him. You’ll be able to see him very soon.’
‘Oh, thank heavens!’ Marjorie Briggs clutched Katie’s hand. ‘I thought you were going to tell me that Frank was dead. I couldn’t have stood that, really, I couldn’t.’
She broke into a storm of weeping again. Katie patted her hand as she waited for her to calm down. Dealing with distraught relatives had been part of her job for so long that it was second nature to her now. Reaching into her bag, she plucked out a tissue and handed it to her.
‘I know it’s been a terrible shock for you, Marjorie, but the fact that Frank has rallied for a second time is a really positive sign, isn’t it, Dr Constantine?’ She glanced at Christos and once again was struck by the feeling that he was assessing her every word and action.
‘Indeed it is. Your husband is doing extremely well in the circumstances. However, the next few hours will be critical, you understand.’
‘You mean that Frank could have another heart attack?’ Marjorie said, her voice quavering.
‘Sadly, yes.’
He leant forward and Katie was surprised when she saw real compassion in his eyes. From her experiences that day, she wouldn’t have put him down as someone who empathised with other people, but it seemed that she might have misjudged him.
‘We’ve carried out various tests on your husband and established that the cardiac arteries are almost completely blocked in three separate places. I feel it would be safer if he underwent immediate bypass surgery.’
‘You mean you want to operate on Frank here?’ Marjorie exclaimed in dismay.
‘Yes. In my opinion it would be far too dangerous to allow him to fly home to England for the operation. We have the facilities to do it here and your travel insurance should cover the cost of the operation plus the aftercare. If it doesn’t, then we do have funding available in special cases. All I need is for you to sign a consent form so the operation can go ahead.’
‘Oh, I don’t know what to do! Frank’s never had a day’s illness in his life so are you absolutely sure this is necessary?’ Marjorie pleaded.
It was obvious the poor woman was overwhelmed by thought of having to make the decision all by herself so Katie gently intervened. ‘Dr Constantine wouldn’t have suggested it if it weren’t in your husband’s best interests, Marjorie.’
‘Do you really think so?’ Marjorie said desperately, turning to her.
‘Of course I do,’ Katie assured her. ‘And if you’re worried about Frank having the operation here rather than at home, don’t be. I’ve only seen a small part of the hospital so far, but I have to say that I’m very impressed. The facilities here are excellent.’
‘Well, if you think it’s the right thing to do, dear.’ Marjorie was obviously wavering.
‘I do.’ Katie smiled encouragingly at her. ‘Having the surgery here will give your husband the best possible chance of making a full recovery.’
‘Then that’s what we’ll do.’ Marjorie took a deep breath and stood up. ‘I’ll sign whatever forms you need, Doctor. Then I’d like to see my husband, please.’
‘Of course.’ Christos stood up as well. Putting his hand under the old lady’s elbow, he guided her to the door then paused. ‘I shall only be a few minutes if you wouldn’t mind waiting here for me.’
‘Of course.’
Katie stood up after they left and went to the window. It was a beautiful day, the sun beating down from a cloudless blue sky. She could see right across the bay and the reflection of the sun glittering off the aquamarine water would have been breathtaking at any other time. However, she found it impossible to derive any pleasure from the view right then. She might have helped to solve Marjorie’s problem but she still hadn’t solved her own. What on earth was she going to do if it turned out that Petros really was getting married? Should she stay in Cyprus when the plans she’d made for the future would never amount to anything, or should she leave the island? And if she left, where should she go?
She could go to Sardinia and join Kelly, but that might put a damper on her sister’s plans. Knowing Kelly, she would throw herself into her new job and soon make lots of friends. Having her twin around might hold her back, though, and that was the last thing Katie wanted to do, yet the thought of moving to another country on her own was a daunting one.
She didn’t have Kelly’s confidence and couldn’t imagine making a life for herself in a place where she knew nobody so she might be forced to return to England after all. However, the prospect of going back to Manchester wasn’t one she relished. All her friends and workmates knew why she had left and the thought of having to tell them about Petros was more than she could bear. She certainly didn’t want to become an object of pity!
She was still trying to work out what she should do for the best when the door opened and her heart sank when she realised that Christos had returned. She knew that he would want her to leave as soon as possible, but was she prepared to go without seeing Petros first? Maybe Christos had told her the truth, but she needed to hear it from Petros himself rather than from a go-between. No matter where she ended up, she knew that she would never be able to settle until she had resolved this issue.
Christos could tell as soon as he went back into the room that he was going to have a fight on his hands if he hoped to persuade Katie to leave. There was a glint in her eyes that didn’t bode well for any plans he might harbour. He decided to opt for the gentle approach and smiled at her.
‘Shall we go up to my office? It will be quieter there and there will be less chance of us being interrupted.’
He opened the door but she ignored his invitation. Walking over to the chairs, she picked up her bag. ‘I don’t think so. The only place I’m going is into the town to find myself a room for the night.’
‘Why? What point is there in staying here?’ He shrugged, trying to stave off a sudden feeling of disappointment. Maybe he did want to learn more about her but he couldn’t afford to satisfy his curiosity at the expense of Eleni’s happiness. The longer Katie remained on the island, the greater the risk of Eleni finding out about her and that was the last thing he wanted. ‘The best thing you can do now is to return to England and put this whole unfortunate episode behind you.’
‘Whether I return to England or not is my decision. I don’t need you to tell me what to do.’ She marched to the door, one slender brow arching when he barred her way. ‘Excuse me.’
‘You aren’t going anywhere until I know what you intend to do.’
‘Really?’ She stared up at him, her pretty face set. ‘Holding me here against my will is a crime, Dr Constantine. Are you prepared for the publicity that will follow if I report you to the police?’
‘The police would never believe you,’ he scoffed, hoping he was right.
‘Maybe not, but they would have to investigate my allegations.’ She smiled tightly. ‘These things have a nasty habit of leaking out. I wonder how Petros’s fiancée will feel if she sees the story plastered across the front of the local paper.’
Christos knew that she was calling his bluff but there was little he could do about it. She was right, too, because the papers would have a field day if the story
