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If everything went to plan, she would. She’d be involved with all of the new developments that the charity was undertaking, all over the world.
‘You’re not thinking of going anywhere, are you?’
‘No. But even the basic clinic’s going to take a while to set up. I’ll probably be gone by that time.’ She looked at him thoughtfully. ‘Wherever John Ferris decides to send me.’
This was the one thing he’d kept back from Megan. It was his decision, not John’s. She’d done well here, and he’d already emailed John to tell him that Megan should be offered the post that had been discussed when she’d been recruited. It was sooner than intended, but she was ready.
He’d kept quiet about that, though. The fragile balance of their relationship would be tipped if Megan felt that her future depended on his assessment of her.
‘Well, here’s to coming back.’
‘Yes. It is beautiful here.’
Jaye smiled. Six weeks ago she hadn’t yet had a chance to see the beauty of this country or to connect with its people. Now she’d used her growing connection with both to underpin her determination to give the right help, exactly where it was needed.
‘It is. This place is something special.’
‘Is that why you were so stressed out? When you got here and found that it had changed?’ Megan deftly put her finger on one part of the reason, conveniently forgetting that she was another part of it. She must know that she had been.
‘Yes. But it’s built on good foundations, with good people. All it needed was a nudge to get it back on track. And now that it is, it’s one of my favourite places in the world again.’
She smiled lazily. ‘What is it you like best about it?’
One of those half serious, half playful games, played over a couple of drinks, to pass the time on a long, hot evening. Jaye could go for that.
‘The people... And everything’s less complicated here.’
She grinned at him. ‘Is that because you’ve got a great big house at home to store your complications in while you’re gone?’
‘Probably.’ Jaye chuckled. ‘I love the silence just before the dawn. No old floorboards to creak around you.’
‘You like being a doctor, don’t you? More than you like being a duke.’
‘Yes, I like being a doctor very much. I can’t do much about being a duke, but it gives me the ability to do things I couldn’t otherwise do.’
‘Means to an end?’
‘Sometimes...’
‘And other times?’
He shrugged. ‘People can look at you differently. In fact, they sometimes don’t look at you at all, they’re too busy looking at the house and everything that comes with the title.’
She was nodding slowly. ‘Sonia?’
‘Yes. Amongst others.’
‘But here you’re a doctor.’
Jaye nodded and they lapsed into companionable silence. Drinking buddies on a warm evening, who could just let the time slip by and the conversation go wherever it wanted.
‘So how about you? Why did you want to become a nurse?’
‘I didn’t actually. I had to do something, though...’
‘And the careers guide just happened to fall open at the letter N?’
Megan laughed. ‘No, I chose nursing because my father wanted me to do business studies at college. He was going to take me into his company and fast-track me, without anyone knowing who I really was, of course. So I picked the course that I thought he’d most disapprove of.’
