Can their unexpected reunion...

...become a longed-for family?

In this London Heroes story, Dr. Alistair Duvall’s stunned when ex-wife Raina Elliot walks back into his life, needing help for her daughter, who has an amputation. After the heartbreak of losing their own baby, Alistair’s not prepared for the adorable little girl to capture his heart. And seeing Raina again rekindles a spark that never quite died... Can Raina convince him he can be the husband and father he wants to be?

Cursed with a poor sense of direction and a propensity to read, ANNIE CLAYDON spent much of her childhood lost in books. A degree in English Literature followed by a career in computing didn’t lead directly to her perfect job—writing romance for Mills & Boon—but she has no regrets in taking the scenic route. She lives in London: a city where getting lost can be a joy.

Also by Annie Claydon

Saving Baby Amy

Forbidden Night with the Duke

Healed by the Single Dad Doc

From Doctor to Princess?

Firefighter’s Christmas Baby

Resisting Her English Doc

London Heroes miniseries

Falling for Her Italian Billionaire

Second Chance with the Single Mum

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.

Second Chance with the Single Mum

Annie Claydon

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-09000-1

SECOND CHANCE WITH THE SINGLE MUM

© 2019 Annie Claydon

Published in Great Britain 2019

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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www.millsandboon.co.uk

Version: 2020-03-02

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To Joan, with love.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

EPILOGUE

Extract

About the Publisher

CHAPTER ONE

THE BENCH WAS shaded by trees, making it a pleasant place to sit on this hot summer’s day. Raina Eliott was feeling anything but comfortable.

She could see the doorway of The Watchlight Trust’s headquarters from her vantage point in the small leafy square, surrounded by three-storey Georgian houses, most of which had been converted to offices. She’d been watching it for the last hour, trying to pluck up the courage to go inside.

Asking a charity for help wasn’t so difficult, was it? Nice people worked for charities. People who understood. But when one of those nice people who understood happened to be your ex-husband, everything became so much more complicated.

If she’d been asking for herself then it would have been simple. Raina would have hesitated at the door, and then walked away. But she’d promised to do her best for Anya, and at the moment, The Watchlight Trust wasn’t just the best option, it was about the only option.

‘Call yourself a mother?’ She muttered the words to herself. Calling herself a mother was about the only good thing that had happened in the last few years, and was usually accompanied by a tingle of pleasure and the temptation to gather Anya up in her arms and hug her tight. And if she did call herself a mother then she had to do anything for her child, however difficult it was. She’d completed the charity’s application form, and added all the supporting documents. Delivering them was just a matter of dropping them off at the reception desk.

She pulled the large manila envelope from her bag, staring at the address she’d written.

Alistair Duvall, Director

The Watchlight Trust

That was the stumbling block. Should she ask to speak to Alistair, to explain? And what exactly was there to explain? That she wouldn’t have got back in touch with him after five years if it hadn’t been for Anya? That she hoped he’d put their shared history out of his mind?

‘Do it. Just deliver the envelope.’ It wouldn’t make any difference whether she spoke to Alistair or not, he’d know who she was as soon as he read the application. If he had a problem with working with his ex-wife then he’d just reject it.

Raina got to her feet, catching her breath as the door of The Watchlight Trust’s offices opened. Two women appeared, stopping on the steps to talk to the man behind them. Alistair.

Still as handsome. Dark blond hair, cut a little shorter now and it suited him. He was smiling, and Raina imagined that the quiet warmth in his golden eyes was still there. His shirt was open at the neck, the sleeves rolled up, and just the sight of him made her feel as if her heart had stopped.

Alistair had followed the women down the steps, still talking, and they’d parted on the pavement. He looked at his watch and then made his way in the opposite direction. Maybe her heart had stopped, because Raina stumbled, zombie-like and unthinking, across the road towards him.

‘Alistair...’ His name caught in her throat and he kept walking. One more try...

She caught up with him, brushing his arm with her fingers. Alistair turned and she saw shock contort his face.

‘Raina?’ The idea that he would feel nothing at seeing her again was now impossible. He was staring at her, as if he’d just seen a ghost.

Raina swallowed hard. ‘Alistair... I’m on my way to deliver something to you...’

Raina didn’t blame him for looking at the envelope with mistrust. The last envelope she’d sent him had been their divorce papers. There was nothing for it but to grasp the nettle, however much it stung.

‘I... It’s an application form. I have a daughter, Anya, and I want to apply to have her included on the prosthetics project that you’re running with The Watchlight Trust. If you can forgive me enough to look at it, that is...’ Suddenly it seemed more than she had any right to ask.

‘I should be the one asking for your forgiveness.’ He was looking at her thoughtfully.

‘I don’t think that’s true.’ She shivered in the heat of the sun. Alistair might not want to talk about it, but neither of them could deny that she was the one who’d walked out on him.

Suddenly he came to his senses. This was the Alistair she knew, a man who could make the right decision in a moment, and would always use his humanity in doing so.

‘If your daughter needs us, then we’re here for her, Raina. Nothing else matters.’

‘Thank you. Anya’s three years old, she’ll be four soon and...’ Raina saw a pulse begin to beat at the side of Alistair’s eye. The maths wasn’t difficult, and Anya had been conceived just months after their divorce.

Raina took a breath. She needed to start at the beginning, however much that beginning hurt. ‘She’s Andrew and Theresa’s child. They were killed in the same road accident where Anya lost her left hand and part of her forearm. I’ve adopted her.’

Alistair’s eyes flared with shock and then softened again. ‘I’m so sorry, Raina. I liked your brother and his wife very much, they were good people.’

‘I...should have let you know...about the accident. I’m sorry...’

‘You had more than enough to deal with. Don’t give it another thought.’

Raina was trembling so much that all she could do was to hold out the envelope, hoping that Alistair would take it. He looked at his watch again, as if maybe that would tell him something, and gave her a tight smile.

‘Look, I’ve just got out of a long meeting, and I was about to pick up a sandwich. Why don’t you walk with me? I’d like to hear a bit more about Anya and what you feel she needs from us. Then give me that.’ He gestured towards the envelope.

‘Yes. Thank you, Alistair.’ Raina stuffed the envelope back into her bag, and he began to walk towards the coffee shop at the far corner of the square.

