He's Captured My Heart (Captured Series Book 1) (35 page)

“I said I wanted to check it again,” he says, walking in.

“It will be fine. You shouldn’t have taken time out to check on me.”

“Now you’re being silly. You can’t check it or reach it yourself. Someone has to do it for you. So sit down, and stop being childish.”

He opens the case and puts it on the table. I sit down on the couch and lift my top up at the back. He peels off the dressing slowly and delicately. Nothing like the way my mother used to do it when I was wee; she’d just rip the plaster right off. There is a knock on the door.

“Could you answer that? It will be Mrs. Mathews,” I ask, not wanting to move.

Karl opens the door, and I hear Sarah’s loud gasp.

“Oh, good lord,” she says, sounding flustered. “Libby, are you all right?”

“Sarah, it’s not as bad as it looks,” I tell her.

“Don’t listen to her. She can’t see how bad it looks. Libby, you need to have a doctor look at it.
It’s still weeping. I think you may be getting an infection,” Karl says as he cleans it out.

“Libby, I have to agree with your friend here…” Her voice trails off.

Karl interrupts her. “My apologies for my manners, Mrs. Mathews. I should have introduced myself at once,” he says, bowing gallantly. “I am Karl, the head chef.”

“Nice to meet you, Karl. Libby, you should see a doctor. It does look bad. I had no idea about this injury. Alex never mentioned it. It’s really inflamed. How are you feeling? Do you have a temperature?”

“Sarah, I feel okay, and my temperature is normal. I’ll call the doctor in the morning if that will make you both happy.”

“Yes, it would. And I’m sure Alex will be happy as well,” Sarah says. I smile at the mention of his name. God, I do have it bad.

Sarah holds my top up while Karl continues his delicate work. Before I know it, I’m all cleaned up again with a fresh dressing on my back.

“Right. That’s you, good as new,” Karl says, putting my top back down. “I’m not in until lunchtime tomorrow, but Stephen is in first thing. I’ll send him a message to come check on you in the morning and change the dressing again. He can drive you to the doctor too. Now if you ladies want dinner, I’d better head back to the kitchen.”

“Thanks, Karl,” I say as he leaves us. I turn to Sarah, who eyes me cautiously. “Are we ready to go for dinner?”

“Yes, but…Libby, are there any other injuries?” she asks with concern.

“No, Sarah, the only other thing injured was my pride. Being stupid enough to let this happen.”

“You’re certainly not stupid, Libby. Strong, brave, defiant—you’ve not allowed it to affect your everyday life. I’ve seen lots of people shut themselves away from all their family and loved ones after attacks like this. It can damage so much more than the body,” she says, her voice sad.

“Don’t get me wrong. I’ve had my moments these past few days when that’s all I’ve wanted to do, and I’ve shed a whole load of tears. But I’ve decided that Jeff Ross isn’t worth a single tear of mine.”

“Good for you. Okay, no more sad talk. Let’s go see what your chef can do,” she says with a smile that reminds me of Alex.

The restaurant is really busy for a Wednesday evening. It’s great to see, and Sarah seems impressed. The waiter shows us to a quiet table, as I requested, and we order drinks and settle in to read the menu.

“Libby, what would you recommend?”

“Everything, of course,” I say with a chuckle. “But is this your first time in Scotland?”

“Yes.”

“Well, in that case, there’s only one option for you: haggis, neeps, and tatties. And if you don’t like it, I’ll have Karl make you anything you want. But I’m sure you will love it.”

“Okay, why not? What is haggis?”

“I will tell you after you’ve tasted it.” She looks intrigued. Well, there is no point telling her before she even tastes it, because I have the slightest suspicion she won’t try it if I do. We get our haggis from a traditional butcher, who makes the haggis in store. It’s traditionally made from sheep’s heart, liver, and lungs, minced together with onion, suet, oatmeal, and spices. I know it really doesn’t sound that appealing, but one taste and I was hooked.

The waiter brings our drinks and takes our order. We don’t bother with starters, and we both order the haggis. Conversation flows with ease, considering I barely know this woman. To see and hear us talking and laughing, you’d think we’d known each other forever.

“Sarah, can I ask you something? Don’t feel you need to tell me if it’s some sort of secret, but I am curious.”

“Of course.”

“It’s about Katherine Hunter,” I say.

