‘One of the problems with Thomas’s heart is what we call a VSD—a ventricular septal defect. In other words, there is a hole between the two chambers here….’ He tapped his pen on the page to demonstrate what he meant more clearly. ‘I will put a patch on that. Here the artery is narrowed and I need to sort that out, probably by opening up the valve that leads into it.’
Nico continued his explanation and finally Lorna’s husband gave a weak smile. ‘You make it sound like DIY.’
Nico gave a brief nod. ‘In a way it is. I am a technician. Only I don’t always know exactly what will need to be done until I have a look at the heart.’ He gave another shrug. ‘You just have to trust me.’
Lorna bit her lip and he lifted an eyebrow.
‘There is something else you wish to ask me?’
‘You say we must trust you….’ Lorna hesitated and then took a deep breath. ‘Are you good?’
Nico seemed momentarily taken aback by the question and then he gave a wry smile and touched her cheek briefly with a long finger.
‘The best.’
Abby stayed silent as Lorna visibly relaxed and started to ask all the questions that had clearly been bothering her for some time.
Finally she seemed happier and Nico rose to his feet in a fluid movement and flashed her a smile.
‘I hope you feel a little better now.’
Lorna nodded and gave him a weak smile. ‘I do feel better, thank you, although I can’t pretend I’m not worried.’
‘Of course you will be worried.’ Nico slipped his pen back into his pocket. ‘You are a mother and it is a mother’s role to worry. If there are any other questions that you wish to ask me then just ask one of the nurses to contact me and I will be happy to speak to you at any time. I will come and find you after the operation tomorrow so that I can tell you how it went.’
At the reminder of what lay ahead, Lorna swallowed and he reached out a hand and squeezed her shoulder.
‘It will go well. Trust me.’
With that he strode out of the room, leaving Abby to follow in his wake, stunned by what she’d witnessed.
It wasn’t at all what she’d expected.
She’d never seen a doctor take so much time with a family before and she was impressed by how skilfully he’d translated the technical aspects of the operation into language that the family could understand. She was also impressed by the way he’d picked up the signals that Lorna hadn’t understood the previous explanations that she’d been given.
Maybe she’d misjudged him.
‘Thank you for giving them so much time. I’ve never heard a doctor give such a clear explanation. You were amazing with them,’ she admitted quietly, as she walked back along the corridor beside him.
He stopped dead and turned to face her, a frown touching his forehead, almost as though he’d forgotten she was there until she’d spoken.
His eyes locked with hers and suddenly she remembered the way he’d looked at her in the side room.
Accusingly.
Which was utterly ridiculous, she told herself firmly. What could he possibly be accusing her of?
Or maybe he’d recognised her but couldn’t place her.
Maybe she should tell him that she used to go to school with Lucia?
His gaze was cool and assessing and something in those fabulous dark eyes chilled her to the bone.
‘Are you staying for my teaching round?’
‘I can’t.’ She was off duty at four and nothing was going to stop her seeing Rosa. She’d nipped down to the crèche in her lunch-break to check that the baby was all right, but she’d be happier when they were both at home.
‘And will you be at home this evening?’ His voice was silky smooth and she nodded, taken aback by the question.
Why would Nico Santini be remotely interested in her plans for the evening?
His eyes scanned her face with disconcerting thoroughness and then he turned on his heel and walked back onto the main ward, leaving her staring after him, thoroughly confused.
Nico completed his teaching round and glanced at his watch.
‘Are you busy this evening?’ Jack Gibbs was clearly about to extend a social invitation and Nico was quick to make his excuses.
There was only one place he intended to be that evening, and that was confronting Abby Harrington. Incredibly skilled at interpreting body language, he’d instantly recognised her nervousness when they’d been introduced.
His mouth twisted into a bitter smile. After all these years he didn’t think that he made mistakes about women, but he’d certainly been way off the mark in her case.
He’d thought her extremely shy, but she’d also seemed to him to be sensible and intelligent and he’d hoped that she might be a favourable influence on his dizzy sister. She certainly wasn’t the sort of person he would have credited with telling lies or choosing to become a single mother.
It was no wonder she’d looked nervous when he’d walked onto the ward.
She was afraid that he’d discovered her secret and at this very moment she was probably pacing the floor of the tiny flat that she was being forced to vacate, dreading his next move.
And she was right to dread it.
Perfect father material.
Wasn’t that what Lucia had said when she’d persuaded him to be the donor? That they’d decided that he had all the qualities that a man should have. Looks and intellect. Unfortunately for them, they’d failed to realise that being perfect father material also included a sense of responsibility towards fatherhood and it was that same sense of duty that had driven him to check on the child that he’d fathered.
He wondered how Abby Harrington would react when he announced that he intended to claim his child.
For some reason she’d wanted a child of her own and had clearly been prepared to use any means to achieve her objective. Including persuading his sister to lie about her circumstances, he reminded himself grimly.
She’d played a dangerous game and lost.
And now she was going to pay the price.
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