Alistair must need to gather his thoughts as well. She had presented him with one shock after another, and it was hardly fair. He was silent, clearly dealing with it all in the way that Alistair always dealt with things. Quiet, measured and uncommunicative.

He held the door of the coffee shop open for her, and the coolness of the air-conditioning made her shiver. Sitting on a park bench and drinking takeaway coffee for an hour was catching up on her, and Raina excused herself, making a welcome dash for the ladies’ room.

‘That’s the worst of it over...’ She whispered the words as confidently as she could, trying to persuade her own reflection in the mirror over the basin. But the reflection was having none of it and Raina couldn’t help but agree. Something told her that she hadn’t even scratched the surface yet.

The divorce had been bitter. Raina’s pregnancy had been unexpected, and her own joy had blinded her to Alistair’s concerns about whether they were ready, and how they would manage financially. Then sudden pain had turned into the nightmare of discovering that the pregnancy was ectopic and the baby couldn’t be saved. Alistair had retreated into himself, showing only concern for Raina and hardly mentioning their lost child. The suspicion that he might think, deep down, that this was all for the best had poisoned everything, and as she’d recovered her strength, Raina had raged at him, venting her own pain.

It was only after she’d left him that Raina had found out about the infection. It had meant that one of her fallopian tubes had had to be removed, and since the other was partially blocked, she’d be unlikely to ever conceive again. And now she had to go out there and persuade Alistair that she could work with him, and he should give Anya the chance she so badly needed. Raina splashed cool water onto her cheeks, dabbing them dry with a tissue from her bag.

She’d thought that Alistair might spend the time choosing a sandwich, but instead he was holding two cups of takeaway coffee. Putting one into her hand, he gestured towards the door.

‘Would you mind if we walked? I’ve been shut up inside all morning...’

‘Walking would be nice.’ At least it would give her something to do with her feet. And the coffee would give her something to do with her hands. All she needed to worry about now was her tongue. She took a sip of the coffee. Plenty of frothed milk and a little sugar. It should be no surprise that Alistair remembered the way she liked it, but still it was a shock, reminding Raina of the scale of the task she’d taken on. Being with Alistair would be an exercise in remembering all the things she’d tried so hard to forget.

* * *

Alistair had almost jumped out of his skin when he’d seen Raina. How many times had he thought he’d glimpsed her in a crowd, and then looked again to find it wasn’t her? But this was no ghost.

Alistair guessed that if she’d had any options that didn’t involve him, she would have taken them. He should remember that. Despite her obvious agitation, she looked well. When he’d last seen her she’d had rings of fatigue under her eyes, and she couldn’t meet his gaze. But now she was more the way he’d first seen her, a dark-haired, dark-eyed beauty who’d taken his breath away. Divorce clearly suited her.

It was a bitter thought. It knocked him off balance even more than the music in the coffee shop, which rendered him almost completely deaf and had changed his mind about sitting down to talk. He needed to be able to hear everything that Raina was saying.

The pavement was only a little better, but if they avoided the main roads, the traffic noise wouldn’t be too distracting. If he stayed on her left side, then his ‘good’ ear could catch most of what she said.

‘You’ve read about the project on our website?’ Of course she had. Raina was nothing if not thorough.

She nodded a yes, maybe voicing it too, and Alistair slowed his pace to a stroll. Watching the words form on her lips would help fill in the gaps in his hearing.

‘Then you’ll know that this project marks the start of a new and important expansion in the activities of The Watchlight Trust. Up till now, our primary focus has been on helping people in the accident and rescue services, but we’ve always known that many of the techniques we use have a much wider application. My co-director, Gabriel DeMarco, and I have been working towards realising that potential for some time now.’

He was practically quoting from the website, and she’d read that already. But in a world that had suddenly turned upside down he might be forgiven for finding a few solid facts reassuring.

‘Our development team is currently housed in our offices, and we have medical services based at our own clinic next door. Our long-term aim is to create a separate division of the charity, whose remit is to explore innovative technologies and make them available to patients.’

‘It’s a bold step. And one that will benefit a lot of people.’

Alistair had thought so too. And then sudden hearing loss had turned his working day into a miasma of half-heard sentences, a constant struggle to keep up. Gabriel had done his best to help, but it had only made Alistair feel even more useless, relegated to standing by and watching while others made the bold steps that it took to realise the project that meant so much to him.

But now he had a purpose. Raina was unaware of the nature of the challenge she’d thrown at him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t rise to it and find a way to help her.

‘We’re still refining our product and procedures, and we’re hoping to be able to learn with the parents and children we select for the pilot project.’

‘I’d welcome the chance to learn, and to contribute as much as I’m able as well.’

Staring at her lips had its disadvantages. He could make out what she was saying better, but it reminded Alistair of all the other times he’d studied her face. Locked in each other’s arms, immersed in each other...

Enough! There was no going back, and the present was more than enough to deal with. Alistair forced his thoughts back to the child. She was what mattered.

‘Has your daughter been fitted with a prosthetic yet?’

‘Yes, six months ago. It took some time for it to be made, and the first one she was given didn’t fit properly, so we had to wait again for it to be adjusted. By the time we did get it right, Anya was determined she didn’t want it, however much we tried to encourage her. 3D printing is a much faster and more flexible process and I think it may be more appropriate for Anya’s needs.’

‘So tell me why you think she should have one.’ Alistair stopped walking, facing her so that he could concentrate on Raina’s answer. It was the question he’d asked every parent and he’d received a variety of replies.

Raina smiled, suddenly sure of herself. ‘I don’t think she should do anything. I want her to have a choice about if and when she uses a prosthetic, and she won’t have that choice unless she learns what she can do with one. She’s starting to reach out into the world, and I want her to know about the different options she has.’

Raina pressed her lips together, tilting her jaw slightly. The look was so familiar to him that Alistair had to swallow a smile. Raina had made up her mind, and she was challenging him to disagree, but what she wanted for her daughter was exactly in line with his own thinking.

‘That’s our approach too. We believe that the speed and low cost of 3D pr0.inting can help us address some of the issues involved with children who have previously rejected prosthetics, but we’re not limiting our expectations to any one outcome.’

