Mara's Choice Read online

  ‘Well, I wonder if I could ask your help with something I simply can’t face doing. It was talking about waste that reminded me.’

  ‘I will help if I can. What is it?’

  ‘Clearing out my mother’s clothes. I know it’s a bit of a cheek but could you help me with that? I don’t know enough about women’s clothes to figure out what to do with them and which would be worth saving, but many of them seem hardly worn.’

  ‘Yes, of course I’ll help you. You’re right not to chuck them away.’

  ‘How can we tell whether anything is reusable?’

  ‘You might not be able to, but I would. I volunteer, no, volunteered, past tense, because it was in London, at a charity shop. I’ve helped a few times with house clearances that people couldn’t face when they lost a loved one. I don’t know the situation here as well as I would in the UK, but we can check with a charity shop and find out what’s sought after and what isn’t.’

  ‘Would you really do all that?’ He took her hand and raised it to his lips. ‘You just get nicer with keeping.’

  Shivers ran through her again. ‘Stop it! People are staring at us.’

  ‘Let them stare.’ He gave her one of his nice, earnest looks. ‘Thank you for your offer, Mara. I’d really appreciate your help. You’re an absolute treasure. And what I said about not wasting things goes for this evening as well. It’s still quite early, and I’m having too good a time to part company yet. I hope you don’t want to go straight home. We could have nightcaps at my place.’

  ‘Fine by me. Then you can walk me all the way home.’

  They both chuckled at that and the tension ebbed. When they left with the remaining food boxed up, he held her hand again for the short distance back to the car.

  She’d have been disappointed if he hadn’t done that. In fact, she marvelled at how well they got on as she settled in the car. He hadn’t put a foot wrong tonight as far as she was concerned and she’d not been bored for a single minute. He was almost too good to be true. What a pity she hadn’t met him in England. She’d be leaving here in a few weeks, so she mustn’t get too involved.

  And how silly was it to start thinking like that on their first date! He might not even invite her out again.

  Mind you, if he didn’t, she could always invite him out. She was a liberated modern woman, wasn’t she?

  Mostly.

  Only she’d prefer it if he invited her.

  It felt to Aaron as if it took for ever for the ambulance to arrive but at last it turned up. Although Peggy had regained consciousness by now, she still seemed spaced out. She hardly responded to the paramedics’ questions when they came inside to check how she was.

  One of them whispered to her parents that something wasn’t right and she should definitely be taken to hospital and checked by the doctors there.

  Normally Peggy would have asked to be told what they were saying about her, but she didn’t even seem to notice what was going on.

  Emma sat in the ambulance with her and Aaron drove behind them in his car. He didn’t forget to lock up but it didn’t occur to him to write a note to Mara till he was nearly at the hospital.

  All he could think of was being with Emma to face whatever was happening to their daughter together. Peggy was so pale and quiescent, only seeming half-conscious. That was so unusual for her it had him terrified.

  He found a parking place, queued impatiently to buy a parking token, then slipped it into his car and ran towards the A&E entrance.

  He saw Emma standing near the counter looking lost and put one arm round her shoulders. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘They took her away, said I should sit down out here and wait to be called.’

  ‘Was she still conscious?’

  ‘Only in the same way as before. She didn’t try to talk, didn’t seem fully aware of where she was or what was happening.’

  He looked at her and though he didn’t say it, he knew they were both fearing the worst, the very worst that can happen to any parent.

  It was a while before someone called, ‘Mr and Mrs Buchanan.’ The woman at reception had to call out the name twice and beckon to them before they became aware that they were wanted.

  ‘If you’ll go around to that side door, I’ll let you in.’ She pointed to one side.

  ‘How is she?’ Emma asked.

  But the clerk had already set off, so they hurried across to the door she’d pointed out.

  She opened it from the other side and locked it carefully after they’d gone inside. ‘Come this way. The doctor wants to see you.’

