“I can’t believe I’m hearing this! It’s been two years since our divorce, Liam, and not once in all that time did you make any attempt to talk to me. So why have you suddenly decided that it’s time we sort things out?”

“Because it might be two years but I haven’t come to terms with what happened even if you have! What happened between us left scars, Sophie. The only way we can rid ourselves of them is by talking it all through and getting the truth out in the open at last.”

“You want the truth, do you? Well, the truth is that I don’t give a damn about what happened in the past. It’s over and done with, and all I’m interested in now is the future….”

Dear Reader,

Finding lasting happiness is something we all aspire to, but sometimes life and circumstances get in the way of achieving our dreams. When I decided to write Sophie and Liam’s story I wanted to show just how strong true love can be. This couple has suffered a great sadness in their life and parted because of it. Now they have a chance to clear up their past misunderstandings and start afresh….

But Liam seems involved in a new relationship and Sophie has decided to completely change her way of life. Their marriage is over and they are confident that once they have talked about the mistakes they made in the past they will be able to move on.

The one fact neither of them allowed for was that they still care about each other. After all that has happened, can they recapture the magic of being in love?

I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you have any comments you’d like to make then please contact me at: jennifer@jennifer-taylor.com.

Best wishes to you all,

Jennifer

A Very Special Marriage
Jennifer Taylor

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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CONTENTS

Cover

Dear Reader

Title Page

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

EPILOGUE

Copyright

CHAPTER ONE

HAD she made a terrible mistake?

As she stepped out of the taxi into the bustle of Palma harbour, Sophie Patterson suddenly found herself beset by doubts. Up till that point she’d been quite confident that she was doing the right thing. She’d handed in her notice at work, given up the lease on her flat and said goodbye to her friends, sure in her own mind that she’d made the right decision, yet all of a sudden she found herself wavering.

Had she been right to turn her back on everything she knew? Maybe it did feel as though she’d been in a rut ever since her divorce but how could she be sure her life would improve by making such drastic changes to it?

Sophie grimaced because it really wasn’t the right time to start having second thoughts. The letter she’d received had made it clear that she should report for duty at eleven a.m. sharp and it was almost that now. Picking up her suitcase, she scanned the dock.

Several of the major holiday companies used the harbour at Mallorca to berth their vessels and it was difficult to decide which of the liners moored there was the one she would be working on for the next three months.

Mindful of the minutes ticking away, Sophie hurried along the quay, sighing in relief when she discovered that the ship nearest to her was the Esmeralda. There was a member of the crew on duty at the bottom of the gangplank, checking names against a list, so she waited in line until it was her turn.

‘I’m Sophie Patterson. The new nurse.’

‘Welcome to the Esmeralda, Miss Patterson.’ The young man put a tick against her name. ‘If you’d like to board the ship, the purser will direct you to your quarters.’

‘Thank you.’

Sophie squared her shoulders then made her way up the gangplank. There were a lot of people milling about when she reached the deck, mostly people like her, she guessed, hired to look after the passengers, so once again she waited in line until it was her turn to speak to the purser.

‘I’m Sophie Patterson, the new—’

‘Nurse.’ The good-looking, fair-haired young man smiled at her. ‘Welcome aboard the Esmeralda, Miss Patterson. I am Yuri Markov, the chief purser. My role is to make life as easy and uncomplicated as possible for staff and the passengers alike. So if you have any problems whilst you are on board ship, please, do not hesitate to consult me.’

‘Thank you.’ Sophie returned his smile, feeling a little colour touch her cheeks when she saw the admiration in his eyes. She had steadfastly avoided any involvement with the opposite sex in the two years since her divorce and it was rather flattering to realise that she could have this effect on an eligible male. ‘That’s very kind of you.’

‘It is easy to be kind to a beautiful young woman like yourself, Miss Patterson.’ Yuri’s smile was warmer than ever and Sophie laughed, her deep blue eyes sparkling with amusement.

‘Now you’re flattering me!’

‘I was merely stating the truth.’ Yuri’s gaze held hers fast for a moment before he glanced at the list he held. ‘Your cabin is in the hospital bay, Miss Patterson. I shall get a steward to show you the way.’

‘Please, call me Sophie,’ she said quickly, her head whirling because she wasn’t used to being showered with compliments like this. It seemed ages since anyone had made such a fuss of her, not since the early days of her marriage, in fact, when Liam had never let a day pass without making sure she’d known how much he’d loved her.

The memory still had the power to hurt so Sophie hastily put it from her mind as Yuri summoned a steward and told him to take her to the hospital bay.

He turned to her as the man picked up her case.

‘Perhaps you would do me the honour of joining me for dinner tonight, Sophie? I shall add your name to my table if you don’t think I am being too presumptuous?’

‘Thank you. I would like that very much,’ she declared, throwing caution to the winds. She managed to hold her smile when Yuri took her hand and raised it to his lips, but she couldn’t ignore the soulful way he was looking at her.

‘This promises to be a wonderful trip,’ he murmured.

Sophie quickly withdrew her hand and hurried after the steward, relieved to make her escape before the situation developed. It did make her see how long it had been since she’d played the dating game, however. She’d met Liam when she’d been just nineteen and they had married a year later. She’d had little experience of men before her marriage and none since. One of the first changes she would have to make would be to bring her ideas in line with more modern thinking. The days of one man, one woman and happy ever after had long since gone out of fashion!

‘This is the hospital bay, Miss Patterson. I may as well give you a tour while we’re here.’

The steward, whose name badge identified him as Charlie Henshaw, elbowed his way through the swing doors. He nodded towards a door on their right. ‘Through there is the clinic where you and the doc will see your patients each morning and over there is the operating theatre.’

‘I didn’t realise there was a theatre on board!’ Sophie exclaimed, peering through the glass pane set in the door. She took rapid stock of the state-of-the-art facilities and sighed. ‘It’s far better equipped than some of the NHS hospitals where I’ve worked.’

‘The ship’s owners had the hospital bay refurbished last winter and decided to install a theatre while they were at it,’ Charlie explained. ‘Doc Hampson wasn’t keen on the idea but they thought it would be a big selling point. A lot of passengers feel happier knowing there are proper medical facilities on board if the worst happens. It’s certainly increased trade because we’re fully booked all season.’

‘I see. Why wasn’t Dr Hampson keen on the idea, though?’ Sophie asked curiously, following the steward along the corridor. She glanced into a small sick-bay furnished with all the usual equipment she would have expected to see in any modern hospital ward. The difference was that the room was beautifully decorated in a soothing sea green and there were tasteful water-colours on the walls.

‘The doc’s a nice old chap but he just isn’t up to operating nowadays.’ Charlie stopped as they came to the end of the passage. ‘It’s high time he retired, in my opinion. He might have reached that conclusion himself because I just heard that he’s not joining us this trip. They’ve had to hire a last-minute replacement for him.’

‘Oh, dear! I had no idea,’ Sophie exclaimed. The elderly doctor had sat in on her interview and had seemed very pleasant. It was rather daunting to discover that she would be working with a complete stranger for the next few months.

