Buch lesen: «The Italian Doctor»

CONTENTS

Cover

Dear Reader

Title Page

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

‘HE IS just so gorgeous! On a scale of one to ten he scores a definite eleven. It isn’t just his looks, though, is it? It’s the whole scrumptious package.’

Staff Nurse Maggie Carr bit her lip—hard! It was the only way to stop herself saying something derogatory. She had deliberately not joined in the conversation for that very reason and could only hope that her colleagues would change the subject soon.

Maggie sighed as she realised how unlikely that was. Ever since Luke Fabrizzi had set his well-shod, size-ten foot through the doors of Dalverston General Hospital the female members of staff had talked about little else. Frankly, she was sick and tired of hearing his name mentioned!

Picking up a magazine, she noisily flicked through its pages, trying to blot out what the other two were saying. Maybe she was biased, but even if she and Luke Fabrizzi hadn’t had that confrontation at her grandmother’s house in Italy earlier in the year she swore that she would have felt the same about the handsome surgical registrar.

She’d been dismayed when he’d arrived from Boston to work on the hospital’s exchange scheme. Frankly, she’d hoped never to see him again, only fate had intervened. Now they worked together on a daily basis and Maggie was finding it increasingly difficult to hide her feelings. Oh, he was an excellent doctor and she didn’t dispute that, but in her view Luke Fabrizzi was the most arrogant, the most egotistical, the most…

‘He’s just so honest. I think that’s his most attractive feature, although there are plenty to choose from, aren’t there?’ Angela Graham, the newest recruit to the surgical ward, sounded dreamy as she continued. ‘But to my mind the most important thing about a man is whether or not he tells you the truth. When Donna Parsons from Obs and Gynae started fishing for information about whether he had a girlfriend back in Boston, he was so open about why he didn’t have one.’

Angela sighed wistfully. ‘It’s such a shame that Luke’s so committed to his career that he feels he hasn’t time for a long-term relationship, isn’t it? But at least he admits it and doesn’t try to string a woman along, like so many men do.’

‘Oh, I agree!’ Doreen Baker, the middle-aged part-timer, added her own heartfelt endorsement. ‘If there’s one thing you need from a man it’s honesty. You don’t want someone who spins you a line all the time.’

There was only so much she could stand! Maggie tossed her magazine onto the table and stood up. She saw the other two look at her and shook her head in despair.

‘You two need your heads examined!’ she declared, her dark brown eyes flashing. ‘I can’t believe that you are so…so naïve that you’ve been taken in like this!’

Doreen grinned, not at all perturbed by the outburst. She and Maggie had worked together for some time and she was used to the younger woman’s sometimes fiery temperament. ‘Do I take it that you aren’t a member of Luke Fabrizzi’s flourishing fan club? Funny. I would have thought he’d be right up your street, Maggie. You two must have a lot in common with your family backgrounds.’

‘I have nothing whatsoever in common with that man!’

Maggie strode to the sink and emptied the dregs of her coffee down the drain. Renovations to the hospital’s canteen had begun the previous week so they were taking their morning break in the ward kitchen. Temporary canteen facilities had been set up in the basement, but it was such a trek from the surgical ward that they went there only at lunchtime. The work was being carried out on the floor above them and she raised her voice as the whine from some kind of high-powered machinery filtered down through the ceiling.

‘Maybe his parents and my mother are Italian but that’s as far as it goes. I don’t want you putting me in the same category as Luke Fabrizzi, thank you very much!’

‘Maggie,’ Doreen said warningly, but Maggie didn’t hear her. The noise from above was getting louder so she raised her voice even more to make sure that the other two heard her.

‘As for that so-called honesty of his, well, it’s simply proof of his arrogance. The wretched man seems to believe that every woman he meets is trying to lure him to the altar!’ She gave an unladylike snort as she swung round. ‘The reason Luke Fabrizzi isn’t looking for a long-term relationship is because he knows that he’ll never find anyone he could love as much as himsel…’

She didn’t finish the sentence. Maybe it was the expression on her friend’s face which warned her something was wrong or maybe it was the frisson that raced down her spine which stopped the words on her lips. However, she knew before she glanced towards the door who she would see.

