The Doctor's Proposal by Marion Lennox

Author:Marion Lennox
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2006-11-01T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

FOR a moment no one spoke. The twins stared open-mouthed. Mrs Boyce’s knitting needles stilled and Angus sat back on his heels and gazed at his nephew like he was seeing a ghost.

‘Kenneth.’ There was lingering affection in his voice, Kirsty thought. Once he’d loved this man. As a boy?

‘You’re supposed to be dead,’ Kenneth snarled and any hint of affection, any trace of warmth in the sun-filled afternoon was gone.

‘I’m not,’ Angus said warily, putting a hand on his oxygen cylinder as if assuring himself it was still available.

‘I rang that bloody doctor last week and he said you were going into a home yesterday and you were dying.’

‘I said if no one cared enough to come, then he’d die.’

Kirsty hadn’t noticed Jake’s arrival but he was suddenly right behind him. He must have driven though the gates after Kenneth’s arrival, and she had been so caught up that she hadn’t heard. Now Kenneth rose, his colour flooding back. ‘You,’ he said, and his fury seemed to be escalating by the moment, redirecting itself to Jake. ‘You lied.’

‘Kenneth, take care,’ Jake said warningly. ‘There’s no need for you to think people here are against you. Would you like to meet my twins?’

He was trying to defuse the situation, Kirsty realised. She looked at the fury on Kenneth’s face and thought this had to be some sort of mental illness. Surely such anger couldn’t be justified?

But Kenneth was whirling again to stare at Susie. ‘She’s pregnant,’ he whispered. ‘Pregnant.’

‘Susie’s pregnant with Rory’s baby, yes,’ Jake said evenly. ‘We all think that’s great.’

‘And she’ll inherit…’ He choked, and Kirsty realised he’d gone past logic. ‘She’ll inherit from Rory…’

‘Rory’s dead, Ken,’ Jake said evenly. ‘Susie won’t inherit anything from anyone.’

‘The b—’

‘Get out of my garden.’ It was Angus. He was as pale as the night they’d arrived but he had himself under control. He held on to his oxygen cylinder as if he needed its support, but when he spoke his voice was completely steady. ‘If you insult Rory’s wife, you’re not welcome in my home.’

‘It’s not your home. You should be dead.’

‘Jake,’ Angus said tiredly, and Jake gave an almost imperceptible nod.

‘Ken, let’s go,’ he said softly. He took Kenneth’s arm and when Ken tried—violently—to wrench away, his hold tightened. ‘You’re not welcome here, mate,’ he said softly. ‘You know you can’t speak to people like this and stay welcome.’ He propelled him around, facing away from the others in the garden. ‘Come with me,’ he said softly. ‘Something tells me you’ve been skipping medication. I can help you if you’ll come with me. Come back and talk to your uncle when you’re feeling calmer.’

‘Don’t touch me.’ He wrenched with even more fury and because he was hauling backward, toward the gate, Jake let him go. Then suddenly he smashed forward again. But Jake must have been expecting it. As Ken blundered past he caught his arm, twisted, held. He had him locked against him, his arms up behind his back.

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