‘This is your cabin, miss. It’s not exactly luxurious—none of the crew’s quarters are—but there’s everything here that you’ll need. The doc’s cabin is just across the passage.’

Sophie tried to shrug off her concerns as she looked around the cabin. It was very compact but, as Charlie had said, there was everything there that she would need during her stay. A single bunk bed and combined vanity and wardrobe unit would solve her sleeping and storage problems whilst the tiny ensuite bathroom with its shower cubicle, basin and lavatory would fulfil her other needs.

‘It’s fine,’ she said, turning to smile at the middle-aged steward. ‘I’ve lived in nurses’ quarters in the past so I’m used to not having a lot of room to spread myself around.’

‘You’ll only really need it for sleeping,’ Charlie advised her, lifting her case onto the bed. ‘You and the doc are regarded as officers whilst you’re on board so you’ll have free run of the ship. You’ll be able to use the lounges and other facilities—that’s if you can cope with folk coming up to you all the time and asking about their ailments!’

‘I shall bear that in mind!’ She quickly hunted in her bag for some change as the steward turned to leave, but he stopped her with a shake of his head.

‘No need for that, miss. We’re all here to work so none of us expect tips. If you need anything, just use the bell and give me a buzz. The passengers won’t arrive until late afternoon so we’re not too busy at the moment, although it will be bedlam later.’

‘Thanks, Charlie.’

Sophie decided to unpack after the steward left then explore the ship and get her bearings. She unlocked her case, then hung her clothes in the wardrobe, smiling to herself when she saw how colourful they looked.

Buying herself some new clothes had been another step on the way to remodelling her life and an enjoyable one, too. She’d gone a bit mad, in fact, choosing the bright cotton outfits which she planned to wear in her off-duty time. While she was working she would wear a smart new uniform but the colourful clothes had been chosen in a fit of defiance. The old Sophie Patterson no longer existed and in her place was a woman who intended to make the most of her life instead of wasting it.

All of a sudden Sophie felt her doubts disappear beneath a renewed surge of excitement. She had been right to do this. Three months spent cruising the Mediterranean and then the world would be her oyster!

Dinner on the first night, she’d been told, was always an informal affair and casual clothes were the order of the day. She showered and changed into white cotton jeans and a vivid blue T-shirt then ran her fingers through her short blonde hair until she’d achieved the spiky look which the hairdresser had told her suited her so much. She’d had her hair cut only the previous week and she still wasn’t used to the new style, although it was certainly easier than the shoulder-length bob she’d had before. A quick wash and her hair was done!

Stepping in front of the mirror, she studied herself critically. She had to admit that the end result was rather pleasing. The vivid blue of the T-shirt was the perfect foil for her colouring although she experienced a momentary qualm when she read the logo that was printed in sequins across its front.

Telling herself that it was just a bit of fun, she let her gaze move on and nodded in satisfaction when she saw what a difference the new make-up she’d purchased had made. Her eyes looked enormous thanks to the mascara and shadow whilst the lipgloss made her mouth look seductively full. The only flaw she could spot was the tiny mole at the corner of her mouth but there was nothing she could do about that. Anyway, Liam had always said that it made him want to kiss her…

Sophie blanked out that thought. She’d promised herself that she wouldn’t look back but focus on the future and at the present moment that meant dinner. She left her cabin then paused when she saw that the door to the cabin opposite hers was open. She hadn’t heard the doctor arriving but she could have been in the shower at the time. It was a shame that she’d missed him because she would have liked to have broken the ice by introducing herself.

She glanced at her watch but there were still ten minutes to spare before she needed to be in the dining room. She tapped on the door and grimaced when she heard a muffled voice calling from the bathroom to come in. She hadn’t realised he was getting ready for dinner but she could hardly walk away now that she’d knocked on the door.

She looked curiously around as she went inside but the cabin was an exact replica of her own, apart from the fact that it was nowhere near as tidy. It looked as though the doctor must have unpacked in rather a hurry because there was a heap of clothes tossed onto the bed and a stack of books piled haphazardly on the bedside cabinet.

She wandered over to look at them, grinning when she saw the eclectic mix of paperback thrillers and weighty medical tomes. Obviously, her new colleague believed in being prepared for every eventuality.

‘Sorry to keep you waiting.’

Sophie felt the shock hit her like an actual physical blow when she heard the man’s voice. She rocked back on her heels and had to grab hold of the cabinet to steady herself. She knew she should turn round but it was impossible to move a single muscle. It couldn’t be him! a small voice was screaming inside her head. It was just her mind playing tricks…

‘Are you all right, Sophie?’

There could be no mistaking who he was now that he’d called her by name, even though he’d spoken to her in a tone she hadn’t heard him use for a long time. Their last conversations had been so angry and bitter that it still made her feel sick whenever she thought about them. It felt as though a lifetime had passed since she’d heard such concern in his voice.

‘For pity’s sake, say something, Sophie. Don’t just stand there looking as though your worst nightmare has come true!’

There was a catch in that deep voice now, an echo of pain that made her ache as well. She was actually trying to think of a way to comfort him when it struck her what she was doing.

This man had broken her heart and he most certainly didn’t deserve her pity!

Anger gave her the strength to turn and face her ex-husband at last. ‘What are you doing here, Liam? Exactly what is going on?’

Liam could feel the waves of antipathy flowing across the cabin and suddenly found it impossible to think clearly. Why hadn’t he allowed for the fact that he would feel so…emotional? he wondered dazedly.

‘I’m the new ship’s doctor,’ he said tersely, struggling to keep a grip on himself. He’d known when he’d accepted the post that Sophie might be upset by the thought of them working together, but he’d told himself that he would find a way to convince her it would be all right. All he wanted was a chance to set matters straight and it had seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so. The last few months had convinced him that he needed to lay the past to rest, once and for all.

‘Th-the new doctor?’

Liam’s hands clenched when he heard the tremor in her voice. It was obvious how shocked she was and he suddenly found himself wondering if he was being selfish. Maybe Sophie had come to terms with the past and he was in danger of opening up wounds that had already healed? Just because he hadn’t been able to rid himself of the memories, it didn’t mean she’d had the same problem. He only had to look at her to see how much she had changed, in fact.

His slate-grey eyes skimmed over her as he drank in the differences two years had brought about. The new hairstyle suited her, he realised in surprise, even though he would never have expected her to opt for such a funky style. Sophie’s choice of hairstyle and clothing had been very conservative in the past but there was nothing conservative about that spiky halo of blonde wisps or about the outfit she was wearing, for that matter.

Liam’s mouth curved into a reluctant smile when he read the logo on the front of her T-shirt. Treat me like a princess! it implored, and it amused him greatly although he couldn’t for the life of him imagine the old Sophie wearing anything like it. Ditto the snug-fitting jeans which hugged her pert little bottom like loving hands.

His smile faded abruptly as his gaze travelled on. Although she was of no more than average height, she had incredibly long legs and the tight jeans set them off to perfection, highlighting their shapeliness. Liam felt a funny buzzing sensation in the pit of his stomach and hastily lowered his eyes another few inches. He just managed to bite back his gasp when he saw her bare toes peeping through the straps of her sandals.

