She almost dropped the flask when a shadow fell across her.
At the same second she heard Sophie cry ecstatically, ‘Daddy!’ and when she looked up Gabriel was there, observing her gravely for an incredible moment, until Sophie flung herself into his arms. As Josh followed suit he held them both close, and Laura saw the wetness of tears on his cheeks.
When the children had calmed down after lots of hugs and kisses, and were tucking into the food, she said in a low voice, ‘So you decided to come earlier?’
‘Yes, but I’m not staying.’
‘The children won’t like that! Don’t you think they’ve waited long enough to be with you?’
‘Yes, I do. But, Laura, my life has been on hold for long enough. I have things to sort out at the hospital. I want the way ahead to be clear with regard to my career, so that I know where I’m at, what I’m doing.’
The hurt inside her was beyond bearing as she listened to what he was saying, and it came forth in anger as she said tightly, ‘So nothing changes, Gabriel? It’s still career first and family second.’ And, with her glance on the children, who were out of earshot, ‘Well, don’t let us stop you…’
Dear Reader
Once again we meet between the pages of one of my books. This time it is the third story out of four about The Doctors of Swallowbrook Farm, and here we meet Gabriel, a doctor who has a great sense of dedication towards his profession, and Laura, his wife, who throws their lives into chaos quite unintentionally.
Their story is about the love and loyalty that binds them together at a time of great unrest in their lives, and how the strength of it finally brings back the happiness that they thought they had lost. I do hope that you will enjoy meeting them.
With very best regards
Abigail Gordon
About the Author
ABIGAIL GORDON loves to write about the fascinating combination of medicine and romance from her home in a Cheshire village. She is active in local affairs, and is even called upon to write the script for the annual village pantomime! Her eldest son is a hospital manager, and helps with all her medical research. As part of a close-knit family, she treasures having two of her sons living close by, and the third one not too far away. This also gives her the added pleasure of being able to watch her delightful grandchildren growing up.
Recent titles by the same author:
SPRING PROPOSAL IN SWALLOWBROOK** SWALLOWBROOK’S WINTER BRIDE** SUMMER SEASIDE WEDDING† VILLAGE NURSE’S HAPPY-EVER-AFTER† WEDDING BELLS FOR THE VILLAGE NURSE† CHRISTMAS IN BLUEBELL COVE† COUNTRY MIDWIFE, CHRISTMAS BRIDE*
**The Doctors of Swallowbrook Farm *The Willowmere Village Stories † Bluebell Cove
These books are also available in eBook format from www.millsandboon.co.uk
Marriage Miracle in Swallowbrook
Abigail Gordon
For Stephen and Judith
who generously gave me their time
and their hospitality
while showing me Lakeland
CHAPTER ONE
A SUMMER sun was shining when Laura Armitage drew back the curtains in the master bedroom of the house that her uncle had given her. Its mellow golden rays were spreading far and wide from the ripening corn in distant fields to the shores of the tree-lined lakeside nearby, but to the woman at the window the brightness of the morning was blotted out by dark uncertainties about the future.
A month ago she and her children had moved into a spacious old house that she’d had renovated in the beautiful lakeland village of Swallowbrook. She’d been offered the position of practice manager at the medical centre in the village and, desperate to leave London, she’d accepted the opportunity to take up where her uncle, who had held the position before her, had left off. He had gone to spend his retirement in Spain and as a parting gift had given her his house.
The children, eight-year-old Sophie and six-year-old Josh, loved the place after the noise and bustle of London. The lake, beautiful in all weathers, was encircled by a bracelet of rugged fells that attracted walkers and climbers from far and wide all the year round, especially at this time, while down below them an assortment of craft of all types and sizes sailed the lake’s clear waters.
The children’s favourite pastime was when the three of them sailed to its far reaches on one of the pleasure launches that went to and fro all the time during the hours of daylight. But wherever they went, whatever they did, there was always the same question coming from Sophie, ‘Mummy, when is Daddy coming home?’
‘Soon,’ she would tell her gently. ‘He is just so busy looking after the sick people.’
As she gazed unseeingly out of the window Laura thought that she would love Swallowbrook as much as they did if only Gabriel was there with them. Without him life had no meaning. But a horrendous turn of events had taken him from them and until he surfaced again she had no idea if the light of a marriage that had already begun to fade had been extinguished completely.
He knew that she’d taken her uncle up on his offer of the house called Swallows Barn, and that she was now employed at the practice from nine o’clock in the morning to when the children came out of the village school in the afternoon.
When she’d told him about her uncle’s generosity he’d been less than enthusiastic, ‘Fine, if that’s what you want, Laura, but when I get out of here I intend to go straight to the town house.’ And with a bleak smile he’d added, ‘I take it that it’s still there? That it hasn’t been repossessed?’
‘No. of course not!’ she’d said steadily, holding back the tears that she had never shed in front of him on the nightmarish visiting days when they’d sat across from each other at a small table without touching and behaving like strangers.
She’d never wept in front of the children either, determined that nothing should spoil their youthful innocence. Her tears were shed in the long hours of the night in the big double bed that was bereft of the presence of the husband she’d adored.
‘I’ve taken the job in Swallowbrook to help pay the bills while you’re not around,’ she’d told him that day. ‘The gift of my uncle’s house clinched it with regard to moving there, but from what you’ve just said it would seem that you aren’t intending to join us. I thought you were desperate to see the children, Gabriel, knowing how much it must have cost you to refuse to let me bring them with me on days like today.’
‘I