In Search of the Past (Stacey and Shane Mcleod, #2) (17 page)

“Yes, so I’m finding out,” Stacey said. “May I print out a copy of this?” 

“Yes, of course, but it will cost a few pennies.” 

“That’s fine,” Stacey said.

The Hospital

S
tacey took a taxi to the flat. Her mind was on the information she had found. Suddenly she felt so cooped up in the cab, as if she couldn’t breathe deep. Stacey had never before lived in the city.  She had grown up in the wide open spaces of Texas.  Now she felt all hemmed in, like she couldn’t think straight.

She asked the taxi driver to let her out at the park.  It was just a couple of blocks from Shane’s building.  As she stepped from the taxi, she welcomed the touch of the crisp autumn air against her face.  Her mind was so occupied with the information she had discovered that she didn’t notice that the wind had picked up and the gold and yellow leaves were swirling around her feet as she walked through the park.

Stacey looked at her watch and knew she was going to be late.  She knew Shane was going to ask, where she’d been.  She didn’t want to lie to him, but she didn’t want to upset him either.  As luck would have it, Stacey beat him home.  She took a fast shower and put on a robe, then headed down to the kitchen.  Mrs. Wyatt had made a casserole and left it in the refrigerator along with a salad. Stacey put on a kettle of water for tea.  She couldn’t get her mind off the information she’d found.  There was no way she could go to York.  She thought, about hiring a private detective to go investigate, however, this was something she really wanted to do herself. Deep inside, Stacey knew she wasn’t going to give up her time with Shane to follow an elusive dream.  She couldn’t take a chance of her marriage turning into a nightmare.  If the circumstances were reversed, she would be mad as hell if Shane went off chasing some dream woman.

By seven o’clock, Stacey was wondering where Shane was and why he hadn’t called.  She checked her cell phone, but it was dead.  Then she checked the answering machine in the bedroom.  Shane had called at four, to let her know he would be very late.  He was on his way to Queen’s hospital to perform emergency surgery on an adolescent.  She put the casserole back in the refrigerator, ate a bowl of salad, and waited.

Stacey thought about the information she’d found.  She wondered why this information wasn’t in the libraries she’d checked before she’d headed to Yorkshire. This whole thing was bizarre.  First the fall, then the dream that was as vivid as real life. Stranger still, for Eric and Shane to resemble so much. Their height, hair and eye coloring the same, but their bodies weren’t the same. Eric had scars on his face and body, but Shane didn’t. Also, Stacey wondered why the earl’s first marriage was recorded, but not his second. She knew the children were from his second marriage. How do I remember the pain of child birth, when I’ve never had a child?  I know there are answers out there somewhere. I just don’t know where to look yet.

Stacey called Annie and told her what she’d found.  They talked for awhile, then she went to bed.  Stacey dozed on and off, until about three a.m. when Shane came home. He was still in his scrubs.  Stacey was laying on her tummy and watched as he undressed.  She could see he was exhausted.  As he got into bed he realized Stacey was awake.  She raised up on her elbow and asked, “How did it go?”

“Better than I thought it would,” Shane said. “The little chap was only ten and the surgery took nine hours. I couldn’t leave him, so I stayed in recovery with him until I was sure. His parents were frightened half out of their wits.”

“They’re very lucky to have you, a very talented, caring doctor. More important than that, you’re a wonderful caring man.”

Shane reached over and took Stacey’s hand and kissed it. He was laying and explaining the operation and the enteric workings of the brain and nervous system.

“Do you have any idea of what I’m talking about?”

“Yes I do, I’ve been reading up on the brain, spinal cord and nervous structures. I read what medical books Dad had, then I went to the school library and checked out medical books more advanced on the brain, spinal cord and nerves.”

“You’re amazing and I love you,” Shane said.

“Rest my love, you’ll have to be up soon,” Stacey said, and kissed him goodnight.

“I’ll rest much better with you in my arms,” he said.

Stacey felt cozy and safe all nestled in Shane’s arms. The alarm went off at five but  Stacey turned it off and let Shane sleep until seven.  She woke him with coffee, scones and fruit. “What’s this a continental breakfast?” Shane asked still groggy with sleep.

“You can call it that, or a jump start to get your blood sugar working.”

After Shane left, Stacey cleaned the kitchen and made the bed. She showered, dressed and left the flat before Mrs. Wyatt arrived.  Stacey didn’t want to hear about, indecent young women again, but she did leave her a note saying, “Thank you for the casserole, we’ll have it tonight.”

