Spring Proposal in Swallowbrook (9 page)

She was getting up out of the chair, ready to go, when he asked, ‘What’s wrong?’

‘I’m just tired, that’s all,’ she told him. It’s been a long day and I need to get some sleep before Monday morning is upon us.’

‘And that is it?’ he persisted.

‘Yes, that is it.’ Taking his hand in hers, she held it for a moment and it was as if she’d lit a fuse.

‘Don’t keep doing this to me, Ruby,’ he said levelly. ‘I need to know once and for all if you could learn to care for me.’

Care for you! she wanted to cry. I’ve loved you from the moment you took me in when I was so tired and desperate for somewhere to stay. You are the most wonderful man I’ve ever known, and have no idea how much I would love to give you the children you long for. But I can’t bring a child into the world that might have the same blight on them that Robbie has, or be like me, a carrier of it that leaves me untouched bodily, but breaks my heart because of the bonds it binds me with.

Instead she said gravely, ‘You are my best friend, Hugo, won’t that do?’

‘I suppose it will have to if that is all you have to offer me,’ he said heavily, and as she opened the door poised for flight he went on, ‘I’ll see you tomorrow, Ruby…’ and unaware that he was adding to her misery ‘…at the antenatal clinic as usual for a Monday.’

He stood and watched her walk across to her own front door and when it was safely closed behind her went slowly up to bed, telling himself as he did so that he was getting a taste of the very thing he’d vowed to avoid after witnessing his sister’s grief because she’d loved
too much
.
But at least Patrice had been loved in return and that must have been something to hold onto.

His was a new love that had seemed to come out of nowhere. He was happy to be Ruby’s
best friend
, yet was beginning to want more than that, but she might as well be on another planet from the way she was responding to him.

CHAPTER SEVEN

I
T
WAS
Easter and the village was in festive mood with garden parties on the Saturday of the weekend at various houses, including Lakes Rise, and afterwards sports on a field behind the vicarage.

Hugo had asked Ruby in the preceding week when they’d had a free moment at the surgery if she would like to host the event at his place with him and give a hand with preparing the food.

When she’d observed him warily he’d said quizzically, ‘No need to panic, there are no strings attached. All those who are opening their gardens to the public will do so at ten o’clock on Saturday morning, so the first wave of visitors will be mostly there for coffee until around twelve and then it will be a light lunch available until two o’clock when the sporting activities behind the vicarage begin, and that will be it as far as Lakes Rise is concerned.

‘I’ll be doing a huge shop in the next few days and am planning on soup for starters, cold meats and salad for the main course, and a couple of desserts to choose from, so I would be grateful for your help if you haven’t anything else planned for that day?’

She’d been smiling as he’d outlined his plans and had told him, ‘Yes, of course, I’d love to help.’ Her smile deepened. ‘You never cease to amaze me, Hugo.’

‘Why would that be?’ he’d asked, refraining from commenting that it couldn’t possibly be as much as
she confused him.

‘
‘Well, this garden party for one thing. I can’t envisage any other man I know offering to do that kind of thing on his own. Can you cook?’

‘Of course. I wouldn’t have offered if I couldn’t, would I?’

‘I’m sure I don’t know,’ she’d commented. ‘The workings of your mind are a mystery to me.’

‘Just as yours are to me,’ he’d told her, and it had been back, the thing that lay between them, for him an unknown, unseen barrier that he wasn’t allowed to cross, for her an ache that she would have for all her days and nights to come.

But not willing to let it come between them with regard to the garden party he’d said, ‘So before we get sidetracked, can you be at the house for eight o’clock on Easter Saturday? And in the meantime pray for good weather for all the events being planned, as anything of that nature is always a flop if it’s raining.’

They’d gone back to their respective patients after that and as the hours had ticked away Ruby had felt happier than she’d been in days. What harm could there be in them hosting together something along the lines he’d described?

For all she knew, Hugo’s interest in her might be just a passing thing that would wane if he met someone else that he preferred, and irritatingly the memory of the new practice manager came to mind.

When the day dawned the sun
was
shining, the sky
was
a clear blue, and as Ruby went across to the house with a big plastic apron over jeans and a T-shirt, carrying the food that she’d prepared the night before, there wasn’t a cloud in
her
sky either.