Luke Fabrizzi treated her to a dazzling smile as he leant indolently against the doorjamb. ‘Don’t let me put you off, Staff. Finish what you were saying.’ He raised an elegant black brow as he looked at the other two women. ‘We’re dying to hear the rest of your words of wisdom, aren’t we, ladies?’

Maggie felt another tremor run through her. This one was compounded from a smidgen of embarrassment and a large dollop of annoyance. She’d had no idea that Luke had come into the room while she’d been speaking, but that wasn’t her fault. He should have said something to let her know that he was there. Anyone with an ounce of good manners would have done that!

It was another black mark against him and she used it to salve her conscience. She treated him to a smile that would have stopped a charging elephant in its tracks. ‘Oh, I don’t think there’s any need for me to labour the point. I believe I’ve made my feelings clear, Dr Fabrizzi.’

‘Perfectly clear, Staff. I’m sure none of us are in any doubt how you feel.’

There was a trace of amusement in his deep voice which brought a tide of angry colour to Maggie’s cheeks when she heard it. If he was at all upset by what he had overheard then it certainly didn’t show. Why should it, though? The wretched man’s ego was far too huge to be dented by anything she said!

It was another strike against him in her opinion but she decided that it would be better not to remark on it, hard though that was. It was unprofessional enough to have been caught discussing him, without making matters worse by starting an argument.

She pasted a polite smile to her mouth instead. ‘Did you want to speak to me about a patient, Dr Fabrizzi?’

‘I needed a word with you about Mrs Bradshaw, if you could spare me a moment,’ he replied equally formally. He moved aside as Angela and Doreen hurriedly made their exit. It was obvious that they were deeply embarrassed by what had happened, but Maggie refused to let it upset her. Every word she’d said had been true. She and Luke Fabrizzi both knew that.

‘Certainly. Is there a problem?’ she asked, leading the way to the office. Sister Clarke was away on holiday for the next three weeks and Maggie was in charge of the ward in her absence. It was a big responsibility but she was enjoying the challenge of ensuring that everything ran smoothly.

Luke followed her into the room and closed the door. His face was set as he focused on the patient rather than their differences. ‘Unfortunately, yes. I’ve just seen her X-rays and I’m not at all happy with what they show. The damage to the head of the femur is far more extensive than we thought it was.’

Maggie sighed. Alice Bradshaw had been admitted to the ward that morning after tripping over a loose flagstone in her garden. Fortunately a neighbour had heard her shouts and called an ambulance. She’d been taken to Casualty before being transferred to the ward prior to her operation. She must have been in a great deal of pain but she hadn’t complained once. Maggie had spent some time with her and was full of admiration for the old lady’s bravery.

‘Will you be able to repair it?’ she asked worriedly.

‘To an extent. However, the bone is so fragile that the joint is never going to be as good as I would have liked it to be. Like so many elderly women, Mrs Bradshaw is suffering from osteoporosis, which simply increases the problems when you’re performing this type of surgery.’

Luke’s handsome face drew into a frown as he thought about the difficulties involved. There was no doubting his commitment to his work, Maggie thought. He genuinely cared about the people he treated and the quality of life they would have after their surgery.

She felt a small flicker of admiration and quickly snuffed it out. His professionalism had never been part of the equation. It was his attitude that irritated her, that belief he seemed to have that every woman he met found him irresistible!

He suddenly looked up and she quickly averted her eyes in case her feelings showed. Luke Fabrizzi was undoubtedly the most handsome man she had ever met, with those classically perfect features, that lustrous black hair, that superbly proportioned six-foot frame. However, she wasn’t the least bit interested in him that way.