‘Neither am I. I just want...’ A car roared past, drowning out the rest of the sentence.

‘Sorry, I didn’t hear you.’

‘I want Anya to be happy and fulfilled. That’s the only expectation I’m not giving up on.’

He should have known that, without having to ask. Raina was a good doctor, and she never gave up on anyone. How could she be expected to give up on her own daughter?

Alistair started to walk again, and their route took them onto the main road, which ran along the bank of the Thames. He motioned Raina towards the crossing, noticing that her lips were moving and wondering if she was saying anything of any importance. He decided not to ask. He’d save the I didn’t hear for when he knew it was needed.

The wide pavement on the other side of the road was bordered by the river, and Alistair looked for a quiet place that they might sit. His head was buzzing, and he’d made his way towards a bench, standing in the shadow of Cleopatra’s Needle, before he realised where they were.

‘I have half an hour. Can you meet me on the bench by the river?’

One or the other of them had brought coffee then, too. They had been young doctors working long shifts and they’d needed the caffeine and the fresh air almost as much as they’d needed the love that had been in each other’s eyes.

It was too late to move now. Raina had sat down next to him, sipping the last dregs of her coffee. He shifted around on the bench so that he was facing her.

‘We’re hoping to involve parents very closely in this project. Would that be a problem for you time-wise?’

Raina shook her head. ‘I’ve taken a few years off work to care for Anya. She’s my only priority, and I can spend as much time as it takes to make this a success.’

She’d had such a promising career, and Raina had put that all on hold. It didn’t much surprise Alistair, but he felt shamed by it. He wondered whether he would have thought twice about doing the same.

‘Can you tell me a little about your daughter?’

‘Well, as I said, Anya’s three years old. And she’s beautiful...’ Raina smiled suddenly. ‘She’s becoming so curious about the world. Look...’

She took her phone from her pocket, flipping through photos. Alistair was about to tell her that he didn’t need to see photographs when Raina held out the phone.

A little girl, with dark curls and brown eyes, smiling gleefully as she inspected sea shells on a beach. She was so like Raina that it almost hurt to look, but in that moment he knew that if things had been different, and this had been his and Raina’s child, he would have given up everything for the little girl as well.

The temptation to tell her right now that she and her daughter had a place on the pilot scheme almost overwhelmed him. But there was a process, and all applications had to go through the assessment procedures.

‘And you’ve completed your application?’

‘Yes, and all the supporting documents are there too. I’ve spoken with Anya’s consultant about it, and he thinks that it’s a way forward for her. The kind of prosthetics you’re producing aren’t widely available yet and when I showed him your website he agreed that The Watchlight Trust’s patient-led approach made your scheme a very good option for Anya.’

She pulled the large manila envelope with his name on it out of her bag, opening it and taking out a folder and handing it to him. The application was neatly bound together with typed pages, which no doubt gave all the details about her daughter’s injury and her medical needs. But the front page gave little doubt about what Raina thought was most important. This photograph showed the little girl with crayons and a drawing pad. Raina’s whole focus was on what she could do, and her potential to do more.

Suddenly he realised that Raina had been speaking...

‘Sorry...what was that?’ It was tempting to just smile and nod when he didn’t hear something, and ninety per cent of the time that worked well. But the other ten per cent of the time it wasn’t what people were looking for in an answer.

‘I just said...that I want to thank you. For talking to me about Anya.’

‘You’re welcome.’ He went back to flipping through the papers. He’d learned that most people responded well when he told them about his deafness, but something stopped him this time. Maybe Raina’s attitude, so positive despite all she’d been through. His own problems didn’t matter.

He went to look up at her and jumped suddenly as he heard the sound of rushing water coming from the road behind him. Before he knew what he was doing he stretched out his hand to shield Raina.

Then he realised that the sound was coming from the river. Staring at it, trying to marry the sound with what he saw, he jumped again as he felt Raina touch his arm lightly.

‘Are you okay?’

‘Yeah... I should be getting back to the office, though.’ He didn’t have that much to do there, and a small voice at the back of his head was telling him that this wasn’t the first time he’d retreated into his work to avoid a difficult conversation with Raina. Alistair dismissed it, taking one last swig from his coffee cup.

‘As I’m heading up the project, there’s a clear conflict of interest here, and I want to make sure that everything’s entirely above board. So I’m going to give your application to my co-director Gabriel DeMarco for assessment. He’ll be getting back to you within a week.’

‘Thank you, Alistair. You’ve been very kind.’

He wanted to tell Raina that he once would have done anything for her, and in the last half-hour he’d realised that nothing had changed. But that was beyond inappropriate. He trusted Gabriel to do the right thing, and that he’d handle Raina’s application fairly. He had to step back now.

CHAPTER TWO

ALISTAIR HAD GIVEN her a better reception than she deserved. But he seemed so remote, hardly hearing what she said at times.

What had Raina expected? That the divorce and all that had led up to it would just melt away? A person could forget a lot in five years. Not that much, though.

‘What’s going on? Over there...?’ He didn’t react to her question but when Raina pointed towards a group of people that was forming by the stone parapet at the side of the pavement, he turned to look.

‘We should go and see. Perhaps someone’s hurt.’ Raina got to her feet, looping her bag over her shoulder.

When they’d first been married, it would have taken just an exchange of glances. Young doctors who wanted to save the world, and who would rush towards any potential emergency, believing that together they were indestructible. It wasn’t like Alistair to hesitate.

Raina wasn’t going to wait for him to sum the situation up, though. She ran over to the knot of people that had formed.

‘I’m a doctor. Is anyone hurt?’ No one turned and the wall of backs prevented her from seeing what had happened. Then she felt an arm around her shoulder. Alistair the rock. Pushing through the crowd and taking her with him.

‘What’s the matter?’ A woman was holding a child of about two years old, gesturing frantically towards the deep granite parapet between the pavement and the river. She took no notice of Alistair’s question, but a man replied.

‘A kid’s climbed over the barrier...’

Quite how he’d managed to do that wasn’t clear, but when Raina leaned over she could see a boy of around six clinging to the other side. He began to slip, his feet scrabbling for a hold, and the woman screamed.

‘Hold on, sweetheart... Please...someone help him.’

