Читать книгу The Lady Who Lived Again - Thomasine Rappold - Страница 11

Jace closed the door behind Maddie, whistling a breath through his teeth. Damn. He’d kissed her as punishment for implicating him in her ridiculous lie, and instead, he was the one feeling flogged. Her passion had taken him by surprise. Shaking his head, he smiled at the way she’d come flouncing into his home with the intention of seducing him. Madeline Sutter had flirted her way out of trouble before. That much was clear.

He shook his head to reclaim his senses. He had his hands full with house repairs and preparing the office for patients. The last thing he had time for was playing make believe with the most infamous woman in town. Acting as her fiancé would do nothing to enhance his professional reputation either, but it would take him an age to open the business without additional help. After paying Henry to patch up the roof, Jace hadn’t the funds in his budget to hire anyone else.

Still, he almost felt guilty for turning Madeline’s ploy to his advantage. Any charms she’d used in the past to beguile men senseless wouldn’t work on him. Not entirely, anyway. While he’d agreed to play along with her charade, he would set the rules. Or so he’d thought until that kiss. He licked his lips at the memory of her taste, the feel of her supple body pressing against his.

The jolting pleasure had rocked his control. She was alluring as hell with those simmering eyes and lush mouth, and his accelerated response proved he’d been too long without. The one thing he missed about Pittsburgh Hospital: its ample supply of willing nurses with whom to sate his body’s carnal demands.

Maddie was no nurse, but she certainly seemed willing. He couldn’t help wondering about her relationship with Daniel Hogle and whether they’d indulged a few urges of their own together. This was not quite the sleepy little town he’d originally judged it to be, and Jace was eager to learn more about its residents and their histories. Nothing intrigued him more, though, than Maddie.

He took a long breath to shake off his lust and strode to his desk. He couldn’t dwell on this now. He had too much to do, and he needed to focus. Fortunately, aside from a few minor emergencies, business had been quiet.

Already he felt the perpetual strain of hospital work easing from his bones. Like a tightly wound clock, his body had run on that coil of steady tension—that incessant pressure he’d often released in the company of a woman.

He had definitely been too long without.

He bent over the ledger he’d abandoned for Maddie’s visit, and tried to concentrate. The only thing that came close to exciting him more than the all-too-brief interlude with his pretend fiancée was the opportunity to study her case. From the misidentified coma, to her full recovery from an injury Doctor Filmore had diagnosed as permanent, Jace would get a first-person account of everything Maddie had experienced.

Although she wasn’t technically a patient, it struck him now that it would be best to treat her as such. Jace was nothing if not ethical. In this particular instance, maintaining his ethics would deny him a repeat taste of the delectable Miss Sutter. But he’d do what was right. Beneath Maddie’s provocative façade, he’d glimpsed her fragility. The ordeal she’d survived would leave anyone vulnerable and he knew that, despite their mutual attraction, it would be better for her if he maintained a professional distance.

If he could glean from her just one shred of insight into how to help others suffering from the after-effects of trauma, his restraint would be worth it. His deficiencies in this area of medicine kept him awake at night. No matter how many patients he saved, he could not forget the ones he had lost. He had to know why. Why some physically sound patients failed to get past the mental blockades of their ordeal, while others, like Maddie, moved on with their lives.

He thought about Kathy, and how miserably he’d failed her. His throat constricted with guilt. If only he had understood the depths of her despair, he might have saved her from herself.

More and more Jace found himself treading in his father’s shoes. Inch by inch he moved closer to understanding what had led to the once-respected physician’s undignified demise. He shook away the icy fear that he might repeat the dead man’s mistakes, too. Shrugging on his coat, he stalked outside for some much-needed air. He stood on the porch, letting the crisp breeze fill his lungs. The scent of lilacs drifted from the overgrown shrubs dominating the small yard.

Henry Whalen rounded the corner of the house. Hammer in hand, he wiped his forehead with the back of his fist. Tufts of red hair pointed north as he waved. “Morning, Doc.”

Jace tossed him a nod. “How’s the roof coming along?”

“Good as new.” Henry tossed the hammer to the ground, then headed to join him. The gate that enclosed the front yard creaked open as the gangly young man slipped through it. Sweat beaded on his freckled face, which was blotchy and sun burned. “Was that Madeline Sutter I saw earlier?” he asked, jogging up to the porch.

Now was the moment to put Maddie’s plan in motion, so Jace took a breath and smiled suggestively.

“Yes, it was. Daily house calls come with the job, of course—but some are much more pleasant than others.”

