Читать книгу 200 Harley Street - Lynne Marshall - Страница 41

IAIN GLANCED AT the clock on the wall. ‘Lexi, are you ready?’ He didn’t want to be late.

She appeared instantly at his side. He tried not to let his eyes automatically run up and down the length of her body—but, boy, was it hard. Her perfume was already assaulting his senses and rejigging his memory from the night before.

It was making his skin prickle and resurrecting a whole host of feelings of guilt. He tried to push them away. She was dressed conservatively. A plain cream blouse, knee-length navy skirt and flats. But she still managed to carry it off with panache. The sooner he finished with this the better. He hated the fact he didn’t think he could control his body’s responses around her. The last thing he needed was other people suspecting something was going on.

This was the last part of the filming—a review of a little Chinese boy he’d performed surgery on a few days ago. He stopped just outside the door and nodded to the cameraman, who started filming.

‘Okay, today we’re going to look in on An. He’s a six-year-old Chinese boy with a facial deformity—hemifacial microsomia. It’s a condition that affects the bone, muscle, fat and nerves of the lower part of the face. The deformities are on a spectrum. They can range from a mild presentation with slight asymmetry to severe absence of facial structures. It’s a progressive disorder and becomes more apparent as the child grows.’

‘How common is it?’ asked Lexi.

‘It’s the second most common facial deformity and affects around one in five thousand six hundred births. It’s equally common in males and females.’

Lexi halted at the door and he wondered about her reaction. Please don’t let her grimace when she sees the child. An’s asymmetrical features were apparent, even at a young age. He had many more years of surgery ahead of him.

He tapped her shoulder as they walked in and kept talking to the camera. ‘One side of An’s face is growing normally. The other isn’t. The surgery I did a few days ago was a mandibular correction to allow for normal maxillary growth. It means An’s dental structures and jaw will be in better alignment.’

He was still watching Lexi from the corner of his eye. She had her head tilted to one side and looked as if she was concentrating fiercely. She was watching An and his mother talk in hushed voices. He glanced towards the doorway again, waiting for the translator. Speaking Chinese was not in his repertoire.

But it appeared to be in Lexi’s.

She walked over and knelt next to the little boy and his mother, trying a few hesitant words. The woman’s eyebrows shot skywards and after a few seconds she replied haltingly.

Lexi smiled and tried again. This time she was a little more relaxed and the words flowed more freely. The exchange lasted a few minutes. Iain couldn’t believe his eyes. How did she know Chinese?

He took a few steps closer. ‘Lexi?’

She looked up. ‘I thought I recognised the language. It’s Gan with a Nanchang dialect.’

‘How on earth do you know that?’

A wrinkle appeared across her brow. It was obvious she was choosing her words carefully. ‘Do you remember I told you I spent the summer with my aunt?’

He nodded.

‘My aunt did lots of charity work. At that time most of her work was in some of the Chinese orphanages. She took me over there for a whole summer. It was the best summer of my life.’

‘You learned a Chinese dialect in one summer?’

‘I still go back,’ she said quietly. ‘Away from the spotlight. Every few years Jo and I go back to that same orphanage. I feel a real connection with it. I’ve spent a long time learning the language, the particular dialect. It makes the work so much more rewarding when I can converse with the children.

‘Some of those children were taken away from their parents against their will. The parents couldn’t afford to pay the fine for having more than one child. It’s awful. But we’ve tried to make things better. We have links with social services around the world and some of the children get adopted internationally.’

‘So, An is from the same area?’

She nodded. ‘Yes. I’m not completely fluent, but I can easily make myself understood. You don’t need to wait for an interpreter.’

Iain hesitated for a second. He was trying not to let his mouth hang open. But Lexi had just rendered him speechless.

This was not what he had expected. And he was almost ashamed to think that.

He’d been up close and personal with her. He knew she was much deeper than people assumed. But it was obvious he’d only scratched the surface—only got to know a little about the woman underneath the pretty façade.

From her teenage years Lexi had spent summer after summer helping out at a Chinese orphanage. This was more than charity work for her. She was committed to this. Committed enough to learn the language.

He’d spent a summer at a Romanian orphanage himself, operating on children with cleft lips and palates. He knew how much it sucked you in. How you would do anything to help. How you could think about nothing else.