Raina felt, rather than saw, Alistair thrust the envelope with her grant application back into her hands. Climbing across the deep coping stones on the top of the parapet, he slid carefully down the other side, making his way across to the boy.

‘Give me a leg up, will you?’ Raina turned to the man standing next to her and suddenly Alistair seemed to remember that she existed, and looked up.

‘Stay there, Raina. Anya needs you home tonight.’

There had been a time when they wouldn’t have thought twice about it. She would have been right there next to him. Now it seemed that Alistair acted alone.

But he was right, Anya did need her to come home tonight. How many times had Raina hesitated and looked again before crossing the road, knowing that Anya couldn’t lose another parent. And the ledge that Alistair was now edging along towards the boy was too narrow for a second person to be of any use.

He almost lost his footing, stopping to regain his hold. Suddenly Alistair looked up again, his golden-brown eyes searching for her.

‘Easy does it. You’re nearly there.’

He nodded, carefully moving closer to the boy. Just as it seemed that Alistair could reach out and touch him, his mother called out to him. The boy looked up, lost his balance and toppled backwards, twisting as he fell and landing flat on his stomach in the river.

Alistair didn’t hesitate. Kicking off his shoes, he jumped, disappearing underwater for a few heart-stopping seconds. Then he surfaced, looking around for the boy.

He didn’t have much time. The boy had landed amongst some floating debris and the swell of the tide had washed him against a large piece of wood. He struggled weakly in the water, seeming stunned by the impact, and then was still, floating face down. He was already starting to drown and soon he’d begin to sink. If that happened it would be a miracle if Alistair found him in the murky water. Raina screamed Alistair’s name, pointing to the boy.

He looked up, and then in the direction in which she was pointing. A few strong strokes, and Alistair had the boy, lifting him up in his arms so that his head was clear of the water. The child started to choke and fight, but Alistair held onto him.

‘He’s choking... He’s going to drown...’ The boy’s mother was behind her, clinging to her other child, her eyes fixed on her son.

‘My colleague’s a strong swimmer and he’s a doctor.’ Raina tried to calm the woman down. ‘And if he’s choking that means he’s breathing.’ The instinctive drowning response was a silent struggle, one that often didn’t alarm onlookers.

Raina looked around, trying to see how Alistair could get out of the water. The wash from boats travelling up and down the river was swelling against him, and he and the boy were in danger of being thrown against the river wall.

‘Hey!’ A pleasure boat was moored at a jetty nearby and she shouted at the top of her voice to the people on board. ‘Hey, there’s someone in the water...’

There was a scuffle of confusion on board the boat, and then a man ran to the railing, carrying a lifebelt. Throwing it into the water with as much force as he could, it landed with a splash, and Alistair started to swim towards it.

Raina ran for the jetty, clambering down the angled wooden ramp that led down to the craft. A man blocked her path.

‘I’m a doctor. Let me through.’ The man nodded, taking her arm and guiding her to where the boy was being lifted up onto the deck and laid down on a folded fire blanket. Alistair was still in the water and she barely had time to glance in his direction before the child claimed her attention.

A policeman had arrived on the scene and was shepherding the boy’s mother towards them. The boy started to cry when he saw her, reaching for her. ‘It’s all right, Jamie. Let the doctor take a look at you.’ The woman took hold of his hand.

He’d had a shock, and he’d obviously swallowed some water, which wasn’t good. But he was breathing and seemed alert, despite the bump on the back of his head. Raina examined him as well as she could, and then sat back on her heels, looking up at the policeman.

‘He seems okay, but he’ll need to be checked over at the hospital.’ The policeman nodded, taking his radio from its clip and speaking into it.

‘Will he be all right?’ Jamie’s mother caught hold of her sleeve, an imploring look in her eyes. Raina had seen that look so many times before, but hadn’t really understood the agony behind it until she’d become a mother to Anya.

‘He’s breathing, and he’s safe.’ Raina started with the good news. ‘But I want that bump on his head looked at. The doctors will be checking to see if there’s any water in his lungs, and they’ll have to clean any cuts very carefully to avoid infection.’

‘Thank you, Doctor.’ Jamie’s mother held his hand while Raina wrapped blankets around him that the pleasure boat’s crew had brought. She could hear the sound of a siren, and it seemed that they were in luck and the ambulance would be here soon.

As soon as she’d handed over to the ambulance crew, Raina looked for Alistair. She found him, sitting further along the deck, his arms resting on his knees and his head bowed. Someone had brought him a blanket and it lay draped across his shoulders. As Raina reached to pull it around him, he looked up.

There had been a time when she’d lived for the smile that flickered across his face and the golden heat of his eyes. Right now that time seemed much closer than she’d thought it would ever be again.

‘Hi, there. Are you all right?’

‘I’m okay. How’s the boy?’

Raina glanced across, and saw Jamie clinging to his mother, responding to the ambulance crew’s questions. ‘He doesn’t seem too much the worse for wear. But he needs to be seen at the hospital.’

Alistair nodded. He knew that Jamie was at risk from all kinds of infections from the dirty water, and that dry drowning could occur hours after a child was pulled from the water and seemed fully recovered from the experience. Not to mention the possibility of a concussion.

‘The ambulance crew are dealing with it?’ He was cupping his hand over his ear as if checking exactly how much he could hear.

‘Yes, they’ve got everything under control. They know exactly what the situation is and what the doctors need to look for. Is there something wrong with your ears?’

He shook his head. Something was wrong and it was more than just being wet through and covered in grime from the river. Raina wanted to reach out and hug him for his bravery, and then find out what the matter was and make it right. Instead, she pulled a paper handkerchief from her bag, dabbing at a small cut beside his left eye.

‘Don’t, Raina.’ His tone wasn’t unkind but he shied away from her impatiently. ‘It’s all right...’

‘So Jamie’s at risk of infection from the dirty water but you’re not. What are you, Dr Invincible?’

Raina bit her lip. That joke belonged to a time when they had been married. It didn’t sound half as apt now they were divorced. But seeing him like this... It awakened every protective instinct she had and it was killing her that Alistair wouldn’t take any help from her.