‘I thought I had better explain to Mrs Bradshaw what I’ve found before she goes to Theatre, but I wanted some idea of how she would take the news,’ Luke stated evenly. But there was a speculative light in his deep blue eyes when Maggie glanced at him that warned her his attention wasn’t solely on their patient now.

Had he picked up on her thoughts somehow? she found herself wondering, then quickly dismissed the idea. She and Luke Fabrizzi weren’t even on the same wavelength and she would have considered it an insult if anyone had suggested that they were.

‘I’m sure that Alice will accept whatever you tell her.’ Maggie resolutely returned her thoughts to their patient. Her voice warmed as she recalled what she had learned about the old lady. ‘I was talking to her this morning and discovered that she brought up five children on her own after her husband died. She had to do two jobs to support them, so it can’t have been easy for her. However, it’s a good indication of her strength of character so I don’t think that she’ll take the news too badly.’

‘Well, that’s a relief. It’s always good to have an idea how a patient will react. She sounds like a really plucky old lady, from what you’ve said. Thanks. It’s been a great help.’

Luke smiled and Maggie felt her heart perform the most peculiar manoeuvre, something that felt midway between a hiccup and a somersault…

She chased away that fanciful idea before it had a chance to take root. Luke Fabrizzi had no effect on her whatsoever other than to irritate the socks off her. So if he’d been hoping to charm her then he was in for a big disappointment.

‘Oh, I try my best to be of assistance whenever I can, Dr Fabrizzi,’ she replied with saccharine sweetness. ‘Would you like a word with Mrs Bradshaw now?’

She walked towards the door then stopped when Luke stepped into her path. ‘Tut-tut, Staff Nurse Carr, your animosity is showing again. I wonder why I seem to have this effect on you?’

He frowned as he studied her thoughtfully. Maggie forced herself to meet his stare without flinching, although it wasn’t easy, she had to admit. There was something decidedly unsettling about that intent scrutiny. It made her want to do all sorts of odd things, like smile inanely or make sure that her hair was in place. Maybe that was the effect Luke always had on a woman, making her feel conscious of her own femininity.

She swiftly shut off that thought as well, refusing to let herself go any further down that route. Her brown eyes glittered with impatience as she stared back at him.

‘I’ve no idea, Dr Fabrizzi. Perhaps it’s the fact that I have this deep-seated aversion to men who think they’re God’s gift to the female half of the population.’ She shrugged dismissively. ‘It seems a reasonable explanation to me, but what do you think?’

‘I suppose it’s possible, although I confess that I’m not convinced it’s the real answer.’

He shook his head so that a black lock fell onto his forehead. It gave him the appearance of a fallen angel, Maggie thought, then sucked in her breath as she realised that she was doing it again. It worried her that she couldn’t seem to control her own thoughts. It had never happened before and she wasn’t sure why it was happening now. She didn’t like Luke Fabrizzi so why did she behave this way around him? She was so confused that it was a moment before she realised that he was still speaking.

‘It’s more personal than that. Isn’t there a saying about hell, fury and scorned women? Maybe that’s a more accurate explanation.’

He treated her to a last mocking smile before he opened the door. It took Maggie a full sixty seconds to recover from her shock and by that time he had left the office. She felt her temper soar to new heights as she recalled what he had said.

Did he really believe that she was still smarting from what he’d said to her in Milan that summer? Did he honestly think that she’d been party to her grandmother’s plans?

The answers came back loud and clear. Yes! And yes again!

Maggie groaned in sudden dismay. Why, oh, why hadn’t she smelt a rat when she’d received that letter asking her to fly to Italy to visit her supposedly ailing grandmother? She’d spent most of her adult life foiling her family’s attempts to find her a husband so she should have realised it had been a ruse. It was just that the letter had been so convincing! She had caught the first available flight and rushed to her grandmother’s house, only to find the old lady looking as fit as a flea rather than languishing on her sickbed.

