âJake, what would you say about having a baby?â Maggie blurted.
âA baby?â Jake blinked, obviously startled by the abrupt question.
âYour baby,â she prompted expectantlyâknowing she was doing this all wrongâbut she couldnât hold back now.
âMy baby?â he echoed softly, and his eyes darkened a fraction of a second before he brought the shutters down. âLook, Maggie, I know you were badly let down, and that the two of usâ¦went a bit further than we should have that night. But I told you up-front that I wonât be getting married.â
âBut I wasnât asking you to marry me,â she retorted, completely sidetracked. She suddenly realized that he still hadnât commented on her announcement, and wondered if she hadnât made herself clear. âJake, I just wanted to tell you that weââ
âIâm sorry, but Iâm just not cut out to be a family man.â
As a member of a large family, I have always been fascinated by the differences between brothers and sisters, even though they share the same basic genetic makeup. Even their relationships with their parents can be very different.
In Maggie ffrenchâs case, the feeling of always being second-best to her parents didnât affect the love she had for her brother, David. She even followed him into medicine in a subconscious attempt to get her parentsâ appreciation, but discovered that she actually loved it! Her career became important to how she felt about herself. Yet, despite working long hours in a busy E.R. department, she still longed to have a loving family of her own.
As soon as Maggie met E.R. consultant Jake Lascelles, she knew he was the perfect candidate with whom to start that family. Jake was the man of her dreamsâexcept he made it clear that he would never be a âhappy familiesâ man. So she had to settle for friendship.
And now, with her brother having troubles of his own on the other side of the world, when her latest attempt at forever collapses, itâs Jakeâs shoulder Maggie finds herself crying on, knowing sheâll never stop loving him.
Look out for Davidâs story later in the year.
I hope you enjoy getting to know the ffrench doctors as much as I enjoyed writing about them.
Happy reading!
Josie
âYOUâLL just have to find yourself another wife, Liamâ¦â Maggie said in a voice that shook with something more than mere anger.
Ordinarily, she hated drawing attention to herself, but she was so incensed that she barely noticed the increasingly fascinated stares of the party-goers surrounding them.
âIf youâd told me you just wanted someone to take care of your children, I could have helped you to look for a nanny. As for a wifeâs other duties,â she continued as a scathing finale, âIâm sure it would be far more economical to pay by the hourâyouâd get more variety that way.â
She was vaguely aware that he was purple with embarrassment by the time she turned her back on him and started to make her determined way across the room. By that time, she had begun shaking with reaction and all she wanted to do was disappear into thin air.
What on earth had she done? Had that really been her making such a scene? And as for suggesting that he should pay a prostiâ
âHang on, Maggie. Iâm coming with you,â Karen muttered in her ear, grabbing her sleeve to halt her progress for a moment. âI just need to get my coat.â
Maggie didnât even pause. The awful silence was being replaced by whispers and giggles as the colleagues nearest to them reacted to the impromptu entertainment sheâd provided for them. It was obvious that almost every eye in the room must have been watching the little drama and she knew she couldnât bear to wait another second to get out.
âDonât bother, Karen,â she said with a brief smile for her friend. âYou might as well enjoy the rest of the evening. Iâm just going to go home. Iâve got some thinking to do.â
And wasnât that the understatement of the year? she thought wryly as she hurried back towards the blessed seclusion of her flat, grateful that Karen had finally taken her at her word.
She really didnât think she could take an evening of well-meant sympathyâshe was too disgusted with herself.
How could she have been so blind? Sheâd known Liam for nearly a year now. Theyâd been engaged for more than three months and she was supposed to have been marrying him tomorrow. How could she not have realised that the hospitalâs up-and-coming cardiothoracic surgeon was nothing more than a liar and a cheat?
An hour later her hands were still trembling with the after-effects of the distasteful scene as she struggled to tie a piece of string around the top of a black plastic rubbish bag.
Someone tapped softly on her door and she froze, hoping that if she stayed still and quiet they would go away. It had to be one of the other people who lived in the house because they were the only ones with a key to get past the main door.