‘You’re imagining things,’ Dee said, unwilling to believe the worst of Mark.
‘Am I? Maybe. But I resent the time I spend worrying about him. I once thought that he and I would walk off into the sunset and live happily ever after. But now-’ She gave an awkward laugh. ‘If I don’t matter to him, there are plenty of other men who think I matter. I’m going to bed. Goodnight.’
When Dee finally went to her own room she was puzzled. Whatever Sylvia said, Mark was surely under her spell, even if it was only her physical beauty that had drawn him there. She recalled her mother’s teaching on the subject.
‘They all start off wanting just one thing,’ Helen had said. ‘A clever woman uses that to get a ring on her finger.’
It was the wisdom of the time. Any woman of Helen’s generation, or even Dee’s generation, would have said the same. The idea of risking the wedding ring by playing fast and loose with his affections was sheer madness. Dee knew that she could never have done so if she’d been lucky enough to entrance Mark.
‘But that’s not going to happen,’ she told her reflection. ‘He’s never going to gaze at you as if the sun rose and set on you, so shut up, go to bed, forget him and get on with your life.’
Sometimes lecturing herself helped. Mostly, it didn’t.
What did help was walking in the evening with Billy, now their mutual friend. ‘You’re crazy about him too, aren’t you?’ she asked the dog as they strolled along.
Billy gave a soft grunt of agreement. The next moment it had turned into a yelp of delight as a motorbike turned the corner of the road. Even in goggles, it was clearly Mark, and Billy shot ahead so fast that the lead slipped out of Dee’s hand.
‘Billy, no!’ she shrieked as the dog went bounding into the road, straight into the path of the speeding motorbike, and to inevitable disaster.
It was all over in a flash. One moment the bike was bearing down on the dog; the next moment there was a crash and a yell as the vehicle swerved violently and smashed into a fence. Mark was flung to the ground and lay still.
‘Oh, no!’ Dee whispered, running towards him and dropping to her knees beside his frighteningly still form. ‘Mark!
‘I’m all right,’ he murmured. ‘Go and catch that daft animal before he gets killed.’
Catching Billy was easy as he’d come to a halt, staring at the mayhem he’d caused and whining. As she secured his lead, Mark was already rising painfully from the ground.
‘Are you hurt?’ Dee begged.
‘No, just a few bruises,’ he gasped, rubbing himself.
Doors opened. People came running out. Sylvia had seen everything through a window and was weeping as she threw her arms around him.
‘I’m all right,’ he said, staggering slightly.
Sylvia turned on Dee in fury. ‘Why don’t you keep that animal under control? Mark could have been killed.’
‘But I wasn’t,’ he said. ‘It’s not Billy’s fault.’
‘No, it was mine,’ Dee said quickly. ‘I’m sorry. Don’t stay out here. Let’s get inside quickly.’
Leaning on Sylvia, he walked slowly into the house and sat thankfully on the sofa, throwing his head right back, eyes closed.
‘Let me have a look at you,’ Dee said.
‘I’ve told you, I’m fine.’
For once she lost her temper. ‘
That made him open his eyes. ‘All right, nurse. All right, all right. Whatever you say.’
She gave him a sulphurous look and started undoing the contraption he wore on his head. It was made of some light metal, barely covering his hair, and if he’d landed on his head it wouldn’t have protected him, but luckily he hadn’t. His shoulder had taken the full impact.
‘Fine, let me see your shoulder,’ she said, becoming businesslike.
Between them, she and Sylvia eased off his jacket, then his shirt, revealing bruises that were already turning a nasty colour.
‘Now your vest,’ she said. ‘I want to see your ribs. That’s it, now lean forward so that I can see the back.’
There were more bruises, but nothing was broken.
‘You don’t know how lucky you are,’ Dee said. ‘But I’d like you to come into Accident and Emergency at the hospital tomorrow and they’ll take some X-rays.’
‘What for?’ he demanded with cheerful belligerence. ‘I’ve had the best nurse in the business. If you say I’m all right, then I am.’
‘Yes, but-’
‘Stop making a fuss, Nurse.’
‘Put your clothes on,’ Sylvia said.
Something in her voice, perhaps a tense note, made Dee suddenly realise that Sylvia was jealous. She didn’t like anyone else to see Mark’s bare chest. Nor did she like Dee being free to touch it.
The knowledge was like a light coming on, revealing what she hadn’t seen before, that Mark’s lean muscularity was as eye-catching as the rest of him. Functioning solely as a nurse, she’d run her hands professionally over that smooth torso, sensing only its medical condition. Now she wondered how she could have failed to notice the rich sheen of his skin, the faint swell of muscles that were strong but not over-developed.
But that was forbidden thinking, so she turned away, saying gruffly, ‘Sylvia will help you get dressed.’
Joe came in from the garage where he’d been examining the bike.
‘How is it?’ Mark asked quickly.
Joe sighed and shook his head. ‘Not good. The wheel’s bent and there’s plenty of other damage.’
Mark groaned.
‘It’s my fault,’ Dee said. ‘If I’d kept better hold of Billy’s lead, it wouldn’t have happened. I’ll pay for any repairs.’
‘I don’t think it can be put right,’ Joe told her.
‘Then I’ll replace it,’ she said stubbornly.
‘Dee,’ Mark said, ‘sweet, innocent Dee, it would take you a year’s salary to buy another. Forget it.’
‘But that bike was your pride and joy and I’ve ruined it,’ she protested.
‘So, it’s ruined. That’s life. Easy come, easy go. I only acquired it in the first place through being thoroughly devious. Something else will come along and I’ll be devious again. Don’t worry. It comes naturally to me.’
There was a growl of rage and a middle-aged man thrust his way into the room. With a groan Dee recognised Jack Hammond, the neighbour whose fence Mark had smashed, and who was bad-tempered even at the best of times.
‘Do you know what you’ve done to my fence?’ he shouted.
‘Sorry about that,’ Mark said. ‘I’ll mend it.’
‘I should think you will. Why the devil did you have to swerve?’
Mark sighed. ‘Because otherwise I’d have killed the dog,’ he said, like a man explaining to an idiot.
‘So what? It would have been his own fault.’
‘Sure. I wonder why I didn’t think of that,’ Mark said ironically. ‘It would have made everything all right, wouldn’t it? I’ve told you I’ll mend the fence.’
‘You’d better.’
From the corner came a whimper. Billy was sitting there, looking apprehensive, as though he understood.
‘You should put that creature down,’ Hammond snapped. ‘I’ve a good mind to-’
He didn’t finish the sentence. Mark had struggled to his feet, wincing but determined, and confronted Hammond fiercely.
‘Leave Billy alone,’ he grated. ‘I don’t even want to see you looking at him. Now get out of here before I make you sorry.’
‘Oh, so now you’re-’
Hammond didn’t argue further. He knew murder in a man’s eyes when he saw it. He fled.