“I thought it would be. You want to know why I detest her.” I nod. “Okay, I’ll give you the full story. Alex might not be happy about this, but I think you have a right to know. Katherine’s mother and I were
close friends. All our kids are quite close together in age. Katherine and my daughter, Sophie, are the same age and were the best of friends, ever since they were little. Now they hardly talk.”

I remember Alex telling me he had a younger sister, but not much more.

“Well, I’m sure you remember what it was like to be a teenage girl. Katherine had a crush on Alex and had as far back as I can remember, but Alex was never interested in her like that. Alex was fifteen, two years older, and he still thought of his sister and her friends as little kids, pains in the butt. Alex walked the girls home every day after school, though he hated doing it—he would much rather have been going home with his own friends—but he was always a good kid. He did it out of duty.”

“He’s still a good kid,” I say, smiling thinking of him. She smiles back.

“Anyway, one day Alex and Michael got into some kind of a scrap at school. They were kept late after school and put in detention—we call it that back home—so the teacher could talk to them. I can’t even remember what the fight was about, though it was probably about some girl. Sophie wanted to wait for Alex, but Katherine said it would be okay if just that once, they walked home without him. The girls took the usual way home, but they ran into some older boys on the way home. Now Katherine knew the boys—they were friends of
her older sister. The boys had been drinking, and… well, they managed to talk the girls into going into an alley off the main walk. That’s when they struck both the girls and pinned them down.”

I gasp in horror at the story I am hearing.

“When Alex and Michael finally got out of school, they ran most of the way. They were certain they’d get in trouble for letting the girls walk home on their own, even though it couldn’t be helped. When they ran past the alley, they heard screams. Of course they tried to stop it. They managed to get three lads off Sophie, and Michael grabbed her, and the two of them ran off to get help. Alex stayed to help Katherine but ended up taking a bad beating that left him in hospital for over two weeks. But the worst thing for Alex was that he was held down by three or four of the boys and made to watch as they raped Katherine.”

“That’s horrible! For all of them!” I can feel the tears fill my eyes. “Of course. That explains the way Alex behaved when he found Jeff attacking me.”

“Sweetie, what do you mean?” Sarah asks.

“Jeff didn’t just beat me. When Alex found me, Jeff had his trousers undone, and he was about to—”

“No, Libby, please don’t tell me he—”

“No, Sarah, he didn’t, because Alex stopped him in time. But Alex beat Jeff quite soundly before Michael managed to pull him off.”

We sit in silence for a few minutes. I suppose we are both trying to digest the other’s story. But the
silence is broken when the waiter brings our food. As usual, it looks perfect.

“So what you’ve told me tells me a lot about Alex, but it doesn’t quite explain your dislike of Katherine.”

“No, it doesn’t. I’m getting to that,” says Sarah, taking a sip of wine. “After the attack Katherine changed. That was to be expected, I suppose. God, Sophie changed a lot too. She shut herself off from us all. But finally Sophie got counselling, and it helped her. Alex started counselling, but he wouldn’t go back. Katherine didn’t have the same family support that my kids had and still do, we are a close knit family. Well anyway Alex blamed himself for that day’s events, and I believe he still does. But Katherine blames Alex.”

“Why would she blame him?” I ask out of confusion.

“Because he and Michael managed to get Sophie away to safety and not her. Well, anyway, the distance grew between the girls, but Katherine still kept hovering around Alex. I believe that ever since that day, she’s used my son’s guilt to manipulate him. She snaps her fingers, and he goes running. She’s more than happy to be seen on his arm to further her career, and it’s worked—it’s a good part of what’s helped her get where she is today. She was a second-rate actress, all bit parts and uncredited walk-ons, until he agreed to squire her around Hollywood one season. She doesn’t want him; she
wants payback. She’s extremely jealous of any relationship Alex ever has, and she
always
interferes. Do you know you are the first girl—excuse me, woman—who Alex has ever introduced to us? Oh yes, I see him in the press with different girls, but they never last. I believe Katherine is to blame for that. The pictures of you together must be driving her crazy. She’s a manipulative little bitch.”

I don’t know what to say. I take another mouthful of food, which I suddenly have no desire to eat. I push my plate away and take a drink of water.

“You should eat more, Libby. This is great by the way. You can tell me what’s in it now. I should get you to cook this when you come to New York with Alex.”

