nonsense. So many marriages fail that it’s nice to see a couple actually making a go of it.’
‘I never thought you’d be an advocate for marriage,’ Grace observed tartly, to hide her surprise. She’d never expected to hear Harry expounding on the joys of matrimony. It simply didn’t go with the image she had of him and it was unsettling to think that she might have to adjust her ideas.
‘Oh, I’m a great believer in the institution of marriage,’ he declared. ‘So long as I don’t have to get personally involved in promoting it as a lifestyle choice then I’m more than happy to give it my vote.’
‘Typical,’ Grace snorted. ‘Why would you want to spoil your fun by making a commitment to one woman when you can have your pick from dozens? I’m just surprised you found the time to come here tonight, Harry, when you could be using it so much more productively.’
‘Oh, the night is young yet and there’s plenty of time left for…pleasure.’
His deep voice lingered on the last word and the tiny hairs on the back of Grace’s neck sprang to attention. She had a sudden and far too vivid mental picture of how Harry might pleasure the latest woman in his life, so she quickly stood up. Harry might be prepared to sit here and play these silly games but she wasn’t going to play them with him.
‘How very nice for you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to have a word with Miles before I make my decision.’
‘Of course. But take your time, Grace, and really think about what you’re doing. I’d hate you to turn down my offer and then regret it.’
Harry stood up as she came round the desk and she was forced to stop. He was several inches taller than she was so that she had to tip back her head to look at him. Maybe it was that which made her feel so vulnerable all of a sudden.
‘I want you to be sure in your own heart, Grace, that you really don’t want me here.’
Harry knew he shouldn’t tease Grace like that but it was hard to resist when she always rose so sweetly to his baiting. He hid his smile as he watched a dozen different expressions cross her face. She was trying to decide whether she should ignore him or tear a strip off him, and he realised with a sudden flash of insight that he didn’t mind which it was. Fighting with Grace was a whole lot more fun than making love had been with many of the women he’d dated over the past few years.
The thought caught him unawares so it was a relief when Grace swept past him without uttering a word. Harry went to the window after she’d left, wondering where the idea had sprung from. Grace Kennedy had been a pain in the butt ever since he’d met her on their first day at Oxford together. She’d taken an instant dislike to him and had never once missed the opportunity to goad him since then.
Harry had found himself responding in kind even though he’d known he should try to rise above such childish behaviour. It was just that Grace’s remarks had seemed to prick harder and more painfully than anyone else’s had done. She’d been one of the top students in their year so he’d told himself that it was competitiveness that had caused the problem: Grace had resented the fact that he was every bit as talented as she was and that was why she’d given him hell, and it had become a point of honour that he should retaliate. Now he found himself wondering if there was another reason why they’d kept up the sparring for all these years. Was it possible that he and Grace were attracted to each other?
He groaned. It was obviously a night for stupid thoughts. He didn’t seriously imagine that Grace found him attractive. They argued because she neither liked nor trusted him, and because he refused to do anything to improve her opinion of him. It made him see how difficult it would be for them to work together in such circumstances. It wouldn’t help poor Miles if he and Grace were constantly at odds.
He sighed as he stared across the empty car park. It was a blow to face that fact, when he’d thought that he’d found the ideal solution to his problems as well as Miles’s. He’d never got around to telling Miles last night the reason why he was in Cumbria. Miles had been so stressed that he hadn’t found the right moment to broach the subject, which was ironic, really, because this new health service committee he’d been appointed to had been set up specifically to find ways to relieve the pressure on rural GPs.
Harry had spoken to dozens of general practitioners over the past few weeks, but he still hadn’t been able to get a true picture of all the problems they faced. Few people liked to admit they couldn’t cope and GPs were no different to anyone else in that respect. He’d been hoping to get some truthful answers out of Miles, but once he’d learned about the difficulties his friend was experiencing, Harry had realised it was the opportunity he needed. If he offered to work at the surgery then not only would he be helping Miles but he’d be able to experience the pressures at first hand.
He’d decided to talk to Miles and Grace about it that evening, but now he could see how pointless it would be. Although he was confident that Miles would agree to his proposal, Grace certainly wouldn’t. She’d probably see it as a slight on the way they ran the practice and the last thing Harry wanted was to create a rift between the two partners. All things considered, it might be better if he told Miles that he’d changed his mind.
‘Can you phone for an ambulance?’
Grace came rushing back into the room. Harry felt his heart sink when he saw the expression on her face. ‘What’s wrong?’ he demanded as he watched her wrench open a cupboard door.
‘It’s Miles. I th-think h-he’s having a heart attack.’
Her voice caught and she bit her lip. Harry could see that her hands were shaking as she tried to take a syringe out of the box. He hurried across the room and took it from her then looked around.
‘Drugs?’
‘In that steel cabinet in the corner. Here’s the keys.’
She handed him a bunch of keys. Harry took them and quickly unlocked the cupboard. ‘You phone for an ambulance while I sort this out,’ he instructed, checking through the vials until he found what he needed.
‘Oh, but—’
‘For heavens sake, Grace, don’t waste time arguing. Just do it.’
He didn’t wait to see how she took that: there wasn’t time. He left her in the office and ran along the corridor, cursing under his breath because he’d forgotten to ask her where he would find Miles. Fortunately, there were only three other doors leading off the corridor and he found Miles propped up against the sink unit in the staffroom.
‘How’s it going, old man?’ Harry asked, dropping to his knees beside him.
‘I’ve had better days,’ Miles muttered, clutching his chest.
‘I’ll bet you have.’ Harry quickly rolled up his friend’s shirtsleeve and swabbed his arm then slid the needle into his vein. ‘There. That should ease the pain in a moment or two so let’s take a look at you.’
He took hold of Miles’s wrist and checked his pulse. It was a little fast but strong enough, and he smiled encouragingly at him. ‘Well, the old ticker’s still working away, you’ll be pleased to hear.’
‘Nice to know I’m not dead yet,’ Miles replied with a brave stab at humour.
‘Oh, there’s plenty of life in the old dog yet,’ Harry said airily, hoping he wasn’t tempting
