Addicted to Witch (13 page)

And vice versa
, Auden thought. “What did she sound like when you spoke to her?”

“I’ve never heard her like that,” he admitted in wonder. “Excited about a future she’d never imagined. How do you cope with the lack of sleep?”

“What do you mean?”

“Helena doesn’t sleep at night.”

Auden coughed in derision. “Yes, she does. She hogs all the covers.”

Charlie gave a bark of laughter. “You know I’m trying my very best not to kill you.”

“I know, sir.” He removed the peas and tried not to wince at the pain breaching the numb of cold. “Do your checks. Run those tests. I promise I won’t marry Helena until you’re sure I’m telling the truth.”

He gave a slight frown. “Dr. Deans said you were unable to leave your home because of paranoia.”

“Don’t have any paranoia.”

Charlie breathed out slowly. “Come up to Harley Street tomorrow. I know a few psychologists who’ll do a full evaluation for you.”

Auden hesitated. “I don’t have a house in London any more. I’d have to stay with Helena.”

“Stay on the sofa, son, or the floor if that will help your conscience.”

Wow. The man was not even joking. “I’ll get a hotel.”

“That’d be for the best.”

He got to his feet and handed Auden the peas. “I’ll drive back.”

“Why don’t you stay? I was in the middle of making a steak and onion pie. You have taken out half my sight, so you’d have to help with the mash.”

“I’ve always liked you.” Charlie hauled Auden to his feet. “I’m just not keen on you being my son-in-law.”

***

Auden made sure his face was healed before Helena got home, with her mother Victoria in tow. She found him and her father watching sports and yelling sporadically at the TV. Charlie was going to stay wary until his friend at Harley Street said otherwise. Victoria—the complete opposite of Charlie—gave him hugs and kisses as she arrived with Helena. With a curious look on her face, Victoria lifted a hunk of his hair. “Do you need all this?”

“I’m like Sampson, cut it and I lose all my strength.”

She laughed. “Ah, I like it! And you cook?”

Charlie unfurled his arms from his chest. “He made a very good pie. Although I hope that’s not what we’re having for dinner.”

“No Dad!” Helena said on a bright laugh. “I brought food.” She leaned down to kiss her father on the cheek then pressed a chaste kiss to Auden’s mouth. He allowed his hand to linger over her cheek before releasing her.

“From a restaurant, I hope,” Auden said dryly.

“Auden,” Charlie interrupted what would have been a playful fight, “is going to move into a hotel. Until things are sorted.”

Victoria frowned. “Why? I hope it’s not about protecting your daughter’s virtue, because that went out the window a long time ago.”

“Mum!” Helena squeaked to Auden’s raucous laughter.

Boot faced, Charlie said, “No, it’s about making sure what he said is verified. By independent doctors.”

“Are you doing that tomorrow?” Helena asked. “I’ve already prepared a preliminary report and a request for a full psychological assessment. Here, Dad.” She handed over a neatly typed document.

“You know?”

“Absolutely. Dr. Deans should not be practising medicine, full stop.”

Auden turned to Charlie. “Whatever you want me to do. But, I’m telling the truth.”

“Auden can’t afford a hotel, Dad, his trustees still have control of his money. The tests need to be run as soon as possible. Ophelia is going to sort out the legalities as well.”

Charlie shook his head. “And what is Desdemona doing?”

“Picking out bridesmaid dresses and your suit.” Helena shrugged.

“If it makes you feel better, Charlie, I’ll stay in the spare room. Until everything’s sorted, then we’ll live apart.”

Victoria snorted. “There’s no point. The damage is done. All we can do is pray to God for forgiveness.” Victoria pointed to the kitchen. “Now hurry with the food. We’re all hungry here.”

As Helena hustled her father into the dining room, Victoria caught Auden’s arm. “I’m sure my darling husband has already given you enough of a threat, but I trust my daughter. I trust her choices. If she’s chosen you then, you are welcome in my family.”

Auden took her hand and kissed it. “I truly appreciate that. Thank you, Mrs. Sarpong.”

“It’s Dr. Sarpong and you are more than welcome.”