This was a whole new part of Lexi Robbins he hadn’t counted on.

‘Iain? Are we doing this?’

He nodded, embarrassed by his long silence. ‘Of course … thank you.’

He knelt down next to An, who was perched on his mother’s knee. The stitches on the skin along the little boy’s jaw had healed well. ‘Ask him how he’s managing to eat.’

Lexi nodded and spoke quietly to his mother, listening to her reply and letting An answer too. She turned to Iain. ‘He’s fed up with soft foods.’ She gave him a smile. ‘He wants some chips.’

Iain smiled. ‘Can you ask him to open his mouth so I can have a look at his dentition? Some of his teeth have been affected by the repositioning of his jaw.’

Lexi only took a second to ask the question and An opened his mouth a little hesitantly. Iain bent down and looked inside, using a small torch, ‘Everything looks as though it’s healing well. I see no reason he can’t have a more substantial diet.’

Lexi translated quickly. An’s face was still bruised and slightly swollen and his attempt at a smile lopsided. But it was the most satisfying thing that Iain could see.

‘Can you ask him about pain relief? If he’s going to eat a bit more he might need his analgesics adjusted for the next few days.’

Lexi took a few minutes, taking her time while she spoke to An and his mother. She made it seem like the most natural thing in the world. It was obvious she wasn’t completely fluent, but she had more than a grasp of the language, and An and his mother seemed to appreciate being able to communicate with a member of staff.

Lexi turned around from where she was kneeling on the floor and touched Iain’s leg. The warmth of her hand startled him, as did her position. He moved quickly out of her reach, before her touch could have any affect. ‘An hasn’t been talking too much as he finds the jaw movements painful. He probably does need his analgesics adjusted.’

Iain nodded. ‘Let them know I’ll take care of that now.’ He lifted the chart and walked over the nurses’ station to talk to the nurse allocated to An. Lexi stayed where she was, continuing to talk to An and his mother.

They loved her already. It was obvious. She was writing a few things on a piece of paper along with a little picture and telling them what they meant. It was obvious there had been a few key things they had wanted to communicate to the staff and hadn’t been able to. Lexi was doing her best to facilitate that. She was doing her very best for an unknown mother and child she’d just met.

It made his stomach twist. Lexi’s nature was sweet and kind. This shouldn’t be unexpected for him. But seeing it, right before his eyes, was just a little different.

He was used to Lexi Robbins, Head of PR. He’d also experienced Lexi Robbins, sultry, sexy woman.

But Lexi Robbins, humanitarian, was a whole different ball game. Now he understood where the passion in her eyes came from when she spoke about the charity work. It wasn’t just all part of her PR game. It was how she really felt.

And that made him uncomfortable.

It made him feel too close.

She was unsettling him, in more ways than one. She was much more than a pretty face.

But the thing that worried him most was just how much more he wanted to know.

The knock on the door work her up. Eek! She’d overslept.

She dashed to the door, trying to shove her arms into her dressing-gown. She pulled the door open. ‘Iain. I’m sorry. Give me five minutes and I promise you I’ll be ready.’ She didn’t wait for an answer, just dashed to the bedroom to throw on some jeans and a jumper.

A few minutes later she found him in her kitchen, stirring a cup of black of coffee. ‘Inside or out?’

‘What?’ He looked confused.

‘You haven’t told me where we’re going. What kind of jacket do I need?’

He smiled. ‘Dress up warm.’

She raised her eyebrows and ducked back into her bedroom, pulling out a pair of red leather gloves and a red woolly hat with a huge pom-pom on top and big flaps to cover her ears. She stuffed it on top of her blonde hair and pulled on a thick black jacket and fleecy black boots.

It was freezing in London. Not wet or drizzly. It was completely dry, just very, very cold.

‘I’m ready.’ She marched into the kitchen and took a quick drink of the coffee Iain had made for her. It wasn’t a skinny caramel latte, but he’d made it perfectly. Maybe this was all just a little too good to be true.

Iain held the door open for her. ‘Then let’s go. Time to have some fun.’

They rode on the Tube and got off at Tower Hill. They walked out of the Tube station and round the corner to face the impressive façade of the Tower of London.

‘We’re going sightseeing?’

