He knew exactly where his parents would be during the week, they were creatures of habit. As he expected, he found them sitting at the twin desks, placed back to back to allow murmured conversation and smiles while they completed their correspondence for the day.
‘Mother...’ He smiled, and his mother rose for a hug, made awkward by his lame shoulder.
‘Hugo, darling. How do you feel today?’
‘Much better, thank you.’ Hugo’s relationship with his mother was an effortless synergy of respect for her position and warmth. The one with his father involved rather more effort. ‘I’d like to speak with Father.’
His mother sat firmly back down, waving her hand towards his father, who had looked up from the papers in front of him. Her smile told Hugo that she knew exactly what all this was about, and she wasn’t going to give either of them the chance to argue in private.
‘Go ahead, darling. He’s right here, in case you didn’t notice.’
Right. Hugo turned to his father, and found himself locked in the familiar combative stare that was their usual greeting to each other. He sat down, knowing that it probably wouldn’t defuse the situation. Pacing up and down wasn’t going to help much if he wanted to imply that he was taking things easy.
‘It’s not Nell’s fault, Father.’
His father turned the corners of his mouth down. ‘I’m inclined to agree with you. It is, however, Dr Maitland’s responsibility to make sure that you rest.’
‘And she’s doing that.’
‘I disagree, Hugo.’
The silence between them wasn’t broken by his mother’s voice. Usually her intervention avoided conflict between father and son, neatly suggesting a solution that everyone could live with. But this time there was just a silence.
‘My behaviour isn’t her fa
ult. Nell’s a good doctor, and...she’s exactly what I need at the moment. In the future, I’ll follow her instructions.’ This was a climb-down of gargantuan proportions. But Hugo had seen humiliation and rejection in Nell’s face this morning, and they haunted him.
‘So things are going to change, are they?’
‘They will. Don’t punish her in order to get to me.’
His father leaned back in his chair. ‘You’ve seen the papers this morning?’
‘It’ll blow over. How many other young women have been photographed in my company in the last year?’
‘Goodness only knows. I don’t know where you get the time,’ his mother interjected suddenly, and both men turned on her, frowning. ‘It’s just an observation, darling. It would make things a great deal easier if you decided that your health wasn’t such a secret.’
‘I want it to remain private.’
That was one of the few things that Hugo and his father had agreed on lately, even if it was for different reasons. His father had always drawn a line between his family’s personal lives and their public duties, and that had allowed Hugo to grow up outside the glare of publicity. For Hugo, it was more a matter of not wanting to be seen as irrevocably flawed.
King Ferdinand nodded. ‘You know I have no argument with you there, Hugo. But you have a duty...’
Hugo nodded impatiently. ‘I know what my duty is. To be strong enough to serve the people.’
His father nodded. ‘I assume from your presence that Dr Maitland wants to stay.’
‘I have no idea. But she gets that choice.’ Hugo felt his heart quicken and he ignored it. He would have to stop gauging everything by the beat of his own heart.
‘There’s only one person who can make sure that Dr Maitland keeps her job. That’s you, Hugo.’
Hugo got to his feet, making an effort to swallow his anger as he turned to his mother. He bade her goodbye, omitting the same gesture towards his father, before turning and walking out of the room.
* * *
Hugo had been oddly compliant all day. It was as if he’d suddenly come to his senses, or at least decided that it was more politic to appear to have done so. He’d spent the morning reading through the reports from the construction company, and the meeting was a short one. Nell had been able to relax a little and take an interest in the plans for the clinic. She could see why the project excited Hugo, and why he was willing to give up almost anything to see it come to fruition.
‘What did Celeste say?’ Nell had gone to speak to Celeste alone, while he stayed in his apartment.