Free The Blackmailed Bride by Kim Lawrence Page A

seems likely that your daughter, Mr Anderson, has a viral infection of some sort to go with a mild concussion.’
    â€˜Caught no doubt from the horrid child she nursed all the way over in the plane,’ Elizabeth clarified with a disapproving sniff.
    â€˜Always the soft touch, hey, Katie,’ her father remarked fondly as, ignoring his wife’s remonstrances, he hugged hisdaughter. ‘Feeling pretty rotten…?’ He straightened up and tugged one limp strand of blonde hair as he keenly surveyed his eldest daughter’s pale face.
    Now she wasn’t looking at the elegant, tall figure oozing more vitality than seemed decent for one individual, Kate’s breathing had almost settled to a normal rhythm.
    â€˜Not too bad, Dad.’
    Javier, who had been conversing with the doctor in a soft undertone, stepped quietly forwards. It required no dramatic gestures to make his lean, dynamic figure the focus of attention; Kate found herself admiring his sheer presence even as she resented it.
    She watched as he inclined his head courteously towards her mother, who looked bowled over by this old-fashioned display—though Kate suspected that her mother was so disgustingly impressed by his financial and social position it would take a lot to make her look upon him with anything but fawning approval! She watched his display with a cynical smile. Oh, no doubt about it, his company manners were second to none, she brooded, but having been on the receiving end of his anger she could have told them about another less pleasant side to his nature… Big bully!
    â€˜You’ll wish to stay with your daughter no doubt, Mrs Anderson. I’m afraid for obvious reasons there is no second bedroom in this suite.’ This comment elicited a flurry of smiles. ‘But I’ll arrange for a bed to be brought in here…or would you prefer it in the sitting room…?’
    â€˜Oh! Oh no, we couldn’t possibly put you to so much trouble…’
    Kate saw her mother’s dilemma straight off; she also saw the cynical twist of Javier’s lips as he listened politely to the older woman bluster.
    If Elizabeth hadn’t been so loath to appear anything but the caring mother in this man’s eyes, she’d have recoiled in horror at the idea of playing nurse. Kate knew that anything to do with illness spooked her mother—especially the possibility she might become ill herself! Fortunately, other than her scald, both she and Susie had been extremely healthy children. But her burns had been bad and had left a lasting impact on Kate—and a dislike of hospitals.
    â€˜I’d much prefer to go back to my own room,’ she put in hurriedly. ‘I’m feeling much better.’
    â€˜Kate doesn’t like to be fussed when she’s ill,’ her father explained to Javier. ‘But do you think it’s such a good idea going back to your own room, Kate? If Susie catches something, we’ll all be…!’ His bushy brows which met over the bridge of his nose arched expressively.
    â€˜God, no!’ Kate exclaimed immediately. ‘I can’t do that.’ Susie, like their mother, was not the most stoic of patients; she never suffered alone! ‘And I don’t want to pass this bug on to the other guests.’
    â€˜You will naturally stay here as long as necessary, Kate.’
    The way he said her name made Kate’s skin prickle—not a good sign. She just hoped it was antipathy and nothing more sinister that was responsible for this sensation! She longed to refuse the offer on more than one count—firstly all her instincts told her to disagree in principle with anything this wretched man said, secondly she desperately didn’t want to be beholden with him, and last, but not least, she could sense her mother putting two and two together and coming up with an unhealthy five!
    Kate tensed. If Mum starts dropping heavy hints of a matrimonial