Beth nodded. ‘Thanks. So…you got to him in time?’
Matt gave her a querying look. ‘In poisoning cases, sooner is always better. But, yes, I hope so.’
She may as well say it. Now that she had nothing useful left to do, the nag at the back of her head had turned into a fully blown scream. ‘What I meant was…would it have made any difference if you had been there a few minutes sooner? When Marcie first realised he was sick?’
Guilt bloomed in his eyes. The same thing had obviously occurred to Matt. ‘Doctors can’t live their lives constantly asking What if. It would drive you mad, you know that.’
‘Yes. I just couldn’t help thinking…’ Beth could feel her face reddening, and was sure she was about to cry.
‘Listen. If it hadn’t been for you I wouldn’t have even have been there. I probably would have taken Jack home and stayed there with him.’
‘What?’ Beth wasn’t sure how to take this new information.
He sighed. ‘I brought you to the party, remember. I wasn’t going to just leave you there without a ride home.’
He was trying to make her feel better now. ‘I would have got a lift from someone.’ She’d done that very thing more than once, when Pete had wanted to go drinking with his mates after a party.
‘Yeah, probably. But if I take someone somewhere, I expect to take them home again.’ He shrugged. ‘That’s basic good manners, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, it is. Thanks. Let’s not think about it any more.’ Somehow they’d managed to get through this whole conversation without saying the one word that it all revolved around. Beth hadn’t even signed it. The sign for kiss was far too obvious. She reckoned it was best to quit while they were ahead.
‘Okay.’ He nodded slowly. ‘So now we’ve got that sorted, you need to get your knee looked at.’
‘I’m all right. Really.’
‘It’s a nasty cut and it’s absolutely filthy. And look there, you’ve got a slight swelling just below your patella.’ He jabbed his finger in the direction of her kneecap.
Beth rubbed absently at the side of her hand, where she had been stung by a nettle. Her knee had started bleeding again and her stockings were ripped to shreds. ‘I look a mess.’
Matt leaned towards her confidingly. ‘You look beautiful.’
‘No, I don’t.’ She knew full well that she was caked with mud, her hair was all over the place and her dress was torn. Beth tugged at the hem of it, pulling it across her legs.
His finger was hooked under her chin and he gently tilted her head up towards
him. ‘You do to me.’ Large tears rolled down her cheeks and he produced a medical wipe from his pocket and wiped her face. ‘Would you like me to take you home?’
Beth grabbed the makeshift handkerchief from him and blew her nose. ‘I’m staying.’
Matt grinned. ‘Now, there’s a surprise. In that case, we need to get you out of those clothes…’ He stopped suddenly, aware of the gaffe.
There was a moment of awkward silence and then the tension broke and Beth began to giggle. It was either laugh or cry at the moment, and somehow laughing felt a bit more positive. Matt shot her a conciliatory look. ‘Okay. Bad choice of words. Why don’t you go and get a shower and I’ll see if I can rustle up a pair of scrubs for you to change into?’
‘You don’t need to stay as well.’ She wanted him to. She didn’t want to have to wait here alone for news of Josh.
‘Like I said, I take someone somewhere, I expect to take them home again.’
‘I can get a taxi.’
His lips twitched provocatively. ‘I’ll beg if I have to.’
‘You wouldn’t know how.’
‘I could take a shot at it. I’m sure I’ve seen it done on TV.’ He made a show of thinking hard. ‘You get on your knees…’
‘Don’t you dare.’ Laughter gave way to sudden panic.
‘Oh! Stop me from trying new things, would you?’ His face became solemn. ‘Anyway, I said I’d be sticking around for a few hours until Josh is stable. The doctors who are treating him have everything well under control, but they’ll page me if they need me.’