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‘You’re right—there is no longer the baby to think about—but as for you implying that our marriage is unnecessary now…That’s not quite so, Beth.’
‘What do you mean?’ Her head came up as she searched his face for any clue to what he meant, but there was nothing she could read in his expression.
‘I’ve been talking to the doctor and he says that you are going to need a few months to get back on your feet again. How do you intend to manage if you leave when you have no place to live and no means of supporting yourself?’
‘I’ll manage somehow! I don’t need your charity any longer, David!’
‘It was never charity, Beth, and you know that. Don’t be a fool. You know yourself that you’ll need time to recover both physically and mentally from losing the baby. I want you to come back to the flat when the doctor pronounces you well enough to go home, and I don’t want to hear any more silly talk of ending this marriage just now.’
‘You don’t want? And how about what I want for a change?’ She glared back at him. ‘You made your feelings very plain the other day, David, and I’ll be damned if I’ll go back where I’m not wanted!’
‘But I do want you, Beth.’ His voice was suddenly soft and low, so vibrant with emotion that Beth felt her senses flare. Just for a moment she let her eyes linger on his handsome face before deliberately looking away to break the spell those deep tones had cast over her.
‘You don’t mean that, David,’ she said quietly. ‘I’m just an inconvenience to you and always have been.’
He laughed softly, tilting her face with gentle fingers to stare straight into her eyes. ‘You have never been an inconvenience, Beth. Never. I was angry that day, too angry to think about what I was saying.’
‘You said what you meant. Maybe I deserved it in a way.’ She smiled sadly. ‘I never meant to interfere in your life. I just wanted to hit back at you for reminding me how much I owed you. I shall phone Maggie and explain once I leave here.’
He shook his head, his eyes lingering on her face in a way that made the blood swirl along her veins. ‘Don’t worry about that. All I want is for you to get better, Beth. That’s my primary concern and you won’t do that if you insist on trying to fend for yourself while you’re still so weak.’ Slowly, gently, he bent and kissed her lips, his mouth lingering for a mere heartbeat before he straightened. ‘I want you to come back to the flat, Beth, at least until you’re well enough to make any fresh plans. But there’s no rush. I can’t ever make up to you what you’ve lost, but I can at least make sure that you are cared for until you’re better. So promise me that you’ll do that, eh?’
Beth nodded, every objection melted by the stunning warmth of that brief kiss. When he stood up she stared silently up at him, unaware that the shock showed in her eyes. He smiled almost gently, reaching out to touch her cheek in a brief caress. ‘I’d better go before that nurse discovers me in here against her orders. But I shall be back to see you tonight, Beth.’
He left and Beth lay weakly back against the pillows, her head swirling with emotions. She wanted to believe what that sweet, gentle kiss seemed to imply, but in the depths of her mind a small voice was whispering a warning she had to heed. David had told her why he didn’t want to end this marriage of theirs yet, but had he been entirely truthful? He had touched upon the fact that she would need support over the coming months, but never once had he mentioned the feud with his brother. That had been a deciding factor in his asking her to marry him in the first place and she couldn’t afford to forget its importance now. If she stayed then she had always to remember that David had reasons for helping her that he had never fully explained. It would be foolish to ever let herself forget about them and be swayed purely by emotion.
* * *
Beth had been home from hospital for over a fortnight when Maggie telephoned. She’d spent the morning wandering aimlessly around the flat, wishing that David would leave her some work to do. He’d been adamant about not letting her touch any of the letters since she’d got back, insisting that she spend the time resting to recover her strength. However, Beth was determined to make him see sense soon. Time hung heavy on her hands with so little to do apart from make the odd meal, giving her too much time to brood. She wanted to be kept busy to stop the painful thoughts about the baby from filling her mind all the time. Now the sound of the phone ringing was a welcome diversion.
