A Man To Tame - Rachel Lindsay (Roberta Leigh) (11 page)

'I gather you have been lunching in
the canteen in my absence,’ he said.

'Most of the time,’
she replied. 'But I lunched here once
with Dermot.’

'Ah, yes. You and he have become
good friends.’

‘I find him sympathetic,’

‘Unlike myself?'

‘Must you make everything so
personal, Mr Howard?'

‘Does it worry you?' he asked so
blandly that she knew it was useless to pretend that it didn't.

'It worries me In
the sense that it irritates me,’ she said icily. 'I'm sure you don't act so—in
the same way with the men you employ. But because I'm a woman, you persist in
teasing and taunting me. You obviously still regard the female sex as second
class citizens!'

‘You have a strange idea of what my
opinions are,’ he answered. 'I suppose it's because I objected to you taking up
the post here? But I think I made out a good case for my reasons, and they
still exist.'

‘No, they don't,’ she denied.
The
surgery has been considerably busier in the last few days,’
. The aftermath of the food poisoning,’ he replied.

‘More than that,’ she persisted.
'Lots of the men are already accepting the fact that I'm a doctor first and a
woman second,’

His eyes moved over her slowly. ‘I
would say you are a woman first.’

‘You think that way because I'm not
your doctor.’

‘Nor likely to be.’

She set her spoon sharply on her
plate. 'I don't wish, you ill, Mr Howard, but I must say I would enjoy prescribing
for you!'

'I might end up by liking the
prescription!'

She gave him a startled look and
felt her colour deepen. He had unexpectedly given the conversation a different
meaning, as if to emphasise the fact that she was a woman and he was a man. Not
that this was something he needed to emphasise, for she was all too aware of
his masculinity. Even seated, he towered above all the men around him; and not
only because of his height and breadth of shoulder but because of the magnitude
of his personality. In the little Dermot had said about him, she knew his roots
were deeply embedded in this region, and the fact that his home was an ancient
one spoke for several generations of success. Yet despite this there was a
self-made aura about him, and she guessed that though he might have begun with
money, it was his own efforts that had increased it tenfold.

As if deciding he had spent
sufficient time talking to her, he turned to the rest of the table and
re-opened a general conversation. There was talk of the new extension he was
planning and surprisingly a couple of the directors were critical of the
project. But he took their , outspokenness in his
stride and she concluded he was impervious to it. He was the sort of person to
make up his own mind and allow no one to change it. At last the lunch came to
an end and, declining coffee, she pushed back her chair.

‘What's the rush?' Joshua Howard
asked.

'I have to make some calls and then
go to the hospital. Some of the men are still there.'

'If you care to wait half an hour I
have to go to town myself and I'll drive you.’

‘There's no need, thank you. I'm
not sure how long I shall be at the hospital.'

He accepted her refusal with a nod
and she went out of the dining room, trying not to show by her swift pace that
she was conscious that all eyes were upon her. But back in her consulting room
a quick glance in the mirror beside her desk showed her a flushed face and
bright eyes. The head of Howard Engineering might irritate her, but he also
gave her animation.

Checking her case to make sure she
had all her equipment, Kate went out to the car park. It was a warm day and she
realised how quickly summer had stolen upon spring, or was it that one was more
conscious of the seasons when one could see purple hills against blue sky and
rolling green fields in place of grey buildings? She unlocked
the
door
of the car and was about to step in when a Bright red sports car stopped
smartly beside her.

'Hello, there,' a husky voice said
as Felicity; Davis slid out of the front seat, all long silken legs and emerald
green suit. 'Are you going or coming?'

'Going,' Kate replied. 'But I'll be
back at three-thirty.’

'Has Joshua finished lunch yet?'

'I left him having coffee.'

'Do you always lunch with the
directors?'

The question was artless, but there
was a probing look in the vivid blue eyes. 'It is expected of me,' Kate said
coolly.

'I thought doctors were too
overworked to stop for lunch.'

'I was when I was working as a
G.P., but I have much more free time here.’