Chapter Sixteen

Auden waited outside for the psychologist and Charlie to finish talking. He’d had blood work taken in addition to hair samples for the drug and alcohol test that would be sent to the labs straight away. The psychologist emerged, a small woman who had seemingly embraced her stress highlights and sported a full head of rich, grey hair.

“Hello Auden. Come back inside.”

Charlie surprisingly sent him a reassuring grin as he sat down. “What’s the verdict then?”

“I would like you to continue your sessions with Charlie, only because you have been through quite an ordeal at the hands of your GP. I hope it doesn’t make you lose your faith in the profession,”

His breath caught for a second. She believed him? “No, not at all. I mean, I’m marrying a doctor.”

“Hmm, my daughter,” Charlie added, his disapproval more watered down.

“Good. I’ve spoken to Charlie, and I just want to go through what will be in my report. I’ve found you very articulate, extremely intelligent. I know Charlie thinks you could do with a shave. You did have a very traumatic experience as a child, but you have worked through that trauma. I cannot see any manic behaviour or depressive symptoms. There is no reason for you to be under a curfew, to have your money controlled by a third party, and you should not be on any anti-depressants, lithium or mood stabilisers. You have told me that you are in a stable and committed relationship and I can see the positive effect that’s had on you. You have more than the mental and emotional capacity to regain control over your life. That will be my recommendation for your trustees. If they don’t accept my recommendation, if I were you, I’d get a solicitor and start proceedings.”

Hells, you’re getting the most expensive ring I can find.
“That’s good to hear,” he said, biting down on his bottom lip to stop the smile of relief growing on his face. “I’ve reported my GP. We’ll see what happens from there.”

“A lot I hope,” the psychologist snorted. “Falsifying records, prescribing inappropriate medication, repeatedly giving an incorrect diagnosis, all to encourage her own sexual obsession? If she isn’t struck off, then I would out her to every single tabloid before reporting her to the police for harassment.”

I’ll still kill her. Much easier.
“Thank you. If you send your invoice to the trustees, you’ll be paid on time.”

The psychologist smirked. “I’m not worried about that. Charlie. Always a pleasure.”

“Thank you.”

With a pat between his shoulder blades, Charlie hustled Auden from the room. “Right, one more and then we’ll have to eat something, all this talking about myself, I’m bloody starving.”

Charlie looked at him for a moment. “Did I fail you?”

“No,” Auden said without hesitation. “Before I started seeing you, I really was on a downward spiral. What I missed about having a normal life was being able to talk to people. You allowed me to feel hope. Like I could have a future. So when I met Helena it was so much easier than it could have been if I hadn’t had you looking after me. Come on, I’ve got the history for it. Abuse as a child, isolation, quite public drinking, drug use and reckless financial behaviour. But I was just growing up. I don’t need any of that, I haven’t for seven years. While I hate what that woman did, I feel like I’m nearly worthy of your daughter.”

“Only nearly?”

“Just nearly.” Auden truly believed he’d never be fully worthy of Helena—not because of the sordid nature of his past, or the curse that was cast on him, but simply the purity of that incredible woman would never allow him to consider the possibility that he was worthy of her.

Charlie grinned. “Keep that up and I may start to want you as a son-in-law.”

“Hells will be pleased.”

***

Everything moved fast. Between receiving the written reports from the psychiatrists to the date for the trustee meeting, barely a fortnight passed. Helena attended the trustee meeting not only with Auden, but her father and Ophelia came along too. Ophelia had introduced herself as Auden’s legal representative and the trustees instantly looked pale.

On asking where Dr. Deans was, her father interjected, “Being investigated for breach of trust.”

The board of five members each had a comprehensive report from two independent psychologists of high distinction and calibre asking why they still held control for someone who had the mental capacity to manage his own funds. Ophelia was a danger as usual, delicately asking them which prison they wanted to go to for misappropriating funds.

“You understand that you’ll have to pay it all back, because from what I can see, the accounts don’t match up. I think interest should run from, let’s think…seven years back.”

