Posh Doc Claims His Bride. Anne Fraser

never made love to a man before, have you?’ he said, his voice full of wonder.

      Meagan was mortified. Was her lack of experience so obvious? But it was true. She had never, before that night, found a man she wanted to give herself to. She knew when she did finally lose her virginity she wanted it to mean something. She wanted it to be special. And it wasn’t as if she’d had many boyfriends. Her studies and her sailing had kept her too busy.

      ‘Its ridiculous, isn’t it? A nineteen-year-old virgin in this day and age?’ She sat up and hugged her knees.

      ‘Not ridiculous,’ he said. ‘Kind of wonderful.’ He sat next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. ‘You’re kind of wonderful,’ he said, ‘but I think we should get to know one another before we go any further. There will be a right time for us, but it’s not yet.’ He pulled her back into his arms, and they lay there for the rest of the evening with the feel of the gentle night breeze on their skin. As she told him about her dreams and the sacrifices she’d had to make, he held her and listened. He hadn’t said much, only that he too had studied medicine. That he worked in London and was completing his higher training. She never even found out his last name.

      And all too soon she had had to leave. The sun was just beginning to make the sky pink and she and her companions were sailing on the high tide.

      He held her tightly, kissing her hair and murmuring endearments.

      ‘Do you have to go? Can’t you stay? Now I have found you, I don’t want to let you out of my sight. Not even for a minute.’

      For a moment she thought about letting them sail without her, but just as quickly dismissed the notion. She was the only one who could safely steer them on the rest of their journey. And somehow she knew there would be time later for her and Cameron.

      She kissed him back fiercely.

      ‘I wish I could stay. But we’ll see each other soon. You’ll come and see me in Edinburgh?’

      ‘The devil himself couldn’t stop me,’ he said. ‘I’ll come as soon as I can. In the meantime, take care. Watch the seas around here.’ Then he kissed her and she clung to him, unwilling to leave. Only the knowledge that she would see him soon gave her the strength to walk away from him. But she had been wrong. Despite his promises he had never come.

      Aware that he was waiting for a response, Meagan dragged her thoughts back to the present.

      ‘Of course. It was a long time ago. We were both a lot younger then. I was only nineteen. I’m sure we’ve both had a few “meetings” since then.’

      That wasn’t strictly true. Since Cameron, there had only been Charlie. And even with Charlie it had never been quite like that night with Cameron. She had put it down to first love, making herself believe that nothing and no one could ever measure up to the intensity of believing yourself in love for the first time. And that’s all it had been, she told herself firmly. An impressionable teenager’s first real experience of love. It wasn’t altogether surprising she had never really forgotten him…

      ‘Shall we get back?’ Cameron said abruptly, looking over her shoulder into the distance. ‘It feels like its going to rain.’

      They walked back down the hill in silence. Meagan wondered what Cameron was thinking. Was he glad that they had met again? Or was he dismayed to find that they’d be working together? She sneaked glances at him, but she couldn’t tell anything from his expression.

      As they reached the front of the building, Meagan could make out the slim figure of Rachel leaning against Cameron’s car, watching them. A young dark-haired boy was kicking a football nearby.

      ‘Cameron, Meagan. You’re back,’ Rachel called out as they approached. Although she smiled, Meagan thought she didn’t look very pleased. ‘Cameron, what have you being doing, dragging our new doctor over these muddy fields? I’m sure she has better things to do.’

      ‘I loved seeing it. It’s so beautiful here. Besides, Cameron leant me a pair of wellington boots from the house,’ Meagan said. ‘I hope they didn’t belong to anyone.’

      Rachel dismissed her comments with a wave of a manicured hand. ‘That’s quite all right,’ she said. ‘Help yourself any time. The house keeps a selection for visitors. No, I just wondered if Cameron would be joining us for lunch. You’re welcome to stay too, Meagan, of course.’ Meagan was surprised when Rachel said ‘us’ in that emphasizing way. What could she mean? What exactly did she have to do with Grimsay House? She certainly seemed to have a proprietorial air about her.

      Just then the small boy came running over. ‘Daddy, will you play football with me? Mummy says she can’t and Effie is still in bed. Please, Daddy?’