ‘I suppose it’s difficult when you’re tall. I never gave much thought to how long a bath needed to be, to be honest.’ She frowned as a thought struck her. ‘But why are you staying in a hotel? I should have thought you would prefer to rent a place of your own while you’re over here.’

‘I would. But it’s not been easy finding anywhere suitable.’ He took a pack of sterile gauze from the first-aid box and ripped it open. He wetted the gauze with warm water then crouched in front of her and washed her heel. His hands were so gentle that she barely flinched despite how sore it was.

‘I’ve not had time to look around since I got here because I’ve been too busy working. I called a couple of agents and they’ve sent me details of various properties but it’s actually finding the time to go and see them that’s proving difficult.’

‘It must be awkward. I’m surprised that Roger Hopkins wasn’t able to find you a place to stay, though,’ she said thoughtfully, referring to the hospital’s manager. ‘He’s usually so helpful and I know that he’s found accommodation for people in the past.’

‘He did offer when he first contacted me about taking up the post here, but nothing came of it.’ Luke got up and went to rummage through the first-aid box. ‘I haven’t mentioned it to him since because he’s got enough to do with the rebuilding programme the hospital is undergoing.’

She sighed. ‘That’s true. We’ve been waiting for the area health authority to give the go-ahead for ages. There’s no doubt that Dalverston General needs to have its facilities upgraded. The trouble is that it’s going to cause such upheavals.’

‘It is. But look on the bright side—you’ll have a wonderful state-of-the-art hospital to work in once the programme is completed. I’ve seen the plans for the new surgical wards and, believe me, they are going to make a big difference to everyone’s lives—patients and staff alike.’

‘I know and I’m not really moaning. It’s about time this town had the best facilities available to it.’

‘Amen to that.’ He suddenly frowned as he opened the bathroom cabinet and took out a small bottle of antiseptic. ‘Mind you, the best facilities in the world aren’t worth a cent unless you have the best staff to work in them.’

‘You’re thinking about what happened at lunchtime, aren’t you?’ She saw his surprise and sighed. ‘Robin told me what had gone on with that motorcyclist. He said that it was only thanks to you that the poor fellow made it.’

Luke’s face was set as he poured a little of the antiseptic onto a fresh pad of gauze. ‘It was touch and go, all right, but it should never have happened. Something is going to have to be done about Dr Jefferson soon. The hospital can’t afford to take any more chances like that.’

Maggie agreed, although she didn’t say so. She sat quietly while Luke deftly swabbed her heel with the antiseptic. He taped a lint pad over the blister then stood up. ‘Right, that should help but you won’t be able to put your shoes back on.’

Maggie sighed as she looked at the dainty sandals with their wickedly high heels. ‘I should have gone for sensible rather than glamorous. It’s not really me, is it?’

‘Oh, I wouldn’t say that. You look fabulous tonight, Maggie. I love your hair like that.’

His tone was so warm that she felt a tide of heat sweep through her in response to it. ‘Oh…well, thank you,’ she murmured. ‘I don’t often wear it loose because it tends to get everywhere!’

He laughed as he picked up a long dark curl and gently ran it through his fingers. ‘I guess that’s because it’s so fine and silky.’

She couldn’t possibly have felt him touching her hair! It was a scientific impossibility. Yet there was no other explanation for the tingle that seemed to race right up the curl and across her scalp.

She took a steadying breath and moved towards the door, effectively forcing him to release her. ‘I suppose we’d better get back to the fray before they send out the cavalry.’

‘Or start wondering if we’re having a party of our own, perhaps?’

There was something in his voice that made her pause and she sighed ruefully. ‘Don’t take any notice of Angela, will you? She was only teasing.’

‘It doesn’t bother me in the least.’ He shrugged. ‘Look, Maggie, I told you that I’d had a brainwave, didn’t I? See what you think about it, but to my mind it could be the answer to both our prayers. How about if you and I let it be known that we were an item?’

‘An item?’ she repeated, not sure what he meant. Her heart leapt and she stared at him with huge dark eyes. ‘You mean that we…that you and I…?’

‘Should pair up. Or at least let our families think that we had.’ He laughed deeply. ‘It would be the perfect way to stop them trying to marry us off all the time, wouldn’t it? If they believed that we’d fallen for each other then they would stop trying to run our lives. So, what do you think? Is this the solution to our problems or not?’

‘I don’t know.’ She took a deep breath and tried to think what to say. However, it was hard to deal with the disappointment she’d felt on realising that he meant them to get together only to fool their families. He certainly hadn’t been asking her to go out with him for any other reason!

‘Come on, Maggie, what have we got to lose?’ His tone was persuasive. ‘It’s the perfect solution. We’re both happy with our lives the way they are—or we would be if we could stop our families interfering all the time. So why not let them think that we’ve done what they’ve been hoping we would do—fallen in love and are planning on getting married?’

‘But what happens in the future? I mean, we can only stall them for so long before they’ll start expecting us to name the day. What do we do then?’ she asked, wondering why she had this sinking feeling in her stomach. After all, the plan did make sense and it could be the answer to her problems, at least temporarily. She loved her family dearly but the pressure they kept putting on her to get married was placing a strain on her relationship with them.

‘We’ll just explain that we’ve had a change of heart. People break up all the time so it’s not as though it would be anything out of the ordinary. Even if this relationship only lasts for the six months that I’m in England then that’s six months of breathing space we’ll have had. That has to be a good thing, to my mind!’

Luke was right. Of course he was. Yet still she found herself reluctant to agree. He must have realised that she had doubts because he sighed.

‘Look, I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. Think about it. If you decide it’s a good idea then fine. If not…well, there’s no harm done, is there?’

It seemed reasonable enough and she smiled in relief at being spared having to make a decision. ‘Fair enough. I’ll think about it, although I don’t know if I’d feel guilty about raising my mother’s hopes unnecessarily. It isn’t that I’m against marriage, you understand. It’s just that it isn’t on my agenda at the moment.’

‘It’s not on my agenda, full stop.’ He shrugged when she looked at him in surprise. ‘I don’t have time for it. There is so much I want to do, workwise, that my days are full enough as it is. Nor am I naïve enough now to believe that a woman would be happy to take second place to my job.’

‘That sounds as though you thought it might work once upon a time,’ she observed softly.

His expression darkened. ‘I did. But I learned my lesson the hard way that career and relationships don’t mix. I don’t intend to make that kind of mistake again.’

He opened the bathroom door, making it plain that he didn’t intend to discuss the subject any further. However, that didn’t mean she forgot about it. Throughout the evening she found herself thinking about what he had said. Luke must have been badly scarred by the experience he’d had and she couldn’t deny that she found the thought rather a painful one even though it wasn’t any of her business. It also disturbed her that he’d allowed it to influence him to such an extent that he’d decided that he would never marry. In fact, it disturbed her a lot.

The party broke up in the early hours of the morning. Maggie was glad that she was off duty for the next two days because it meant that she would be able to catch up on her sleep. She borrowed a pair of rubber beach sandals from Ruth and wore them rather than her own sandals to walk home in.

Luke, Robin and Angela walked with her as they made their way through the quiet streets. It was still warm and hundreds of stars were sparkling in a clear, black sky. Luke sighed as he looked up.

‘And to think that people back home warned me that it always rained in this part of the world.’

‘Slander! We have some of the best weather in the country, don’t we, folks?’ Robin replied glibly, and Maggie laughed.

‘We do if you’ve got webbed feet! Stop trying to mislead poor Luke. You know very well that you can count glorious days—and nights—on the fingers of one hand!’

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