  They were shown into a sort of waiting room which contained only a few chairs and a small table. A moment later a man in a white coat joined them and introduced himself as a doctor.

  ‘Did you know your daughter wasn’t eating properly?’

  ‘Yes. We tried to persuade her, but to no avail.’

  ‘What exactly happened today?’

  ‘She refused to eat anything, as she has done when she’s come home from work for the past few days, then all of a sudden she fainted. She looked ill, was slow to recover and then still seemed out of it, so I called an ambulance.’

  ‘Good thing you did. Do you know anything about anorexia?’

  ‘We’ve been researching it.’

  ‘Then I don’t need to explain how serious it can be. And in your daughter’s case, combined with pregnancy—’

  ‘What?’

  He looked surprised. ‘Didn’t she tell you? Oh dear. It showed up in one of our tests and I just assumed … With a bit of luck, if we can build her up again physically, the baby may be all right. Does its father know she’s here?’

  And Emma didn’t think twice about telling a lie. ‘We don’t know who the father is. She broke up with her former partner a while ago, so I doubt it’s his.’

  To her relief, Aaron didn’t contradict her or give anything away. The last thing she wanted, the very last, was to get that selfish pig of a man involved with Peggy again. He might have a good-looking face but he was rotten inside, rotten to the core.

  ‘I see. Well, we’ve got her on a drip and we’re going to try to feed her small amounts of a special food. You can take a quick peep at her, then I’m afraid you’ll have to wait outside again. I’ve just called in one of our nurses who specialises in that problem.’

  They looked at him mutely, not knowing what to say or do for the best.

  ‘Actually, you should go home and phone when you get up in the morning to see if we’re allowing visitors. Check that the admissions clerk here in A&E has your contact information before you leave.’

  When he’d gone, Aaron said, ‘I think we should do what he suggested and go home, love. If they aren’t letting us go near her, there’s no point in staying. We need to be clear-headed before we see her tomorrow.’

  They said very little until they got into the car, then he asked, ‘Do you think she knows she’s pregnant?’

  ‘I doubt it. I bet she forgot to take the pill and if she’s anything like me, that was enough to put her at risk.’

  He groaned. ‘Pregnant. What the hell will she do next?’

  ‘Whatever it is, it won’t be half as dramatic as tonight. I don’t think anything could top that!’

  ‘Good, because I don’t ever want to have to face that again. I thought she’d died.’

  She shivered. ‘So did I.’

  ‘Well, whatever it is, we’ll find a way to help her.’

  ‘If she’ll let us.’

  They both sighed at that.

  Chapter Fourteen

  When Mara and Hal went into his house, the relaxed pleasure of the evening was spoilt abruptly because they found that someone had smashed one of the big canal-side windows. It was badly crazed from what looked like repeated blows.

  ‘Stay back!’ he called out as they took in the damage.

  She studied the broken window. ‘Did they actually get inside? There isn’t a hole in it.’

  They both studied
the area, then he said, ‘I don’t think they did, but I’ll just check the other rooms to be sure they didn’t break in some other way. Be ready to run outside and yell for help if I find anyone lurking. I warn you now, I’m not the world’s best fighter.’

  He was brave enough to take on the dangerous job of searching the house, though, she thought, praying he’d be safe.

  He called out as he moved quickly in and out of the downstairs spaces. ‘All clear here – and here. No sign of entry or damage downstairs. I’m going upstairs. Yes, all clear here as well.’

  Then he rejoined her. ‘You were right. They don’t seem to have got inside. Mum said when she moved in she’d had the security beefed up. I wonder if she had special toughened glass fitted or a film put on it, or whether it was like that already. Whatever, it looks as if it did its job. I think I’d better call the police.’

  ‘And we shouldn’t touch anything.’

  They were told to wait for some officers to arrive. He put the phone down and looked at her ruefully. ‘Damn! I was looking forward to kissing your socks off.’

  The thought of that made it hard for her to breathe evenly for a few seconds. ‘Another time, maybe.’

