Lucy Gordon - The Diamond Dad

Kendall grinned. 'Of course I knew.' 'You were playing a damned devious game.' 'Don't give me moral outrage. You've played a few devious games in your time.' 'Not by making use of children.' 'All's fair in love and war,' Kendall said with a shrug. 'And you're in love with my wife?' There was a small pause before Kendall said, 'I'm still engaged to her-as of now.' 'That's not an answer.' 'It's the only one you'll get.' 'Is she in love with you?' 'Ask her.' 'I have.'

'Then you already know the answer.'

In Kendall's position Garth knew he would demand to know what Faye had said. The other man's refusal to ask implied great self-restraint, or maybe something cooler. Garth recalled Jane and her worshipful expression. He saw Kendall looking at him wryly, bid him goodnight, and left quickly.

James Wakeham looked exactly as his voice had sounded, prissy and self-righteous. He gave Garth a nod to indicate that he forgave nothing, and got into the back seat of the car.

But his curtness fell away from him when he saw Barker and a cloak of authority descended like a mantle as he went through the readings on the machines.

'Stabilized? Good. Let's get to work then.'

The children were beyond words but their shining eyes, as they hugged their father, said everything. Cindy whispered, 'I knew you could do it.' She seemed convinced that Barker was certain to survive now and Garth lacked the heart to tell her any different.

Nancy, who'd gone home earlier, now reappeared with sandwiches and a flask of tea. Darkness had fallen, and the hospital was empty but for themselves and the two vets with Barker's life in their hands.

'The children ought to be home in bed,' Faye said ruefully. 'But I don't think they'll budge. Anyway, if Mr Wakeham can't save him, they'll want to be near Barker at the end.'

'Yes,' Garth said heavily. After his brief triumph it was salutary to be reminded that he might have achieved nothing at all.

'How did you get him to come over, after he refused?' Faye asked.

'Oh-I manoeuvred a bit.' He couldn't bring himself to tell her everything, in case it might seem like asking for praise.

'You mean you offered him more money?'

'Money!' he growled.

'Garth, I'm not criticizing, honestly. You were right to do anything that worked.'

Anything that worked. His own philosophy of life, but he'd meant money and power. It occurred to him that he'd always been thinking about these things. But this time it had been about something genuine and true. How strange, then, that he couldn't bring himself to speak of it!

Cindy and Adrian came and hugged him.

'Thanks, Dad,' Adrian said gruffly.

'Thank you, Daddy,' Cindy whispered.

'We're not out of the woods yet,' he warned them.

'But you did it,' Cindy insisted. 'You can do anything.'

He kissed her, but didn't say any more. Only he and his enemy knew the real sacrifice he'd made.

The operation lasted two hours.

'I did my best, but I can't work miracles,' James Wakeham said, emerging from the theatre and speaking brusquely. 'He's still alive, but it's too soon to be hopeful. You'll know by the morning.'

He resisted Garth's offer of hospitality. 'I'd like to go straight to the airport,' he said in his precise voice. 'No, don't drive me. I prefer a taxi. I expect your pilot to be waiting for me.'

'He will be,' Garth assured him.

'Not a charming character,' Miss McGeorge said when Wakeham had gone. 'But he's a genius at his job. You gave Barker the best possible chance.'

'But it's not a good chance, is it?' Garth asked.

'I'm afraid not. His age is still against him.'

Before being taken home the children begged to be allowed to say goodnight to Barker. Faye was reluctant, but Garth took their side.

'I'm afraid they'll be upset if they see him attached to a lot of machinery,' she protested.

'Not as upset as they'll be if he dies without them seeing him,' Garth said. And she realized he was right.

Like shadows they crept into the dimly lit room where he lay. As Faye had feared he was attached to drips and monitors, but both children simply ignored the machinery. They came close to Barker lying on the table, completely motionless except for the rise and fall of his breathing, and took it in turns to lift one of his floppy ears and whisper.

'I told him I loved him, so he's got to get well,' Cindy confided to her parents. 'But you must tell him too, so that he'll know we all need him.'

Faye murmured something loving into Barker's ear. But the really astonishing sight was Garth leaning down to say, 'Hang in there, boy. I've got a bone waiting for you at home like you wouldn't believe!'

'He heard you,' Cindy breathed. 'His nose twitched when you said "bone".'

'Darling, he's deeply unconscious,' Faye said.

'His nose twitched,' Garth said firmly. 'We saw it, didn't we?' He appealed to Adrian, who nodded.

They all crept out, pausing in the doorway for one more look at their friend who lay so silent and still.

By now it was long after midnight and the children could hardly keep their eyes open. Faye and Garth settled them gently in the back of the car and drove home. Nancy had gone ahead and was waiting to help put Cindy and Adrian to bed.

Faye went into the kitchen to make some tea. But as she reached out to the kettle she saw Barker's biscuits lying there, where she'd left them in the last moment before the nightmare began. The two red ones were still set apart, so that he could have them first. Perhaps he would never want them now. Suddenly unable to bear the sight, she rushed out of the kitchen and upstairs.

In her own room she was free to give way to her emotions. She left the light off and went to stand at the window, overlooking the spot where Barker had collapsed. She couldn't tear her eyes away from it and barely heard the click as Garth entered. He came close and touched her uncertainly on the shoulder.

'Faye,' he said quietly. 'Please-'

'It was down there,' she said huskily. 'They were playing ball and suddenly he made a different sound. Cindy called me and when I ran out he was lying stretched out on the ground-right there.'

'Hush!' he said, taking her into his arms. But she couldn't stop. The fear and grief of the day had caught up and overwhelmed her.

'He lay so still,' she choked. 'He's always been so full of life-into everything, and-and suddenly-he just didn't move-'

'Come away,' he said, drawing her away from the window.

'Suppose he never moves again-'

'Don't,' he begged her. 'You can't blame me more than I blame myself.'

'No, no, I didn't mean that- It's just that-he's one of the family and-I love him so much.'

'I know,' he said wryly. 'So do I.' He pressed her gently down on a small sofa and sat beside her. 'Take this,' he said, putting a glass into her hand. 'It's brandy. I brought it up because we both need one.'

She sipped it, and blew her nose. 'It's such a short time we've had Barker,' she said. 'Yet I can't imagine doing without him.'

'Perhaps we won't have to.' Garth drank some brandy and tried to steady himself. He'd skipped breakfast to make some final notes for his meeting and since then the only thing he'd had was Kendall's coffee. Now tension and an empty stomach were making him lightheaded. It was hardly possible that he could be sitting here with Faye, talking like this in the darkness. At the same time, it seemed perfectly natural.

Faye was in no better state. Unlike Garth, she'd had breakfast, and later a sandwich at the surgery. But she was exhausted and glad of the brandy.

'Dry your eyes,' he commanded, dabbing her face with his clean handkerchief. 'We've got to be positive about this. We've won so far and we're going to win in the end.'