‘I’ve been stuck in a meeting for hours. It’s good to get home.’
She raised one eyebrow. ‘Which meeting was that?’
‘Oh, one of Leo’s. Reviewing the progress of the charity arm of the clinic.’ Edward wondered whether she’d pick up on the unlikeliness of the whole thing.
‘Really?’
If she had, it looked as if she’d decided not to ask.
‘Yes. Leo seemed really pleased. There’s a lot of progress being made.’
She nodded. ‘So Leo and Ethan are getting on a little better?’ It was an open secret that while the brothers remained professional in their dealings with the staff, they had what was euphemistically termed ‘issues’ with each other.
‘Looks like it. Leo was praising Ethan’s work, and Ethan looked genuinely pleased. A little bit surprised, as well.’
‘I imagine Ethan felt he had to prove himself when he came back.’ Charlotte was staring speculatively at her wine glass.
‘I don’t see why. Ethan’s a superb surgeon.’
‘Oh, Edward!’ She narrowed her eyes at him. ‘It’s not all about how good you are at something. Ethan could be the best surgeon in the world, but he’s still recovering from his injuries. He had to feel that there was an element of pity involved when Leo brought him back into the practice.’
‘Yeah, I suppose anyone would. I think Ethan’s realised that was never the case, though, and that Leo wanted him back for his medical skills. He was talking about the work that Leo had put into regaining the Hunter Clinic’s reputation as well.’
‘Really? That’s good. Sounds as if they’ve got a bit more respect for each other now. So how’s everything else going?’
‘There are a lot of possibilities for expanding the charity side of the operation. Community issues to be taken into consideration—’ He broke off as Charlotte hid a smile behind her hand. ‘What?’
‘You’ve been engaging in chit-chat about community issues, have you?’
He didn’t blame her for her amused disbelief—he’d been both disbelieving and slightly amused himself. ‘Well, someone’s got to think about it.’
‘And that’s you, all of a sudden?’ She couldn’t disguise the warmth in her eyes.
‘Maybe. We’ll see. Anyway, I have some really interesting opportunities in the pipeline, both at the clinic and at the Lighthouse Hospital. And there’s an opportunity for me to join one of the teams visiting Africa for a few weeks. I’d like to hear what you think.’
He paused, aware that he didn’t usually do this either. Edward made his own decisions about the way his career was going to go, without any reference to anyone else. But suddenly he not only wanted to tell Charlotte, he wanted to hear what she had to say.
‘That sounds fantastic. I want to hear everything.’
She pointed at the food in front of him, which had all but completely slipped his mind in his enthusiasm.
‘Finish your meal first, though...’
‘Yeah. Then I’ll tell you all about it.’
* * *
They talked for an hour, and then Charlotte’s rapt attention was overtaken by fatigue. Edward turned to a book, and when he lifted his eyes after only a page she was asleep. He lifted her feet gently up onto the sofa, put a cushion beneath her head, and went back to his reading.
Calmed by the low sound of her breathing, he let the words on the page fly through his mind, forming pictures and patterns as they went. It was as if her very presence made him more receptive—somehow more creative. The raw excitement of new thoughts, new challenges, reared up and dragged him headlong into the heady world of new possibilities that he so loved.
A sound penetrated his consciousness. Something outside in the hallway. The kind of thing that he would normally never heed, but which now somehow managed to jar all his instincts and set his nerves onto red alert.
He rose quietly and went to investigate.
‘Hey, buddy. What’s the matter?’
Isaac was at the front door, clutching Stinky with one hand and trying to pull the door open with the other. He ignored Edward, redoubling his efforts.
He should probably go and wake Charlotte. But she was sleeping so soundly, so peacefully. He could at least give this a go before he did so. Walking over to Isaac, he went down on one knee beside him.
‘You want to go out?’
Isaac shook his head, giving the door one last tug.
‘Ah, I see. You’re just checking that we’re locked up safely for the night. That no one can get in.’
Isaac nodded, staring at the floor as if he was being hauled up in front of the headmaster in disgrace.
‘Right, then. That’s a good idea. Let’s do it together.’ Edward imagined that Isaac probably wanted Charlotte to accompany him, and when the boy curled his arms around his neck he almost jumped back in surprise.
‘Okay.’
‘Well, let’s fetch your dressing gown, then, so you don’t get cold. And we can have a story afterwards if you’d like.’
Isaac nodded, and Edward hoisted him up in his arms. Lifting that small weight made him feel stronger than normal. As if he was some kind of superhero who could make things right and conquer all manner of monsters—even the ones in Isaac’s head.
Surgeon and Dragon-Slayer General. Edward quite liked the sound of that. And if one involved precision instruments, the other involved a large sword which could be brandished flamboyantly when the opportunity arose. There was even a fair maiden, who was currently fast asleep on the sofa, and an apprentice who was also asleep, worn out by a brief but thorough inspection of the locks on all the doors and windows and the first few pages of his favourite bedtime story.
The last half-hour hadn’t involved scaling any high walls, or actually rescuing anyone, but that was okay. Another time, perhaps, when the fair maiden wasn’t in such immediate need of her beauty sleep.
Isaac stirred against him, snuggling up tight.
‘Let’s get you back to bed, little man.’ Edward whispered the words so as not to disturb the sleeping child, and rose, carrying the boy up to his bed.
And then, before he had the chance to think about any such thing with Charlotte, he gently shook her awake, turning back to his book as soon as she had bidden him a sleepy goodnight.
IT HAD BEEN one hell of a tough week. The meeting with Edward’s father, when the past had reached out, snatching her back into the nightmare that she thought she’d survived. Being afraid all the time, and trying not to show it to anyone.
One glass of wine with Edward on Friday, after Isaac had gone to bed, and she had fallen asleep on the sofa, waking with a start when she felt his hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her.
Today she woke to silence. A slow, sleepy climb into wakefulness, cocooned in comfortable forgetfulness. Something was missing, and she groped around in her mind for what it might be. No alarm. No... She sat up straight, propelled by panic. No Isaac, bouncing