She’d painted her toenails bright blue to match her T-shirt but Sophie had never worn nail polish in the past. Even if she had, she certainly wouldn’t have dreamt of wearing such a crazy colour. Adding up everything he’d seen—the funky hairstyle, the trendy clothes, the nail polish—and he was more convinced than ever that he’d made a massive error of judgement. Sophie had moved on with her life and the proof of that was clear from her appearance. How could it be fair to rake up the past when it would be bound to upset her?

‘Let’s get this straight, Liam. Are you saying that you’re going to be working on board this ship?’

Liam took a deep breath when he heard the mounting anger in her voice. Maybe he had made a mistake but there was little he could do about it now except to try and make the coming weeks as easy as possible for both of them.

‘That’s right. I’ve signed on for the summer season,’ he explained, trying to disguise his hurt when he saw her mouth thin with displeasure. Surely he hadn’t been foolish enough to hope that she might be pleased to see him?

‘Dr Hampson has decided to retire,’ he continued hurriedly before the idea could take root. He knew why he’d taken the job and it had nothing whatsoever to do with winning Sophie over. ‘Apparently, he’s been having chest pains and his consultant has advised him to take things easy. I was hired at the last minute as his replacement.’

‘So you had no idea I would be working on this ship when you took the job?’

Liam saw her frown as she tested out that theory and sighed. He was tempted to take the easy way out but he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he didn’t tell her the truth. There’d been enough half-truths in the past and he refused to let them spill over into the present.

‘No. One of your friends at the Royal Memorial told me that you’d got a job on board this ship when I went up there to see you. She wasn’t sure when the Esmeralda actually set sail but she gave me the name of the agency who’d hired you so I could check with them.’ He shrugged. ‘To cut a long story short, I phoned them and during the course of the conversation they mentioned they were looking for someone to replace Dr Hampson so I offered my services.’

‘This just doesn’t make sense!’

She shook her head so that the spiky wisps of blonde hair shimmered as they caught the glow from the overhead light. Liam’s hands clenched again but this time because he had an almost irresistible urge to run his fingers through that silky halo. All of a sudden he could remember with alarming clarity just how soft her hair had always felt, how wonderful it had smelled when he’d woken each morning and taken her in his arms…

‘You seem to have gone to a lot of trouble to track me down, Liam, but surely it must have occurred to you that you were the last person I would want to work with? I would have thought I’d be the last person on your list, too, so what is going on? Why did you really take this job? If it was your idea of a…a joke then I have to say that I don’t find it the least bit funny!’

Liam dragged his mind back from such nonsensical thoughts when he heard the fury in her voice. ‘I didn’t do it as a joke, Sophie. Far from it. I realised a couple of months ago that we needed to talk to one another. There are a lot of things we need to sort out so when I found out there was a job going on board the Esmeralda, it seemed like too good an opportunity to miss.’

‘I can’t believe I’m hearing this!’ She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. ‘It’s two years since our divorce, Liam, and not once in all that time did you make any attempt to talk to me. You didn’t make much of an effort before that either, so why have you suddenly decided that it’s time we sorted things out?’

‘Because it might be two years but I haven’t come to terms with what happened even if you have!’

All of a sudden Liam could feel his own anger igniting. He took a couple of steps, which were all it needed to cross the cabin. He stared down into her angry blue eyes, feeling the pain welling inside him as the memory of all the hurtful things they’d said to one another came rushing back.

Sophie should have trusted him! She should have had enough faith in him to know that he would never have had an affair!

‘What happened between us left scars, Sophie, and I’m not too proud to admit that either. The only way we can rid ourselves of them is by talking it all through and getting the truth out into the open at last.’

‘You want the truth, do you?’ She laughed shrilly. ‘Well, the truth is that I don’t give a damn about what happened in the past. It’s over and done with, and all I’m interested in now is the future.’

‘So you’ve put it all behind you, have you? Every single thing that happened no longer means anything to you?’

He couldn’t keep the bite out of his voice and he saw her flinch. When she went to push past him he caught hold of her arm and made her stop.

‘Maybe you’ve erased me from your memory, Sophie, but can you honestly say that you’ve forgotten our child?’

His fingers tightened as grief suddenly overwhelmed him. ‘Look me in the eyes and tell me that you’ve forgotten about Zoë and then I’ll believe you when you say that we have nothing to talk about!’

CHAPTER TWO

‘DAMN you, Liam! Damn you to hell for doing this!’

Sophie’s voice broke on a sob and Liam felt his anger drain away when he saw tears streaming down her face. He already had hold of her so it was the easiest thing in the world to pull her into his arms and cradle her against him.

She felt so small and fragile that he was terrified of hurting her if he held her too tightly, yet he needed to hold onto something as all the pent-up emotion suddenly spilled from him. Two years ago he’d been too numb with grief to cry but now he couldn’t hold back his tears as the memories came flooding back.

Sophie had been six months pregnant when a routine check-up had shown problems with their baby’s development. The placenta had become detached from the wall of the uterus, depriving the unborn child of vital nutrients and oxygen. A decision had been taken to deliver the baby and Sophie had been rushed to Theatre for an emergency Caesarean section.

It had been a little girl and Liam could still recall how perfect she had been when the doctor had placed her in his arms for a few, precious seconds before she’d been taken to the intensive care unit. They had called her Zoë and she had lived for just one week before her tiny body had given up the struggle for survival.

Sophie had been inconsolable afterwards and he simply hadn’t known how to comfort her. It had broken his heart to see how devastated she’d been so that he’d found himself staying later and later at work to avoid going home. And then one fateful night, a few months after Zoë had died, his own grief had caught up with him.

He’d gone out after work and, for the first time in his life, he’d got so drunk that he hadn’t known what he’d been doing. If it hadn’t been for one of the nurses taking him back to her flat, he would have spent the night on the streets. He’d been so ashamed afterwards that he’d let Sophie think that he’d spent the night at work but, somehow, the story had got out about him spending the night at Amanda’s flat and Sophie had accused him of having an affair…

‘Let me go.’

Liam jumped when he heard the steely note in her voice. He quickly released her and ran his hands over his face to wipe away his tears. Sophie had her back to him but he could tell that she was struggling to regain her composure. He touched her lightly on the shoulder, wanting to comfort her in some way, but she shrugged off his hand.

‘Don’t!’

Liam dug his hands into the pockets of his towelling robe. It hurt to know how much she hated having him touch her, but what had he expected? The days when she would have melted into his arms were long gone and too much had happened since to recapture the magic they’d once known.

‘Are you all right?’ he asked gruffly, trying not to dwell on how painful he found that thought. He wanted to lay the past to rest, not rekindle the embers of a dead love affair, he reminded himself sternly. It was the reason why he’d been so anxious to see Sophie again. It had become increasingly clear in the past few months that he would never be able to get on with his life until they had sorted out the mistakes they’d made, although the likelihood of them sorting anything out seemed non-existent at the moment.