He nodded. ‘I haven’t been yet. I’ve been in London two years and I’ve hardly seen a thing.’ He walked up to the ticket booth. ‘Do we want to see the Crown Jewels too?’

She didn’t hesitate for a second. ‘Absolutely. It’s my favourite part.’

He took their tickets and reached out to take her hand as they walked towards the main entrance, where impressive Beefeaters in their black and red outfits stood.

Iain stopped for a few seconds. ‘Wow. It’s some place. Have you been here much?’

She nodded. ‘Not as much as you think. Last time was around eight years ago.’ She stopped and looked back at the impressive White Tower. ‘Why did you pick here?’

He looked a little sheepish. ‘I actually wanted to go to Buckingham Palace but I didn’t realise it’s only open in the summer for tours.’

‘It’s fabulous.’ Something tickled in her stomach. July would be the time for the tours to start at Buckingham Palace. That was five months away. ‘Maybe we can go some other time.’

‘Maybe.’ It sounded so noncommittal and she tried not to feel disappointed. Iain had already told her he didn’t know where this would go.

She pulled him further along where she could see a small crowd gathering. ‘Let’s listen to one of the Yeoman tours. They know everything about the Tower’s history, it’s great fun.’

They joined the crowd and waited for a few minutes for the tour to start. Lexi was right. It was fascinating. He’d never realised just how treacherous a place the Tower of London had been. He watched as the Yeoman showed them where the boats used to moor with their prisoners and royal victims at Traitor’s Gate. He showed them the place where the two young princes were supposedly imprisoned and perhaps killed.

Lexi leaned her head against his shoulder as they listened to the tour. There was a young woman next to her, trying to juggle three kids—a baby in a pouch next to her breasts, a toddler strapped into a buggy and a four-year-old who was looking distinctly bored and kept wandering off. The woman looked tired and was struggling to hear what the Yeoman was saying. Lexi touched her arm and gave her a smile. ‘If it’s okay with you, how about I entertain your oldest for a little while?’

The woman nodded and gave her a grateful smile. They were standing on Tower Green. Lexi could walk about freely and still be safely in the mother’s sight.

She walked over and bent down next to the dark-headed little girl. Her heart gave a squeeze. The little girl was gorgeous. Her hair was in bunches and wearing a purple coat. ‘Hi, there. I’m Lexi. How about I tell you some stories about this place?’

The little girl scowled at her. Lexi pointed over at her mother. ‘Your mum says it’s okay.’ She gave her mother a wave. ‘What’s your name.’

‘Lucy.’

Lexi held out her hand. ‘Good. I’m Lexi. Pleased to meet you.’

Lucy gave a sigh. ‘My feet are sore and Damian is in the buggy.’ She rolled her eyes.

Lexi held out her hands. ‘Fancy a carry?’

Lucy’s eyes brightened and she let her herself be lifted into Lexi’s arms. As the tour moved along little by little, Lexi stayed only a few feet away from the mother, whispering in Lucy’s ear and pointing out various things along the way.

Iain watched carefully. Lexi seemed so at ease. She was obviously used to children. She’d already told Iain about her work at the Chinese orphanage and everything she did showed him her natural affinity for children.

A heavy feeling started to descend over him. Lexi was his first step back to a normal life. He’d promised her nothing.

She spun Lucy backwards in her arms, letting her lean back and throw her arms out, imitating the ravens around about them. Their hair flew outwards as they spun, the smiles on their faces completely and utterly spontaneous. Lexi was a natural.

And he didn’t like it.

It was a horrible admission. But Iain hadn’t planned on thinking such thoughts on what he’d wanted to be a nice day out.

But watching Lexi was making him ache. He was wasting his time with her. Here was a woman who had the word ‘mother’ stamped all over her. What would she think when she found out what he’d done? If she’d any sense at all she would run in the other direction.

What woman would want to be with a man who’d persuaded his wife to take the final chance of IVF that had led to her death?

He looked around Tower Green. Families everywhere. Families happy and smiling. And he knew. He knew he could never set foot in a delivery room again. Not after his last experience.

And Lexi would want a family of her own. How could he explain? She was kneeling on the ground with Lucy right now, telling her some long and obviously gory tale by the actions she was doing. Right on cue, Lucy’s mouth formed a wide O. She slapped her hand across her mouth as Lexi let out a peal of laughter.