  ‘Definitely.’

  She glanced out towards her own house. Something had been bothering her and she suddenly realised what. ‘That’s strange.’

  ‘What is?’

  ‘There are no lights on next door. I know Aaron and Emma weren’t planning to go out because earlier on they were discussing which film to watch tonight. And it’s far too early for them to be in bed. I might just nip across and see if everything is all right.’

  He grabbed her arm. ‘Not on your own, you won’t. In fact, you and I shouldn’t do anything till after the police have had a look round, both inside and out. Apart from your own safety considerations, you might disturb some evidence out there.’

  She stilled, still worried, but he was only being sensible. She’d never had anything to do with a break-in before and now she’d been involved in two attempts.

  When she nodded, he let go of her arm and she stayed where she was.

  She hated the thought of someone invading another person’s home and stealing their possessions. Didn’t such thieves realise how cruel they were being towards their victims? Or were they so horrible they didn’t care? If so, they were only half-price humans as far as she was concerned.

  All she could do as they waited was keep looking next door in case Aaron and Emma had come back. And each time everything was still in darkness. She was getting to know their ways and they’d have plenty of lights on by now if they were home, even though it wasn’t fully dark, because Aaron hated dim lighting after dusk.

  Once the hospital had found Peggy a bed in a special unit for people with eating disorders and installed her there, the doctor came in to check her properly. He was glad to see that his favourite nurse was in attendance. He hesitated, then decided to step back a little and let Sarisha try to work her magic, though he’d keep an eye on the situation, of course. He’d known this particular nurse persuade patients to do what was needed when everyone else had failed, himself included. No one succeeded in helping everyone, but she had a higher rate of success than most.

  ‘Let me tell you what’s wrong with her.’ He took her out of earshot and gave a quick run-down on not only the patient’s condition but what the parents had said about her. ‘Will you see if you can persuade Peggy to eat some of our special food, Sarisha? It won’t be easy but if anyone can do it, you can. If we’re to keep that baby healthy we don’t have time for weeks of counselling.’

  ‘I’ll do my best.’

  ‘If she refuses to eat, call me, but I think softly, softly is the best way to nip this in the bud, and you’ll be around more often so will be able to do that better than I would. At least this woman hasn’t been anorexic for years, only apparently for a few months, after falling for a man who prefers scrawny women.’

  They both grimaced at that then the nurse gave him a motherly smile. ‘I’ll certainly try my best. There are no guarantees, but having four daughters of my own has taught me a lot about young women and their desperate desire for a mate. Or, as time goes on, there can be a longing for a child.’

  When someone insisted Peggy sit up, helped her to do it then held out a spoon to her, she shook her head automatically. ‘Not hungry. Um, where am I?’

  ‘You’re in hospital because you fainted and you’re still drifting in and out of consciousness.’

  ‘I don’t want to be here.’

  ‘Of course you don’t. No one wants to be in hospital. But there are complications in your condition that make it necessary, I’m afraid.’

  That caught Peggy’s attention. ‘What do you mean by “complications”?’

  ‘They did tell you but I don’t think it sank in. Please listen very carefully for a minute or two, then think twice before you push the spoon away again.’

  She glared at it. ‘I’m not hungry.’

  ‘The main complication is that you’re pregnant.’

  Peggy felt the room whirl round her. ‘What?’

  Somehow she couldn’t ignore that gentle but firm voice. This wasn’t a young nurse; this was an older woman, one who seemed to exude authority – and motherly kindness too.

  ‘Weren’t you taking precautions, Peggy?’

  ‘I’d stopped taking the pill, but the pregnancy could only just have happened.’

  ‘Well, we’ll have to do something about your other problem now, for the baby’s sake. According to your parents, you don’t seem to be eating. Anorexia won’t give your baby the nourishment it needs to develop properly.’

  ‘I’m not anorexic, just looking after my health.’

  ‘This isn’t healthy.’ She held up Peggy’s arm. ‘Compare it to mine.’

