Forbidden Surrender

Dominic hadn’t accepted her cool behaviour of the last few days without demur, but there was little he could do in front of Marie and her father. Any attempts by him to get her alone she had so far managed to rebuff, and yesterday when she had received a telephone call from a man who wouldn’t give his name she had refused to take the call, guessing it to be Dominic. They had to stay away from each other, and if Dominic wasn’t strong enough to see that they did then she would have to be the one who did.

Some time towards morning she must have fallen asleep herself, because the sun was filtering through the curtains when next she opened her eyes. A quick look at the bedside clock showed her it was almost eight o’clock. Marie would be all right now, now it was daylight, and as she was still asleep, Sara moved gingerly from her side and made her way back to her own room.

She met her father out in the corridor, his dark pinstriped suit evidence of his having just prepared to go to work.

He frowned as he saw her softly close Marie’s bedroom door. ‘Has she been ill?’ he asked worriedly.

‘Just one of her headaches,’ Sara shrugged. ‘I think she’s all right now.’

‘I’ll go in to her.’ His hand moved out to the door-handle.

‘No,’ Sara stopped him. ‘She’s asleep. I should leave her.’

He looked taken aback. ‘She actually managed to fall asleep? Usually when she has one of these attacks someone has to sit up with her all night.’

This made Sara wonder how many times Dominic had been the one to sit through the night with Marie. After all, their father had been out of the country when she had had her last attack.

She pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind, knowing that Dominic’s relationship with Marie, the closeness of it, was none of her business. ‘She’s asleep this time!’ Her voice was sharper than she intended with the intimacy of her thoughts.

‘What did you do?’ Her father was still obviously amazed by this unusual occurrence.

‘Sat with her, talked with her. Then I just held her while she went to sleep. She doesn’t like the dark,’ Sara added tautly, wishing she could tell him why she didn’t.

He looked away. ‘I know,’ he admitted grimly.

‘I think Marie should see a doctor,’ she insisted firmly. Maybe if Marie could tell her fears to a doctor he could pass them on to their father.

‘She’s seen one, more than one.’

‘And?’ Sara prompted.

‘Just tension headaches,’ he dismissed with a shrug. ‘Probably due to her engagement to Dominic and the excitement of getting married. They tell me a lot of engaged girls get them.’

‘That bad?’ she scorned.

‘Sometimes,’ he nodded, and glanced down at his wrist-watch. ‘I have to go down now, I just have time for breakfast before my early appointment.’ He bent to give her a preoccupied kiss on the forehead. ‘I’ll see you later, darling. I should leave Marie, she usually sleeps all day after one of these attacks.’

‘I doubt she will today, not when she’s slept most of the night.’

‘Maybe not. I should get some rest yourself, Sara. It must have been a long night for you.’

Sleep was out of the question now, now that she had thought of Dominic. ‘I think I would rather dress and have breakfast,’ she smiled at her father.

He nodded. ‘Then I’ll wait downstairs for you.’

It didn’t take her long to shower and dress in her usual denims and casual top, this time a short-sleeved checked shirt, the top two buttons left undone for coolness. She checked on Marie before she went downstairs, and found her sister still fast asleep.

She joined her father at the breakfast table, pouring them both out a cup of coffee. ‘These migraines of Marie’s,’ she persisted, ‘does she always have so many? I mean, it isn’t long since the last one.’

‘They have become a little more—frequent lately,’ her father admitted, ‘But I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.’

‘When did she last see a doctor?’

‘A couple of weeks ago. Please don’t worry about it, Sara,’ he smiled. ‘Marie will be over it by tomorrow.’