Her father stood and gave his full support for Auden and continuing counselling with him to re-establish his trust in the system. Auden, for his part, patiently waited for everyone to finish talking to say, “Am I done with this shit now? I need to buy my fiancée a ring.”

With the slightest of winks to Auden and Helena, Ophelia made her conclusion. “It’s up to you, we can either agree right now, or go to the Office of the Public Guardian and do this for everyone to have a look at. What do you say?”

Terrified at the implications of doing otherwise, the trustees arranged for Auden’s funds to be returned to him, with interest. Helena didn’t get a look at the balance, but Ophelia chimed in, “You can give me the house in Kent and buy yourself a new one.”

“Have it,” Auden replied grimly. He clearly had no love for the house. It had served as his prison for so long. Helena went to Kent with him one weekend and together changed the interior entirely without touching a single paintbrush or laminated floor board.

“It’s your family’s home,” Helena said, when they finished. It now looked sleek, modern and not at all like the house that kept him from everything and everyone.

“A nice cage. The only reason I can even think about it without wanting to raze it to the ground is the fact I haven’t got the copy of the CCTV footage from our first night together.”

Helena felt herself flaming with heat. “I thought you were joking about that!”

He sent her a boyish grin before heading into the kitchen. “Let’s eat, love. We’ll talk film rights another time.”

It was a subject they didn’t get around to. Auden kept himself busy by all manner of daredevil stunts while Helena tried to regain a sense of normality at work. It didn’t help that her palm nearly constantly glowed with the letter A, which she explained to patients as a henna tattoo that went wrong. The impressive ring on her ring finger certainly didn’t assist with the quest for normalcy. It all felt like a dream.

Her father told her to make sure Auden didn’t do too much, not to burn himself out. How could she tell him to slow down when he was rediscovering life? He went paragliding, bungee jumping, skydiving, abseiling and started pilot lessons. If she couldn’t go with him in the evening, he would take her out, to dance, to sing, to play. Even though she enjoyed sleeping through the night, speeding through London streets in her brand new Porsche, counted as quality play time in Auden’s opinion.

The night before they travelled to Kent for their wedding, Helena returned to a home she didn’t recognise. It was a whole new world, white rocks framing a waterfall cascading into what should have been her living room—and a huge rock pool with steam rising from the water. Candles were everywhere.

“Auden,” she called. “If you’ve got a lute over your privates, I’m not marrying you!”

Instead a silk dove flew into her hand saying, Good evening, love. I’ve gone to see Terry about those songs I wrote. Enjoy your spa. Back in a few. A. PS, you know they’re all about you, right?

Her pride in him at that moment nearly burst through her chest. She’d known he was writing again, but she’d thought it was to do with his adventures and his freedom, and a lack of bed sheet covers at night or whenever she fell asleep. God, now that she could do so, she found it impossible not to sleep at any given opportunity. She felt so safe. More so now that Romely had been suspended from her surgery to await the GMC hearing, there was a non-molestation order in place so Romely had to stay far away. A criminal investigation was also in play thanks to Ophelia. The lure of the Kent house was enough to keep Ophelia and her team of solicitors extra busy.

She knew he wanted to do more than let the law account for Romely’s actions, but given he had just had everything returned to him, it was better to keep on the right side of the track. For now. Not that she was desperate to change his mind, but having fought so hard to have him, she would be devastated if he were taken away again. For the first time, Helena felt worry pick away at her love.

Chapter Seventeen

Celine Garceau is a sight for sore eyes,
Auden thought, watching his mother approving the changes he and Helena had made to the house. Knowing that her almost daughter-in-law was as accomplished with magic as she, made her all the happier. The aging side-effect of trying to breach the spell wore away as the day passed. Auden’s sister was now a sweet young woman, and his younger brother was much cooler than he’d ever been at that age. Less swagger, more assured skill.

Happily accepting Desdemona’s demands on what they would all be wearing at every stage of the wedding, Auden grabbed a moment alone. Sitting outside, his hands in his pockets, he marvelled how quickly time had gone. Had it just been six weeks ago that he’d asked Romely for a night of freedom? Just six weeks ago that he’d nearly transformed in front of Helena?