The Greek Children's Doctor(49)

       
            



      

'So are you going with the gorgeous Greek who bid a fortune for you at the auction?'

Libby stiffened. 'How do you know about that? Who's been talking?'

'The whole hospital,' Katy told her, her eyes amused. 'And can you blame  them? He paid one thousand pounds for you, Lib! Everyone else was  bidding tiny amounts.'

Libby shrugged carelessly. 'So the guy is rich. It doesn't mean anything.'

'In my experience, rich people don't throw it away,' Katy said mildly. 'It's the reason they're rich.'

'Well, I don't know why he spent a thousand pounds on me,' Libby said  testily, picking up a spoon and teasing the froth on top of her coffee.  'Who am I to understand the workings of a man's mind?'

Katy gave a warm smile. 'He must have been pretty keen on you.'

'If he is, it's only because I keep saying no.'

'And why on earth do you keep saying no? Rumour has it that he's gorgeous.'

Libby thought of Andreas, remembering his luxuriant black hair and his incredibly sexy eyes.

'He is gorgeous.'

Katy looked baffled. 'So what's wrong?'

'He's a man,' Libby said flatly, putting her spoon down and staring at  the patterns she'd made on the surface of her coffee. 'That's what's  wrong.'

'So?' Katy finished her tea. 'You're twenty-nine, Lib. You can't carry  on being this defensive. Eventually you've got to trust someone.'

'Why would I want to do a silly thing like that? It's asking for trouble.'

'I can tell you like him,' Katy said softly, and Libby gave a short laugh and picked up her coffee-cup.

'Oh, I like him. I like him a lot.' She felt things for Andreas that  she'd never felt for a man before, and that worried her. It made her  vulnerable. 'It doesn't change the fact he's a man.'

'Libby, not all men behave badly,' Katy said gently. 'You have to get out there and give it a go.'



'I've given it a go,' Libby said flatly. 'And I found him in bed with his wife.'

Katy frowned. 'But were you in love with Philip?'

Libby sipped her cappuccino. 'No,' she said finally, 'I wasn't. Which  just makes me doubly determined not to get involved again. Imagine how  much harder it would have been if I'd really cared. I'd be humiliated  and broken-hearted, instead of just humiliated.'

Katy looked confused. 'So you're going to go through life picking men  you know you can't fall in love with? How is that ever going to work?'

'It isn't,' Libby agreed, 'but, then, I don't actually want it to work. I  just can't deal with the pain that goes with relationships.'

'But maybe if you chose someone you really liked, the relationship might  stand a chance of working,' Katy suggested logically. 'At the moment  you're so afraid of being hurt that you pick people who you can't  possibly fall in love with. You'll never meet Mr Right that way.'

'I don't believe in Mr Right,' Libby reminded her. 'He's a myth invented  for children by the same person that thought up Father Christmas and  the Easter Bunny. Personally I'd rather believe in the Easter Bunny. At  least he comes armed with chocolate.'

But, despite her light-hearted words, she found herself thinking about  what her sister had said. It was certainly true that she'd never really  felt anything for Philip. Did she really pick men that she knew she  couldn't fall in love with?

'You're so busy protecting yourself from hurt that you never go out with  anyone remotely suitable. You're afraid of falling in love, Libby.'

Libby glared at her. 'I thought you were an A and E doctor, not a psychiatrist.'

'Today I'm your sister,' Katy said softly, 'and I love you. I want to  see you settled with babies because I know that's what you want, too. I  want to see you in love. And so does Alex, which was why he didn't buy  you, I expect. He hoped you might meet someone, and you have.'

Libby stared at the river, watching the way the sunlight glittered on  the surface. 'I don't want to be vulnerable and being in love just makes  you vulnerable.'

Katy gave a humourless laugh. 'I know that. I know that better than  anyone. I had such a dilemma when I met up with Jago again. He hurt me  so badly the first time.'

'That was different. That was because our father meddled.'                        
       
            



      

'He still hurt me. Believe me, Lib, trusting him again was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.'