‘I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. There’s no need.’

She headed for the door but Liam knew that he couldn’t just let her walk away without trying to smooth things over. Maybe his plan hadn’t gone as he’d hoped it would but they were going to have to work together in the coming weeks so they at least needed to behave in a civilised manner with one another.

‘Look, Sophie, I apologise. Maybe this was a lousy idea but all I can say in my own defence is that I never meant to upset you.’ He shrugged when she glanced back. ‘I know it won’t be easy but we’re going to have to find a way to resolve our differences so we can work together.’

‘You really think I’m going to work with you?’ She laughed and Liam felt his insides twist when he heard the scorn in her voice. ‘I’m sorry to disappoint you, Liam, but it isn’t going to happen. I have absolutely no intention of working with you, now or in the future. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to go and pack.’

‘There’s no point because you aren’t going anywhere.’

He knew that he should be trying to appease her rather than confront her, but her unyielding attitude stung. Maybe Sophie had moved on but her feelings towards him certainly hadn’t improved.

‘I shall do whatever I want!’ She glared at him, her eyes filled with contempt. ‘The days when you had any say over what I do, Liam Kennedy, are long gone!’

‘I have no intention of trying to stop you leaving, Sophie, but I’m sure the captain will.’

He went to the porthole and pulled back the curtain, feeling a wave of weariness wash over him. Sophie wasn’t interested in talking about the past and he really couldn’t blame her. He should have tried harder at the time to convince her that nothing had happened when he’d stayed at Amanda’s flat. But he’d been so hurt that Sophie had believed he would betray her and she’d been too angry to listen to him. Neither of them had been thinking clearly because they’d been so devastated by the loss of their precious child. It was that thought which made him soften his tone.

‘It may have escaped your notice but we’ve already set sail. We’re currently heading out into the middle of the Mediterranean and, from what I can remember of our itinerary, we won’t reach land until tomorrow morning. Even then, do you really think it would be fair to just up and leave?’

He sighed as he let the curtain fall back into place. ‘There’s several hundred people on board this ship and any one of them could need our help at a moment’s notice. Surely it would be better if you contacted the employment agency in the morning and asked them to find a replacement for you? It would mean us making the best of things for a few days, but I promise you that I’ll do my bit if you’ll meet me halfway. So what do you say, Sophie?’

‘I…I don’t know.’

She bit her lip and Liam could tell how difficult she was finding it to make up her mind. He crossed the cabin but this time he didn’t make the mistake of touching her. Sophie had made it clear how she felt about that.

‘We’ve worked together in the past, and successfully, too, so surely we can manage to do so again for a short time,’ he said softly, refusing to dwell on how distressing he found the idea. ‘I’d offer to leave but the people at the agency made it clear that they’d had problems finding a suitably qualified doctor. I wouldn’t want to leave the passengers in the lurch.’

‘No, it wouldn’t be right,’ she agreed reluctantly.

She took a deep breath that made her small breasts rise beneath the close-fitting T-shirt and Liam just managed to stifle his groan when he felt his body respond with a fervour that shocked him. He drew the robe around him, relieved that its bulk concealed his predicament. He’d not exactly led the life of a monk since their divorce but he couldn’t recall responding so wholeheartedly to any woman in the past two years, not even Julia.

The thought threw him into confusion so that he missed what Sophie had said. ‘I’m sorry, what was that?’

‘I just said that we shouldn’t need to see each other all that much.’ She shrugged but this time Liam wisely kept his eyes on her face and didn’t let them stray. ‘Once we’ve seen any patients who turn up for morning surgery then that should be it, basically.’

‘Of course,’ he agreed, trying to appear positive, no easy task in view of the way his mind was churning. He’d honestly and truly believed that he was ready to get on with his life and that all he needed to do was to draw a line under the past. But how could he be ready to plan his future when he was still so susceptible to his ex-wife’s charms?

‘And so long as the agency can find a replacement for me then there shouldn’t be a problem?’

‘It might take them a few weeks to find someone suitable,’ he warned, deciding it would be better to focus on this problem rather than start digging up any others. ‘Experienced nurses of your calibre don’t exactly grow on trees.’

A touch of colour ran up her face but she didn’t acknowledge the compliment. ‘I’m sure they’ll find someone eventually.’

‘And what about you, Sophie? What will you do?’ He frowned as he thought about the implications of her having to leave the ship. ‘Maybe you could return to the Royal Memorial? I’m sure they’d be delighted to take you back.’

‘They probably would but I’ve no intention of going back there. The reason I left in the first place was because I needed a change of scene. Don’t worry about me, Liam, I’ll find something else, maybe go abroad. There’s a lot of nursing posts advertised in the USA so that’s one option.’

‘So what you’re saying is that you’re completely flexible?’ Liam couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice.

‘Yes. The world’s a big place and I’ve seen far too little of it.’

‘And there’s nothing to tie you down to any one place?’ he insisted, because he couldn’t help being surprised by her attitude. The Sophie he remembered had been a homebody, not an adventurer. It made him see just how great the change in her had really been.

‘Nothing and nobody,’ she stated firmly. ‘So if you’re trying to find a diplomatic way to ask if I’m involved in a relationship then don’t bother. I think the phrase which best sums up my feelings is once bitten, twice shy.’

‘It wasn’t all bad,’ he protested, because it was painful to realise how much their divorce had affected her. Sophie had always had a very loving nature and he hated to think that she’d ruled out the possibility of finding happiness again even though the thought of her finding it with another man didn’t sit comfortably with him, strangely enough.

‘You’re entitled to your view,’ she said dismissively. ‘Anyway, what about you, Liam? Is there someone special in your life?’

Liam pushed the troubling thought aside because he needed to deal with the question. For some reason it seemed incredibly difficult to decide how to answer it. It wasn’t that he was afraid of upsetting her—Sophie had made it perfectly clear that he no longer featured in her life—but he felt rather awkward about discussing his plans with his ex-wife. Crazy though it undoubtedly was, it felt as though he was letting Sophie down.

The idea was just so ludicrous that it immediately cleared his mind of any doubts. ‘Actually, there is. Her name is Julia and she’s a doctor, too. We met while we were both working overseas, although she’s from London originally.’

He shrugged because there was no point holding back the most important bit now he’d got this far. ‘We’re thinking about getting married later this year, in fact.’

‘I see. So it appears that congratulations are in order.’

Liam frowned when he heard what sounded suspiciously like a catch in her voice. He breathed a sigh of relief when she treated him to a brilliant smile because he wouldn’t like to think that Sophie had been upset by his announcement.

‘I hope you and the second Mrs Kennedy will be very happy, Liam. I certainly hope the marriage works out better than ours did!’

‘Ah, so there you are, Sophie! I was just coming to find you. I thought you had got lost.’

‘I’m afraid I got delayed. Sorry.’

Sophie summoned a smile as Yuri greeted her at the entrance to the dining-room. She followed him across the room, murmuring her thanks when he pulled out a chair for her to sit down. Glancing around, she repeated her apologies for the benefit of the other diners seated at their table.

