Chantal added it quickly. As she helped him turn out the omelette onto a large serving plate they both stood back to admire their handiwork. Michel might be a wizard in the operating theatre but his pride in a simple omelette was a joy to behold.
He sat at the head of the long kitchen table. She sat beside him. They tore off pieces of bread from the baguette, dunking it in Chantal’s vinaigrette, drinking the delicious wine, chattering all the time as if they’d known each other for a long time.
‘I’ll phone for a taxi to take you back to hospital later, Chantal. This wine was a really good choice. I mustn’t drive now. Alternatively, I’ve got a guest room where you could spend the night. No need for you to decide yet.’
Michel found himself working out exactly how long he’d known this wonderful woman. It had been February when she’d first come into his life so she’d been here about four months now. She’d made such a difference to his working life in Emergency. He found he looked forward to working with her every day. And now she was bringing hope into his life by agreeing to have his baby. Their baby.
If he hadn’t decided that he daren’t love again it would be very easy to feel emotional about her. But to fall in love was not part of the plan. He couldn’t open up his heart to the love of a woman again. Chantal, being very level-headed, had her own reasons not to fall in love. She couldn’t trust a man ever again. So they were perfect together, weren’t they?
He put down his fork and reached for her small hand. ‘You won’t change your mind, will you, Chantal?’ he asked huskily.
She felt the warmth of his hand around hers and the touch of skin against skin seemed almost erotic. She could feel deep down that being with Michel was affecting her more than it should.
‘No, of course I won’t change my mind.’ She stood up. ‘Dessert?’ she asked briskly.
He could feel something like an electric current running between them. Deep down inside him was a powerful feeling of wanting to take Chantal in his arms and hold her until the feeling went away. He stood up and put his arms around her, drawing her close. This didn’t make sense. She should have pushed him away, told him to stick to the plan. Maybe she was feeling as he was. He bent his head to kiss her.
She parted her lips as every sense in her body ignited with passion and longing. She was feeling overwhelmed by the sensual fluidity of her body as she moulded herself against Michel’s hard, virile, muscular frame. She was melting away as he held her tightly in his arms. There was a powerful force gripping her. She knew she should fight it but she had no intention of doing so. She didn’t even want to stir in his arms in case the dream ended.
He lifted her into his arms, carrying her towards the door. There was no need for words as he carried her upstairs. They were both intent on giving in to the magic of the moment. There was no need to justify his actions or her compliance. Life was too precious to banish moments like this. There was no yesterday, no tomorrow, simply the present moment.
CHAPTER SIX
W
HAT
HAD
HE
done? How could he have suspended all rational thinking last night? Michel settled himself back against his pillow. He’d lain for a while with his eyes closed. He could hear the steady breathing beside him. With his eyes now open he dared to look at the sleeping Chantal beside him.
He held his breath in wonder. If he were a real romantic—which he’d tried so hard not to be since he’d lost Maxine—he would say she was a vision of loveliness. Her long dark hair, free from the chignon she swirled it into during working hours, was spread over the pillow. Her lips, slightly parted, were impossibly appealing. He remembered the taste of them from last night. The wickedly sensual effect they’d had on him. How could he have given in to that irresistible desire to make love to Chantal?
He’d done so much damage last night. This was an item that definitely hadn’t been on the agenda. They’d agreed to be parents of convenience, not lovers.
He swallowed hard as her lovely long eyelashes fluttered open.
‘Hi.’
She gave him a shy but sexy smile before looking around her uncertainly. And then it all came rushing back to her. As wonderful as her memories were of last night, it certainly hadn’t been supposed to happen.
She struggled to pull herself into a sitting position but he put out his hand to hold her still, trying not to touch the naked skin beneath the rumpled sheets, that same naked skin he’d explored, tasted, kissed. It had been the most wonderful experience. So unexpected. Now what?
‘I’ll get some coffee, Chantal.’
He was trying hard to blot out the memory of the magic of their night together. His body had so craved the physical side of a relationship that he’d seemed to have forgotten he shouldn’t make love to Chantal. She was out of bounds if they were to have a successful agreement of non-commitment.
He ran a hand through his ruffled hair as he sat on the edge of the bed, his back to Chantal. He daren’t turn to look at her. Even now his treacherous body seemed hell bent on leading him into danger again. He had to pull himself together and see if he could bring them back on course. Giving in would change everything in the kind of relationship they’d agreed on.
He grabbed his robe from the floor and stood up purposefully.
She lay very still as she saw him shrugging into his towelling robe. This was the most bizarre situation she’d ever been in. Two people arranging to make a baby together in an unconventional and unromantic way had spent the night together and changed the very nature of the relationship they’d agreed to. Emotional feelings had got the better of them last night and they’d been carried away on a tide of passion and desire for each other. They’d ignored the original plan. So what would happen now?