The rat should have been stinking to high heaven by that point but, no, she’d simply accepted that Nonna had made a miraculous recovery. She’d been so relieved it had never crossed her mind that she’d been set up until Luke Fabrizzi had arrived the following evening…

‘Can you answer that, cara?’ Lucia Di Marco smiled guilelessly at her granddaughter as the doorbell rung. ‘I thought it would be nice if we had company for dinner tonight.’

‘Are you sure, Nonna?’ Maggie frowned as she looked at the old lady. ‘You’ve been very ill and I don’t want you tiring yourself.’

‘Nonsense! It will be good to have visitors.’ Lucia patted her hand. ‘You and Luke will have a lot to talk about, cara. He is a doctor at this big hospital in America. His grandmother and I have been friends for many years, and I have heard so much about him that I feel as though I already know him—’ She broke off when the bell pealed a second time. ‘Luke is waiting, Margherita.’

Maggie bit back a sigh as she hurried from the room. She was starting to get an uneasy feeling about this new development. Call it paranoia but she had the nasty suspicion that their visitor might have been invited for some other reason apart from welcoming him to the country!

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she crossed the hall and paused when she caught sight of her exasperated expression. She took a deep breath and tried to compose herself while she took rapid stock of her reflection.

In deference to her grandmother, she had changed out of the jeans she’d been wearing that day into a pale green cotton shift dress, and the colour was the perfect foil for her dark brown hair and olive-toned complexion. With it she was wearing a pair of strappy leather sandals and she couldn’t help smiling when she glanced down at her bare feet.

It wasn’t often that she had time to pamper herself so it had been fun that night. She had passed a pleasant half-hour painting her toenails a delicate pistachio to tone with her dress. However, she couldn’t help wondering what their guest would think if he noticed.

Recalling some of the earnest young men her family had paraded before her in the past, she would hazard a guess that he wouldn’t be the type to appreciate green nail varnish, she decided as she went to the door. Good! The last thing she needed was the hassle of having to fend off the advances of some pathetic creature who needed his grandmother to find him a date…

‘Buona sera, signorina. Signora Di Marco, per favore.’

The man who stood on the step was light years away from the pitiful soul she’d been expecting. He was so fantastically good-looking, in fact, that Maggie’s mind seized up. It wouldn’t go forward or back, but stayed right where it was, enjoying what it was seeing.

Tall, dark and handsome was such a cliché yet it fitted him to a T, she decided, dizzily taking stock. However, it was when her eyes met the aloof blue ones that were studying her with far less enthusiasm that she realised he was waiting for her to say something.

‘Come in. I mean, um…’ She spoke fluent Italian normally but for the life of her Maggie couldn’t think of the words she needed at that moment.

‘Don’t worry. I speak English.’ The man gave her a smile that was on the chilly side of polite as he stepped into the hall. ‘The name’s Luke Fabrizzi, by the way.’

‘Maggie Carr,’ she responded automatically. She shut the door then took a deep breath and quickly marshalled her thoughts. She was twenty-five years of age and held down a responsible job so it shouldn’t be beyond her to manage a few polite words of greeting!

‘Which part of the States are you from?’ she asked as she led the way to the salon where her grandmother was waiting.

‘Boston. My parents moved there soon after they married and I was born there.’

He leant past her to open the door and she jumped nervously when his arm brushed hers. He was wearing perfectly cut black trousers and a white silk shirt; the silk felt so cool against her bare skin that she shivered then found her eyes winging upwards as she tried to gauge whether he’d noticed.

She looked away in embarrassment when she saw that he had. It made her feel decidedly unsettled to realise it and her voice became huskier than normal. ‘I see. Nonna told me that she has known your grandmother for some time and that they’re great friends. I got the impression that she considers you to be almost part of the family.’

She cleared her throat and hurried on, not understanding why his eyes had seemed to narrow when she’d said that. All she’d been trying to do had been to make him feel welcome. ‘I take it that you’re in Italy to visit your grandmother?’

