you had better come in, then.’ She opened the door and led the way into the room.
It was stark inside—just a bed covered with a mosquito net, a rough-hewn table and a small cupboard. The only decoration was two photographs on the table. Josh glanced around at the spartan furnishings, his eyes lingering for a moment on the photographs. One was of her parents; it was faded, and in black and white, but it was the only reminder she had of the parents she had barely known. Next to it was her wedding photograph, with Ben smiling down at her in a tender way.
Samantha pulled out the one and only chair by the table. ‘Make yourself comfortable,’ she invited a trifle self-consciously. She noticed with gratitude that some kind person had left some soft drinks for her in a cool-box by the bed.
She picked up a bottle and held it out towards him. ‘Would you like a drink?’
‘I don’t suppose you have a cold beer in there?’
‘I’m a nurse, not a magician,’ she said stiffly.
He grinned at her look of disapproval. ‘An orange juice, or whatever it is, would be great—thanks.’
She took the tops off the bottles and handed him one. ‘I’m afraid I haven’t got any glasses.’
‘Beggars can’t be choosers.’ He held up the bottle in a salute before taking a long, thirsty drink.
For a second she found herself watching him curiously. He looked incongruous in the small chair. He was very tall, very powerfully built, with wide shoulders tapering to lithe hips. His long legs were stretched out in front of him in a manner that suggested he was very relaxed, yet Samantha sensed that for all his laid-back manner he was taking in his surroundings with a trained, observant eye. Perhaps a keen journalist never relaxed and always noticed everything.
He was looking again at her wedding photograph, and Samantha’s nerves stretched painfully as she followed his gaze. She sat down on the side of the bed.
‘How long were you and Ben married?’
‘Nearly two years.’ Her voice was stilted.
‘Strange.’ Josh shook his head. ‘I saw his parents when I was in London last October. They never mentioned anything about you.’
For the briefest moment Samantha hesitated. She and Ben had met through their work in Chuanga and had married there. She had only met Edward and Sarah Walker once, when she and Ben had been granted leave after their wedding to go back to England for two weeks.
‘They didn’t approve of the match.’ She was proud of the way she kept her voice so cool, and her expression didn’t falter. The hurt and the disappointment she had experienced where Ben’s family were concerned was buried deep.
‘Why ever not?’ He frowned.
‘Something to do with the fact that I wasn’t Helen.’
‘Ah...’ His voice trailed off knowingly.
‘You knew her?’ Samantha’s interest was immediately piqued. She had heard so much about the beautiful, clever Helen Roland from Ben’s mother that it had been embarrassing—especially as Ben had never before mentioned the woman’s name to her. Afterwards, when Samantha had questioned him about Helen, he had been infuriatingly vague, saying she was just an old girlfriend.
‘Yes, I knew her,’ Josh replied.
‘You are quite close to the Walker family, then?’ For some reason she had thought that Josh was merely an acquaintance.
‘I saw a lot of them as I was growing up. Ben’s father and mine were partners in a law firm.’
‘So you know how much Sarah thought of Helen?’
‘Oh, yes.’ Josh nodded, his manner relaxed. ‘Helen was a medical student, very clever. Ben went out with her for three years and Sarah took it very much for granted that they would get married. But then I suppose you know all the details?’
‘Not really.’ Samantha shrugged and met Josh’s steady gaze. She wondered what he would say if she told him that Ben had married her on the rebound... that he had still been in love with Helen Roland.
Not that it mattered any more. She sighed. ‘Poor Sarah. She will be absolutely devastated. It will be especially hard for her as Ben was an only child.’
For a moment a picture of Ben rose in her mind. Medium build, sandy blond hair. She took a deep breath. He had been so badly injured in the bomb blast that he had been virtually unidentifiable.
‘He was a good doctor.’ She looked up at Josh, unaware of the deep sadness in her eyes. It was awful, but it was the one complimentary thing she could think of to say about him. ‘Very dedicated to his work.’
‘That’s something I would have thought you both had in common,’ Josh answered gently as he put his drink down on the table. ‘Will you come back to work in Chuanga, Sam, after your enforced rest?’
‘I...I don’t know.’ She shrugged vaguely. She couldn’t tell him that it would be impossible for her to return. She couldn’t bring herself even to mention that she was pregnant.
‘I suppose it might be considered a waste of a good nurse if you don’t?’ he ventured casually.
‘Probably, but there are other worthwhile posts.’ Samantha’s voice was brittle. That theory of Josh’s was certainly one her husband had favoured. He had been horrified when she had suggested giving up her career for her baby.
Her eyes clashed directly with Josh’s watchful gaze. ‘So why did you ask if I could drive?’ She went straight to the point before he could start asking any more questions about her life and about Ben. She felt Josh Hamilton wasn’t the reticent type when it came to asking questions, but then she supposed that went with the type of job he did. He obviously wasn’t afraid to talk to her about Ben—unlike Samantha’s colleagues, who had all skirted around the subject in a nervous way for fear of upsetting her.
‘Because it suddenly struck me that I have a Jeep outside but can’t drive it and that you can drive but have no form of transport.’ He spread his hands. ‘The sensible thing would be for us to pool our resources, don’t you think?’
‘You mean that I should drive you back through the bush to Salanga?’ She sounded as surprised as she felt.
‘Why not?’ He shrugged. ‘Don’t you think you could do it?’
‘Of course I could do it.’ Her reply was instant, and then she hesitated. ‘But isn’t it very dangerous to drive through the bush without some form of protective escort?’
‘It’s very dangerous to stay here,’ he pointed out laconically. ‘Either way you’re taking a calculated risk.’
That much was true. At one time, Samantha wouldn’t have hesitated. She had never lacked courage and had never been frightened to take a chance, but that had been before she had found out she was pregnant. Now she had to consider the risks, weigh up the danger she would face with regard to her child. ‘I’ll have to think about it,’ she said cautiously.
He looked surprised. ‘I would have thought it the ideal