She looked around the palatial bedroom. Swathes of ivory silk curtains were still drawn back from the windows in their ornamental tiebacks. They’d slept all night with the windows uncovered and a couple of windows wide open. She remembered at one point how he’d insisted they go out onto the balcony to admire the moon. So he was a romantic after all. He’d kept that hidden before but not last night!
The garden had been so silent and still, fragrant with the scent of the roses. Michel had insisted he could smell the salty sea but she’d said they were too high up. She’d laughed as they’d argued until he’d kissed her so long and hard that they’d had to move back to bed to resume their lovemaking.
Yes, at the time it had felt like love. But love for each other wasn’t on the cards. They’d both said that they would love their baby but loving each other was off limits if they were to keep their independence. They’d both agreed not to commit to each other. They must keep their independence if their original plan was to work.
She climbed out of bed and went into the en suite bathroom. There was a spare bathrobe hanging on a hook. Very masculine, much too large. She was glad it wasn’t a feminine type of guest robe. Even as the thought entered her head she told herself that although they hoped to be parents together they shouldn’t be jealous of future partnerships either of them might make.
She pulled on the enormous robe and tied the belt twice around her waist as she heard Michel had come back into the bedroom.
She found him on the balcony, placing a tray with croissants and coffee on the small table. She sank down into the large armchair, noticing that he’d replaced the cushions that had been inside the bedroom when they’d both shared the one chair, leaning against each other for warmth, comfort and... She could feel herself blushing at the thought of what had happened next.
‘How do you take your coffee, Chantal?’
‘Black, no sugar. Oh, you’ve brought croissants. Breakfast, no less. I’d like milk with my coffee so I can dip my croissant in it.’
He gave her a nervous smile as he passed her cup. ‘Strange, having breakfast together.’
‘Yes.’ It was even stranger, in retrospect, remembering their night together.
They remained silent as they looked out across the garden.
Chantal broke the silence. ‘It’s even more beautiful in day light out here.’
He couldn’t help thinking she looked even more beautiful in the sunshine. That was a wicked thought, a remnant of last night lingering too long. He brought his mind back on track again.
‘So, how do we approach the situation now?’
‘You mean making a baby together?’ She wished she’d phrased that more delicately.
He took a deep breath. ‘Well, we both seem well qualified in the baby-making department but...’ he paused as if to choose his words carefully ‘...that wasn’t what we intended, was it? We intended to keep our independence and arrange to be parents of convenience. As I see it, we should try to forget last night ever happened and continue with our original plan. What do you think, Chantal?’
‘I agree with you absolutely.’
Her treacherous heart was telling her otherwise but she knew she could never trust another man so she banished all her lingering romantic feelings. She’d learned her lesson the hard way with the deceitful Jacques. Last night had been wonderful but it mustn’t be repeated if they were to avoid complications.
‘Yes, Michel, our original plan for non-commitment to each other will be the most workable solution to becoming parents.’
Michel nodded his assent. He’d enjoyed every moment they’d spent with each other but he’d got his errant feelings under control once more. He mustn’t commit himself to Chantal. He’d never stopped loving Maxine and never could. Even if he could banish his memories of her, he’d promised himself never to risk loving a woman again. If he continued to nurture Chantal in a loving way how would he cope if he lost her? Life could be so unpredictable. Grief was a terrible emotion.
‘I think we should stick to our original plan,’ he said quietly. ‘We must try to forget last night. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have...’
She could see he was worried now. ‘Michel, it was a one-off experience. Let’s stick to our plan as we outlined last night before we...before we both got carried away.’
‘Yes, nothing has changed, has it?’
‘Nothing has changed,’ she repeated quietly as she thought what a false statement that was. False but necessary if they were to envisage shared parenthood and retain their independence from each other.
To make her point, she held out her hand towards him. ‘Let’s shake on that.’
He stood up and came round the back of her chair to take her hand in his and draw her to her feet. Deliberately she straightened her arm so that they could now shake hands. It was time go back into the sane world where life would go on as usual.
* * *
It was business as usual as soon as they got back into hospital. There had been another RTA on the road that fed the traffic into the dual carriageway and patients were being diverted to all hospitals within a reasonable distance. They’d been chosen to take their share of the injured.
By a tremendous effort of mind Chantal managed to put herself into work mode and behave normally when she was working alongside Michel. When he asked her to assist him in the treatment of a difficult leg injury soon after they arrived in Emergency she was totally professional and relieved with the way that he too seemed oblivious to all that had passed between them only hours ago.
‘I’d hoped Orthopaedics would take this young man to Theatre but all the theatres are in use at the moment and this operation can’t wait.’
Michel looked over the top of his mask at the small emergency team he’d assembled in the larger of the two treatment rooms.
‘Scalpel, Chantal.’