It was Alistair all over, though. When things had got tough when she’d become pregnant and then lost the baby, he’d shut down. When all Raina had wanted him to do was to share his feelings, when she’d wanted him to feel the same wild grief as she had, he’d pushed her away.

She swallowed hard. That had been then, and this was now. She was a doctor, and she had someone who might be hurt sitting right in front of her. That justified her professional concern.

Suddenly she could think clearly again. Put all the little pieces of the puzzle together to make a place to start. She turned her head away from him, speaking clearly.

‘You can’t hear, can you?’

‘What was that?’ Alistair frowned impatiently.

‘I said...’ She faced him squarely. ‘You can’t hear. Can you, Alistair?’

* * *

So much for thinking that he’d been doing a pretty good job in covering up. If he hadn’t been wet through and shivering from the shock of seeing young Jamie plunge into the water when he’d just been a hair’s breadth away from reaching him, Alistair might have been able to brush the question off. But right now he wanted someone to know.

Not just someone. He could have told the man who’d helped him out of the water and gone to fetch the blanket, but he’d had no inclination to do so. He wanted Raina to know. He wanted that sweet, dark-eyed concern that made his heart lurch.

‘It’s...it’s not a result of being in the water. It’s a pre-existing condition.’ Maybe if he kept this professional, he could ignore the tingle in his fingertips. The urge to have Raina kiss away all of his aches and pains, and all of the fears for a future that was anything but silent but which contained too much white noise to make any sense of what he did hear.

She gave him a searching look. ‘And I’d be right in saying you’ve seen someone about this?’

‘Yes, you would.’ However much he wanted her to stop caring, he felt it warm him. ‘I went to get it checked out as soon as it happened.’

He could almost see the cogs turning in Raina’s brain. As they did so, a look of determination crept across her face. ‘It’s none of my business...’

Then he’d make it her business. The urge to tell her was fast overcoming the feeling that he didn’t want to betray what seemed to him to be a weakness.

‘It’s SSHL.’

‘When did this happen?’

‘Almost exactly two months ago. I felt a bit of pressure in my ear and thought I might have a cold. Then I heard a pop, and realised I was completely deaf in my left ear. My hearing’s impaired in my right ear but it’s not as bad. I’ve had all the tests and there’s nothing else wrong...’ Just that he was deaf. That was wrong with him, although no one could see it.

‘So you’re a textbook case for sudden sensorineural hearing loss.’

Alistair nodded. ‘It improved a little during the first month, but I’m reckoning that what I have now is...pretty much what I’ll always have going forward. I’ll be getting a hearing aid soon, and that might help a bit with directionality.’

Raina nodded. ‘You have tinnitus?’

‘Yeah. That seems to be improving.’ Alistair wasn’t sure whether it was or not. It was probably just wishful thinking, born of the loss he felt over the thought that he might never be able to appreciate silence again, because of the high-pitched ringing in his ears. That, combined with the faraway bubbling sound and the occasional ticking that seemed to come from about two inches behind his right ear, turned silence into an almost unbearable clamour.

‘Your ability to focus on other things will improve when you get your hearing aid.’ Raina’s tone was matter-of-fact, but the look in her eyes...

It was the look that could make him forget about everything else and believe that there was nothing else in the world but her. No sound but the sound of her voice. No feeling that didn’t emanate from her touch...

‘Yeah. That’s what my audiologist says. I’m not getting my hopes up too much.’

She nodded, thoughtfully. ‘We should have gone somewhere quieter to talk.’

‘I heard what I needed to hear. And I have to get used to functioning in any situation.’

‘So you’re throwing yourself in at the deep end?’

Alistair was about to protest that he was doing nothing of the sort, and that he could hear her perfectly well now. But that was because Raina was doing exactly what he usually had to ask people to do—facing him and speaking clearly. She’d always given him what he’d needed...

And he hadn’t given her what she’d needed. He’d let her go because someone else could give her the family that she’d so wanted and that he just hadn’t been ready for. But now, even if he was struggling to find his place in a world that suddenly seemed strange and remote, he could give her something.

‘I want you to go back to the office. Ask to see Heidi Walker, she’s Gabriel’s and my assistant. Give her your application and ask her to pass it to Gabriel to read this evening. I’ll give him a call later.’

‘That can wait until tomorrow, Alistair. I need to get you home first.’

He was already beginning to shiver in the afternoon sun, and despite himself Alistair wanted Raina to make a fuss of him. But he’d already revealed more than he wanted her to know, and he just wanted her to go now, before he was tempted to let anything else slip.

‘Pass me the envelope. And do you have a pen?’

Raina shot him a look that made it very clear that her compliance didn’t mean she agreed, and plunged her hand into her bag, producing a plastic ballpoint. She balanced her application on the top of her bag to provide a makeshift writing surface and Alistair scribbled a note to Heidi, trying not to get any drips onto the envelope.

She was staring at him dumbly, clearly about to argue with him. But there was no point in listening to Raina tell him that she wouldn’t leave while he was wet through, bleeding and confused by the sounds around him. They were the exact reasons he wanted her to go.

‘The police officer came over while you were with Jamie, and he’s radioed for a car to take me home.’

‘But...’ Raina wasn’t giving up that easily. She had to, though, because if The Watchlight Trust was going to be able to help her daughter, then their relationship had to be completely professional. All about the little girl’s needs and not his.

‘Go, Raina.’ He spoke quickly, before he had a chance to change his mind. ‘I want you to go.’

* * *

There had been moments when Alistair’s mask of self-reliance had slipped. When the thought that he wanted her there, with him, had thundered through Raina’s head. But now he was cool, and more than a little commanding.

He could protest that he was all right as much as he wanted. It was basic medical necessity to clean a cut that had been submersed in dirty water, and he could like it or not. If he didn’t like it he could jump straight back into the river.

Raina got to her feet, stuffing the envelope back into her bag, and walked over to the ambulance paramedics, who were getting ready to go. After making sure that Jamie didn’t need her, she asked for some antiseptic wipes, and was given a small pack of them, along with a pair of disposable gloves.

Returning to Alistair, she tore the wrapper open. He seemed about to argue and then obviously thought better of it. At least he still knew when to keep his mouth shut.

He winced as she cleaned the cut on his face, but said nothing, and when she told him to show her his hands, he held them out silently, turning them so she could check them thoroughly.