Stacey had no place in particular to go, so she window shopped.  She really didn’t need anything, but it was fun to look at the show windows. Shane called Stacey’s cell phone around eleven. “Come to the office at one,” he said. “We’ll have lunch together.”

“Okay, I’ll bring lunch,” Stacey said. She really didn’t want that cafeteria scene again. She took a taxi, stopped at a bistro and picked up sandwiches and coffee. It was ten ‘till one as she walked into the hospital.

Stacey had not planned on stopping by the hospital today, so she was dressed in jeans, boots, a sweater and a suede jacket.  She wasn’t uncomfortable with admiring looks, she just wondered why?  Did she have American written all over her?  As she was going up the stairs, she met Rhonda coming downstairs.

“Well, hello miss Scott. You’re becoming a regular around here,” she said.

“Yes, I guess I will be until the end of the week.”

As Stacey reached Shane’s office an attractive older man was leaving. Shane introduced her. “Sir Richard Heath, my fiancée, Stacey Scott.”

“How do you do, sir,” Stacey said, as she shook his hand.

“Do I know you from someplace?” Sir Richard asked with a frown.

“My feelings exactly sir, but a different time and a different place.” 

Sir Richard looked at Stacey not understanding.  He looked at Shane, then back at Stacey and said, “Very nice to meet you young lady.”

“What was that all about?” Shane asked, as Stacey came into his office.

“He looks like someone I used to know, a long, long time ago,” Stacey said.

“In your dream?” Shane asked.

“Yes, isn’t that strange,” Stacey said.

“If that’s so sweetheart, why did he think he knew you?”

“Now that I don’t know,” Stacey said.

While they were eating lunch, Stacey told Shane about her visit to the royal college of arms, and the information she’d obtained there. “York might have more information, the lady said.”

“Do you want to go there?” Shane asked.

“No, well not until after next summer. My time with you is more important to me than chasing a dream. How’s your young patient, by the way?” 

“He’s recovering quite nicely.  I saw him first thing this morning, he’s awake and talking.”  Stacey cleaned up their mess and started to kiss Shane bye. “I’ll walk you downstairs to wait for the taxi,” he said.

Shane and Stacey where on their way downstairs when one of the sisters asked, “Are you leaving, Doctor McLeod?” 

On the landing; Shane turned, looked up and said quite annoyed, “Not hardly, Sister. You’re well aware I have patients to see this afternoon.” 

When Stacey heard the irritation in Shane’s voice, she glanced at him, then up at the nurse at the top of the stairs. As their eyes met, the woman was stupefied.  She felt as if she was being drained of mind and strength.  Then Shane took Stacey’s hand and they disappeared down the stairs.

As the taxi pulled up, Shane kissed Stacey bye and said, “If all goes well, I shan’t be late.”

“Regardless,” Stacey said. “I’ll be there waiting.”

Shane gave her a smile that was worth all the waiting in the world to her.

When Rhonda saw Brenda standing at the stairs she touched her arm and asked, “What is wrong with you?”

Brenda hugged herself and said, “I feel like I’ve just had my mind read.”

“Well, short novels are in vogue,” Rhonda said, laughing.

“I’m not joking around,” Brenda said. “I truly felt like she knew everything I was thinking.”

“Who are you talking about?” Rhonda asked.

“Doctor McLeod’s fiancée,” Brenda said.

“Oh, now I’m beginning to understand.  You think she knows that you tried to put the make on Doctor McLeod.  If that’s so, wouldn’t she know that he didn’t rise to the bait.”

“Oh, he was rising well enough, until he went on holiday and met her.” There was a pause, then she asked, “Rhonda, do you believe in witches and witch craft?”

“Good lord, no, Brenda. You’re a professional person, you know better that that. Face it pet, one got away, you’ll find another.”

“No, Rhonda, it’s not that, I actually felt like she was reading my mind.”

“Oh, I see, you think she knows that you tried to do to her fiancée the same thing as your husband did to you. Perhaps you should learn a lesson from this, Brenda.”

The Enlightening

S
tacey was waiting for Shane when Annie called and asked, “Have you been to the dress shop for your fitting?”

“No, sorry Annie, I’d forgotten all about it.”

“Well, go now,” Annie said.

