The Perfect Husband (24 page)

His face became more frantic. “I’ll kill
myself! I swear I’ll do it! I’ll take pills! You know I’ll do
it!”

She shook her head sadly, but didn’t
reply.

“It’s Mason, isn’t it? You’re fucking him! I
can see it in your eyes.”

“Please don’t blame Mason for this. It has
nothing to do with him. This is about you and me and always has
been. I haven’t loved you for a long, long time and if you’re
honest, you’ll admit you don’t love me, despite your claims. You
want to own me, control me—like a possession, but you don’t love
me. People don’t hurt those they love the way you’ve hurt me.”

“It’s the way my father taught me to love!
My mother worked hard to please him every second of the day!”

“Yes,” she agreed softly, “and look how that
worked out.”

Nigel’s expression turned desperate. He came
toward her again, his eyes pleading. “Don’t do this to our family,
Isobel! I beg of you! I swear, I’ve changed! Please, please come
home.”

She stared at him a moment longer and once
again was filled with pity. He no longer had the power to hurt her
and with that realization, the terror with which she’d regarded him
for so many years eased.

“Good-bye, Nigel. Take care.” She turned
back toward the hospital and walked away. She didn’t look back.

* * *

Mason headed straight for the children’s
ward the moment he entered the hospital. Isobel had left for work
before him. He’d offered to take the kids and drop them off at
their center before work, but she’d turned him down.

He understood her need to retain some
independence and to explain things about the AVO personally to the
daycare staff, but it was ridiculous having to leave for work half
an hour earlier than normal just so she could do that drop-off. He
certainly intended to revisit the arrangement and could only hope
the next time they discussed it, she’d be more willing to accept
his offer.

He caught sight of Georgie Whitely behind
the high counter that bordered the nurses’ station and greeted her
with a friendly smile. Though he’d been at the Sydney Harbour
Hospital for less than a month, the staff had made him feel
welcome, and a necessary and trusted part of their team. The
Nursing Unit Manger returned his greeting with a short wave.

“Hi, Mason. You’re bright and early. We’ve
just finished the handover with the nurses. Your patients have had
an uneventful night. I’d like you to take a look at Jody Collins in
bed six. She came in late last night with a nasty chest and throat
infection. She’s responding well to the antibiotics that were
prescribed for her last evening, but if you could pop in and see
her, that would be great.”

“Sure, no problem. I’ll be there in a
minute. I don’t suppose you know where Isobel is?” He did his best
to keep his tone casual. Isobel had insisted they keep the fact
that she was staying with him a secret. It was bad enough that half
of her colleagues had been on the floor and witnessed Nigel’s angry
accusations a fortnight earlier, but until it was confirmed by her
or Mason, no one would know the truth for sure.

Of course, he’d wanted to argue with her. As
far as he was concerned, he was with the woman he loved and would
love forever. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops. But for
Belle, their relationship was new and uncertain and she still
hadn’t made any kind of commitment. As much as he didn’t like it,
he understood her reluctance to go public and for now, acceded to
her wishes.

Georgie didn’t even raise an eyebrow. Either
she was an excellent actress or she really didn’t have a clue he
and Isobel had a thing. Or perhaps she was the ultimate
professional and didn’t think it was any of her business. Whatever
the reason, Mason was relieved when she merely said, “I think she’s
in the treatment room preparing to change a patient’s
dressing.”

He gave the nurse a quick smile. “Thanks,
Georgie. I’ll check in on the child in bed six in a moment.”

“No hurry, Mason. Let me know when you’re
ready.”

He nodded and strode off in the direction of
the treatment room. He opened the door and came to a stop. Isobel
was bent over a stainless steel trolley, checking its contents.
Mason’s heart melted at the sight of her. Although it had only been
a couple of hours since he’d seen her, he’d missed her.

Leaving her and the children at home in his
apartment each day had been difficult, especially after knowing
Nigel knew where they were. Mason was beyond grateful they hadn’t
heard from the prick since the police had arrested him, despite the
fact he’d been set loose. Mason could only hope the stint in the
lock-up, before the bastard made bail, had been enough to bring the
prick to his senses. Mason didn’t know what he’d do if the asshole
showed up again.

Isobel looked up from what she was doing and
smiled at him. His stomach somersaulted with sudden nerves. It was
just like in high school. The moment she appeared in the corridors
or the bleachers, he’d be tongue tied and stumbling over his words.
It had happened every single time. No wonder she’d never noticed
him. Now, he did his best to hide his nervousness with a grin.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi.”