‘That’s right. Quite a coincidence, isn’t it?’ His tone was so silky that Maggie just managed not to shiver once again when she felt the vibrations from it dancing across her skin.

‘Coincidence?’ she repeated, trying to get a grip on herself.

‘That we should both be in Italy at the same time, visiting our grandmothers, of course.’ He gave the slightest shrug but his eyes were cold. ‘Although I’m not a great believer that things happen purely by chance, I’m afraid.’

He opened the salon door, leaving her no opportunity to question what he’d meant. However, several times throughout the evening Maggie found her thoughts returning to that comment he’d made. She had her suspicions as to why Luke Fabrizzi had been invited that night, but surely he couldn’t have guessed that there might have been an ulterior motive to the invitation?

Frankly, it was a relief when dinner was over and Nonna announced that she was going to bed because it meant that the evening could be brought to a close. However, the old lady insisted that Luke should stay for coffee so Maggie had no choice but to play hostess even though she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the role. There was just something about Luke Fabrizzi that put her on edge.

‘Right, now that the formalities have been observed, perhaps it would be best if we got down to the real reason why I was invited here tonight.’

Luke didn’t even glance at the cup of coffee she’d placed in front of him. His gaze was so sharp as he speared Maggie with it that she had difficulty not squirming. It was only a deep reluctance to let him know that he had the ability to affect her that kept her still.

She put down her own cup and clasped her hands together to keep them steady. ‘And that is?’

‘Well, I’m glad you aren’t going to pretend that you don’t know what I’m talking about.’ Luke’s tone was as glacial as the smile he treated her to and Maggie felt a chill invade her. She had a horrible feeling about what he was going to say but she’d be damned if she’d let him see how uneasy she felt!

‘Why pretend? It only wastes time and I’m sure neither of us wants to do that.’ She shrugged, feeling rather pleased with how that had sounded. ‘If you have something to say, please, get on with it.’

‘Fine, I’ll do just that. To put it bluntly, Maggie, I’m not interested. Oh, you’re a very beautiful woman and I’m sure you ring a lot of bells for a lot of men, but I’m not one of them.’

He regarded her thoughtfully. ‘Of course, I blame myself for not realising what was going on when I accepted this invitation. I must have been more tired than I thought I was. But I want you to know that whatever plans you and your family have hatched with my grandmother aren’t going to amount to anything.

‘I’m not looking for a wife—full stop. I’m not interested in home, family and all the other things everyone thinks I’m lacking in my life. I’m perfectly happy the way I am. To put it bluntly, I’m not the marrying kind. So if you have set your sights on me then I suggest that you think again because I’m not interested.’

Maggie didn’t know which bit of the statement to reply to first. Should she first of all deny that she’d been party to her grandmother’s machinations or leave that until she’d told him exactly where he could get off? The sheer arrogance of him took her breath away, but not for long, mercifully enough.

‘This may come as a shock, Dr Fabrizzi, but I had no idea what Nonna had planned. If I had done then, believe me, I wouldn’t be here now!’

Luke shrugged as he got up. ‘Whatever you say. I don’t intend to argue the point. So long as we both know where we stand, that’s fine by me.’

He walked to the door but Maggie got there ahead of him. Her dark eyes blazed as she glared into his face. ‘Well, it isn’t fine with me! I’ve met some arrogant people in my time but you’re in a league of your own. Do you honestly believe that every woman you meet is so smitten with your charms that she’s longing to snare you into marriage?’

She laughed scornfully and was pleased to see a flicker of annoyance cross his face. Good! It was about time that someone took Dr I-love-me Fabrizzi down several large pegs.

‘Sorry, handsome, but you leave me cold. I like my men to have a bit more going for them than mere good looks. Personality is a definite plus factor, humility another wonderful attribute, and then, of course, there’s intelligence.’

Her scornful gaze swept from the tips of his elegantly shod feet to the top of his well-groomed head before she smiled. ‘I’m afraid you score a big fat zero on all those important points.’