‘I’m sorry I’m late.’

‘Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it, young lady.’ The elderly American gentleman on her left smiled at her. ‘If my wife wasn’t sitting right here beside me, I’d tell you it was well worth the wait!’

The blue-rinsed matron next to him raised her eyes. ‘Take no notice of Randolph, honey. He’s all talk these days! Anyhow, you’ve only missed the introductions and that isn’t a problem. I’m Gloria Walters and this is my husband, Randolph. We’re from Georgia and this is our first trip to Europe. We’re trying to see as much as we can, which is why this cruise is such a great idea.’

‘I’m Sophie Patterson, the ship’s nurse,’ Sophie explained. She jumped when someone approached her, but it was only the waiter wanting to drape a napkin over her knees. She smiled her thanks but she could feel her heart beating in time to the sentence that was reverberating inside her head: Liam is getting married, Liam is getting married.

‘Oh, we already know that. Yuri here told us all about you,’ Gloria assured her.

Sophie had no idea what the purser had said but it was a relief not to have to go into detail about her role on the ship. She smiled and nodded as the rest of her table companions introduced themselves, though she doubted if she would remember many of their names later.

Discovering she would be working with Liam had been a big enough shock but learning that he was getting married had been much worse, and yet she couldn’t understand why she felt so devastated. Their marriage was over and she most certainly didn’t want to resurrect it, but she couldn’t help feeling bereft at the thought of Liam marrying another woman.

‘And here is our final guest. Excellent! We shall be able to enjoy the evening now.’

Yuri placed his hand lightly on her shoulder as he stood up, and Sophie flinched. She felt as nervous as a kitten, her whole body vibrating with a fine tremor that was making her feel sick.

She picked up her water glass and took a sip of the cool liquid in the hope that it would steady her, but all it took was the sight of the purser greeting Liam to make the tremor increase. It appeared that Liam would be joining them for dinner and the prospect of having to make conversation with him was more than she could bear. It was only the thought of the scene it would cause if she got up and left that kept her sitting there.

‘Allow me to introduce our new doctor.’ Yuri swiftly made the introductions, smiling charmingly when he came to Sophie. ‘I’m not sure if you two have met yet.’

‘Dr Kennedy and I have already introduced ourselves,’ Sophie said hurriedly.

‘Indeed we have,’ Liam agreed smoothly, but she could see the question in his eyes. She knew he was wondering how much she intended to tell everyone, but if he thought she was about to admit that they’d once been married then he could think again.

‘Yes, we bumped into each other earlier.’ She turned to Yuri as Liam took his seat and smiled warmly at him. ‘Tell us about your job, Yuri. It must be fascinating, meeting so many new people all the time.’

The purser needed little encouragement and happily began regaling them with tales about the trials and tribulations of being a purser on a busy cruise liner. He was an amusing raconteur and the rest of the group were soon showering him with questions.

Sophie was very aware that Liam was making no attempt to join in, however. She shot him a wary look and flushed when she discovered he was watching her. There was something in his eyes, a hint of some emotion she couldn’t quite decipher…

‘And what about you, Sophie? You must tell us all about your job now.’

She jumped when Yuri placed his hand on hers. She was aware of the knowing looks that were being exchanged around the table and quickly tried to move her hand out of the way, but he held onto it.

‘It must be fascinating, being a nurse. To hold the power of life and death in such delicate hands.’

He sighed expressively and Sophie coloured. There must be little doubt in the minds of anyone watching that the purser was interested in her and it made her feel uncomfortable, especially with Liam there to witness what was happening.

‘I hate to disillusion you but a nurse’s role is rather more mundane than that.’

She eased her hand out of his grasp and picked up her glass. ‘My job is to carry out orders and care for a patient’s needs. It’s the doctors who have the real power.’

‘Is that a fact? So how does it feel, Dr Kennedy, to know the buck stops with you?’ Randolph leant across the table and smiled at Liam. ‘It must put a lot of pressure on you, young man.’

‘It can do but you learn to adapt to the stresses of the job. I certainly don’t spend too much time dwelling on the thought that I hold the power of life and death in my hands,’ Liam explained dryly. ‘Anyway, helping a patient recover is a team effort. It needs both doctors and nurses to achieve results.’

‘Spoken like a true diplomat!’ Gloria declared. She turned to Sophie and winked. ‘Looks as though you two should get along just fine, honey.’

Sophie smiled, although she was sorely tempted to tell the older woman that she wouldn’t be around long enough to find out. First thing tomorrow morning she would contact the agency and ask them to find a replacement for her. Fortunately, the waiter arrived just then with their first course and the conversation moved on to other topics. Even so, it was a relief when dinner was finally over and she could make her escape.

Yuri looked disappointed when she announced that she was having an early night. ‘Are you sure I can’t change your mind, Sophie? There’s dancing on the promenade deck tonight and I would be honoured if you would agree to be my partner.’

‘That’s really kind of you, Yuri, but it’s been a busy day and I’m exhausted.’

She moved aside so that Liam could pass them, feeling a frisson run through her when his arm brushed hers. In accordance with the dress code for the evening, he was wearing a casual, short-sleeved shirt and she could feel the silky, dark hairs on his forearm tickling her bare skin as he moved past.

One of the other guests stopped him and Sophie felt another ripple run through her when she heard him laugh at something the woman said. Liam had always had the most wonderfully infectious laugh, so deep and warm that it had made everyone around him want to laugh, too. How strange that she’d forgotten all about that until now but, then, they’d had very little to laugh about in the months leading up to their divorce.

The thought was so painful that she knew she had to get away. When Yuri tried again to persuade her to stay she shook her head. ‘I’m sorry but I really am very tired. I’ll see you in the morning, I expect.’

She hurriedly left the dining-room and made her way to her cabin. The passengers were making the most of the first night of their holiday and she didn’t meet anyone on the way. She undressed and slid on a pair of the new shortie pyjamas which she’d bought for the trip. The bunk bed felt rather cramped after the comfort of a double divan, but she was both physically and mentally exhausted. She was fast asleep when someone banged on her cabin door an hour later.

Sophie scrambled out of bed and ran to answer the summons, peering blearily at Liam. ‘What’s the matter?’

‘There’s been a fight between two of the crew. One of the men has been stabbed and he’s in a pretty bad way, apparently. The other guy’s also been hurt, although he’s not as bad.’

His gaze skimmed over her before he abruptly swung round. ‘Put some clothes on. I’ll meet you in the clinic in five minutes.’

Sophie took a deep breath as she closed the door. She felt completely disorientated, having been woken up like that. She went into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face then quickly hunted some clothes out of the wardrobe and dressed. There wasn’t time to brush her hair but she doubted if it would matter. Liam probably wouldn’t notice how she looked.

Her mind hiccuped to a halt because all of a sudden she could picture the expression in his eyes all too clearly. There had been something so spine-tinglingly familiar about the way he’d looked at her just now that a rush of heat suffused her.

