Читать книгу The Scandalous Kolovskys: Knight on the Children's Ward - Carol Marinelli, Carol Marinelli - Страница 14

BUT Annika didn’t want to hate her mother.

She just didn’t know how to love her right now.

She wanted Ross.

She wanted to hide in his arms and fall asleep.

She wanted to go over and over it with him.

The truth was so much worse than the lies, and yet she could sort of understand her mother’s side.

The family secret had darkened many shades, and her mother had begged her not to tell anyone.

Oh, Annie knew, and no doubt so did Millie, Levander’s wife, but they were real partners. Ross and Annika … they were brand spanking new!

How could she land it on him?

And anyway, he would soon be heading off for Spain!

For the first time in her life she had a tangible reason to sever ties with her mother. Instead she found herself there more and more, listening to Nina’s stories, understanding a little more what had driven her parents, what had fuelled their need for the castle they had built for their children.

‘I haven’t seen you so much,’ Elsie commented.

‘I’ve cut down my shifts,’ Annika said, with none of her old sparkle. ‘I need to concentrate on my studies.’

Cashing the cheque had hurt, but then so too did everything right now. When push had come to shove, she’d realised that she actually liked her shifts at the nursing home, so instead of cutting ties completely, she’d drastically reduced her hours.

Ross was around, and though they smiled and said hello she kept him at a distance.

She had spent the past week in cots, which didn’t help matters.

The babies were so tiny and precious, and sometimes so ill it terrified Annika.

She was constantly checking that she had put the cot-sides up, and double- and triple-checking medicine doses.

She longed to be like the other nurses, who bounced a babe on their knee and fed with one hand while juggling the phone with the other.

She just couldn’t.

‘How’s that man of yours?’ Elsie asked, because Annika was unusually quiet.

‘He goes to Spain soon—when he gets back we will maybe see each other some more.’

‘Why wait?’

‘You know he’s a doctor—a senior doctor on my ward?’

‘Oh.’ Elsie pondered. ‘I’m sure others have managed—you can be discreet.’

‘There’s stuff going on.’ Annika combed through her hair. ‘With my family. I think it’s a bit soon to land it all on him.’

‘If he’s the right one for you, he’ll be able to take it,’ Elsie said.

‘Ah, but if he’s not …’ Annika could almost see the news headlines. ‘How do you know if you can trust someone?’

‘You don’t know,’ Elsie said. ‘You never know. You just hope.’