Dr Constantine's Bride. Jennifer Taylor
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or should she leave the island? And if she left, where should she go?
She could go to Sardinia and join Kelly, but that might put a damper on her sister’s plans. Knowing Kelly, she would throw herself into her new job and soon make lots of friends. Having her twin around might hold her back, though, and that was the last thing Katie wanted to do, yet the thought of moving to another country on her own was a daunting one.
She didn’t have Kelly’s confidence and couldn’t imagine making a life for herself in a place where she knew nobody so she might be forced to return to England after all. However, the prospect of going back to Manchester wasn’t one she relished. All her friends and workmates knew why she had left and the thought of having to tell them about Petros was more than she could bear. She certainly didn’t want to become an object of pity!
She was still trying to work out what she should do for the best when the door opened and her heart sank when she realised that Christos had returned. She knew that he would want her to leave as soon as possible, but was she prepared to go without seeing Petros first? Maybe Christos had told her the truth, but she needed to hear it from Petros himself rather than from a go-between. No matter where she ended up, she knew that she would never be able to settle until she had resolved this issue.
Christos could tell as soon as he went back into the room that he was going to have a fight on his hands if he hoped to persuade Katie to leave. There was a glint in her eyes that didn’t bode well for any plans he might harbour. He decided to opt for the gentle approach and smiled at her.
‘Shall we go up to my office? It will be quieter there and there will be less chance of us being interrupted.’
He opened the door but she ignored his invitation. Walking over to the chairs, she picked up her bag. ‘I don’t think so. The only place I’m going is into the town to find myself a room for the night.’
‘Why? What point is there in staying here?’ He shrugged, trying to stave off a sudden feeling of disappointment. Maybe he did want to learn more about her but he couldn’t afford to satisfy his curiosity at the expense of Eleni’s happiness. The longer Katie remained on the island, the greater the risk of Eleni finding out about her and that was the last thing he wanted. ‘The best thing you can do now is to return to England and put this whole unfortunate episode behind you.’
‘Whether I return to England or not is my decision. I don’t need you to tell me what to do.’ She marched to the door, one slender brow arching when he barred her way. ‘Excuse me.’
‘You aren’t going anywhere until I know what you intend to do.’
‘Really?’ She stared up at him, her pretty face set. ‘Holding me here against my will is a crime, Dr Constantine. Are you prepared for the publicity that will follow if I report you to the police?’
‘The police would never believe you,’ he scoffed, hoping he was right.
‘Maybe not, but they would have to investigate my allegations.’ She smiled tightly. ‘These things have a nasty habit of leaking out. I wonder how Petros’s fiancée will feel if she sees the story plastered across the front of the local paper.’
Christos knew that she was calling his bluff but there was little he could do about it. She was right, too, because the papers would have a field day if the story got out. Both Petros’s and Eleni’s families were well known on the island and anything that involved them was big news. He couldn’t bear to imagine how devastated Eleni would be if the papers printed the whole sorry tale.
He stepped aside, knowing that he couldn’t take that risk. He would have to find another way to ensure Katie’s cooperation, although it wasn’t going to be easy. She was a very determined young woman, it seemed.
He followed her from the room, wondering how he should handle the situation from here on. Maria was still working behind the desk; she looked up when he and Katie passed.
‘You haven’t introduced me to your friend yet, Christos,’ she chided him.
‘I’m sorry.’ Christos stopped, knowing it would create more speculation if he ignored her. ‘This is Katie Carlyon, Maria. She was at the airport when Mr Briggs collapsed and she helped to resuscitate him.’
‘Kalimera, Katie.’ Maria smiled warmly. ‘You were very brave to lend a hand. It can be quite scary when you have to resuscitate someone like that.’
‘It certainly can.’ Katie returned her smile. ‘Fortunately, I’m an emergency department nurse so I’ve done my share of CPR over the years.’
‘It was lucky you were there!’ Maria exclaimed. ‘So what brings you to our beautiful island? Are you here on holiday?’
‘Not really. I was supposed to be moving here to live, but my plans might have to change. I’m not sure what I’m going to do now, to be honest.’
Christos could tell that Maria was dying to know what had happened to change Katie’s plans and hurriedly intervened. There was no way that he wanted Katie to discuss the situation with a member of his staff. Gossip was rife in the hospital and it wouldn’t take long for the story to circulate throughout the building and beyond.
‘I don’t want to rush you, Katie, but if you’re hoping to find somewhere to stay tonight, you’d better not leave it too late. The hotels soon get booked up as more flights arrive.’ He grasped her arm and steered her towards the corridor, waiting until they were out of Maria’s sight before he released her.
‘Do you mind?’ She glared at him as she rubbed her arm. ‘I would prefer it if you didn’t manhandle me.’
‘And I would prefer it if you saw sense and got on a plane back to England.’ He returned her stare, knowing that he had to convince her it was a waste of time remaining on the island. ‘I don’t know what you hope to achieve by staying here. I’ve already explained the situation to you, but in case you’re in any doubt, Petros isn’t interested in you. Is that clear?’
‘Yes, thank you—perfectly clear.’ Tears sparkled in her eyes but she blinked them away. ‘However, until Petros tells me that himself then I am not leaving. For all I know you could be making it up.’
He swore softly in Greek, glad that she couldn’t understand the ugly words. It was rare that he lost his temper but she had pushed him to the limit that day. ‘Why would I make it up? What possible reason could I have for doing so? I’m telling you the truth, Katie, so do yourself a favour and accept it.’
‘I can’t.’ Her voice was so low that he had to strain to hear what she was saying. ‘I wish I could walk away but I can’t until I hear Petros say that he doesn’t love me.’
Her voice broke as tears began to stream down her face. Christos wasn’t sure if it was the sight of those tears that affected him, but there wasn’t a doubt in his mind at that moment that she was suffering and he responded instinctively. Gathering her into his arms, he rocked her gently to and fro. He understood how devastated she must feel because it was how he had felt when he’d lost Eleni. The worst kind of pain was that which came from knowing that you could never have the person you loved most of all.
In that moment his feelings towards Katie suddenly shifted. He could no longer think of her simply as a problem to be solved as speedily as possible. She was suffering, too, and knowing that forged a bond between them he had never anticipated. He realised with a sinking heart that it was going to be harder than he’d imagined to fulfil his promise to his cousin and send her away.
Katie could feel the warm strength of the arms that were holding her and for the first time in ages she felt safe. She hadn’t realised until then how stressful the past few weeks had been. Leaving England and everything she knew had been a huge step. Even though she’d been sure it was what she’d wanted to do, it had been a major decision for her. If she’d had any idea this would happen then she would never have got on the plane that morning, but it was too late for regrets now. She had to deal with the situation as best she could, and learn from it.
‘Here.’