‘And when did the pains start, Jane?’
‘Midnight.’ Jane Duncan bit her lip. ‘I haven’t been able to lie down or sleep. It’s agony, frankly.’
Jed listened carefully and then questioned her further. ‘You’ve had a baby before so you’re familiar with the type of pain that goes with labour. Does it feel like labour to you?’
‘No.’ Jane shook her head. ‘Definitely not. Was I wrong to come in?’
‘You were absolutely right to come in.’ Jed gave her a reassuring smile and walked over to the sink to wash his hands. ‘Any pain that keeps you awake all night is worth investigating. I’ll examine you internally first and then we’ll scan you and fix you up to the monitor for an hour or so to see if it picks anything up. Can I have some gloves, please, Brooke? Size 10.’
Brooke opened the packet and helped settle Jane in the right position.
‘Is the baby coming early?’ Jane asked, and then winced as Jed examined her.
‘Am I hurting you?’ He frowned slightly. ‘Am I causing the same pain you’ve been feeling all night?’
‘No.’ Jane flushed slightly and grabbed Brooke’s hand. ‘It’s a different pain.’
‘OK, I’ve finished.’ Jed straightened and gave her an apologetic smile as he ripped off the gloves. ‘Sorry to hurt you but I needed to feel your cervix. You’re not in labour, Jane. I’m going to scan you now, just to have a look at the baby.’
Brooke wheeled the portable machine to the side of the bed and watched while Jed scanned Jane’s abdomen, his gaze fixed on the screen.
‘That all looks fine, too, Jane. Baby’s heart is fine and he’s the right size. Have you felt plenty of movements?’
Jane pulled a face. ‘I did until last night. They seemed to tail off but that may have been because I was in too much pain to notice.’
Jed examined her abdomen carefully, palpating the position of the foetus, and then he raised an eyebrow at Brooke.
‘Can we put her on the monitor for an hour to see if it shows anything, please?’ He turned back to Jane. ‘If that looks fine then we’ll keep you in for a few hours and then send you home. But come straight back if the pain starts again.’
‘I’m not in labour, then?’
He gave her a brief smile. ‘Well, not at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you’re not about to go that way.’
‘But it’s too early!’ Jane’s eyes were worried and Jed gave her shoulder a squeeze.
‘I’m paid to worry about that, not you. For the time being you’re fine.’ He walked towards the door and then turned, his eyes on Brooke. ‘When you’ve finished, can I see you in my office, please?’
Brooke nodded, her hands shaking as she attached the various leads to the machine and checked that it was all working.
‘There we are.’ She managed a smile at Jane. ‘That’s measuring your baby’s heart and any uterine activity. Just relax and read some magazines and I’ll be back to check you in about twenty minutes. If you’re worried before then, just press the buzzer.’
She left the room and walked towards the consultant’s office, her legs shaking. She didn’t want to do this, didn’t want to see him, but what choice did she have? Judging from the look on his face, if she didn’t go voluntarily he’d drag her there himself, and she didn’t want to risk a public display.
Tapping on the door, she took a deep breath and tried to control her thumping heart.
He was standing with his back to her, staring out of the window across the wide lawns of the hospital towards the rolling, snow-covered fells beyond.
‘Come in, Brooke, and close the door behind you.’
She hesitated and then did as she was told, her hands shaking and her emotions so tangled that she couldn’t think clearly. Taking a long, deep breath, she forced herself to calm down. She could handle this. She was an intelligent woman who was more than capable of dealing with the fallout from one crazy night. For a start, he couldn’t prove it was her…
‘I’ve put Mrs Duncan on the monitor and she’s—’
‘I don’t want to talk about Mrs Duncan.’ He turned to face her, his eyes flickering to her hand which was within easy reach of the doorknob. An ironic smile touched his handsome features. ‘And you can stop hovering by the door, Brooke. This time you’re not going anywhere until we’ve had a talk.’
CHAPTER TWO
TALK?