Lifelong Affair (6 page)

CHAPTER
THREE

HER
arm felt bruised from the way Alex thrust her inside the house, closing the
door in the young man's face as he continued his questioning.

Morgan
had never been so shocked in her life. Where did people get these ideas from?
She and Alex hardly knew each other, and what they did know they disliked. They
would certainly never consider
marrying
each other, not even for Courtney's
sake.

Alex
was scowling heavily as his mother came out of the lounge, throwing his car
keys down carelessly cm the hall table. 'Have you called the police, Mother?'
he rasped.

'Police?'
Rita Hammond looked puzzled. 'Oh, you mean the press,' she dismissed.

'Of course I mean
-

'Alex,
you had no right to take that woman with you to collect
my
grandson!' Her icy
blue eyes spat venom at Morgan.

He
frowned. 'Are you saying
you
told the media?' he asked softly.

'No,
of course not,' the elderly woman snapped, striding over to stand in front of
Morgan. 'Give him to me,' she ordered, holding out her arms for the baby.

Morgan's
arms tightened about the tiny shawl-wrapped form. She didn't like the almost
hysterical gleam in Rita Hammond's eyes. She had been wrong about this woman's
lack of emotion concerning Glenna and Mark's death; Rita Hammond was slowly
cracking up, her emotions held on too tight a rein.

Morgan
  
looked
  
appealingly
  
at
  
Alex,
  
and
  
was relieved when he stepped
forward to take control of the situation.

'It's time for your medication, Mother

"I
don't want it,' his mother refused imperiously, shaking off his hand on her
arm. 'It just makes me epy. If I hadn't been sleeping this morning I could have
come with you to collect Courtney.
She
has no eight to him!'

'Mother
-------
'

'She's
a slut, Alex, just like her sister was. I will not permit her into my
grandson's life!' Rita Hammond's voice was beginning to rise shrilly. 'You
should know mat no member of that family is capable of bringing up a child
decently!' Her eyes glittered with hatred.

Morgan was very pale, 'Mrs Hammond
'

'Give
the baby to me!' The other woman reached out for Courtney, and Morgan stepped
back out of her reach. There was no way she was going to relinquish the baby to
this hysterical woman!

'Mother
--------
'

'Give
him to me!' Rita Hammond began pulling at her arms, waking the baby, who
instantly gave a heartrending wail of hunger. 'You see?' she turned
triumphantly to her son. 'Courtney doesn't like her either. He's frightened of
her. Alex, I forbid this woman to come near my grandson.'

'Let's
go to your room, Mother,' Alex controlled her, firmly propelling her out of the
room, not sparing
 
second glance
for the shocked and pale Morgan.

What
did Rita Hammond mean by calling Glenna a slut? How dared she talk about Glenna
like that, and imply that she was the same! The woman might be bordering on
collapse, but her insults to Glenna were unforgivable.

'Shall I take the baby for his feed, Miss McKay?' She
turned at the softly spoken words, her eyes widening as she took in the neat
nurse's uniform and kindly face of the middle-aged woman standing in front of
her, her arms held out for Courtney.

'I
believe he's hungry, Miss McKay,' the woman added pointedly as the baby
continued to scream.

Anger
warred with practicality, and finally it was the latter that won. Courtney was
hungry, extremely so by the sound of him, and as she had no idea what Alex had
done with his bottle Morgan had no choice but to hand the baby over to the
capable-looking woman.

'Mr
Hammond engaged you?' she asked casually as the woman held Courtney confidently
in her arms.

'Of
course,' the woman nodded. 'I've prepared the nursery in your absence. If
you'll excuse me .. .'

Morgan
nodded abrupdy; Courtney's lungs sounded as if he were going to burst if
someone didn't feed him soon! But Alex's decision to engage a nurse for him
without even consulting her was unforgivable, especi
ally when she had already made her feelings
about such an idea clear.

He
hadn't returned from his mother's room after ten minutes wait, and with an
angry sigh Morgan went up to her room to shower and change for lunch. What she
had to say to him couldn't wait much longer. Glenna might have been treated
like an outcast in this family—Rita Hammond's words more than showed
that!—but
Morgan
McKay wasn't tied by love to any member of this family,
and she wouldn't let them walk all over her.

She
lunched alone, although the absence of the reporters in the driveway told her
that Alex had been in touch with the police. A casual query to Symonds as to
Alex's whereabouts now told her he was in his study. That was all she needed to
know!

Alex
told her to come in after her firm knock on the door, and she stood
aggressively in front of his desk, refusing his offer to sit down.
  
She didn't intend
wting
_a
t
a disadvantage by sitting acrow Bee some naughty schoolgirl!

"You engaged a nanny
   
'

•Nurse,'
he corrected calmly. 'Courtney is with her
mrwi'
He raised dark brows
enquiringly.

She
nodded abruptly. 'He's been fed, and is now ast asleep in his crib. I checked
on him before lunch,' she explained,

'I
believe Mrs Ford is very capable,' he nodded.

'And I believe I told you I didn't want
Courtney to
hive a
nanny
--
'

'Mrs
Ford is a nurse,' he repeated, sitting back, his eyes narrowed as if for
battle.

Nanny,
nurse, it's.all the same!' she said heatedly.

Cool
grey eyes raked over her disdainfully. 'Courtney is a premature baby, he was
bom in unusual circumstances. The doctors only agreed to him coming home with
us today on the understanding that an experienced nurse be engaged to monitor
his progress for a few weeks.'

•Oh.'

Indeed,'
he drawled at her discomfort.

