It was Nurse Ann who pulled her by the hand and tried to lead her outside.
Laura resisted. “He can’t just send me away. I don’t work for him.”
“I’m afraid he can,” the nurse answeredsotto voce. “It’s his island. And although his son is now the seigneur, in his absence, Lord M is the acting seigneur. But let’s not worry about this for now. Come downstairs. No good will come of arguing when he’s in this mood.”
Laura struggled to fight back tears as she was led out of the room.
Chapter Sixteen
It tookAdam the best part of two hours to calm his patient down. He’d never seen him so agitated. For goodness sake, it was just a dress, why did it matter so much? He’d never known a man take so much interest in fashion.
Surely the bride herself would be back in a few days and could make her own decisions.
For now, he had something else to worry about. The old man was seriously unwell. His face had gone quite ashen for about an hour and he’d refused to speak. Nurse Ann’s remark came back to him, about his being too proud to show weakness, hiding his pain behind a screen of temper. And it had to be very bad and persistent pain to have caused such temper.
He tried with his gentlest, calmest tone, “Mr M, we need to do a scan. Please let me take you to Guernsey.”
“No need.” He set his jaw.
It was the same answer Adam got every time he suggested x-rays, more tests or any further investigation. This time Adam wasn’t going to roll over.
“I think you need an MRI scan.”
“No.” His jaw locked with determination.
Adam dragged a chair from behind the desk and sat opposite Du Montfort. “When you asked me to be your doctor,” he began, “you promised to let me do my job and to take my advice. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t follow up on your tests.”
“Your job is to keep me healthy so I can stand – or sit.” He patted the arms of his wheelchair. “At my son’s side on his wedding day. After that you can go wherever you like.”
There it was again, that illusive expression in the eyes. This time Adam knew it for what it was.
Fear.
It was the same expression pregnant women had when they complained of the baby wasn’t kicking as much. Deep inside, they’d already suspected the pregnancy had failed. Du Montfort knew he was sick, and he was afraid of finding out, of not lasting until his son’s wedding.
There had to be a way, even if he had to order a mobile x-ray machine to be brought over. It would take a few phone calls, but not now in front of his patient.
Nothing could be gained from pushing the old man today of all days when he’d had a horrible upset. In fact, the best thing he could do for now was protect him from stress. New rules: no one, absolutely no one was to bother Du Montfort with wedding arguments.
Or any other aggravating news.
So when Pierre walked into the room with a stack of newspapers, Adam intercepted her halfway down the room.
Lord M was distracted watching as the winds tossed the sea against the white rocks at the bottom of the cliffs. Tree tops swayed heavily and rain pelted everything in sight. No ferry would come or leave in this so Laura was stuck here at least for another day. By then he hoped Lord M would have calmed down.
“The last thing we need” — He took the papers out of Pierre’s hands — “is news about political trouble and war all over the globe.”
They found a shelf hidden behind one of the large armchairs where they could stuff the papers out of sight.
He cast a quick glance over his shoulder; Du Montfort was not looking at them.Go, he mouthed silently at her.
But before Pierre could leave, the doors were pushed open and Laura walked in, a bundled bedsheet in her arms.
She’d been close to breakdown earlier, but whatever magic tea the women had given her down in the kitchen, she was now fully restored and looked ready for battle.
He dropped the papers and strode over to block her way. “I’m sorry, Lord M can’t be disturbed.”
She walked past him as if he weren’t there.
