Bridal Bargains

Mia frowned at his sharpened tone. ‘No,’ she replied.

‘Good,’ Alex grunted. ‘Let us hope it stays that way.’

‘Is that why you’re calling?’ she asked. It was so unusual for him to bother. ‘Because you’re concerned about my father showing up here? He won’t, you know,’ she assured him. ‘Having reassured himself that all is going to plan, he won’t waste thinking time on me again until the baby is due.’

‘Does that bother you?’

Bother me? Again she frowned at the strangely sharp question. ‘No,’ she said firmly. Her father’s lack of interest in her as a person had stopped hurting her a long time ago.

‘Good,’ he said again. ‘I have two reasons for calling you,’ he went on, suddenly becoming all brisk and businesslike. ‘You are due your monthly check-up with the doctor this week. Since it is not logical to transport you to Athens for a simple doctor’s appointment, I have therefore arranged an appointment at a clinic in London for you.’

He went on to give her names, addresses, dates and times which she had to hurriedly write down.

‘And the other reason I called,’ he continued, ‘is because I have just discovered that I have your passport here in Athens with me. I must have stashed it in my briefcase without thinking about it, when we travelled to London, and there it has stayed until I unearthed it this morning. I also happened to notice that it still bears your maiden name, which makes it invalid.’

‘Oh,’ she said. She hadn’t given a single thought to either her passport or the fact that it was no longer valid. ‘I suppose that means I will have to apply for a new one.’

‘I am already arranging it,’ he announced. ‘Leon is seeing to the paperwork so we can get it rushed through before you leave for Greece. You will need to put your signature to the forms Leon is preparing and supply a new photograph. Can you see to that first thing in the morning?’

‘Of course,’ she said, ‘but I could just as easily have seen to the rest as well. I’m pregnant, not an invalid, you know!’

‘I never meant to imply you were.’ He sighed. ‘But I presumed you would prefer to devote your time in England to Suzanna,’ he said, in a tone meant to remind her exactly where her priorities lay.

Which it did—irksomely. ‘Is that it?’ she said, sounding childishly uncivil even to her own ears.

She heard him mutter something that sounded very much like a profanity. ‘Why do you have to turn every conversation into a battle?’ he said wearily.

‘Why do you have to be so damned arrogant?’ she shot back, for want of something to toss at him.

‘Because I’m trying to save you a lot of unnecessary hassle.’

‘I don’t like my life being organised for me!’ she snapped.

‘I am trying to help you, damn it!’ he exploded. ‘When are you going to stop being so damned bitter and realise that I am your ally, not your enemy!’

When you stop tying my emotions in so many knots that I just can’t tell what you are any more! she thought wretchedly, and slammed down the phone before she actually yelled the words at him!

Then she stood, shaken to the very roots by her own anger, because she didn’t know what she was angry about!

Yes, you do, a little voice inside her head told her. You want him to show you a little care and consideration, but when he does you get so frightened it isn’t real that you simply go off the deep end!

Leon produced the relevant forms for her to sign the next evening—several of them, which made her frown.

‘Copies in case I mess up,’ he explained dismissively.

She shrugged and signed where he told her to sign, and handed over the requested photographs—four surprisingly good snaps, taken in a passport booth in the local high street. Carol had gone with her and so had Suzanna, and between them they had turned the excursion into a game.

Mia now had in her possession several photos of Suzanna pulling silly faces into the camera, and even a couple of Carol, doing the same thing.

She kept her appointment at the exclusive London clinic Alex had arranged for her. They gave her the full works, blood pressure, blood tests, physical examination and an ultrasound scan. No problems anywhere, she was relieved to hear. The dizzy spells were a sign of low blood sugar levels, easily remedied by keeping light snacks handy. Other than that, she was assured, they were nothing to worry about. She left the clinic feeling very relieved to have a clean bill of health—and a black and white photograph of her darling baby curled up inside her womb.

‘Did it hurt?’ Carol asked suspiciously as she studied the picture.

‘What, the scan?’ Mia asked. ‘No,’ she said. ‘It just feels a bit strange, that’s all—and they did prod and poke the poor thing a bit until they could get him to lie in a good position.’

Carol handed back the photograph, but there was an odd look in her eyes that Mia couldn’t interpret—a look that bothered her for days afterwards, though she didn’t know why.

Another week went by, and Alex didn’t call again—not that she expected him to after the last row they’d had. But it hurt in some ways that he hadn’t even bothered to call to see how her visit to the clinic had gone—though she would rather die that let him know that.