Sophie bit her lip but she could feel the excitement building inside her and it scared her. She didn’t want to feel this awareness around Liam but she couldn’t seem to stop what was happening any more than he’d been able to do. The thought brought her up short.

If Liam was planning on getting married again, why had he looked at her—his ex-wife—with such hunger?

CHAPTER THREE

WHAT the hell had he been thinking?

Liam cursed roundly as he tossed a handful of sterile dressings into his bag. He must have been stark, raving mad to stand there staring at Sophie like that! So maybe it had only been for a split second but she must have noticed. What woman wouldn’t notice when a man was ogling her?

Another oath leapt from his mouth as he added a giving-set and several pairs of disposable gloves to the collection. It was rare that he ever swore but he was allowed a lapse at a time like this. He’d stood outside Sophie’s door positively drooling over the sight of her in those sexy little pyjamas. It didn’t make him feel good to admit what he’d done, yet he knew that he would do exactly the same thing again in similar circumstances. The sight of her shapely body in that strappy little top and shorts get-up was enough to make any red-blooded male stare!

Liam groaned as an image of Sophie suddenly swam before his eyes. Her blonde hair had been all tousled and her face had been softly flushed with sleep. One strap of the pyjama top had slipped down her arm so that the cotton fabric had dipped at the front, affording him a tantalising glimpse of her small breasts. The shorts had definitely lived up to their name, leaving her legs completely bare from the tops of her slender thighs right the way down to her shapely ankles, and he ground his teeth when he felt his body react predictably to the memory. He had to get a grip. Lusting after his ex-wife really wasn’t an option!

‘What can I do to help?’

Liam swung round when he heard Sophie’s voice coming from the doorway and let out a sigh of relief when he saw the jogging pants and over-sized T-shirt she was wearing. At least his self-control wouldn’t be put to the test again that night, it seemed.

‘We’ll need saline for starters. Can you see if you can find some? Oh, and check the drugs cupboard and see what we’ve got in the way of pain relief. Here’s the keys.’

‘Thanks.’

She caught the bunch of keys he tossed to her and hurried to the cupboard. Liam left her to go through it as he double-checked that he had everything they might need. He didn’t want to have to start running backwards and forwards for all the things he’d forgotten.

‘It’s really well stocked. I found some morphine so shall I sign for it or would you prefer to do it?’

Liam shook his head. ‘I don’t have a problem with you signing it out. So long as it’s accounted for then it doesn’t matter which one of us completes the paperwork.’

‘Fine.’ She quickly filled out the necessary form then relocked the cupboard door. She handed him the keys, along with two ampoules of morphine, then took a couple of syringes out of a box on the shelf and gave them to him as well.

Liam nodded his thanks as he stowed them in his case. ‘Don’t forget the saline.’

‘I won’t.’ She quickly found the bags of saline and passed them to him. ‘Is that everything now?’

‘Hopefully.’ He snapped the locks on the case and stood up. ‘I’m not sure exactly what we’re going to find. All I know is that one man has been stabbed and that the other isn’t as badly injured.’

‘We could be dealing with anything, then,’ she observed as she followed him from the clinic. ‘I wonder what the fight was about?’

‘I didn’t ask. I was more concerned about what we would have to deal with.’ He smiled wryly as he locked the clinic door. ‘I was looking forward to a complete change of scene when I took this job, too. I had visions of treating patients with nothing more serious than sea-sickness. I should have known better!’

Sophie laughed. ‘You should! It was tempting fate to hope for an easy ride, although I certainly didn’t expect anything like this to happen.’ She looked at him curiously. ‘What did you mean about a complete change of scene, though?’

Liam sighed as he elbowed his way through the swing doors. ‘I was working for a foreign aid agency in Africa until last month. The area I was working in is on the edge of a war zone so stabbings and shootings are pretty much an everyday occurrence there. It was a real culture shock at first, although I soon got used to it.’

‘Why on earth did you take a job like that?’ she exclaimed.

‘Because I wanted to make a real difference to people’s lives.’ He led the way to the stairs, wondering if that had sounded as ridiculously idealistic to her as it had to him, even though it was the truth.

‘And did you? Make a difference to people’s lives, I mean?’ she asked quietly.

‘I like to think I did, but who can say for sure? The people I dealt with are so poor that death is an everyday occurrence. If they don’t get shot or stabbed then more often than not they die from malnutrition.’

‘It must have been difficult, working in conditions like those. I had no idea…’

She stopped and Liam saw a shadow cross her face. His heart ached because he knew immediately what had caused it. Once upon a time they’d been so close that each had known what the other had been thinking, and it hurt to realise how far apart they’d grown.

‘There’s no reason why you should have known where I was working, Sophie,’ he said gently.

‘No, I don’t suppose there was.’ She summoned a smile. ‘I must confess that I’m rather surprised, though, because you never mentioned that you were interested in doing aid work.’

‘It was only after we split up that I decided to find a new direction for my life,’ he explained. ‘It helped to put my own problems into perspective when I saw the difficulties other people have to contend with on a daily basis.’

‘And does Julia work for the aid agency as well? You said that you’d met her when you were both working overseas.’

‘She’s done aid work ever since she qualified,’ he explained flatly, wondering why he felt so uncomfortable talking about Julia. He forced a little more enthusiasm into his voice.

‘She’s a superb doctor and completely devoted to her work. It’s thanks to her that the agency has managed to establish a base in the region, in fact.’

‘I see. So does that mean you’ll be returning there to work after you’re married?’

Liam shrugged, not wanting to admit that he and Julia hadn’t reached a decision about where they would live. Julia was keen to continue her work but he wasn’t sure if it was what he wanted to do on a long-term basis. One of the reasons why he’d returned to England when his contract with the aid agency had ended had been because he’d hoped it would help him make up his mind. He needed to be sure before he committed himself to working overseas permanently, although how Julia would react if he decided against it was another matter.

‘I’m not sure yet,’ he said, hurriedly dismissing the thought because it was pointless worrying when there might be no need. It could turn out that his inability to make a decision was all tied in with the fact that he needed to resolve things with Sophie. In which case, all his problems would be resolved at once.

‘We’re still very much at the planning stage—’ he began, then broke off when one of the ship’s officers came hurrying to meet them as they reached the lower deck.

‘Dr Kennedy?’

‘Yes. I’m Liam Kennedy and this is Sophie Patterson, the ship’s nurse.’

‘I’m glad to meet you, Dr Kennedy. You, too, Miss Patterson.’

The man shook hands then quickly led them along a corridor. ‘I’m Mike Soames, the chief petty officer. I’m still trying to establish exactly what happened but, basically, two of the crew started fighting and one guy pulled out a knife and stabbed the other fellow.’

‘Whereabouts did the knife penetrate?’ Liam asked, wanting some idea of what they could be dealing with.

‘In the chest,’ Mike informed him. He opened a door and stepped back. ‘Alexei—that’s the chap who’s been stabbed—is in here, but I thought it would be best to separate them so I’ve put Grigorio in the next cabin. The men who would normally use these cabins are bunking down in the crew’s lounge for the night.’

