Prince Charming of Harley Street / The Heart Doctor and the Baby Read Free Page A

as if she had walked in to a madhouse. Who on earth was that? She hadn’t rung the doorbell so she must have a key. And she knew exactly where the staff bathroom was. Could this be the missing Nurse Vicki?
    A few minutes later, the woman reappeared. Although she still looked pale, some colour had returned to her cheeks.
    ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said collapsing into a chair. ‘You must be the temp covering for Tiggy. She phoned me on Saturday to let me know she was going to be away and there would be a temp filling in.’ She took a shuddering breath. ‘You must think me incredibly rude, rushing in like that without so much as a good morning.’
    Rose crossed to the woman’s side. ‘Are you all right?’
    ‘Not really.’ She grimaced before holding out a hand to Rose. ‘I’m Victoria, my friends call me Vicki. I’ve just been terribly sick. Thank God I made it here in time. It would have been too embarrassing throwing up in public.’
    ‘Should you be at work?’ Rose said. ‘Couldn’t you have taken the day off?’
    ‘I would have. If I hadn’t known Tiggy was off. Or if I’d known I was going to feel this bad. I felt okay until I got off the tube, then I just started to feel worse and worse.’
    ‘Dr Cavendish is in with a patient. Should I call him?’ Vicki did look awful. There was no way she should stay at work. Rose watched in alarm as the colour drained from the nurse’s cheeks again.
    ‘Oh, no, sorry.’ Vicki clamped a hand across her mouth and bolted for the bathroom.
    While she waited for Vicki to re-emerge, Rose switched the kettle on again and finding some peppermint tea set about making a pot. She hoped the drink would help settle Vicki’s stomach. There was no way she could be allowed to return home until she stopped feeling ill.
    ‘You must wonder what kind of place you’ve walked into.’ Vicki’s voice came from behind her. ‘The nurse more ill than the patients. And I see Lady Hilton has brought MrChips in again. I do hope he won’t relieve himself in the plant pot again. Oh, is that tea? Could I have some?’
    ‘I think you should try a couple of sips. Why don’t you sit down? You look as if you could collapse at any minute.’
    Vicki sat on one of the chairs at the kitchen table. ‘Jonathan is not going to be happy about this,’ she confided. ‘The last time I was off the full eight months. He had to find someone to replace me, and she didn’t turn out to be great.’
    Realisation was beginning to dawn on Rose.
    ‘You’re pregnant?’
    Vicki nodded. ‘Oh, I’d better not do that again,’ she moaned. ‘Any movement just makes it worse.’
    ‘And you had hyperemesis with the last pregnancy.’
    ‘Hey, you’re pretty switched on. Have you had it? Is that how you know?’ She was too polite to say so, but Rose guessed she was wondering how a medical secretary would know about the condition an unfortunate few women suffered in pregnancy.
    ‘I’m a trained nurse. Poor you. How badly did you have it last time?’
    ‘Bad enough to put me in hospital, I’m afraid. And to keep me off work for most of my pregnancy.’ She took a tentative sip of her tea. ‘I’m dreading having to tell Jonathan.’
    ‘He doesn’t know you’re pregnant?’
    ‘I wasn’t going to tell him just yet. I’m only eight weeks. And I hoped that I would be better this time around.’
    ‘I’m sure he’ll understand.’
    ‘He’s a real softy. Of course he’ll understand. I just hate letting him down. The patients like to see me. They’re used to me. Most of the older ones hate change. My obstetrician tells me it might get better by around twelve weeks, but I’m not holding my breath.’
    The sound of a door opening alerted Rose to the fact that Jonathan’s consultation with Lady Hilton had ended.
    ‘I’ll be back in a moment,’ she reassured Vicki. ‘Just you stay there until I get back.’
    She scooped up Mr Chips from his nest in her cardigan and carried him over to Lady Hilton.