His face hardened. Maggie felt her breath catch when she saw the fire that blazed in his eyes all of a sudden. She stood stock-still, afraid that if she moved she might precipitate a reprisal. How did she know that he was within a hairsbreadth of kissing her until she was forced to retract every word?

Luke took a deep breath and even as she watched the fire faded from his eyes. He smiled at her, that coolly taunting smile she was starting to dislike intensely. ‘Then it seems we have both got what we wanted from this encounter after all, Maggie. You’ve checked me out and found me lacking and I have made my position clear.’

Before she could object he bent and brushed her cheek with his lips. ‘Ciao, cara. It’s been a pleasure meeting you…’

The telephone rang. Maggie snapped back to the present with a jolt. She quickly dealt with the query then hung up. Glancing at her watch, she realised with a start that only a few minutes had passed since Luke had left the office. It felt much longer than that…

She left the office, determined not to waste any more time by daydreaming. Hurrying into the ward, she went straight to Alice Bradshaw’s bed. The curtains had been drawn around it and Luke was sitting by the bed, holding the old lady’s hand. He looked round when she appeared.

‘I’ve just been telling Mrs Bradshaw that there’s a bit more of a problem with her hip than we’d first thought,’ he explained quietly.

Maggie smiled reassuringly at the old lady. ‘I told Dr Fabrizzi that you’d prefer to know exactly what was wrong, Alice.’

‘That’s right, dear. I can’t see much point beating about the bush.’ The old lady smiled at Luke. ‘Although I wouldn’t mind spinning it out just so you could sit there holding my hand a bit longer!’

He laughed. ‘Now, that’s what I call a compliment. It’s taken me years to perfect my bedside manner so it’s good to know that it’s appreciated.’

‘Oh, it’s appreciated all right!’ She turned to Maggie and winked. ‘I think most of us ladies enjoy having a handsome man paying us attention, don’t we, dear?’

Maggie’s smile was a trifle forced. She steadfastly avoided Luke’s eyes because she knew what she would see in them…

Her heart performed that irritating little manoeuvre once again—seeming to curl up and roll over inside her chest. Why did the thought of his amusement at her being put on the spot make her feel all shivery inside? Surely she should have found his conviction that any woman would delight in his attentions more irritating than anything else? Yet for some strange reason it wasn’t irritation she felt right then.

‘I expect most women enjoy a bit of flattery once in a while,’ she said as calmly as she could. ‘However, I think we’re basically too level-headed to be swayed by it.’

‘Speak for yourself!’ Alice retorted. ‘This young man could turn my head if I was thirty years younger, and I don’t mind admitting it!’

The old lady’s tone was so wry that Maggie had to laugh. ‘You’re shameless! Whatever will Dr Fabrizzi think?’

‘That if we could magic away those thirty years then I would be having to get to the back of the line. I can’t imagine that the guys around here are slow to spot a good-looking woman,’ Luke replied dryly.

‘Well, I had my share of admirers in my younger days, I have to admit.’ Alice’s lined face broke into a delighted smile so that Maggie had a glimpse of the lovely young woman she must have been in her prime.

She felt her heart warm when she realised how much the compliment had meant to the old lady. Far too often doctors failed to think of the elderly as anything more than a set of medical conditions, but not Luke. He saw the old lady as a real person with real feelings, not just as an illness that needed treating. It surprised Maggie how pleased she felt to know that.

‘I bet you did.’ Luke’s smile was warm as he squeezed the old lady’s hand. ‘And I’m sure you’ll have more in the future once we get this hip sorted out.’

Alice sighed. ‘Will you be able to fix it though, Doctor? The thing that scares me most is the thought of ending my days in a wheelchair. Oh, I know I can’t do half the things I used to do when I was younger, but I value my independence. I don’t want to end up being a burden to my family.’

‘I’m not going to lie to you, Mrs Bradshaw, and claim that this is going to be easy. And I’m not going to assure you that you’ll be back to normal in a couple of weeks either.’