‘Of course Lyle gave in to her, for the boys’ sake, not hers, and then the moment she was qualified she told him she was going abroad to work and that she intended dumping the kids on him. He told me after her accident that he felt if he hadn’t lost his temper with her she wouldn’t have run off and had that accident, but equally if she hadn’t gone to him and forced the confrontation on him, he wouldn’t have lost his temper.’ Justine shrugged. ‘It was a tragic accident, but an accident nonetheless.’ She paused and frowned as she looked at Jessica. ‘Did you really think he still loved Heather?’
Jessica felt trapped, but it was pointless to lie. ‘Yes, I did,’ she confirmed.
‘Mmm, and now that you know he doesn’t…’
She knew what Justine was getting at, but she shook her head decisively. ‘It makes no difference, Justine,’ she told her firmly. ‘Lyle may not still love Heather, but believe me, he feels nothing for me.’
‘If you say so.’ Justine grinned at her, and somehow Jessica did not think her sister-in-law was convinced.
After Justine and Peter had gone their conversation lingered in Jessica’s thoughts. Justine had soon guessed at her own feelings, but then Justine liked playing deus ex machina, as she had proved by the way she had forced Lyle into marrying her in the first place. Couldn’t it be that, guessing how she felt about him, Justine was now trying to encourage her to believe her feelings might be returned so that she would perhaps approach Lyle?
Justine liked and approved of her, she had said as much, and practical woman that she was, no doubt she felt that the future of their marriage would be much more secure if it changed from a business arrangement to one with a more normal basis. Of course Justine was not to know that they had already been lovers, and that far from improving their marriage, it had only widened the gap between them.
No, she would not fall into the trap of believing that Justine might be right and that Lyle might actually care for her as a person. It would be the height of self-delusion to do so, especially when she knew the truth!
Two days after Justine’s visit, Jessica received a frightened phone call from her sister.
‘Jess, can you come over straight away?’ Andrea begged. ‘I went for my check-up this morning and Dr Ford wasn’t too happy with my blood pressure. He wants to get me into hospital for a couple of days until it comes down, but there’s no one to look after William. I can’t reach David. He’s in a meeting and it’s likely to go on for some hours yet. If you could just come over and take William home with you…’
Quickly reassuring her sister that she would be there as quickly as possible, Jessica then rang Justine and asked her if she could drop James and Stuart off on her way to her sister’s.
‘I’m not sure what state Andrea will be in. I might have to run her to hospital and stay there for a while, I don’t know. If you could just keep an eye on them for me until I get back with William?’
‘Of course I will,’ Justine confirmed immediately. ‘Bring them over when you’re ready.’
It didn’t take long for Jessica to explain to the boys what had happened. Neither of them showed the slightest resentment at having to spend the day with Justine, both of them secure enough in her love now to know that they were not being passed over in favour of William. Scribbling a note for Lyle, whom she was expecting back for lunch, Jessica bundled the boys into the car and set off for Justine’s.
Knowing the urgency involved Justine did not press her to stop for coffee, running out to the car to help the boys out and telling Jessica not to worry about them. Jessica hugged them both before backing out of the drive and continuing on her journey to her sister’s.
As she had half expected she found Andrea in a semi-hysterical state, a fact which could hardly do her high blood pressure any good, Jessica thought worriedly, as she coaxed her into sitting down and putting her feet up, while she assured Andrea that William was more than welcome to stay with her just as long as was needed.
‘I don’t think it will come to that,’ Andrea told her fretfully. ‘David will be home later, and he has some holidays owing to him that he could take. If only I knew how long they’ll keep me in!’
‘Well, the more you worry about that, the longer it will be,’ Jessica warned her firmly. ‘Are they sending an ambulance for you or shall I take you in?’
‘Dr Ford’s going to ring me just as soon as he’s made all the arrangements.’
As though on cue the phone rang, and Jessica went to answer it. Andrea’s doctor sounded relieved that there was someone with her, and gratefully accepted Jessica’s suggestion that she drive her sister to hospital.
‘If you could that would be marvellous,’ he confirmed. ‘I don’t really care for the idea of her driving he
rself. I’ll be there to meet her. I’ve got some other patients to visit there.’
It was Jessica who packed Andrea’s small case and checked that her sister had everything she might need for her stay. They were half way to the hospital when Andrea suddenly gripped Jessica’s wrist, her eyes dilating with anguish as she cried, ‘Jess, I don’t want to lose my baby. I’m so frightened.’
‘I don’t think there’s the slightest question of that,’ Jessica told her firmly, hoping she was right. ‘The best thing you can do, Andrea, is to try and relax a little, give your blood pressure a chance to come down.’ As she spoke she glanced warningly towards the back of the car to remind Andrea that William was there, and could well be frightened by what his mother was saying.
Fortunately by the time they reached the hospital Andrea seemed to have calmed down a little.
Her doctor, Dr Ford, was a pleasant, authoritative man with a tired smile and a shock of iron-grey hair, his manner both soothing and firm.
Jessica waited with William while they got Andrea settled, and then approached Dr Ford when he came to find them, asking how Andrea was.
‘Comfortable. I think we’ve got her in time—No, there’s no question of her losing the baby,’ he confirmed in answer to Jessica’s question. ‘At least not if she does as she’s told.’
‘I’m going to stay with William until his father comes home,’ Jessica told the doctor. ‘Do you know how long she’ll be in here?’
‘That depends very much on how sensibly she behaves,’ she was told, confirming her own views on Andrea’s condition.