‘Too much, I should think,' Felicity
Davis said. 'Joshua is a fool to mollycoddle his men the way he does. Still, he
can afford it, and if it makes him feel good…'

'I don't think he does it in order
to feel good.' Kate was surprised to find herself defending him. 'He does it
because he believes it's the right thing to do,'

'Naturally you agree with him.'
There was amusement on the beautiful face. 'After all, it gives you a cushy
job.'

Felicity Davis's voice was still
artless, though Kate was now sure that the meaning was not. But she was careful
to hide her irritation as she slid behind the wheel of her car.

'Sorry to cut our conversation
short,' she said sweetly, but I'm off to do a bit of window shopping.'

Only as she turned out of the car
park did she allow herself to grin at the look of surprise that had crossed
Felicity Davis's face. Next time they met the Welsh girl would be more careful
with her tongue. Kate gave a half frown as she tried to think why Felicity
should dislike her. Did she see all women as rivals and dislike them for this,
or
was it only those who came into contact with Joshua Howard? Either way it
indicated jealousy of him and lack of confidence. It was surprising so lovely a
girl should be worried by any other women, and Kate wondered if the man was
still playing hard to get. She tried to picture him married to Felicity, but
since she did not know his background she could not place them together in it
and they remained shadily on the horizon of her mind, hovering there for the
rest of the afternoon as she made her calls at the hospital and then visited
the men who were confined to their home.

She returned to the factory to find
her waiting room full and could not restrain a sensation of triumph. What a
pity Joshua Howard did not walk in on her now! For the first time since coming
to Llanduff she was late in closing her surgery and it was well after six
before the -last patient left. Leaving Nurse Evans to tidy up, she went out to
her car and, expecting the car-park to be empty, felt a stirring of
apprehension as she saw the silver grey Porsche and the tall, black-haired man
who loomed beside it. It was impossible to avoid him without seeming rude, so
she deliberately moved in his direction and gave him what she hoped was a
careless smile.

'Goodnight, Mr
Howard,' she said, not slowing her pace.

'Good evening, Dr Gibson. What’s
your hurry?'

At
this she had to stop and stare up—a long way up— till she
met his gaze. 'No hurry,’ she replied. 'I'm just on my way home.'

'I have something for you.' He held
out his palm.

'
Do
you want me to read your fortune?' she asked.

He smiled. 'I want you to take the
key.'

Immediately she saw the
silver-coloured latch key and felt foolish. 'Why are you giving it to me?' she
asked.

'It’s the key to your front door. I
had a feeling that unless I gave it back to you, you would change the lock!'

Since this was exactly what she had
planned to do’, she went scarlet, and he made no attempt to hide his amusement.
For a subtle woman you have a strange tendency to give yourself away.'

'I have never considered myself
subtle, Mr Howard'

‘You haven't been with me,' he
admitted, 'but that’s because you haven't tried.'

Would you like me to do so?'

He took time before answering.
'No,' he said slowly. I like you exactly the way you are.'

'Does that mean you no longer
disapprove of my being a doctor?'

He gave an exclamation of
annoyance. 'I have never objected to your medical qualifications, only to your
practising them in my factory. And only then because I felt—and still do—that
my men would prefer to be taken care of by a man. You obviously feel that too,
otherwise you wouldn't be planning to open a surgery in your house.'

‘Nurse, Evans's sister's grapevine,
I suppose?'

‘Nurse Evans's sister's grapevine,'
he said solemnly, and then gave her an intent stare.
'Should you be doing so much?'

'Looking after eight hundred men
isn't much,’ she said scornfully.

'It is, in your present condition.'

‘You make me sound as if I'm
pregnant!' She was sorry the moment she had spoken, for his eyes travelled over
her slender lines.

‘You look too much of a child to be
a mother,' he said abruptly.

I’m twenty-seven, Mr Howard.'

'And I am thirty-eight.' He ran a
hand over his hair and tilted his head back. His skin was so bronze that it
looked as though it had been coloured by the tropics, bat despite the dark
intensity of his looks and the swarthiness of a Welshman, he was considerably
taller than most of his compatriots. He looked as if there was Spanish Blood in
him and it did not require much imagination to see him swashbuckling his way
across a rolling deck, with a skull and crossbones fluttering from the mast.