‘Good. I was hoping we wouldn’t have an audience,’ Liam said gratefully, turning to Sophie. ‘Will you check out the chap next door while I see to this fellow? If you’re happy that he’s not too badly injured then you can come back and help me.’

‘Of course.’

‘I’ll go with you, Miss Patterson,’ Mike Soames said hurriedly.

Liam went into the cabin as the chief petty officer accompanied Sophie next door. The patient was lying on one of the lower bunks and Charlie Henshaw—the steward who’d shown Liam to his cabin when he’d arrived—was with him. He looked relieved when Liam appeared.

‘I’m glad you’re here, Doc. I’ve done a bit of first aid in my time but this is way out of my league.’

‘Let’s take a look, then.’

Liam crouched down beside the bunk. He could tell immediately that the man was in a very bad way. His pupils were fixed and dilated and his breathing was extremely laboured.

He quickly removed the blood-soaked towel from the man’s chest and whistled when he saw the knife wound. Although it was fairly small, it was obviously deep. ‘That doesn’t look so good. How many times was he stabbed, d’you know?’

‘Just the once. One of the other guys managed to break up the fight.’ Charlie shook his head. ‘It all happened in a flash. One minute they were arguing and the next second Grigorio had pulled out a knife and stabbed Alexei.’

‘Well, it’s certainly gone in deep. There could be all sorts of damage to the major organs.’ Liam glanced round when the door opened and Sophie appeared. ‘How’s the other fellow doing?’

‘A few bruises and a bump on the back of his head but he’ll live.’ She glanced at the man on the bunk and pulled a face. ‘He doesn’t look too good, though.’

‘He doesn’t. Can you check his blood pressure while I get a line into him? He desperately needs fluids. It also looks as though he’s going to need to be intubated so I’ll give him an anaesthetic to relax his muscles once everything is set up,’ Liam explained, quickly tapping up a vein and inserting a line into the back of the man’s hand.

Charlie took the bag of saline from him once he’d set up the drip, and hung it on the end of the top bunk. Liam nodded.

‘Thanks. I need to establish an airway now but I could do with a bit more light so I can see what I’m doing.’

‘Leave it to me, Doc.’

Charlie hurried away and returned a few minutes later with one of the huge torches that were normally used for signalling to other ships. Liam smiled his approval as the steward angled the beam so that he could set to work.

‘That’s great. I can see where I’m aiming for now.’

He administered the anaesthetic then quickly inserted an endotracheal tube and established an airway. Once it was secured, he immediately started the patient on oxygen.

‘Blood pressure is dropping,’ Sophie warned. ‘Pulse is very weak, too.’

‘Could be a haemothorax,’ Liam said, taking a scalpel out of his bag. ‘The knife appears to have entered the chest at an angle so it’s possible the left lung has been damaged. I’ll see if I can relieve the pressure.’

He made a small incision under the man’s left armpit then used a pair of forceps to open the muscles between the ribs, but there was no sign of blood in the pleural cavity. ‘That’s not it. How’s he doing now?’

‘BP is still going down rapidly.’

Sophie suddenly leant forward and checked the pulse at the base of the man’s neck. Liam held his breath because he had a horrible feeling that she wasn’t going to find one.

‘No pulse. He’s arrested!’

‘It looks as though his heart must have been damaged, then,’ Liam exclaimed. ‘If enough blood has collected in the pericardium, it will have stopped his heart beating. We need to get him on the floor so we can start CPR.’

Sophie grabbed the man’s legs while Charlie gave him a hand to lift the seaman off the bunk. Liam turned to Sophie. ‘I’ll need you to give me a hand opening him up.’

‘You mean you’re going to do a thoracotomy?’ she exclaimed incredulously. ‘Here?’

‘I don’t have a choice. External cardiac massage won’t work if the pericardium is full of blood so I’m going to have to open his chest to do it. We don’t have the time to get him up to Theatre because his brain will stop functioning in three minutes without any oxygen reaching it.’

He didn’t waste any more time on explanations. Slipping the scalpel into the hole he’d made already under the man’s armpit, he sliced horizontally across the patient’s chest. Sophie was searching through his bag—finding scissors and dressings—and he breathed a sigh of relief. It was reassuring to know that he had someone with her experience to help him and didn’t have to explain every little detail to her. It left him free to get on with his job.

‘Oh, my Gawd!’ Charlie muttered as Liam took the pair of scissors from her and began to cut through the tough layer of muscle beneath the patient’s skin.

‘I know it looks brutal but it’s his only chance.’ He reached the breastbone and felt beads of sweat gather on his forehead as he struggled to saw through the bone. Every second that passed meant that the chances of the patient surviving were decreasing. He grunted in relief when he felt the last bit of the bone give way so that he was able to complete the incision.

‘What I wouldn’t give for some retractors,’ he muttered, struggling to see inside the chest cavity.

‘What’s them, Doc?’ Charlie asked curiously.

‘Great big metal clamps that you use to open up the chest,’ he explained. ‘Where’s that torch? Thanks.’

He peered into the chest cavity while Charlie held the torch for him, and immediately spotted the cause of the problem. As he’d suspected, the pericardium—the sac surrounding the heart—was bulging with blood and preventing the heart from beating.

‘Definite signs of tamponade.’ He grasped the sac with a pair of narrow forceps and managed to cut through it. However, when it came to removing the blood clot, it proved impossible. His fingers were just too large to fit through the limited amount of space he’d been able to make.

He turned to Sophie. ‘See if you can get those clots out of there, will you? Your hands are smaller than mine.’

She quickly changed places with him and he saw the tip of her tongue poke between her teeth as she inserted her fingers through the opening in the chest wall. Liam felt a wave of heat rush through him and looked away because it shocked him that he should be so responsive to her at a time like this.

Why hadn’t he allowed for this when he’d taken the job? he wondered incredulously. He’d been attracted to Sophie from the first moment they’d met, when she’d been a student nurse and he’d been a brand new houseman, yet it had never crossed his mind that he might still feel the same about her. Why should it have done when he was committed to Julia?

His heart began to thud because that question had naturally led to a second, one it was even more difficult to answer.

If it was Julia he loved then why did he feel this desire for Sophie?

Sophie held her breath as she inched her fingers through the narrow gap. If anyone had told her she’d be helping to perform major surgery on the floor of a cabin, then she would have laughed out loud. But if Liam thought they could save the man’s life, she would give it her best shot.

Relief swept through her as she finally managed to reach the blood clot. She scooped it out of the way and dropped the bloody mass on the floor beside the bunk.

‘Got it!’ she declared triumphantly, glancing up. She frowned when she saw how abstracted Liam looked. He looked as though he was miles away, a worrying thought in view of the seriousness of what was happening.

‘Liam?’ she prompted anxiously, and saw him jump.

‘You’ve got it out? Good work!’ He made an obvious effort to collect himself. ‘Now, see if you can encourage the heart to start beating again. There’s not enough room to massage it so try flicking it with the tip of your finger.’

