Page 108 of Love Is: Two Bodies One Soul

Lexie looked coldly at her father. She hadn’t told Owen, but today her father was much worse than usual. It was obvious he had taken against her man.

‘Normally, yes, Dad, but Emi wasn’t very well yesterday. She’s had a cold that seems to come and go, and he wants to be available just in case.’

‘Who’s Emi?’ Gran asked.

‘Owen’s daughter,’ Lexie replied, and Doctor Scott sucked in air to exhibit further disapproval.

* * *

They wereat the top of the Downs when the call came through. Grandmother and Mrs Scott, the younger, remained at Meadow Bank to clear away lunch and prepare a welcoming tea for the return of the walkers. Kate stayed with them because she didn’t have suitable shoes for walking.

So that left the three men and Lexie for the hill climb. Doctor Scott walked at the front, setting a fierce pace with Xander keeping up with him. Lexie and Owen could hear Xander trying to justify his reasons for his December wedding, while his father loudly criticised.

Owen glanced at Lexie and said in an undertone, ‘You weren’t exaggerating when you said your dad goes on and on. His bedside manner must be a wonder to behold.’

‘Shush, he’ll hear you.’

‘Don’t worry, I’ve already destroyed any prospect of an amicable friendship,’ Owen grunted, sending a silent thank you that his own father had been different. Own father? Which one? He still had to come to terms with his feelings about Henry. For the moment and maybe for ever he would think of his Welsh father, an army sergeant, quietly kind, brave and secretly gay, as his real father and nothing like the good Doctor Scott.

The mobile in Owen’s pocket chimed loudly.

Affronted by the sound, Doctor Scott glared at Owen. ‘Good God, man! You aren’t taking that call here, are you?’

‘I am.’

Muttering, Doctor Scott walked on with a silent Xander by his side. Lexie stayed with Owen.

Owen pressed the phone to his ear and asked, ‘How bad?’

Lexie waited, watching anxiously as Owen’s expression went through a series of changes – none of them good.

‘What’s wrong?’

Owen shook his head.

‘Yes, I understand. Which hospital?’

Pause.

‘Right, I’ll get there as soon as I can?’

Owen shoved his phone back into his pocket. ‘I’ve got to get to London.’

‘I’ll drive you. What’s happened?’

‘I told Margaret she should take Emi to the doctor, but she didn’t. Apparently, this morning Emi worsened. Bad enough for Margaret to do what I said, and she called the doctor, who called an ambulance, and now they’re at the hospital.’

‘Come along, come along – don’t dawdle.’ Doctor Scott had returned with Xander still in tow.

‘We can’t, Dad … we’ve got to go.’

‘Why? What’s the panic?’ Xander asked.

‘It’s Owen’s daughter. She’s been taken to hospital.’

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