Right before his eyes was the reason he should stop all this. He could never be the man that she needed.

But Lexi turned and pushed her hat further back on her head. Her blonde hair was sticking out all round and she shot him the most dazzling smile. The Yeoman was reaching the end of the walking tour at the Medieval Tower.

She mouthed over to him, ‘Crown jewels?’

He nodded. She’d already told him it was her favourite part. They joined the queue with Lucy’s mother behind them. She was looking calmer, more relaxed. She leaned over and whispered to the two of them, ‘It’s dark in here, isn’t it? The two little ones will fall asleep as soon as we get inside.’

They queued quietly as Lexi started to whisper stories of secret princesses to Lucy. The inside of the display was dark, surrounded by armed guards, who were happy to talk to the visitors about some of the jewels on display.

Lucy’s little face gaped at the huge glittering Cullianan diamond in the sovereign’s sceptre.

‘I don’t think there is a magical fairy kingdom inside the stone,’ Iain whispered.

‘Shh!’ Lexi put her finger to her lips, ‘Spoilsport,’ she whispered.

They oohed over the Imperial state crown and Lucy was highly disappointed she couldn’t try it on. ‘But I’m a princess too,’ she said huffily.

‘I know you are,’ said Lexi, ‘and I’m sure when we get to the gift shop I’ll be able to buy you a crown of your own.’

And sure enough she did. It was early afternoon by the time they’d finished at the Tower. ‘I’m sorry our afternoon got hijacked,’ she said to Iain as they made their way to the exit.

‘No, you’re not,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘You looked like you were having the time of your life. What stories were you telling her?’

Lexi smiled. ‘Stories about the evil ravens stealing fairies and the fairies fighting back by hiding in the crown jewels.’

‘All totally based on reality, then?’

She nodded solemnly. ‘Based on a four-year-old girl’s reality.’ She tapped the side of her nose. ‘That’s the trick to keeping them quiet.’

‘Well, you certainly managed to master that.’

She smiled up at him as he reached for her hand and gave it a little squeeze. ‘Let’s go for a walk down to Tower Bridge,’ she said.

Even though it was still cold, the day was bright and sunny. The path down next to the bridge was busy, filled with street acts and various parties on tours. They bought coffee from a street vendor and sat on a bench, people-watching.

Lexi seemed relaxed and happy next to him. If they looked along the river a little they could see Kate’s. ‘Are you going there today?’

Iain nodded. ‘I’ll go in later. I have a few patients to check over. It won’t take long.’

She ran her tongue along her lips. Her hat was sitting in her lap now and her blonde hair was blowing in the breeze. She didn’t seem to mind at all that it was all over the place. In fact, for the daughter of a supermodel, Lexi didn’t seem to care at all about her appearance. She hadn’t looked in a mirror once since they’d met today.

She was gorgeous, of course. But it helped him realise how far down the list she put superficial things. Another plus point for Lexi.

If only that didn’t make him squirm. Because every good point about Lexi made him realise how they couldn’t really be a match. There must be a whole host of guys out there who would want to snatch her up. To admire her beauty, good spirit and work ethic. A hundred guys out there who want to settle down with her and have a family.

She leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. There was a kind of glazed look behind her smile. She was squinting at him in the sunshine as she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair.

‘It’s not exactly the usual look, is it?’ she said, tugging at his shaggy hair.

‘What do you mean?’ He was distracted by her lips and blue eyes and only looked up when she gave his hair an extra tug.

‘Most surgeons go for the ultra-short look.’

‘I’m not most surgeons,’ he growled.

‘I get that.’

‘Just imagine me shipwrecked on a mysterious island. This is the natural look for me.’

‘Good, because I like it. It suits you.’ She gave him a cheeky wink. ‘Now, don’t ever cut it. I might go off you.’ She stood up. ‘So, fancy a late dinner at mine?’

She said the words so easily. Probably never expecting him to hesitate. But he did. This was his chance. This was his opportunity to let her spread her wings and fly. To stop any chance of him hurting her. But there was still a little something in her eyes. Still a little lack of confidence.

So he smiled, standing up and taking her hand. ‘I think I can manage that.’ He changed his mind, dropping her hand and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She was closer this way.

Eventually he would have to let her go.

Eventually he would have to tell her the truth.

Just not right now.