Free His Diamond Bride by Lucy Gordon

bed, she told herself crossly. And pull yourself together. Remember you’re a nurse.
    She slept for a few hours and awoke to hear Sylvia getting out of bed and creeping out of the room. She slipped out after her and reached the corridor in time to see her sister go into Mark’s room. The whispers just reached her.
    â€˜I came to see if the patient’s all right.’
    â€˜All the better for seeing you,’ he said.
    â€˜Let’s see if I can make you feel better.’
    Standing in the bleak corridor, Dee heard muffled laughter ending in his exclamation of, ‘Ow! Be careful. I’m delicate.’ More laughter.
    She crept back to her room and closed the door.
    Next morning, she rose early. Even so, he was down before her, in the garden with Billy. She found them sitting quietly together, his hand on the dog’s head.
    â€˜Have you managed to reassure him yet?’ she asked.
    â€˜Just about.’
    â€˜Mark, I don’t know how to thank you for being so nice about this, not just about the bike, but about Billy.’
    â€˜Let it go. It wasn’t his fault. But listen, keep him indoors for a while. In fact, I’ll take him into the garage with me.’
    â€˜You think Hammond—?’
    â€˜I don’t know, but I didn’t like the look on his face last night.’
    â€˜I do wish you’d come to the hospital—’
    But his serious mood had passed and he waved her to silence. ‘Who needs a hospital when they’ve had you looking after them? I didn’t hit my head. Look—’ he leaned forward for her inspection ‘—nothing there.’
    â€˜That’s certainly true,’ she said wryly. ‘Nothing there at all. Outside or in.’
    He grinned. ‘I see you understand me. Are you cross with me?’
    â€˜How can I be when you were so generous about it? Especially to Billy. But I will help out with the money and—’
    â€˜No need. I’ll probably get something from the insurance.’
    â€˜But if it’s not enough, I’ll—’
    â€˜That’s it. This conversation is over. Isn’t it time for breakfast? Come along, Billy.’
    Man and dog strode into the house, leaving her gazing after them, exasperated and happy.
    Â 
    You barely got anything from the insurance company, did you? Not enough to buy another motorbike, but you didn’t tell me. You simply said you’d changed your mind about having one. I might have believed you, but Dad was there when the inspector came and he told me afterwards. I tried to speak of it but you got really cross. It’s funny how there were some things you just couldn’t cope with. Sometimes you seemed happier with Billy than anyone else. You didn’t have to put on a performance with him.
    Or with me. That was the nicest thing.

CHAPTER FIVE
    D EE’S eighteenth birthday was approaching. There would be a party with all the neighbours and for a few hours everyone would forget the approaching war.
    On the night, Mark came to meet her at the bus stop.
    â€˜I’m the delegation sent to escort you home,’ he said cheerfully. ‘Your dad let me leave work a little early so that I could shift the furniture for your mum and help her put up the decorations. She’s baking a cake for you—the best cake ever, with eighteen candles.’
    â€˜Mum always does the best cake ever,’ Dee chuckled. ‘For Sylvia’s twentieth she produced a real masterpiece. Is Sylvia home yet, by the way?’
    â€˜Not yet. She’ll be along soon.’
    As they neared the front door they could see the first guests arriving, everyone waving as they saw each other. Laughing, they all hurried in. After that, the bell rang every few minutes and soon the place was full. Except for Sylvia.
    â€˜We’re not waiting for anyone,’ Helen declared. ‘This is your evening. Let’s get on with it.’
    There were cards and