‘Did you swallow any water?’

‘No. It’s just as filthy as it looks and I decided not to stop for a drink.’

‘Take these.’ Raina put the rest of the antiseptic wipes down next to him on the deck. ‘Clean that cut again when you get home, and make sure to do to the same with any other abrasions.’

‘Yes. Thanks. You should go. The office will be closing soon.’

‘Shall I tell them what’s happened? So they won’t be expecting you back?’

‘Yes, thanks. Say I’ll be back first thing tomorrow.’

There was no point in telling him that he might want to spend tomorrow morning easing out any aches and pains and making sure that his dive into the water hadn’t resulted in any other ill-effects. Alistair had made it clear that it wasn’t her place any more and he was right.

‘Is your phone working?’

Alistair reached into his pocket, and took out his phone. The screen was cracked, and water dripped from it onto the deck.

‘Doesn’t look like it. But I’ve a backup at home, in case I lose this one.’

That was Alistair all over. He was all about the work, and nothing got in the way of that. A broken phone was a trifling obstacle when compared to a broken marriage, and he’d managed to spend enough of his energies on work then. Raina swallowed down her resentment and reached into her bag.

‘I’d like you to let me know that you’re okay.’ She scribbled her mobile number onto a scrap of paper and tucked it into the packet of antiseptic wipes.

‘I’ll text you as soon as I’ve got home and taken a shower.’

His tone indicated that there was nothing more to say. She had to go now, and show him that she could follow his instructions, because that was what Raina was going to have to do if Anya was accepted onto The Watchlight Trust’s project.

‘Thanks. Take care, Alistair.’ Raina got to her feet, trying not to look at him in case that made her want to stay. Standing aside to let the ambulance crew take Jamie and his mother up the gangway to their vehicle, she didn’t look back until she’d reached the pavement.

Then she couldn’t help herself. Her knees were grimy from kneeling on the wet deck and she pushed her skirt up to rub at them with a tissue, as an excuse to stop and turn. As she did so, she saw a police car draw up, and an officer get out and make her way down onto the boat.

That was Alistair’s lift home. She saw him get to his feet, and a couple of the pleasure boat’s crew came to shake his hand. Then the policewoman ushered him towards the gangway, smiling at him as she did so. That was Raina’s invitation to leave, before Alistair saw that she was still there.

CHAPTER THREE

THERE HAD BEEN a time when Raina’s touch would have made everything all right. Instead, Alistair opted for standing under the shower for half an hour, trying to wash off the smell of the river.

An impenetrable barrier stood between them now. Raina had brought him such happiness, and when she’d left he’d felt nothing but pain and grief. Turning to his work as a way out had only reinforced his belief that he could never be the husband and father he wanted to be.

Alistair scrubbed his body with a towel and put on clean clothes. Somehow a trace of the river still remained, but if he ignored it then it would probably go away. His eyes still stung a little, and he blinked as he picked up the slip of paper that Raina had left.

Raina Elliot... He noticed that she was using her maiden name now. That wasn’t much of a surprise, particularly since her niece’s surname was Elliot too. If nothing else it sent a message for the little girl who was now her daughter.

‘Raina Duvall. You like it...?’

He’d whispered the words in her ear as they’d danced together on their wedding night, and she’d smiled up at him.

‘I love it. What else do you think I married you for?’

He’d known then that there had been many other things. Love had just about covered it. True love. Devoted love. Making love...

And when he’d given his name to her, he’d suddenly begun to like it a lot more. Up until then it had just been something he’d inherited from his father, along with a chunk of DNA and a propensity to spend all his energies at work.

But Raina had taken the name and made it hers. She had been a creature of warm summer days who’d left the taste of cool raindrops on his lips. Her ability to occasionally thunder and roar had all been a part of her free spirit, and when the storm had passed, everything would be washed clean. Raina had shown her feelings in a way that he’d never been able to, and that was what had broken them apart.

That, and Alistair’s failure. He hadn’t known his father all that well, but his mother had always told him that he was a lot like him. Being like his father meant he’d be a good provider, Alistair had grown up in a comfortable, affluent home. It also meant that his family would always take second place to his work. Alistair could barely recall one childhood memory that included his father.

When Raina had unexpectedly become pregnant, Alistair had tried to tell himself that he just wasn’t ready, as if somehow the passage of time might change his nature. The truth of it was that he was more like his father than he wanted to admit, driven and wrapped up with his work. He’d been busy at work, his phone switched off, on the day that Raina had lost their baby. If there was one thing in his life that Alistair could go back and change, it would be that. Raina had gone through all that agony alone.

The thing he wouldn’t change was letting her go. There was someone out there who could be a father for the children Raina wanted so badly, and it was only right that Alistair should step aside, however much it hurt.

He picked up his phone, tapping her number into the contacts list. He’d always thought that Raina would become a mother in less tragic circumstances. But the love he’d seen on her face when she’d shown him the photographs of her little girl told Alistair that she wouldn’t be bound by regrets.

That probably included him as well. And wanting to hear her voice, wanting to feel her cool fingers washing him clean, wasn’t the way to go. She’d asked him to text and that was what he’d do. He typed in a message telling her that he was home, and his phone pinged almost immediately.

You okay?

No, not really. The aches and pains in his body were nothing. The ache in his heart wouldn’t go away.

Yes. Fine, thanks.

That was the end of it. Alistair sent the text and then realised that he had a question of his own.

You delivered the application?

Yes. Heidi said she’d give it straight to Gabriel.

Good. Gabriel would probably have read it by now, and Alistair should give him a call.

Thanks. We’ll be in touch.

Thank you. Again.

That didn’t really require an answer. Alistair closed the text screen and dialled Gabriel’s number.

* * *

At the other end of the line, Raina was frowning. It was all very well to keep this on a businesslike footing, but Alistair seemed to be going out of his way to deflect any enquiries about his well-being.

‘Mummy...’ Anya was sitting in the bath, and she reached up, brushing Raina’s face with her hand. Her instinctive grasp of how Raina was feeling surpassed her ability to understand those feelings.

‘It’s just a text, sweetie.’

‘Who texted, Mummy?’