Tut it away,' he said suddenly, and
with a start Kate realised she was still holding the key. 'I used it for the
last tune today,' he continued. To let in Mrs Pugh.'

'Mrs who?'

‘Your new
housekeeper.'

Anger swamped her. He had said he
had engaged a housekeeper, but she had never believed he would go ahead with it
once she had made it clear she was vehemently opposed to it. ‘You had no right
to bring anyone into my home!' she said hotly.

'I explained the other day exactly
why I thought I
did
have the right.' He put up a hand to stall her
comment. However, if after a month you say you definitely don't want Mrs Pugh
to remain with you, then I won't insist on her staying.'

This remark cut the ground from
under Kate's feet and her temper retreated, although it did not die. 'Do you always get your own way?' she demanded. 'Generally.'

‘One day you will concede defeat
over something.’

‘You may well be right'

His tone was so serious that she
felt his answer held a deeper meaning than she understood. Was he thinking of
Felicity Davis and wondering whether marriage to that beautiful charmer was
something he might regret in the distant future? Somehow Kate could not see him
doing -anything he might have doubts about. He was a man of strong conviction
and even stronger courage who would never do anything if he had the slightest
reason to believe he would regret it.

‘What's puzzling you?' he asked
softly.

‘You are,’ she said candidly. 'I
can't make you out’

That's the first sign of uncertainty
you've ever shown towards me. Does it mean you are mending your opinion of me?’

'People are always changing,' she
replied sweetly. 'And when you become less obstinate in your opinions,
I
might
become less obstinate in mine.'

He filing back his head and
laughed. It was a deep sound and she enjoyed it. But abruptly he stopped and
was serious again.

'Don't let me detain you any
longer, Dr Gibson. I'm sure you have a great deal to do.'

It was a dismissal and she turned
quickly to her car. But as she drove away she saw he was still standing by his
Porsche watching her, his well-shaped head clearly .outlined against the pale
concrete wall of the factory behind him. In that instant she had an intense
feeling of his aloneness. It was nothing to do with his being lonely, she
decided, for she felt it to be a deliberate choice on his part. He was a
solitary reaper who had no need of people. Yet there must be some need inside
him; otherwise he would not be considering marriage. Still, what he . did with his life was his own
affair and no concern of hers.

CHAPTER EIGHT

To Kate's annoyance she enjoyed
having Mrs Pugh as her housekeeper. The woman was different from what she had
anticipated, being in her late forties with a trim figure and bright mind. She
looked after the house with the minimum of fuss and treated Kate in the same
way. Within ten days Kate could not imagine ever having managed on her own. The
house looked like a home. Loose covers in simple chintz now masked the dull moquette three-piece suite, and the ugly curtains had been
replaced by linen ones: orange downstairs and lime in the bedrooms. But above
all it was the presence of someone in the house, the knowledge that it was not
empty when she returned to it, that gave Kate the greatest sense of pleasure
and made her wonder whether Joshua Howard ever felt like this when he returned
to his home. Then she remembered that his mother was alive and lived with him.
Probably this was the reason he had not remarried. Had he lived alone he might
have done so long since, for she could not picture him being on the same terms
with his housekeeper as she was with hers.

Three weeks after the arrival of
Mrs Pugh, Kate opened her surgery at the house. Dermot had sent a notice to
this effect round the factory, as well as putting one up in the canteen. But
she knew it would lake more than a notice to bring in the women and children. A
few would come, particularly those whose husbands she had visited at home
during the food poisoning epidemic. But this was a handful by comparison to the
families she did not know, and these were the ones she needed to contact Coming
from a general practice where she had dealt with diverse illnesses and
problems, she was disquieted by the boring sameness of her present practice. True,
a couple of the men presented interesting problems to her, but for the most
part she dealt with relatively simple cases that did not expand her knowledge
or stretch her mind. This was another reason she wanted to broaden her practice
while she was here, and the only way to do this was to turn it into a larger,
more general one.