'And Alex and I had to manipulate the two of you back together,' Libby  reminded her dryly. 'You were going to marry Lord Frederick Hamilton.'

'I was marrying Freddie because I was scared of what I felt when I was  with Jago,' Katy admitted. 'I was doing what you're doing. Running from  being hurt. But there comes a point you have to take a risk with your  heart, Libby. Otherwise you'll miss out on love. I shiver when I think  what might have happened if Jago and I hadn't got back together. I love  him so much. Without him, my life would have been so different. Empty.'

Libby sighed, acknowledging that she was envious of her sister's relationship.

'It's different for you,' she said gruffly. 'You and Jago are crazy about each other and you always were.'

She knew how powerfully Jago had affected Katy.

Having loved him, Katy had never been able to feel anything for another man.

But she herself never felt that strongly for a man …

Until Andreas.

Libby arrived on the ward for the late shift to find that Rachel had had her drip removed.



'She's doing so much better,' Bev told her. 'Andreas gave instructions  for it to be removed this morning and she's having the antibiotics  orally now.'

'Did the results of her urine tests come back?'

'Positive. It was a UTI.'

So Andreas had been right. Libby gave a reluctant smile. He might be  good-looking and too pushy by half, but he was clearly a good doctor.  Better than good. Hopefully, by treating the child so early he would  have managed to prevent any damage to her kidneys.

'And how's Melanie this morning?'

Bev smiled. 'Doing very well. Her wound is a bit sore, obviously, but she's a lovely child. So cheerful.'

'Is her drip out?'

Bev nodded. 'She had bowel sounds so Andreas started her on sips of  water last night and took her drip down this morning. I thought maybe  you could get her to the playroom today.'

'Good idea.' Like all paediatric nurses, Libby knew how important it was  that the children had plenty of opportunities for play. 'I'll get  going, then.'

She started with Rachel, checking the baby's observations and noting  with pleasure that her colour was good and that she was alert and  interested in her surroundings.

'She's like a different baby,' she said to Alison, who nodded.

'I know. Those antibiotics worked like a miracle. Thank goodness the GP  sent us in here.' She gave a rueful smile. 'He might not have diagnosed  her correctly himself, but at least by admitting her we saw Dr  Christakos. He's amazing.'

Right on cue, Andreas strolled into the room looking devastating in a blue shirt and well-cut trousers.

It was really unfair that any man should be so good-looking, Libby  thought helplessly as she tried not to look at him. It was like having a  job in a chocolate factory and being on a strict diet.

'She owes me a cuddle.' He smiled at Alison and scooped Rachel into his  arms. He held her with the easy confidence of someone with plenty of  experience with children, talking softly to her and allowing her to pat  his cheek with her tiny hand.

'She likes you,' Alison said shyly, and Libby looked at him helplessly.

There seemed to be no age limit to the women he charmed.

Pulling herself together, she quickly changed the sheet on Rachel's cot and got her antibiotics ready.

'We'll give dose IV and then we'll take the venflon out and continue  with the drugs orally,' Andreas said, still cuddling the child in his  arms.

Libby tried not to look at him, busying herself with the various jobs  that needed to be done and then excusing herself and hurrying back to  the nurses' station.

Unfortunately he was right behind her.

'By the way … ' he looked at her ' … this trip you've got planned with  Adrienne. She wants to know if you can do it in three weeks' time. She  can't do it before that because there are things going on at the school  that she wants to go to.'

Libby's face brightened. 'I'm delighted that she wants to stay at school.'

He gave a wry smile. 'Me, too. She seems to have finally made friends. Thanks to you, I think.'

Libby blushed. 'I doubt it. I was only there for five minutes.'

Andreas studied her. 'But some people make an impact in a very short space of time,' he said softly.

Libby's heart hammered against her chest. 'Three weeks, you say?'                        
       
            



      

'That's the Saturday of the ball so I suppose that may not be convenient. You'll want the time to get ready.'

'Believe it or not, it doesn't take me all day,' Libby said dryly. 'And,  anyway, I need to do some shopping for myself, so that's fine. I'm  really looking forward to it.'