Raina made a face at Anya, and she giggled, splashing her bath water all over Raina’s shirt. ‘It was someone I went to see today while you were at Grandma’s house. His name is Alistair.’

‘Is he naughty?’

‘Yes. Very... But we’re not going to worry about that. Let’s get you out of the bath now and into your pyjamas.’

‘Naughty Alistair,’ Anya chirped, and Raina winced. She’d spoken without thinking. Perhaps if she didn’t say the word naughty for the next week, then Anya would forget all about that. If they did get through the selection process, she didn’t want Anya referring to Alistair as naughty while he was in earshot.

‘No, sorry, sweetie, I got it wrong. It’s really nice Alistair.’

‘Did you send him kisses?’

‘No, kisses are just for when we text Grandma.’ Kisses would be asking for trouble. Asking for the kind of heartbreak that should only be experienced once in a lifetime, as a lesson on what to avoid the next time around.

‘Then he must be naughty...’ Anya gave her a cheeky grin and Raina’s heart melted. Lifting Anya out of the bath, she wrapped her in a towel, hugging her tight. Kisses were off limits and so was any kind of naughtiness. The only person that mattered was Anya.

* * *

‘Is that Raina?’

‘Yes.’ Raina had been grabbing at her phone every time it had rung for the last few days, and every time she did, it wasn’t Alistair. This time was no exception.

‘My name’s Gabriel DeMarco. I work with Alistair at The Watchlight Trust, and he’s passed your application for your daughter on to me. I understand that you’re interested in taking part in our trials for the prosthetic limbs project.’

‘Yes...yes, I am.’ Raina held her breath, sitting back on her heels. Anya continued with the task of scooping soil into the plant pots that were laid out in front of them on the lawn, blithely unaware that her life might be about to change.

‘We’d like to explore that possibility a little further. If you’re still interested?’

‘Yes!’ She probably shouldn’t shout at him on the phone. Anya looked up at her and echoed the word, squealing with laughter. ‘Sorry...yes, I am still interested.’

Gabriel’s deep chuckle sounded in her ear. ‘You both sound as enthusiastic about the project as we are. There is one thing I’d like to discuss with you first, if you don’t mind. It’s a personal matter...’

Alistair. What had he said to Gabriel? Raina swallowed down her paranoia. She had no choice but to trust the man she’d once known so intimately. ‘You mean my relationship with Alistair?’

‘I do.’ Gabriel sounded a little relieved that he hadn’t had to explain. ‘Alistair’s taken a step back from the selection process, so as to avoid any possible conflict of interest. If Anya’s selected for the project, then I’ll be Anya’s doctor of record, and I’ll be responsible for prescribing the type of prosthetic that best suits her needs. But as Alistair’s heading up the project, you would inevitably find yourself working closely with him.’

It was all becoming a reality. Raina hadn’t dared think too much about the prospect of working with Alistair, but now she had to.

There was nothing for it but the truth. ‘Alistair and I have had our differences... obviously. But I’ve always respected him, and this means far too much to me to allow any personal issues to get in the way. I’d consider it a privilege to work with him.’

That would have to do. Raina held her breath, wondering if it was enough, and heard Gabriel’s deep chuckle at the other end of the line.

‘Since that’s pretty much what Alistair said, I think I can safely tick that question off my list. We’ve already interviewed a number of families for the project, and I’m wondering whether you’d be able to bring Anya in to see us tomorrow?’

‘Yes, any time that suits you...’ Raina felt her heart jolt up a notch. She and Anya had obviously made it through to the second stage of the process.

‘Eleven o’clock? You’ll be meeting with me and Maya Powell. Maya’s a consultant in rehabilitation medicine, and she’s collaborated with us before over the years. It’s not her intention to have any ongoing involvement with families selected for the project, but she’s donated some of her time to help with the screening and assessment process.’

In other words, Alistair wouldn’t be there. That was one hurdle that Raina didn’t have to negotiate just yet. ‘Eleven would be fine, thank you.’

‘Great, I’ll see you then. Would you choose a favourite toy for Anya and bring that along too. We’d like to get to know her...’

Raina sat, staring at the phone after Gabriel had ended the call. This was all good. It seemed that Alistair had kept his promise and wasn’t going to stand in their way.

‘We did it, Anya. I think it must have been that cute smile of yours.’

Anya was unimpressed. ‘Mummy, can we put the plants in the pots?’

Raina bent to kiss the little girl’s cheek. ‘Yes, we’re going to do it right now. And tomorrow we’re going on the train to see someone. Nice Gabriel.’

* * *

Gabriel was waiting for them in the reception area, a tall, dark-haired man whose natural expression seemed to be a smile. He ushered them through a bright, open-plan space to two glass-walled offices at the far end, making for the one that was shaded from view by blinds. As they entered, a woman rose from the informal seating area at one end.

‘Raina, this is Maya Powell.’

Both Gabriel and Maya were relaxed and smiling, and drinks and pastries were laid out on the coffee table, around which a sofa and two leather easy chairs were arranged. But Raina wasn’t fooled. This was serious business, and the child-friendly atmosphere was for Anya’s benefit.

Maya shook Raina’s hand and then bent down towards the little girl. ‘You must be Anya. I’m Maya. We have a drink for you here, if you’d like one.’

Anya whispered a hello, clinging to Raina’s hand and leaning against her legs. Raina resisted the impulse to push her forward, hoping she’d get over her shyness.

‘Would you like to play with your bricks, sweetie?’ She pulled the box of bricks from her bag, putting it on the coffee table, and Anya stared at it uncertainly.

‘Bricks...?’ When Raina turned, Gabriel’s eyes were shining. Sitting down on the sofa, he ran his finger across the top of the box. ‘Bricks are my favourite. Would you show me, Anya?’

His enthusiasm was so infectious Anya let go of Raina’s hand, running across to the box of bricks and opening it. Gabriel grinned, craning over to see inside, and Raina breathed a sigh of relief as Anya began to empty the box, showing Gabriel the bricks.

‘These are fantastic.’ He addressed his comment to no one in particular and then smiled at Raina. ‘I’ll be a father soon.’

Maya chuckled, rolling her eyes. ‘Is there anyone in London you haven’t managed to tell yet, Gabriel?’

