Australian Affairs: Seduced. Carol Marinelli

‘And I won’t be trying either.’ She looked at Harry. ‘It couldn’t end nicely.’ Marnie felt uncomfortable now; the only person she really discussed Declan with was her friend Siobhan and, feeling she’d said more than enough, Marnie changed the subject. ‘I’m just very glad that Emily’s father didn’t march in and vent his spleen. She had a big abruption, and she could start bleeding again any time soon,’ Marnie said. ‘That baby’s far from safe.’ She wanted to stop talking about it, she wanted to just end the conversation, to dismiss Harry and get on with her day, except Marnie felt her nose redden and Harry saw a flash of tears in her eyes.

      ‘Marnie…’ Harry was struggling for words—he was used to death, both personally and professionally, and had it been anyone else he’d have stood, gone over, but it was Marnie, and he didn’t. Not because he didn’t want to, more because of how much he did.

      ‘It’s fine.’ Marnie filled the silence. ‘I’m fine. It was all just a bit too close to home.’ She blew out a breath. ‘It’s his birthday coming up.’

      ‘Look, do you want to…?’ Harry’s voice trailed off as there was a knock at the door.

      ‘Matthew!’ Harry noticed that she flushed a little as a rather well-dressed man entered. ‘What are you doing here?’ Marnie asked.

      ‘I had a client nearby,’ Matthew said. ‘I thought I might see if you were free for lunch. Oh, and I wanted to tell you in person that I got the tickets.’ He handed an envelope to Marnie. ‘Opening night, don’t ask me how I got them!’

      ‘Oh!’ Marnie’s anger at having her workspace invaded was temporarily thwarted because, more than anything, she loved the ballet and the opening night had sold out the day the tickets had been released. ‘Wow!’

      ‘It might be better if you look after them,’ Matthew said, not even bothering to introduce himself to Harry, who had already made up his mind that he didn’t like him.

      ‘I’ll leave you to it,’ Harry said, and walked out.

      Harry wasn’t sure if he was jealous of Marnie’s freedom or just plain jealous—Harry had been very close to suggesting they leave the department and get lunch.

      Stupid idea, Harry, he told himself. Those days were long gone—he kept things well away from work.

      A moment or so later he looked up from a patient and saw them walking out of the department, Matthew sliding a hand around Marnie’s waist.

      He didn’t like that and neither did Marnie—she wriggled out of Matthew’s embrace and it was clear she was cross.

      ‘Are you going to show me where you live?’ Matthew asked as she got into his car and he started the engine.

      ‘Sure,’ Marnie said, her tongue firmly in her cheek. ‘My brother Ronan is over for a couple of days. You can say hi if you like…’

      ‘Maybe not, then.’

      Sitting in a bayside café a little while later, Marnie told him that she was far from impressed.

      ‘Why would you drop in on me at work?’ Marnie asked.

      ‘I told you—I was in the area and I wanted to give you the tickets for the ballet or I’d end up losing them. I’m going straight from here to the airport.’

      Marnie refused to buy it. ‘Until recently I lived a stone’s throw from your office and I would never have dropped in on you!’ She was angry, very angry—part of the loose arrangement they had was that there would be no popping in. She and Matthew went out now and then. They were social and, yes, they slept together, but they did not invade each other’s lives and that was the way Marnie wanted it. ‘Whatever possessed you?’

      ‘Okay, okay,’ Matthew said, deciding against suggesting that she call in sick this afternoon. ‘I shan’t stop by again.’ He watched as Marnie’s hand, which had just dipped her bread in oil, paused over the salt. ‘I wouldn’t want to disturb anything.’

      ‘Excuse me?’

      ‘You and your colleague looked very cosy.’

      ‘We were talking about a patient!’ Marnie so did not need this. ‘He’s got two children…’ Marnie shook her head and then reached for her bag. ‘I need to get back.’

      They drove in silence. Marnie was still cross, not just that Matthew had dropped by at her work but cross with herself for all she had told Harry. Cross too that Matthew had interrupted them.

      ‘The ballet will be great,’ Matthew said, as he dropped her off. ‘Get you back to civilisation.’

      Far from being offended, she actually laughed. Maybe she did need a night of being spoilt, it might stop the constant thoughts about Declan’s birthday.

      And about Harry.

      As she went to get a drink of water from the staff kitchen she was met by a very stony-faced Harry, who was rinsing his mug.

      ‘Nice lunch?’

      ‘Lovely, thanks.’

      ‘Your boyfriend—?’

      ‘Boyfriend?’ Marnie rapidly interrupted. ‘I’m thirty-one—I’m a bit old for boys.’

      ‘Sorry.’ Harry gave a wry grin. She was the most impossible person he had ever met, yet, for reasons of his own, which he didn’t really want to examine, he ploughed on. ‘Your partner, then?’

      ‘Partner?’ Marnie challenged him right there and then. She was sick of men and the different rules that applied to them, and Marnie told him so. Despite never gossiping herself, Marnie was very clued in and had heard all the rumours about Harry. ‘Is that what you called your last nanny? Your partner, your girlfriend?’ Harry let out a breath as Marnie continued, ‘Or did you upgrade her title to your live-in lover?’

      ‘I was just going to say he seemed nice.’

      ‘Well, I’ll let you know when I need your opinion.’

      Marnie dived into work, refusing to go to her office because that would look like she was hiding. And why would she be hiding? There was nothing to feel embarrassed or awkward about—a friend had merely dropped in to take her to lunch.

      It was just that Marnie didn’t like her worlds colliding and, as the afternoon progressed, the tension seemed to increase. Near home time she glanced up and briefly caught sight of a very dark-looking Harry walking past, and she knew it wasn’t just that Matthew had dropped by that was unsettling her.

      It was Harry.

      In a nice way, though.

      There was a tiny flutter in her chest as she met his eyes and it was still fluttering as she looked away and tried to concentrate on what Kelly was calling out to her.

      ‘Sorry?’ She looked at Kelly.

      ‘There’s a guy on the phone for you,’ Kelly repeated. ‘He says it’s personal.’

      ‘I’ll bet it is,’ Harry muttered, but thankfully well out of earshot.

      What the hell did Matthew want now? Marnie thought as she made her way over. Only it wasn’t Matthew calling her at work and she saw Harry’s jaw grit as she said another man’s name.

      ‘Ronan, what are you doing, phoning me at work?’

      He wanted to take the receiver from her and replace it. He wanted to turn her round and tell her part of the reason for his dark mood.

      He couldn’t get her out of his mind.

       CHAPTER SIX

      HARRY REACHED FOR his jacket. It was ten to five and he was in no mood for another dose of salt to be rubbed into a very raw wound, and