Angry
colour flared in her cheeks. 'You could have told me that, damn you! You didn't
say a damned word on the drive to the hospital, or on the way back.'

'I
had other things on my mind—-'

•Your
 
hysterical
 
mother
 
for
 
one,
  
I
 
hope,'
  
she snapped.
'Let's leave my mother out of this,' he bit out harshly.

'Let's
not,' Morgan shot back at him tautly. ihe threw
  
out
  
some
  
insults
  
before
  
lunch
  
that
  
need explaining.'
  

Alex
put down his pen, standing up restlessly. Why do you persist in pursuing
subjects that would be better left for the moment?'
 
he bit out, his eyes narrowing angrily.

'And
why do you persist in avoiding them?' she snapped, as tense as he was, and not
just because of the things his mother had said about Glenna. She still hadn't
got over the shock of the suggestion that she and this man should marry for
Courtney's sake. It would have been laughable, if the reporter hadn't been so
damned serious. 'So far you've opted out of discussing Courtney's furture
_s
and now you won't tell me the reason for your mother's hatred of Glenna.'

A
nerve pulsed erratically in his hard cheek. 'Did it ever occur to you that I am
as deeply affected at this doubled loss as you and my mother appear to be?' he
rasped. 'Did you ever think I might have some grief of my own to contend with?'
His mouth twisted as contrition washed over her. 'I can see you didn't, he said
abruptly. 'And maybe I don't show my emotions as easily as you do, but that
doesn't mean I don't have them. Mark was my young brother, and Glenna had been
a member of my family for two years. Maybe I haven't been showing my feelings
before now, but you and my mother have been displaying enough hysteria for all
of us!' he scorned hardly.

She
swallowed hard, feeling the chastisement for what it was. Just because the man
gave the impression of being of stone it didn't mean he was without feelings.
'I'm sorry,' she said stiltedly. 'We'll— postpone this discussion then.'

His
mouth twisted with dry humour. 'Only postpone it?'

'Your
mother's words against Glenna were pretty insulting.'

'She's
at breaking point, surely you can see that?' Alex dismissed.

She
nodded. 'But it's usually when we're under the most emotional strain that we
can dare to say the things we really feel.'

'My
  
mother
  
is
  
always!—articulate,
  
he
  
drawledely.
 
'Believe me,
 
she always
 
says what she Tike you.'

'And
you,' he nodded.

Unwilling
humour lightened her features.
 
'Pretty Mot lot, aren't we?' she mocked. T would say so,' Alex agreed
wryly. 'Now would you if I got on with my work? Hammond Industries,
unfortunately, hasn't ground to a halt, I still have to He was kept very busy
the next three days, so much
id
that
Morgan rarely saw him. She didn't see too . of Rita Hammond either, as Alex had
persuaded the other woman to stay with her daughter for a while, absence was a
welcome relief to Morgan. She it almost every waking moment with Courtney, soon
lost her nervousness with him, managing to iced, dress and change him with ease
now. And the baby seemed to be coming to know her too, often Mopping his crying
if she should happen to take him in her arms and cradle him, when he wouldn't
stop for Mrs Ford.

Morgan
came to a halt in the nursery doorway on the third evening when she saw Alex
actually sitting in The rocker in the nursery feeding Courtney his evening
bottle. As far as she was aware he had never done such a thing before.

As
if becoming aware of her gaze on him he looked up, giving a rueful grimace at
her surprised expression.

'You're
doing very well,' she smiled, moving further into the room.

'I
thought I was,' he nodded. 'Until I winded him and he was sick down my back!'

Morgan held back her laugh with difficulty. 'I had a few
accidents like that to start with, but now I always put a towel over my
shoulder.'

'I
will in future.' He put the bottle down as it was finished with. 'Here, let
me,' she draped a towel over his shoulder. 'A bit late for that, isn't it?' he
mocked 'Better
  
late
  
than
  
never,'
  
she
  
quipped,
  
wiping Courtney's mouth as he was
a little sick. 'See,' she said with satisfaction. 'He's almost asleep,' she
murmured softly a few minutes later, as the baby's head turned to one side and
his eyes closed.

Alex
stood up to lay the drowsy baby gently back in his crib. 'I sent Mrs Ford to
dinner and thought I would see what it was that's given you that glow for the
last few days.'

'Well,
it wasn't having Courtney being sick down my back,' she retorted to hide her
embarrassment. She hadn't been aware of having a glow, or the fact that Alex
had noticed it.

He
eased the dampness of the silk material from his shoulders. 'God, my shirt
stinks!'

'So
will you,' she assured him. 'I should get that shirt washed immediately. And
you'll need a shower.' 'And
 
I
 
always
 
thought
 
babies
 
smelt of talcum
powder!'

'Poor
Alex!' she laughed softly. 'Hm,' he grimaced. 'I didn't deprive you of your
nightly treat, did I? Mrs Ford tells me you've been mainly feeding and caring
for Courtney yourself.'

'I've
enjoyed it.' It also gave her something to do. She was left mainly to her own
devices, Alex either at work or in his study, and she liked being with
Courtney.

He
nodded, moving out of the nursery and into the corridor so that their
conversation didn't disturb the sleeping baby. 'The funerals are tomorrow,
Morgan,' he told her quietly. 'They've been arranged for the afternoon."
She had paled at his first mention of funerals. She known that the bodies from
the crash had been released for burial now, but Alex hadn't mentioned Ac
funerals to her before. "'I've spoken to your parents,' he continued in
the emotionless voice that she so hated. 'Your father still wasn't well enough
to travel, and your mother doesn't fed she should leave him at such a time.'