Henry frowned, shoving his hands into the pockets of his denim overalls. “So what was she doing here?” His nettled tone took Jace aback.

“Well, Henry, that’s not any of your business, now is it?”

“No, sir, I suppose not. Just curious, is all.” He averted his eyes, glancing out toward the street. “She doesn’t come to town often.”

“Judging from your reaction, I can understand why.”

Henry shrugged. “There’s nothing saying she has to stay in Misty Lake.” The harsh words lacked any trace of civility.

Jace could hardly believe the difference in the man from only moments before. Why did these decent people simply accept all the rubbish piled around Maddie’s feet? “So that’s your defense?” Jace asked. “That she should leave town?”

“It would sure be easier on folks if she did.” Henry lifted his chin against Jace’s stern frown. “That girl was dead.”

“She was in a coma. An extended state of unconsciousness.”

Henry was shaking his head before Jace had finished, rejecting the explanation like a stubborn child. He may as well have slapped his hands over his ears and chanted la-la-la.

“A coma,” Jace repeated.

“Maybe,” Henry said. “But either way she was gone.” He toed a loose floorboard. “She came back from somewhere,” he muttered.

Jace stared, baffled and exasperated. “And where do you suppose that was?”

Henry glanced away.

“Unlike some folks, I don’t claim to know. I just know it’s strange.” He turned back, fixing his eyes on Jace. “She died on her birthday, you know. May twelfth. She came back on Friday the thirteenth.”

Jace stiffened against a surge of surprise. Talk about adding fuel to the fire.

“Coincidence.”

“You can call it what you want.” Henry swatted at a fly. “I’ll keep my distance, just the same.”

The idea that this homely fellow found Maddie unappealing was so absurd it was laughable. Jace couldn’t resist.

“She’s pretty, though, huh?”

Henry smiled, looking more like himself. At least his sense of humor was untouched. “Yes, sir, she is.” His smile faded. “They all were. The Fair Five, we called them. Those girls had us all smitten… Daniel Hogle was crazy for Madeline in particular. For a while after the accident, I thought he might marry her anyway, but his uncle wouldn’t stand for it.”

“So she was punished for surviving,” Jace said. “For something beyond her control.” His anger came through in his tone, but he couldn’t help himself. “Narrow minded…”

“This is a small town, Doc. Losing those girls hit us hard. They were my friends.” Sorrow clouded Henry’s eyes. He steeled his bony shoulders, as if adjusting his stance might combat his grief. “They were daughters and kin of folks we’ve all known our whole lives. The mere sight of Maddie Sutter adds salt to the wound.”

Something inside Jace clicked like a switch. Maddie was more than a scapegoat. She was somehow responsible for what happened. Jace heard it in Henry’s voice now as clearly as he had in Mrs. Tremont’s last week. He was eager to hear Maddie’s account of the accident and wondered if that alone might absolve her—perhaps her neighbors simply needed to hear a true version of the facts.

“You should watch yourself around that one, Doc. Pretty or not, something about her ain’t right.”

Jace doubted Henry would be so vocal in offering his opinion of Maddie once he knew she was Jace’s fiancée. Henry wasn’t a cruel man by nature. He was a product of his environment, infected by the nonsense fears of this odd community. Jace was more determined than ever to help Maddie battle the groundless bias against her.

Being engaged wouldn’t hurt his practice—but engagement to Maddie might. He didn’t care. He would play her fiancé, despite any disapproval. This town needed his services, which meant he had little to lose. And there was a wealth of knowledge to gain. In return, Maddie’s engagement to him might help them to see she was a normal woman. A woman worth having.

What harm could it do?

“You’d better get used to seeing more of her, Henry. She’ll be helping me here in the office.”

Henry’s eyes bulged.

“She’s a bright woman, and I can use the assistance.”

“People won’t like that.”

“Then I suggest they brace themselves.” Jace took a deep breath, unable to resist. “Because during the short time I’ve known Madeline, our casual acquaintance has fast become something more.”

* * * *

Maddie walked toward home, consumed by a jumble of thoughts she was struggling to sort. It had been a long day. Strangely, the shock of seeing Daniel and hearing the news of his engagement had dissipated. As had the pinching feeling in her chest borne of their encounter in the dress shop.

She currently had more pressing concerns. Namely, Jace Merrick and his unforgettable kiss. She sighed, thinking of little beyond her own desire as she ambled along. She inhaled deeply, letting the fragrance of wildflowers and pine fill her lungs. Releasing the breath brought her back down to earth, where she landed with a thud in the middle of reality.