She’d awakened to the thought that she was back in Swallowbrook, and was about to spend most of the day with Hugo on a purely friendly basis. So for the moment all was well with her world and the feeling persisted all the time that the two of them were preparing the food to serve to all those whose curiosity and appetites would bring them to Lakes Rise.

Libby and Nathan were the first to arrive with Toby, and Ruby turned away from the pleasure in Hugo’s expression when the boy ran up to him for a hug while his adoptive parents looked on smilingly.

‘We’ll have to find you a beautiful bride so that you can start a brood of your own,’ Libby teased, and in the act of removing the big apron ready for serving the customers Ruby managed a pale smile.

Hugo had sensed her withdrawal and when Libby and Nathan had gone to greet others who were arriving for the garden party he asked, ‘Are you all right, Ruby?’

‘Er…yes,’ she replied absently, as if bringing herself back from somewhere far away. ‘I’m fine.’ After that there was no more time for talking as there was food to serve and drinks to pour for residents and visitors to the Lakeland village on a bright sunny morning, but it didn’t stop Hugo from thinking that when Ruby had arrived at the stated time she had been even brighter than the sun up in the sky. With eyes sparkling she’d been ready to help him in what he’d undertaken and as they’d laughed and joked while working side by side he had been totally happy too.

But with the arrival of Libby, Nathan and Toby, it was as if her light had gone out and he wondered why. Though she was serene enough now as she helped him to serve the food and drinks and he put his misgivings regarding her to one side.

It was two o’clock, the garden party was over and all was tidy after their efforts when he said, ‘So are we going to the field to take part in the sports, or do I open a bottle of wine to toast ourselves as top-notch garden party hosts?’

She was back on form and said laughingly, ‘Oh, definitely the wine. I don’t think I could even manage the egg and spoon race after this morning’s efforts, but I did so enjoy it, Hugo.’

‘Mmm,’ he murmured, observing her thoughtfully, ‘but not all the time, eh, Ruby? Your light went out when Libby and Nathan turned up with Toby, didn’t it? Why was that?’

He had poured the wine and she was twisting the stem of the glass round between her fingers as she told him. ‘It was just a silly moment, that’s all, and it passed quickly enough.’

‘And you’re not prepared to tell me what it was about.’

‘Er, no.’

He sighed. ‘Fair enough. Maybe one day I will get to know what it is that you keep so well hidden in your past, because it can’t be in your present, not the present since you arrived in Swallowbrook as I can tell that you are totally happy to be back here.’

‘Yes, I am,’ she agreed, and thought that coming back to the village was fantastic, but something even more wonderful than that had happened to her since her return, getting to know
him.
Still, it had its downside too as her love for him had brought the decision she’d made after genetic counselling to the forefront of every moment she spent with him, and there was no joy to be had from
that
!

‘So what have you got planned for tonight?’ Hugo asked as he refilled their glasses. ‘There is a talent competition at The Mallard, and the biggest of the passenger launches is doing a special Easter sail of the lake with supper included. What do you think of that?’

She’d been going to say that she was having a quiet night in as it was the best way to batten down her feelings. Being close to him for so long today was weakening her resolve, but she hadn’t been able to resist when he’d asked her to help with the garden party, and now Hugo was tempting her again by suggesting they sail around the lake and have supper with the sun setting on the horizon on a balmy spring evening.’

‘But won’t the boat be fully booked with something like that on offer?’ she asked weakly.

‘Maybe,’ he replied, ‘but I’ve got tickets.’

‘So you were that sure I would come?’

‘Pretty much, yes, because I know how you love the lake. So is it on, Ruby, supper on the water? There will be a small orchestra on board so what more could we ask for? It’s also a chance to get dressed up and let others wait on you for a change!’

It sounded wonderful, but she wasn’t going to be taken for granted too easily. ‘What if I’ve got something else planned?’

‘Have you?’

‘Well, no, not really, but don’t expect me to fall in with everything you suggest, Hugo. It will only be the worse for you if you do.’

He was frowning. ‘Those sound like words of warning.’

‘Make of them what you like,’ she said gravely. ‘One day you might have cause to remember them.’

The frown was deepening. ‘Is that a threat or a promise?’

‘Neither. You were right the first time, it was a warning.’

