Alison Roberts - The Doctor's Secret Family

‘It certainly is a surprise,’ she murmured. ‘How are you, Jack?’

‘Surprised.’ Dark brown eyes were regarding Hannah with a faintly wary expression. Was he waiting for a signal of some kind? Or was the ‘surprise’ as unpleasant from his side as it was from Hannah’s? ‘I’ve spent the last few years imagining you living in Auckland,’ he added. A question was lurking in those dark eyes now but Hannah was not about to answer it. What could she say, anyway? That she had turned the job offer down because the thought of working in close proximity to him had been too offputting?

Peter had watched the brief exchange with raised eyebrows and a grin that indicated at least one person found this encounter a pleasant surprise. ‘You two know each other,’ he said unnecessarily. ‘This is great. As friendly faces in this department go, Jack, Hannah is top of the list.’

‘I’m sure she is.’ Jack’s observation was polite but definitely reserved.

‘We don’t know each other that well.’ Hannah was finally able to drag her gaze away from Jack’s face. To stop the unconscious catalogue of the minor changes that five years had wrought. A little grey amongst the dark brown curls that were shorter than they used to be. A network of fine lines at the corners of those deceptively warm eyes. A subtle change in the overall relationship between his features that gave the impression that Jack Douglas had done a lot of living in the last five years and that tears as well as laughter had been involved. She stamped firmly on the twinge of curiosity that surfaced. She didn’t want to know. ‘We met briefly, a few years ago.’ Hannah kept her words directed at Peter. ‘We were both applying for positions at the same hospital.’

What did Jack mean, he had been imagining her working in Auckland? National Children’s Hospital was large but not large enough to simply not notice a member of staff for years. She was able to look at Jack again now without revealing anything more than a polite interest. ‘Have you had enough of the ‘‘City of Sails’’, then?’

‘I didn’t take the surgical residency in Auckland,’ Jack responded. ‘I was called back to England and had to remain there due to family commitments.’

Ah, yes…the family commitments. The family Jack had denied having. No wife, he had confirmed blithely when Hannah had specifically asked. No kids. And she had believed him. The recollection of her gullibility made her tone tight.

‘And you’ve brought your family with you this time?’

‘Of course.’

‘Jack has a son,’ Peter informed Hannah. ‘He’s seven.’

‘How nice.’ Hannah’s smile was as tight as her tone. As if she didn’t know. ‘He should enjoy living here.’

‘He’s a bit older than Livvy,’ Peter added sociably.

‘Who’s Livvy?’ Jack queried.

‘Olivia…my daughter,’ Hannah was forced to respond. So much for hoping to avoid this area of her personal life, but maybe it was just as well to get it out of the way. Alarm that she might not succeed in letting Jack know this was none of his business made her tone sharp, but it was impossible to speak of Olivia without an emotional response and her smile loosened just a little.

‘How old is Olivia?’

The alarm bells clamoured with more urgency. If Hannah told the truth then Jack would probably put two and two together in a matter of moments. They had been together just over five years ago. Olivia would turn five in a few months. It was hardly rocket science.

Peter filled the fractional gap with ease. ‘She’s just a wee dot,’ he said warmly. ‘Seems like only yesterday she was born. How long ago was it, Hannah? Three years?’

Bless Peter’s vagueness about anything personal rather than professional. Hannah’s smile was far more relaxed this time. ‘She’s four,’ she said. ‘Just,’ she added hurriedly, for good measure.

She could see the lightning-fast calculations going on in Jack’s mind, and she saw the flash of what could have been pain cross his features momentarily. She welcomed the sense of being in control it gave her. The last time she had felt in control like this had been the moment she’d walked out on Jack and taken charge of her life to prevent history repeating itself. Hannah had coped then and she was damned well going to cope now.

Jack’s expression hardened and it was easy to see what he was thinking. She had gone from him straight into the arms of another man. What they had had together had meant nothing to her. Hannah lifted her chin. Why should she care what he thought of her? Far better to believe that than learn the truth.

‘Excuse me.’ The approach of Caroline Briggs made Hannah realise that they were blocking a significant portion of the corridor and her scattered papers were littering the only available route past. ‘I don’t want to tread on anything important.’

Some of the papers were copies from Jadine’s file and Hannah didn’t want Caroline to think that her daughter’s privacy was unprotected. She stooped hurriedly to rescue some of the paperwork. ‘Sorry, Caroline. We’re a bit in the way here, aren’t we?’

‘No problem. Can I help?’

‘I’ll manage.’ Hannah glanced up to smile at Caroline. ‘Are you heading home now?’

‘I’m off to the hairdresser, actually.’ Caroline looked a little defensive. ‘I might even get my nails done. Jadie’s sound asleep so there didn’t seem much point in waiting.’

‘Sounds like a good idea,’ Hannah said reassuringly. She couldn’t help noticing her own nails as she reached for another sheet of paper. Short and practical, they were as bare of any colour as her fingers were of rings. One nail was badly broken, thanks to having to fix the blockage in that pipe that fed the water trough last weekend. She hadn’t noticed what a contrast they presented to Caroline’s hands. Jadine’s mother’s fingertips looked as though a session at a beauty salon was not an unusual experience. ‘Enjoy your night out,’ she added. ‘And don’t worry about Jadine. We’ll call you if there’s any change.’

Peter watched Caroline as she walked away from them. ‘That’s the mother of our frequent flyer, isn’t it?’

Hannah nodded. She picked up the last of her papers and shoved them into the side pocket of her briefcase. Glancing up, she caught sight of Caroline’s back as she waited for the lift. The curls in her blond hair also advertised careful maintenance but the dark line at the roots suggested that putting off an appointment might have been inconvenient. Especially with an important date lined up tonight.

The less than charitable thought was uncharacteristic enough to astonish Hannah. Had Jack’s appearance rattled her enough to provoke such an unprofessionally judgmental attitude? Or was it more that he had made her aware of her own appearance? Could he see the extra lines that the years had undoubtedly etched into her own face? At least she had no grey hairs visibly lightening the dark honey blond, but compared to Caroline’s Hannah’s hair was as boring as her nails. Dragged back into a practical ponytail, the dead straight tresses were only this long because Hannah couldn’t be bothered going to a hairdresser very often. The uncomfortable ability to see herself as Jack probably did made it difficult to concentrate on what Peter was saying.

‘Any reason to suspect this visit is genuine?’

‘Oh, I think it’s genuine enough,’ Hannah responded. ‘I’m just not convinced that it’s medical. I think I’ll take your advice and bring the psych services in on this one.’

Jack had been watching Caroline enter the lift and Hannah found a curiosity she thought she had extinguished years ago resurface. What was his wife like? Carefully groomed, she suspected, as befitted a surgeon’s partner. No broken nails for her and no schoolgirl hairstyle tied with one of her daughter’s scrunchies which sported a bright red teddy-bear ornament. Peter had only mentioned the child she’d already known about so maybe Jack and his wife hadn’t been lucky enough to add a daughter to their family. Well, he would just have to do without, in that case. No way was he going to lay any claim to Livvy.