Page 73 of The Wedding Proposal

Most of the crowd was silent, now, standing back, giving the medics room to work. Elle hovered. It was hard to yearn to be of use but know that keeping out of the way was the most helpful thing she could do. She ached to go to Lucas but, as was only right, his attention was all on Charlie.

When, a few minutes later, the paramedics packed up their gear with practised economy of movement and prepared to transfer their patient to the ambulance, Lucas heaved himself to his feet and helped Kayleigh to hers. Elle realised that they intended to go in the ambulance with Charlie. It made sense, as neither of them had a car on the island.

Seeing something useful she could accomplish, she dashed back into the boat, through the saloon and into the cabin, gathering up dry clothes for Lucas and stuffing them in a bag with a towel so that once he got to the hospital he wouldn’t be stuck in wet things. She snatched up his wallet from the bedside and crammed that in, too.

She arrived back on the shore on legs that were beginning to feel as if they belonged to someone else, just as Charlie was slipped smoothly into the ambulance like a precious parcel onto a shelf. Kayleigh hovered anxiously and Lucas was looking around, frowning. His expression relaxed as he saw Elle return.

She shoved the bag at him. ‘Dry clothes and your wallet.’

‘Fantastic.’ He gathered her up against him in a hard hug, heedless of the wet, cold clothes that pressed between them. ‘Thanks.’ There was a break in his voice.

‘You were amazing. You saved his life.’ Elle wanted to ask if he thought Charlie would be all right but Lucas looked gaunt and dazed. There was no point asking him questions to which he was no doubt terrified of the answers. She wanted to stay with him and cuddle close, reassure him, reassure herself that he was safe. But there was barely room in the emergency vehicle for Lucas and Kayleigh, so she just pressed a kiss to his mouth and released him. He almost staggered as he climbed into the ambulance. But he made it to a pull-down seat, the doors were shut and the vehicle eased away.

In the hush that followed, Elle found she was shaking. Subdued activity resumed around her. Fenders and the sunbed were retrieved by the helpful boat owners, and the lovely Maltese lady placed Elle’s phone back into her hand.

‘Thank you, th-thank you everybody who helped,’ Elle managed, voice shaking, but her thanks were waved away as men in wet clothes prepared to move off.

‘Will you be all right?’ another woman asked. She seemed to be with the man with the sunbed.

‘I’m fine.’ She couldn’t think about herself right now. All she could think about was Charlie’s pallor and the apprehension in Lucas’s face.

But, wow. Lucas had turned into a hero right before her eyes. Staying calm. Doing what had to be done. Knowing what had to be done. Keeping control of the situation. Not letting his feelings intrude until he was sure someone competent was there to take over. She was so proud of him she could burst.

Then Loz and Davie came half-running up the quay. Loz’s eyes were huge. ‘Elle? We came home and saw an ambulance leaving. What’s happened?’

That’s when Elle felt her face begin to crumple.

Loz instantly dragged her into a cushiony, comforting embrace. ‘Come on, sweetie. Let’s get a cup of tea or something.’

Elle didn’t think she’d ever been so glad of a hug. She let herself be guided across the gangplank and into the saloon, barely conscious of the dampness of her clothes where they’d been pressed against Lucas. Gulping back tears, she poured out the story of how Charlie had taken on gravity and lost.

Davie made tea while Loz patted Elle’s arm, exclaiming and clucking.

Davie had just brought the hot drinks up into the saloon when a phone began to ring.

Elle looked around. ‘That’s Lucas’s ringtone.’ She saw the handset beside a window, screen alight, and went to pick it up. Then she halted.

The name of the caller, flashing on Lucas’s phone in white, portentous letters, was Mum.

Fiona.

Heart plummeting, Elle let the phone ring twice more. Fiona couldn’t know what had happened. She was probably just calling to chat.

Elle didn’t have to answer. Lucas would ring with news of Charlie as soon as he was able. Elle could text Kayleigh, who probably had her phone in her bag, and Lucas could use Kayleigh’s phone to ring home.

But what if that were to take Lucas away from Charlie? Suppose that was the moment that Lucas should be signing a consent form or listening to important information?

The phone rang again.

Fiona had the right to know what had happened. Elle forced her own feelings aside and steeled herself to pick up. ‘Hello,’ she said, nervously. ‘This is Lucas’s phone. He’s not here. Is that—’ She swallowed. ‘Is that M-Mrs Rose?’

Fiona’s self-confident voice hadn’t changed at all. ‘Yes, hello. Will Lucas be long?’ And then, curiously. ‘I’m sorry, you are—?’

‘Elle,’ said Elle, apprehensively.

Silence.

‘Mrs Rose, I only answered Lucas’s phone because I have to tell you—’

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