I’ve been a fool. I realise that. But can’t you see, I’ve learned my lesson?’
Abby shook her head. ‘It’s too late, Luke. I don’t believe your protestations of regret, any more than you believed mine.’
She held up her head. ‘I think you ought to go. You’ve done your duty and assured yourself that there are no complications thus far. But after this, I suggest you send Felix if you want an update on my condition.’
Luke hooked one hand behind his neck. ‘That’s not why I came,’ he said roughly. ‘Sure, I’ve wondered how you were, but you’ve got no idea how many times I’ve picked up the phone and put it down again.’
‘To call your broker, no doubt,’ she said contemptuously, and this time she achieved her objective. He was furious.
‘No, not to call my broker,’ he snarled angrily. ‘For God’s sake, Abby, what do you want me to do? Get down on my knees and beg you to believe me? If I thought it would do any good, I’d do it. I love you, dammit. And I’ve never said that to any woman before.’
Abby’s lips parted, and she backed away from him. ‘My God,’ she said disbelievingly, ‘you’ll do anything to own this baby, won’t you?’
Luke could only stare at her. ‘Is that what you think?’ His voice broke on the words. ‘Well, yeah, if that’s what you believe, you’re right. I am wasting my time.’
‘I told you that,’ she said, but now she was looking and sounding a little less than self-assured.
Or was that only wishful thinking? Certainly, when he moved towards her, she flinched away from him as if he were about to attack her.
His eyes narrowed. Was it conceivable that that was how Laurence had treated her? Recalling the bruise he’d seen on her neck that fateful evening, it was possible.
He felt sick suddenly. ‘Abby,’ he began in a gentler tone, but she turned away from him.
‘Go,’ she said, her voice thick with emotion, but Luke couldn’t just walk out.
Catching her arm, he swung her round to face him, not surprised to find the evidence of unshed tears in her eyes.
‘Abby,’ he said again, and, unable to prevent himself, he bent and pressed a warm kiss to the corner of her soft mouth. ‘I do love you,’ he added huskily. And without waiting to see if she would say anything else to defend herself, he strode across the room and ran down the stairs before he could change his mind.
But he’d be back, he assured himself as he slammed the outer door behind him. She could bet on it.
* * *
It was late in the evening when Abby heard someone knocking at her door.
Of course, Harley started barking, and she sighed in frustration.
But her pulse quickened in spite of herself. It could only be Luke, she thought tensely. It was after eleven and no one else was likely to turn up at this hour. And she knew exactly what he wanted.
It was annoying because she’d spent the rest of the day trying to put what he’d said out of her mind. She hadn’t even had her work in the café to distract her. There’d been no point in opening in the middle of the afternoon, and by the time Luke had gone, she’d been in no state to face her customers, anyway.
She’d suspected he’d come back, of course, only not so precipitately. Certainly not just a few hours after he’d left. It was as she’d said: he wanted to maintain a connection with her so that when the baby was born, she wouldn’t be able to deny him access to the child.
There was no doubt that finding out he was going to be a father had shocked him. For heaven’s sake, it had shocked her, and she’d at least had some warning of what was happening to her body.
She bit her lip. He probably thought at this time of the evening, she’d be more responsive to his persuasion; more willing to believe his protestations of love.
Love? Her lips twisted. No way.
Harley was growling now, pacing back and forth before the door that led onto the stairs, and she felt a moment’s apprehension.
What if it wasn’t Luke? The dog wasn’t usually suspicious of Luke, but surely even the retriever couldn’t detect a person’s scent from so far away.
She hesitated, glancing down at the silk kimono she was wearing over her nightshirt. She certainly wasn’t dressed for company, but then who else would turn up without even a word of warning?
It had to be Luke, and she had to send him away before Harley woke the whole street.
Opening the door, she switched on the light, and allowed the retriever to precede her down the stairs. He was still growling when he reached the bottom and she took a deep breath before calling stiffly, ‘I’m not going to let you in, Luke. I’m sorry if you’ve had a wasted journey, but—’
‘It’s not Luke, Ms Lacey.’ The man interrupted her, his voice oddly choked, but familiar. ‘It’s Felix. Felix Laidlaw. I work for Luke.’ He paused. ‘There’s been an accident, Ms Lacey. Luke’s been hurt and he’s asking for you.’ Another pause. ‘Will you open the door?’
Abby’s lips parted in dismay.
Her hands went automatically to the lock, but then she drew back, pressing the tips of her fingers to her lips. How did she know he was telling the truth?
There was no way of knowing, and the door was old, so it didn’t have a spyhole.
‘Ms Lacey? Abby?’ Felix—if it was Felix—spoke again. ‘Please, I know you must be suspicious. But I’m not lying. Luke’s in hospital. In Bath.’
‘In Bath!’ Abby swallowed. ‘I don’t understand. What’s Luke doing in Bath? I understood he was going back to London.’
‘He was, but he was going to see his father first.’ He sighed. ‘Couldn’t I tell you what happened when we’re on our way? I need to get back.’
Abby bit her lip. ‘I’m not even dressed.’
‘I’ll wait.’
Abby hesitated. ‘How do I know you’re telling the truth?’
‘You don’t.’ Felix’s tone was flat now. ‘But are you prepared to let a man die, without even trying to save him?’
Abby gasped, and, without any more hesitation, she had the door open in seconds. As she’d expected, Felix was outside, his face pale in the light from the hall behind her.
‘Luke’s dying?’ she choked, dragging Harley back as he would have surged outside, and Felix expelled a weary breath.
‘Not yet,’ he said honestly. ‘But he’s badly hurt.’
‘Hurt? How?’
‘His car was in collision with a farm vehicle,’ replied Felix heavily. ‘The fool driver of the combine harvester pulled into the road right in front of him. It’s lucky he