Stacey called a taxi and was there in twenty minutes.  Mrs. McGraw had the gown ready. It just needed a tuck here and there.  Stacey had picked out the evening gown from drawings Mrs. McGraw had mailed to her in Texas and then she had returned the drawings and her measurements. The floor length gown was a backless halter top with collar, made of white satin with a knee length slit down the middle. It would be the sexiest dress Stacey had ever worn.

She hoped Shane would like it. Stacey was trying her best to look more sophisticated for Shane.  She was not immune to the looks he received from other women. They were always older, more sophisticated looking than Stacey. In October, in New York, women were quite open in their admiration of him. The funny thing was, he didn’t seem to notice. Stacey knew herself pretty darn well.  She knew no matter how high she wore her hair, or how sexy and sophisticated her clothes were, deep inside she was still a Texas country girl who would be just as comfortable on a horse as in a limousine.

Actually, Stacey didn’t like limousines.  The only one she’d ever ridden in was the night of her prom.  She would rather have driven her jeep, but the other kids asked her to chip in for a limo, so she did.  After the prom, most of the kids wanted to go to a hotel. That was where Stacey drew the line. She told her date who wanted to stay at the hotel. “I’m going home, if you wanna’ stay that’s up to you. Then she asked, “Does anybody wanna’ go back to Rawhide with me?”

Peggy Flatt and Yolanda Money said they would, but the limousine driver refused to take them back to Rawhide, so Stacey called Mr. Chen and he came to pick the girls up, and told the driver, “Sir, you must be careful not to break your arm.  It would be difficult for you to drive.”  Two days later he had a broken arm. Some sort of accident, they heard.

By the time Stacey got home, Shane was there.  She told him where she’d been as she put the casserole in the oven, then sat down to be with him.  She could see he was beyond tired.

“Would you like to watch the Rugby game on TV?” Stacey asked. “I can bring supper in to you on a tray.” 

They ate and watched the game. Shane was dozing off before the game was half over. Stacey walked him upstairs and helped him undress and get into bed. He was sound asleep before she reached the door.  Stacey cleaned up the kitchen, took a shower and went to bed.

The alarm was set for five, but before the alarm went off Stacey felt hands moving over her body, then her hair being lifted off her neck and replaced by his lips. Stacey turned, put her arms around Shane and said, “Good morning.”

“Yes, it’s a good morning and it’s about to get better,” he said. Oh, he was so right, they laid so completely satisfied in each others arms.

“You are the most exquisite man alive,” Stacey said. “If this is the results I get, I shall put you to bed early every night.”

Shane chuckled that low sensuous laugh of his, kissed her and said, “Sweet talk will get you nowhere, lass. I must get to hospital.” 

“Then get up, lazy bones,” Stacey said, as she slapped his bum. 

While Shane showered and dressed, Stacey made coffee and English muffins for their breakfast.  As Shane was leaving, he kissed Stacey bye and whispered. “When I get home lass, we’ll take up where we left off.”

After Shane left, Stacey showered, dressed and was reading a book, waiting for Mrs. Wyatt to arrive. Like always, she used her key and came in. When she saw Stacey sitting in the living room, she acted surprised and said, “Oh, I see you’re still with us.”

“Yes ma’am, I am,” Stacey said. “I’ll be here until Sunday, then next February, I’ll be here for one week. In April I’ll be here for two weeks. In June after our wedding, I’ll be here permanently.”

Mrs. Wyatt made a noise in her throat like, “Humph.” She went to the kitchen, then upstairs. When she came down, she came to Stacey, took off her apron and said, “Well, young woman, to be sure, if you’re going to do my work, there’s no need for me to come take care of Doctor McLeod, until after you leave.”

“Mrs. Wyatt, could we have a cup of tea together?  I have something I would like to show you.”

Stacey went upstairs while Mrs. Wyatt plugged the kettle in to heat. When she came down she went to the kitchen.  Stacey put two cups and saucers on the table, then said, “Mrs. Wyatt, sit down, please.” Stacey prepared the tea, then sat down herself.

“Mrs. Wyatt, I know how much you like and respect Doctor McLeod, so I’m gonna’ tell you a secret.” Stacey took the license from the envelope and handed it to her. Mrs. Wyatt read it, looked at Stacey, read it again and looked at Stacey. “Why are you keeping it a secret?” She asked.  Stacey told her how much she and Shane loved one another, but being the only child in each family, it would be selfish not to have a big wedding where they could participate. So with the help and blessing of Doctor McLeod’s grandmother...