Sophie followed his instructions and felt her excitement mount when the man’s heart suddenly fluttered. She tried it again and laughed when she felt it start to beat. ‘It’s working!’

‘Right, we need to get him up to Theatre, stat.’ Liam was all business once more as he got up. ‘We need something to use as a stretcher. Can you sort it out, Charlie?’

‘No problem, Doc.’

The steward hurried away as Sophie sank back on her heels. ‘Do you think he’ll make it?’

‘With a bit of luck, but we’re going to have to stop that bleeding.’ He frowned in concern as he watched a few drops of blood ooze out of the man’s chest. ‘That wound needs stitching as soon as possible—can you get everything ready in Theatre? I don’t want to have to waste precious time setting up once we get him there. It’s going to be touch and go as it is.’

‘Of course.’ She scrambled to her feet and stripped off her blood-soaked gloves and dropped them on the floor then grimaced when she saw the mess they’d made. ‘This place is going to need a thorough cleaning before the crew can use it again.’

They both looked round when the door opened and Charlie appeared with Mike Soames in tow. Sophie saw Mike turn a delicate shade of green when he saw all the blood, and sympathised with him. The cabin must look like a scene from a horror film to the uninitiated.

‘Did you find us something to use as a stretcher?’ Liam demanded, oblivious to the petty officer’s distress.

‘I’ve commandeered one of the kitchen trolleys,’ Charlie explained. ‘It’s too big to get it in here so we’re going to have to carry Alexei outside.’

‘That shouldn’t be a problem with the three of us,’ Liam declared.

Sophie hoped he was right and that poor Mike wouldn’t pass out before they managed to get the injured seaman onto the trolley. It was amazing how many grown men she’d seen keel over at the sight of blood.

There was no time to worry about it, however, because she had more important things to do. She ran back upstairs to the hospital bay and quickly scrubbed up then slid on a gown and a fresh pair of gloves. She’d been a theatre nurse for a number of years and it was reassuring to slip back into the familiar routine. She laid out the instrument trolley then unpacked sterile drapes to cover the patient during the operation. By that time Liam had arrived.

‘I need to scrub up,’ he told her tersely, shooting an anxious look at the man lying on the stainless-steel kitchen trolley. ‘We’re going to have to be quick, though, because he’s losing a lot of blood.’

‘I’ll take him through while you get ready,’ Sophie assured him. ‘Who’s going to do the anaesthetic, though?’

‘Me.’ Liam’s tone was grim. ‘It’s times like this when you could do with an extra pair of hands, isn’t it?’

‘We’ll manage.’ She smiled at him and saw his grey eyes darken before he abruptly turned away.

‘I’ll be as quick as I can,’ he said gruffly.

Sophie wheeled the patient into Theatre, trying to decide exactly what she’d glimpsed in Liam’s eyes just now. She sighed when it struck her how pointless it was to worry about it. Once her replacement arrived she would be leaving the ship and she doubted if she and Liam would ever meet again. The thought gave her very little pleasure, oddly enough.

Liam must have got ready in record time because barely a minute had elapsed before he elbowed the door open. He had Charlie Henshaw with him and Sophie raised her brows when she saw that the steward was gowned and gloved as well.

‘Charlie has offered to help,’ Liam explained, going straight to the trolley. He nodded to Charlie. ‘Let’s get him on the table.’

Sophie didn’t question his decision as she hurriedly draped the patient. If Liam thought that Charlie would be of use then that was fine by her. He was preparing the anaesthetic now—checking the settings on the machines then attaching the tubes which would provide sufficient drugs to keep the patient unconscious during the operation. It was obvious that he knew what he was doing, too.

‘Looks as though you’ve done that a time or two,’ she observed lightly, swabbing the man’s chest. Blood was oozing out each time his heart beat so she checked the bag of fluid to see if it needed replacing.

‘More times than I care to count. I had to be anaesthetist, surgeon, physician and general dogsbody in my last job. There certainly wasn’t any point standing on your professional dignity when there was just Julia and me to deal with every patient who turned up at the clinic.’

‘It must have been tough,’ Sophie said quietly, because hearing him speak about the difficulties he and Julia had encountered made her heart ache. Once upon a time she would have been the one to share such experiences with him.

She shrugged off the thought as Liam instructed Charlie to keep an eye on the monitor that registered the patient’s blood pressure and heart rate, and to tell him immediately if there was any change. She and Liam had had their chance at happiness and it hadn’t worked. What had she told him earlier, that it was a case of once bitten and twice shy? Well, that applied doubly in this instance. She would never make the mistake of falling for her ex-husband again!

The operation progressed remarkably smoothly, given all the problems they faced. Sophie had to admit that she was impressed by Liam’s expertise. He handled the delicate operation of stitching up the hole in the patient’s right ventricle with a skill and panache that she’d rarely witnessed during her time in Theatre. By the time it came round to closing the patient’s chest, she was confident about the outcome.

‘You did a great job,’ she said sincerely as Liam administered the drugs which would reverse the anaesthetic. The patient was now ensconced on a proper hospital trolley and would shortly be moved to the sick-bay.

‘Thanks, but I couldn’t have managed without your help, or Charlie’s for that matter.’ Liam smiled as he stripped off his mask. ‘You two make a great team!’

‘All part of the service, Doc,’ Charlie observed cheerfully then chuckled. ‘Wait till I tell my missus that I assisted at an operation. She’s mad keen on all those hospital dramas on the telly and she’ll be really impressed!’

‘And so she should be.’ Liam clapped the steward on the shoulder. ‘Remind me to buy you a drink as a thank you.’

‘I’ll hold you to that, Doc.’ Charlie suddenly grimaced. ‘And now I’d better get that trolley back to the kitchen. The chef is going to be less than impressed when he finds out what it’s been used for.’

‘If you have any problems, just give me a call and I’ll sort it out,’ Liam told him. He turned to Sophie after the steward left. ‘Rather a baptism of fire, wouldn’t you say?’

‘I would. A bit more exciting than handing out tablets for sea-sickness.’

‘Just a bit!’ Liam chuckled, a throaty sound which made the tiny hairs on her arms stand to attention. ‘I’d forgotten about your dry sense of humour, Sophie. You always did make me laugh.’

‘Not always,’ she said, bending to pick up the bag of rubbish because she didn’t want him to see how much that comment had stung. In the weeks leading up to their divorce they’d had very little to laugh about and the memory still had the power to hurt.

‘No. We had bad times, too, didn’t we? Far too many of them at the end. But it wasn’t like that in the beginning, was it? We seemed to spend most of our time when we were together having fun.’

‘Did we? I really don’t remember.’

She quickly sealed the sack and elbowed her way out of the door. She wasn’t sure what the procedure was for disposing of surgical waste so she turned round to ask Liam and felt her heart ache when she saw the sadness on his face. Was he thinking about how much joy they’d found in one another’s company? She might have claimed not to remember how wonderful it had been, but it had been a lie.

She was filled with a sudden and overwhelming sense of loss. Liam had been her whole world at one time and she’d been his. How had they allowed themselves to lose all that they’d had?

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