Deciding that it was not the moment to pursue that kind of conversation, he said evenly, ‘So do you want to have supper with me on the lake, Ruby?’

‘Yes, please,’ she told him meekly.

He was smiling now. ‘So why couldn’t you say so in the first place?’

‘Because…’

‘Because what?’

‘Just because, Hugo, and now I’m going to go and search amongst my clothes for something suitable to wear, and if I can’t find anything else it will have to be the red cape.’

He was laughing. ‘Don’t even think of it. Why don’t I take you shopping and buy you something really beautiful to wear?’

‘I was never meant to be beautiful,’ she declared. ‘I belong to the ranks of the nondescript, but I might ring the hairdresser to see if she can fit me in for a makeover before I go home to change.’ And with the thought in mind she bade him a swift goodbye and went post haste down the hill to the main street of the village, leaving him wanting to tell her that to him she
was
beautiful.

When Ruby opened the door of the apartment to him that evening he took a deep breath. If she’d been appealing before, she was enchanting now. Clearly the hair salon had done as she’d asked.

The long swathe of her hair had gone. It had been shaped into a short stylish cut that showed off the contours of her face to their full advantage, the high cheek bones, the curve of the lips that he’d kissed gently on one occasion and in rising overwhelming passion on another, and the slender stem of her neck rising out of the bodice of a knee-length black dress. The dress in itself was nothing special. It was in keeping with the budget of a junior doctor. It was the woman inside it that gave it style, and he thought however much she might have attracted him before, nothing could compare to how she was affecting him now.

He sensed a change in her. The wariness she always displayed when they were together was missing, her eyes were bright, her lips parted over even white teeth. The thought came that Ruby was a creature of moods. The one she was in tonight was most welcome, but would it last? Did he want someone who blew hot and cold all the time? But as she smiled at him with all the warmth that he wanted from her those thoughts were fleeting.

‘You look very swish,’ he said in a low voice as they went out onto the drive. He gazed down at the boots with the incredible heels that she’d been wearing on the night that she’d appeared in his life for the first time. ‘I was going to suggest that we stroll down to the lake as it is so near, but I think maybe not.’ And he opened the door on the passenger side of the car.

‘I would have been fine,’ she said with a smile as brilliant as the sun at midday as she swung long legs inside and settled herself in the seat, ‘but if you insist…’ And within seconds they were off.

If he had known the reason for the way she was glowing Hugo would have probably turned the car round and driven them back to the house, but as he didn’t he carried on to the lakeside where the big launch was waiting with a festive air about it, and once he’d parked the car they went on board and were shown to their table with all the airs and graces of a top hotel.

As she looked around her Ruby was vowing to get every ounce of enjoyment out of this special night, because just for once she was going to forget about everything except the two of them, was going to pretend that she was just like other women, ordinary and without blight.

It was going to be the only time that she was going to allow herself that pleasure. Once the night was over she would return to sanity, but not until she’d had this one wonderful evening with Hugo.

It would be time to think about the consequences when it was over. Tonight was going to be theirs, and if he ever found out why and followed Darren Fielding’s example by easing himself out of their relationship, she would accept it and get on with her life as best she could.

The night was magical. As the sun sank low on the horizon the lanterns came on around the lake and while they dined a small orchestra played. One of the musicians came to tables at one point and asked the diners if there was anything special they would like them to play. When he stopped beside theirs Ruby asked for a love song that she had long adored.

‘Why that?’ Hugo asked softly.

‘It is so beautiful,’ she said dreamily,
and yearned to tell him that the words reminded her of him.

A tear ran down her cheek. He saw it and immediately wanted to know what was wrong. It was all he seemed to do when they were together, he thought, a poor basis for the kind of relationship he wanted with Ruby, but her happiness was precious to him.

When she smiled and said, ‘It was just a moment of nostalgia.’ He nodded, relieved that it wasn’t anything that might spoil the magic of the night.

They’d finished the meal and when the orchestra began to play the music that Ruby had asked for Hugo took her hand and led her to where part of the upper deck had been set aside for dancing.

The rest of the diners were still down below. They had the place to themselves as he took her in his arms. With the lamplit water all around them they began to dance slowly and languorously, so much in tune that it was as if the reckless mood that had taken hold of her as she’d prepared for the evening was real and everything else was a sham, when in truth it was the opposite.