She’d entangled herself with a man who could destroy her. A man with a scientific mind and keen perception. What was more, she’d invited him to probe into her life, the darkest days of her existence. If he somehow discovered her gift in the course of his inquiries… Well, Maddie didn’t want to think about the consequences of that. Jace would not treat such information lightly, and if exposed, she might find herself confined to an asylum or worse.

She wandered into the house as if lost in some dream. After removing her new hat, she peeled off her gloves, then tossed the garments atop the table in the hall. She supposed she had to inform Grandfather of what she’d done before he heard it from Rhetta or Gil. The two made frequent trips to town and were bound to hear the news of her engagement sooner or later. She felt a fresh wave of dread as she realized she’d have to enlist their help, as well as Grandfather’s, in supporting the premise that Jace had been treating Grandfather all along.

She walked through the foyer and down the long hall, checking each room that she passed. The echo of her footsteps on the marble floor waned as she padded across the carpet in the solarium. Through the wall of windows facing the lake, she saw Grandfather outside on the patio, enjoying his afternoon port in the sun. A thick afghan covered his legs from the constant chill he suffered despite the warm weather. Staring out at the water, he looked so at peace, so resigned to his fate. So ready to go.

She stopped in the arched doorway. Leaning on the doorjamb, she watched, trying to etch the picture of him in her mind. Staring at Grandfather’s regal profile, she felt—once again—deeply ashamed of what she’d become. A liar. A woman willing to use a man she barely knew for her own selfish purposes. Swallowing back her guilt, she pushed herself from the doorjamb and plastered on a cheery smile.

“Hello, Grandfather.” She sank into the wicker chair at his side.

“How was the shopping trip?”

“Eventful,” she said for lack of anything else.

He turned toward her, brows arched like a pair of furry gray caterpillars as he waited for her to elaborate.

“I ran into Daniel and his fiancée at the dress shop.”

He frowned at the mention of the man he’d once liked but had grown to despise. “Tell me that you gave him hell.”

“I can only tell you that the meeting drove me to do something foolish. When he assumed I would not attend the wedding for lack of a suitable escort, I invented one.” She fidgeted with her hands on her lap. “I told him that I was attending with my fiancé.”

Grandfather coughed, nearly spilling his port. “Good lord, Maddie! I’m curious to hear how you plan to dig yourself out of that one,” he said as he set down the glass.

“I already have.”

His eyes flashed wide.

“Doctor Merrick has agreed to act as my fiancé until after the wedding.”

“And why on earth would he agree to such a thing?”

He seemed less stunned by her lie than Jace’s agreement to participate in it. It stung to know she was so repellant. That even Grandfather realized no man would touch her with a ten-foot pole.

“He’s a doctor. I’m a curiosity.”

He frowned. “You’re no such thing.”

“Perhaps you can speak to Rhetta and Gil?” she asked, changing the subject. “If anyone questions them about the engagement, they can simply mention that Doctor Merrick made house calls here.”

His eyes dimmed as he nodded. “They’re loyal to a fault,” he said. “No worries there.” He took another sip of port and stared back toward the lake. “After your parents died, I made a promise at their graves to protect you.”

“None of this is your fault. You must know that.”

“Perhaps. But it changes nothing. Men should be lined up to court you, the way they used to be. You should be engaged to a man who loves you, planning to start a family of your own, not clinging to the fading shreds of the one you have.” His icy hand reached for hers. “I only wish you’d reconsider leaving—”

“You’ll not get rid of me so easily,” she said, fighting back tears. “And neither will they.”

He stared at her, his eyes so sad.

“This is my home,” she uttered.

“But after I’m gone…?”

“That won’t be for ages, old man.” She forced a teasing smile. “In the meanwhile, I must do this. And as frightening as it is to face them, it’s time I rejoin the world.”

With surprising strength, his bony fingers gripped hers in the paper thinness of his hand.

“You’re a strong girl. You’ll be fine.”

Whether the reassurance was for her benefit or his, she felt better.

“I’ve missed Amelia terribly. A part of me is actually looking forward to the wedding.”

“Of course. And you and Doctor Merrick will make a very handsome couple.” His tired eyes sparkled. “I’m a fine judge of character. He’ll help you get what you want.” He slid his hand from hers and turned back toward the water. He seemed pleased by the idea of her and Jace. Too pleased. She could hear it in the tune he began to hum. This practical, no-nonsense man was so deeply worried about Maddie’s future he was willing to pin his hopes on an illusion.

Maddie stood, staring down at him.

“It’s a ruse, Grandfather. Please keep that in mind.”

He glanced up with a trembling smile.

“I will, if you will, girl,” he said with a wink.