‘No. Probably not.’ Gabriel was busy sorting out the bricks. ‘Where do you get these?’

‘You go to the shop and buy them.’ Anya’s tone implied that this was the kind of information that anyone should know.

‘Do you? Which shop?’

Anya shrugged and Raina supplied the answer. ‘You’ll find these in any toy shop. You won’t be needing them for a while, though. Congratulations.’ It was nice to see a man so happy at the prospect of becoming a father.

‘Thank you. We went for the three-month scan yesterday, and my wife’s given me the all-clear to share the news. It was a complete surprise.’

A lump settled in Raina’s throat. Her pregnancy had been a complete surprise too, but it would have been difficult to imagine Alistair making enquiries about building bricks, and unable to stop himself from telling everyone he met.

She’d never forgotten her lost child, but right now she had to think about Anya. Maya waved her to a seat, pouring the coffee. ‘We’ll go through the questions, shall we? While Anya’s keeping Gabriel amused.’

Maya’s questions were searching, but her gentle tone and her smile made them feel less challenging. Before long, they were simply talking, and Raina felt herself relax.

‘She manages very well...’ Gabriel’s occasional murmured interjections were all very much to the point. He was obviously listening, even if it seemed that his attention was solely focussed on Anya.

‘Yes, she does. But as a doctor, I know that many people with limb differences suffer from overuse issues in the long term. And I want to give her as many choices as I can.’

‘What choices?’ Maya asked.

‘I don’t know. She’ll tell me what she wants to do, when she wants to do it. I just want to be able to respond to that. If it takes time and money to make custom prosthetics, then that doesn’t allow her to try things out, the way that most children can.’

‘Good point.’ Gabriel flashed Raina a smile, and then went back to the structure that he and Anya had built.

* * *

Alistair had been at a loss all morning. He’d decided that he should make himself scarce during Raina and Anya’s interview, and had gone upstairs to spend some time with the development team for the prosthetics project. But he’d struggled to hear everything that was said and keep up with the exchange of ideas. He’d ended up sitting in the corner, drinking coffee and thinking about Raina.

If Gabriel and Maya decided that another child was a better fit for the project, then this would be his last chance to see her. She’d disappear again, a face in the crowd that he’d looked for time and time again, and never found. He’d often thought of her, the mental picture including the child that she’d always wanted, and this might be his only opportunity to see that reality.

It would take a little planning if he was to bump into her on her way out. Hanging around in Reception bore no fruit, so he decided that he might return to his office, where he was sure to at least catch a glimpse of Raina and Anya when they left. As he walked towards it, he saw the door of Gabriel’s office open, and the beat of his heart started suddenly to thunder in his ears.

Then he saw Raina, joining Maya in the doorway. She was dressed in a pair of dark slacks with a cream blouse, the perfect choice for an informal interview. She looked stunning. A little girl in a blue and white summer dress ran to her side and Gabriel appeared, shaking Raina’s hand and then looking down as the child tugged at his sleeve.

Alistair held his breath, unable to move. Gabriel bent towards the child, and she planted a kiss on his cheek. Maya laughed, obviously making a joke of it, and Gabriel stood up again, grinning helplessly. Fierce jealousy wound its fingers around Alistair’s heart and squeezed hard. It should have been him...

No. It shouldn’t have been him. He’d already decided that he’d make just as bad a father as his own father had been, and that Raina would be happier with someone else.

Suddenly he didn’t want to see Raina after all, not with the daughter that looked so like her. But it was too late. Gabriel had looked up and was signalling for him to come over and join them. There was no way out, and Alistair forced himself to smile as he walked across the office.

* * *

The interview had gone well. Raina had said what she wanted to say, and answered all of Maya’s questions. She’d seen Gabriel nod a few times, and although he hadn’t said much perhaps he would support her candidacy. If Anya didn’t get a place on the project, then at least Raina could tell herself that she’d done her best.

And then... Alistair. Standing at the far end of the office as she said her goodbyes to Gabriel and Maya. It would have been a great deal better if she hadn’t known him so well, because then she would have mistaken the smile he was wearing as one of surprised welcome.

‘Raina. It’s good to see you again.’ The way his thumb tapped against the side of the tablet computer he carried gave him away. Something was bothering Alistair.

‘And you. This is Anya.’

Anya was looking up at him, curious about this new person.

‘Yes, of course. Hello, Anya.’

He could barely look at her. Alistair had shown more genuine concern for the child he’d pulled out of the Thames than he did for Anya. Raina bit back the temptation to shake him and demand that he do a little more than just acknowledge her daughter’s presence.

Maybe he was just trying a bit too hard to step back. No decisions had been made yet, and he didn’t want to betray any bias. She shouldn’t either, which meant that the swelling around the cut on his face and the consequent bruising under his eye was out of bounds as a topic of conversation.

‘Your eye’s looking better, Alistair. How does it feel now?’ Maya asked the question that Raina didn’t dare to.

‘Much better, thanks. The antibiotics that Gabriel prescribed have done the trick.’ Alistair had the grace to look a little sheepish. ‘I really should have listened to Raina.’

‘Yes, you should...’ The words escaped her lips before Raina had a chance to swallow them down, and Anya looked up at Alistair.

‘Naughty Alistair.’

It could have been worse. At least Anya’s words hadn’t come right out of the blue, and Gabriel chuckled.

‘That’s right, Anya. My thoughts exactly.’ Gabriel ignored Alistair’s glare and Raina’s reddening cheeks.

‘We should be going.’ She found Anya’s hand, gripping it tight. ‘Thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate your seeing us.’

‘It’s been a pleasure. Thank you for letting me play with your bricks, Anya.’

‘You’re welcome,’ Anya piped up again, and this time everyone smiled.

Handshakes were exchanged, and Raina hurried Anya away, leaving Gabriel and Maya to follow Alistair into the office next door to Gabriel’s. She was trembling, Alistair’s quiet words when they’d parted had made her heart beat even faster than it had when she’d first seen him. Good luck. If that meant what she thought it did, then the awkwardness of their meeting was something that could be set aside. It was Gabriel and Maya’s decision whether Anya would be accepted onto the project, but Alistair had made his own position very clear.

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