  Peggy looked at it. Her arm seemed thinner than usual and there was a drip in it. If only her head would stop aching. She couldn’t seem to think clearly.

  ‘If there are no complications, why are you here? We’re short of places in hospitals. The last thing we want is unnecessary patients. As I said before, you fainted and you didn’t regain full consciousness for far too long.’

  The woman’s kind, dark eyes seemed to catch her gaze and hold it. Peggy couldn’t believe she was being told lies by someone with such an honest face.

  ‘Things have changed for you now, Peggy. There’s not only yourself to think about. If you keep refusing food your baby might not survive.’

  She mouthed the word ‘baby’ then said slowly, ‘I still can’t believe I really am pregnant.’

  Sarisha reached out and took Peggy’s nearest hand between both hers. ‘I’m on your side, my dear. I know the joy of having children because I’ve had four. But even more importantly, I’m on the baby’s side. It can’t speak for itself but it deserves to live, don’t you think?’

  ‘Yes, of course.’

  ‘Just try one bite. Please.’

  She held out the spoon again and it was so small, with just a little food that looked like porridge on it, that Peggy had opened her mouth and swallowed it before she thought what she was doing.

  ‘I don’t want to get fat,’ she warned.

  ‘I agree absolutely.’

  She hadn’t expected that and stared at the nurse.

  ‘It wouldn’t be good for the baby if you got fat, so I agree absolutely.’

  ‘You do?’

  ‘Of course. A healthy weight is important to you both. Now, have a good long drink of water for me. You need to rehydrate as well.’

  And once again, Peggy found herself obeying. Well, water wasn’t fattening, was it?

  ‘Just swallow a few half teaspoons of this and I’ll stop pestering you.’

  The nurse chatted gently about when her own children were babies as she slowly fed Peggy a few small mouthfuls, then put the spoon down. ‘There. That’s enough for now.’

  Outside the door another nurse shook her head in disbelief and looked at t
he doctor, who had stayed to check. ‘How does she do it?’

  ‘I don’t know, but I’m glad she sometimes manages where others fail.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘I’ve got other patients waiting. Can you keep an eye on them in case Sarisha asks for help and fetch me at once if I’m needed. This could be a turning point for that young woman.’

  After the food, Peggy closed her eyes, and that gentle voice said, ‘You should try to get a little sleep now. I’ll stay here with you, shall I?’

  Sarisha watched the patient’s breathing slow down. Peggy looked pale, exhausted and horribly frail. She didn’t answer the question but she kept a tight hold of Sarisha’s hand.

  When she woke again Peggy asked, ‘How long have I been asleep?’

  Sarisha lied to her without blinking. ‘Two hours. Time for a tiny bit more food, don’t you think?’

  ‘Only a little.’

  ‘Of course. Your food has to be measured carefully because as I said before we don’t want a pregnant woman to get fat. But the baby needs nourishment so you’ll have to eat a little more than usual.’

  ‘I didn’t dream it, did I? I really am expecting a baby?’

  ‘Yes. I envy you.’

  ‘You do?’

  ‘Yes. I loved having children. But my husband said no more after we’d had four daughters, and he was probably right. Does your guy want children?’

  ‘No. And we’ve split up.’

  ‘Poor thing. He doesn’t know what he’ll be missing. Still, I gather you’ve got family to help you? Am I right?’

  ‘I suppose.’

  ‘And you’re a modern young woman. You’ll manage just fine.’ She fed her more of the food, chatting gently, then said, ‘That’s enough for now. Look, I have to take a break but I’ll call my friend Annie in to sit with you for a while. I’ll just go and fetch her.’

  After a hurried consultation outside the door about making sure the patient didn’t try to vomit up the food, she brought another woman in.

  ‘You’ll come back?’ Peggy asked Sarisha.

  ‘Of course I will. I want to help you give that baby a healthy start. Don’t worry. I’ll stop them trying to feed you too much.’ She winked at her colleague and left.