He made a long incision down the side of the injured leg. ‘As you can see, everybody,’ he continued in his teaching voice, ‘the tibia, which as you all know is the strongest and most important bone in the lower leg, has been shattered into several small pieces. You will remember I showed you the damaged leg on the X-rays.’
He broke off to speak to his anaesthetist about the condition of their patient. Reassured by his reply, he continued.
‘I’m now going to wire the shards of bone together. I always think it’s a bit like doing a jigsaw puzzle when I have to deal with a large bone as badly shattered as this one.’
Chantal glanced up at the video screen recording the operation above the table. She could see Michel’s hands skilfully fixing the tibia together. He too was taking a look at the screen now as he worked on a difficult section. Their eyes met and she could tell he was smiling beneath his mask. She smiled back, a smile that was meant to reassure him that nothing in their plan had changed. If she continued to make every effort to convince herself it would all work out as they’d planned.
* * *
As she was moving between patients later that morning she was surprised at a request from the obstetrics department. Could she spare a few minutes to go and see a returning patient who’d asked to see her? She glanced around the waiting area. Five minutes would be OK, she told the person who’d phoned. There were no urgent cases at the moment.
‘It’s Maria who wants to see you, Chantal. You remember the young woman who came in by herself and was already in labour?’
‘Yes, of course. I’m on my way.
Maria was looking radiantly happy when Chantal arrived in Outpatients. So different from the bedraggled girl in the enormous raincoat who’d been well into labour without knowing what was happening.
‘I just wanted to thank you for helping me when my baby was born, Doctor. I’d like to call her Chantal. I hope you don’t mind if I give her your name.’
Chantal smiled. ‘Of course I don’t mind! I’m delighted.’
She wondered how many more babies she delivered would be called Chantal. There was a woman with Maria proudly holding the baby who was wearing a pink frilly frock and a tiny hat with a brim that flopped over her forehead.
‘I’m baby Chantal’s grandmother,’ the woman explained.
‘A very young grandmother, may I say.’
‘Well, my son, the father of this dear little baby, is only eighteen. I was only eighteen when he was born so you can work out how old I am. It was a surprise to me when the hospital contacted me to say Maria had given them my number to call because her father was on business and couldn’t be contacted.’
Maria spoke up, looking a little bit flustered. ‘Frederick and I had gone out together a few times even though we’d only...well, you know...done it once and I thought you couldn’t get pregnant the first time.’
Chantal glanced at the young grandmother. ‘Maria isn’t the only young girl to believe that old story, is she?’
The grandmother smiled. ‘It happens all the time. Anyway, fortunately I can give her all the help she needs. Maria and the baby have moved in with us. Frederick is thrilled to bits at being a father. I’ve got three more children at home so it’s nice to have a baby in the family as well.’
‘So you and Maria’s father are happy with the arrangement?’
There was a slight pause. ‘Let’s say he’s relieved his daughter is being well looked after, Doctor. He’s not really a family man, if you know what I mean. Without his wife he reverted to being a bachelor again and I think Maria was—’
‘I was in the way,’ Maria said quietly. ‘I love being part of Frederick’s family.’
‘Thank you for coming along to see us, Doctor. Maria told me all about you. She’s just been back for a check-up and everything’s fine. You did a great job that day.’
‘Thank you.’
Chantal felt a warm glow of happiness inside her as she walked back along the corridor to Emergency.
‘You’re looking pleased with yourself.’
They’d almost bumped into each other as they’d both hurried around the same corner going in opposite directions.
Her warm glow seemed to get warmer now, especially in her face. How stupid of her to start blushing like a teenager again.
‘Michel! Where are you heading off to?’
‘As your boss I should be asking you where you’ve been,’ he said in a pseudo-stern voice.
‘Got a request to go and see an ex-patient who was having a check-up in Obstetrics outpatients. Do you remember that young girl, Maria, who was in labour when she arrived and I took her to Obstetrics?’
‘And ended up spending hours delivering her baby while I was left doing your work and mine.’
He was continuing to tease her with his big-boss manner, while trying to convince himself that nothing had changed between them since yesterday. Yes, he certainly did remember that particular delivery room where he’d been strangely moved as he’d looked at Chantal holding the newborn baby. He remembered thinking what a wonderful mother she would make.
‘I didn’t spend hours. It was a quick delivery for a first timer. Anyway she’s doing well. The baby’s eighteen-year-old father is delighted that his mother has accepted Maria and baby Chantal into their large family.’
‘They’ll all grow up together. One big happy family. Got to go. I’m needed in orthopaedics. They’ve got a vacant operating theatre at last but no surgeon. Thanks for your assistance in our converted treatment room, Chantal. You did well under the circumstances.’
As he hurried away he knew he would have praised his assistant more if it had been anyone else. But he had to be careful now that he’d shown her how much she meant to him. He mustn’t get carried away again, must he? He wasn’t at all sure about that. It was going to take an enormous amount of self-control.