“Sarah, I’d really like to visit you in America, but I’ve not decided what I’m doing about Alex’s invitation. I have this place to think about. And then there’s my brother, Ethan, and my niece, Lucy, to consider.” I tell her Ethan’s story, which helps her understand my bond with my twin.

“Alex cares about you. That much is obvious to anyone who sees you together,” says Sarah. “My wish for Alex, as his mother, is to see him happy and settled. But he has to settle for the right reasons—for love, not guilt. I think that’s what frightens me the most, the idea that he might do something silly out of guilt. Sorry. Listen to me rattling on.”

“No, it’s fine. I care for Alex. Truly I do, but I’ve known him only a week, so I am not sure what to
call what I feel or what to make of our relationship. We lead such completely different lives on separate sides of the Atlantic. I’m so afraid a relationship can’t work for us,” I say, feeling a bit down at my own summation.

“Oh, Libby, all relationships take work. You just have to decide if it’s worth it for you,” she says with a smile. “And anyway, it’s early on for you both. If it’s meant to be, things will work out for you, I’m sure.”

“My mother said the same thing to me the other night when we were all out for dinner,” I say, laughing.

“Sounds like a woman after my own heart. Who knows—maybe in the not-too-distant future, I’ll get to meet her. I’m sure she and I would get along great.” I’m sure they would too.

Sarah puts her cutlery down on an empty plate just as Karl comes over to our table.

“Well, Mrs. Mathews, I don’t need to ask if you enjoyed that, do I?” He flashes a proud smile.

“No, Karl, that was delicious. I’ve asked Libby if she will make it for the family when she decides to come visit us in the States. They’ll love it. Everything was perfect.”

“Libby, was there something wrong with yours?” Karl asks.

“Nothing at all. I just haven’t really got much of an appetite yet, I guess. I wasn’t as hungry as I thought I was.”

“Libby, are you okay? You look quite pale,” Karl asks.

I wish people would stop asking me that. I know they mean well, but it is driving me insane. Although now that he mentions it, I really don’t feel so great.
Oh, give in and tell him
.

“Actually, Karl, no. I don’t feel well at all. If you’ll both excuse me, I’ll be back in a minute. While I am gone, you can tell Sarah what’s in haggis,” I say, rising quickly from my chair. I race through the kitchen to the staff toilets and make it just in time to bring up everything I’ve just eaten. I feel dizzy and tired. I clean myself up and return to the restaurant.

As I approach the table, I feel strange—hot and dizzy. I stagger slightly and take hold of a chair. I hear Karl telling Sarah that he’s going to call Ethan. I don’t even have the strength to argue with him about it. Right now it seems like a good idea.

“Libby!” Sarah shouts.

Everything turns black.

When I come to, Sarah is on the floor beside me with my head resting on her legs. Karl is on the phone.

“No, we need a doctor to come here…yes, yes…no, she is conscious now. No, I think she has an infection in the wound on her back…many, many stitches—I can’t remember how many now. Yes, I changed the dressing twice today, and it is weeping quite a bit. Yes, bloody discharge…yes, certainly. Is it okay to take her back
to her room? No, she didn’t bang her head when she fainted. Thank you again.”

He ends the call to the doctor and immediately makes another call. Sarah is gently stroking my arm in a comforting way, the same way my mother probably would.

“Ethan, it’s Karl at the hotel. Listen, I know it might be difficult with the wee one, but Libby isn’t feeling well. No, I’ve called for a doctor to come here. You don’t need to rush—I’ll stay with her, and Alex’s mum is with her as well—but as soon as you can manage. That’s fine…of course you have to bring her. I’ll see you soon.”

“Okay, Libby, we’re going to get you upstairs and comfortable before the doctor gets here. Ethan is on his way with Lucy. Do you think you can get up slowly with my help?”

“Yes, Karl. I feel foolish lying here in a busy restaurant. So if we could hurry it up?” I say drily.

“Libby, we can’t rush. If we do, you’ll only wind up back on the floor again,” he says. He sounds frustrated.

“Please listen to him,” Sarah says kindly.

I nod. Karl shouts for another chef to help, but I tell him no. I don’t want to draw any more attention to myself. I feel silly enough. With the help of Karl and Sarah, I manage to get to my feet, albeit a bit on the shaky side. Karl takes us through the kitchen so I don’t have to go through all the hotel corridors. He’s
kept a tight grip of me around the waist. I am certain my feet are flying through the air.