‘No, Edward...’ She wanted to take him by the shoulders and shake this nonsense out of him, but she was being watched. She had to stay still and pretend this was just a conversation between two work colleagues. ‘You’ve shown me and Isaac nothing but kindness.’
His eyes betrayed his confusion. ‘Is this your way of letting me off the hook?’
‘No. I’m paying you the respect of being honest with you. The way you’ve done with me.’
His slow smile penetrated every dark corner of her being. Filled her mind with the kind of ideas that she’d been trying not to think about for the past three days.
‘Thank you,’ he said.
‘You’re welcome.’ Charlotte was sure that there was a more appropriate response than that, but she couldn’t fathom what it might be at the moment. Not without the kind of body language that would get her into deep trouble. ‘Look, what I wanted to say was that I’m over trying to make out that I can do everything by myself. If the offer’s still open, I’d be really grateful if your father could spare a little of his time—perhaps just to talk to me and give me some general advice.’
He nodded. ‘The offer’s still open; there was no time limit on it. I’ll give him a call.’
‘Thanks, Edward. I really appreciate it. You’ll tell him that, won’t you?’
‘I will.’ He pointed to the journal in her lap. ‘You know, if you’re going to do this properly you should at least look as if you’re reading.’
She picked up the journal and looked at it. ‘Better?’
‘Much. If anyone asks, what’s our excuse for talking to each other?’
‘I’ve probably been disputing some of the conclusions you came to in this article.’ Charlotte jabbed her finger at the page in front of her and threw the journal down onto his desk.
‘Very theatrical.’ His eyes flashed as he leaned forward, picking up the journal and clipping something to the pages before he passed it back. ‘Here’s my father’s card. I’ll give him a call right now and tell him to expect your call this afternoon.’
‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?’
‘I wouldn’t say enjoying. I think you’ve made the right decision....’
‘I meant the secret rendezvous stuff.’
‘Oh. Well, that adds a certain frisson. D’you think it’s working?’
‘Probably not. But at least I’ve got a measure of deniability.’ Charlotte slipped the business card into her pocket and closed the journal, passing it back to him. ‘Will you be working tonight?’
‘No. Do you want a lift home?’ He grinned. ‘You could wait for me by the park gates if you like. With a wig and a pair of sunglasses, no one will think it’s you...’
‘I’ll wear a pink carnation in my buttonhole.’
‘Yeah. That would be a nice touch. Match your ears.’
* * *
Her ears weren’t the only things which felt as if they were burning up when Charlotte walked back past the nurses’ station.
‘Not so fast.’
Paula’s murmured words stopped her in her tracks.
‘Sorry?’ She was going to have to brazen it out.
‘So what’s the story, then? You and Edward North?’
‘He was just showing me a paper he’d written. In one of the journals. Something that came up.’
Charlotte pushed her hands into her pockets and curled her fingers around the business card, just to check that it wasn’t about to leap out of her pocket and embarrass her even further.
‘Well, make sure that something comes up more often. After all...’ Allie shrugged ‘...one thing might lead to another.’
‘I don’t have time for anything like that. Isaac’s the only man in my life at the moment.’ It would be as well if she remembered that, too.
‘Spoilsport. Surely you get time for a night off once in a while?’
Paula’s tone was edged with concern. She might tease, but underneath it all she had a good heart.
‘Edward North...he needs someone like you. And he is gorgeous.’
‘And headed this way...’
Charlotte had been deliberately not looking in the direction of Edward’s office and it was Allie who raised the alarm. Edward was striding towards them, and Charlotte caught the quick exchanged glance between Paula and Allie as he passed behind her. A little too close.
‘Charlotte.’
There was something intimate about the way he said her name. Or maybe it was just her imagination. Charlotte didn’t dare to look in Paula’s direction.
‘Mrs Ashe is here a little early with April. If you’re free, then I’ll see them now.’
‘Yes, of course.’ Charlotte reached over for the notes and followed Edward into the plush, comfortable consulting room.
* * *
The seventeen-year-old took a nervous breath as Edward began the careful, precise work of taking the dressings from the side of her face. The previous week he had used skin flaps to revise the scars that a road accident had left, and today April was to see the result. His small nod, and a fleeting glance in Charlotte’s direction, revealed that he was pleased with his work.
‘Does it look horrible?’ April was chewing her lip.
‘No. Mr North’s got to take a careful look, but so far everything’s fine.’
The other nurses sometimes complained that it was pretty much impossible to gauge Edward’s reactions to anything, but today he seemed more transparent than usual.
She ventured a little more reassurance for April. ‘It’s a little raised at the moment, but that’s normal. It’ll settle over time.’
‘Yes.’ Edward was taking her lead. ‘I’m very pleased with the way it’s healing.’
Charlotte laid her hand over April’s, feeling the tremor of her fingers. ‘When you look at yourself in the mirror, remember that we’re at the very early stages of healing right now. Your procedure went well, and everything’s going just as it should. You’ll see a lot of improvement in the coming months.’
‘That’s okay.’ April managed a smile. ‘I know.’
She might be young, but April was much more pragmatic than some of the clinic’s clients, who seemed to expect that the miracles Edward performed should take effect immediately. Charlotte reached for the mirror, but Edward already had it, and was handing it to April.
‘Everything’s looking good, April. There’s very little swelling, and I can see you’ve been doing all the things that Charlotte told you to do when we saw you last. Keep up the good work.’
‘Thanks.’ April took the mirror and looked at her reflection. ‘That’s not so bad.’
Charlotte grinned at her. ‘No. Not so bad at all. Now, I’ll show you how to massage it gently. With just a little more work, we can make it even better.’
THE SMELL COMING from the kitchen was gorgeous. Mouthwatering. Edward wondered how he could possibly be so hungry when normally he ate far later than this, and sometimes