“How are you?”

“I’m good,” she said with quiet
reassurance.

“Good.”

“I ran into Nigel in the car park.”

“
What
?” He blinked in disbelief at
her calm statement. “You saw Nigel this morning?

“Yes. He approached me in the car park as I
was heading inside to work.”

Mason stared at her, his heart pounding. She
was taking this latest Nigel meeting way too calmly. He drew in a
breath and tried to match her composure.

“What did he say?”

She glanced up at him and then returned to
filling the trolley. “He begged me to come home; told me he still
loved me and tried to convince me he’d changed.”

Mason blew out his breath. “Wow. How did he
seem? Was he angry?”

“He was at first, but after awhile, he kind
of got a grip on himself. In the end, he was just sad and
desperate. All I felt was pity.”

“He didn’t try to hurt you or threaten you
in any way?”

“No, the only threat he made was to
himself.”

“You mean he threatened to harm
himself?”

“Suicide, to be precise. He told me he’d
take pills. Don’t worry, it isn’t the first time he’s made that
kind of threat. It used to tear me up inside and I’d be riddled
with guilt. Now I can see it was just another way he exerted his
power and control over me.”

Mason shook his head, unable to believe she
was taking it so calmly. She’d had a run-in with her crazy, violent
husband. A man who’d recently attacked her and had served up years
of abuse. It didn’t make sense that she wasn’t fearful or at least
showing signs of apprehension.

“What did you say?” he asked, trying to make
sense of it.

“I reminded him of the AVO, and told him I
didn’t love him, that I hadn’t loved him for a long time. I told
him it was over. What I didn’t tell him was that I felt sorry for
him.” She sighed quietly and then continued.

“For so long, I lived in a vacuum where all
I wanted was for each day to end. Yet I was afraid of the nights I
had to spend in his bed and what he’d force me to do. I lived in a
constant state of fear and tension and it eroded everything else
away. Thanks to you, I’ve now had the chance to spend time away
from that, away from
him,
and I can see things much more
clearly. I can see him for who he is. A sad, desperate, sick man
who needs serious professional help.”

“You’re no longer afraid of him?”

“I think I’ll always be a little afraid of
him. I lived so long in fear. It will take a long time to unlearn
and forget. Maybe I never will. But I’m hopeful his hold on me will
lessen over the months and years and that one day I’ll look back
and shudder, not with terror but with regret that I let him steal
joy from me for so many years.”

“You’re not old,” he whispered, drawing
closer. “Not by a long shot.”

She smiled and rested her hand casually on
his chest. Even through his white lab coat, he swore he could feel
her heat.

“And you are a beautiful liar.”

“Hey!” he protested. “You and I are both the
same age and I know darn well I’m only now coming into my
peak!”

She laughed and the sound of it filled him
with joy. Her laughs had been few and far between and he cherished
every one of them. She reached up and pressed a playful kiss on his
cheek. It started out as a casual caress, but the feel of her lips
on his skin sent a surge of electricity dancing along his spine.
They hadn’t made love since the night her husband had broken in,
and he was as taut as a piano string.

Until now, she hadn’t made any move toward
him and he’d respected her need to take things slow. He was waiting
for her to give him a sign that she was once again ready to
proceed. It was slowly killing him…

He grabbed her hand and pressed it against
his heart. “Belle…”

“
Shh
, Mason. Not here. Let’s wait
until we’re home.”

Home.
He was thrilled that she’d
referred to his apartment that way. It filled him with warmth and
hope. He took a step back and cleared his throat.

“How did Nigel take the fact you told him it
was over between the two of you?” he asked in an effort to distract
himself and the erection he was trying to ignore.

She shrugged sadly. “It’s hard to tell. I
want to believe he’ll see sense and let me walk away, but I’m not
sure he’ll give us up so easily. To him, we’re possessions—ones
he
chooses when to give away. It’s not supposed to happen
the other way round.”

“Maybe when word spreads that you’re
separated, he’ll be forced to accept it and move on?”

She shrugged again. “Maybe. I guess all we
can do is live with that hope. In the meantime, I intend to do all
that I can to learn from this, and forget about it and him. It’s
time I put my energies into building the kind of life I’ve always
wanted for me and my children.”

He stared at her, but couldn’t bring himself
to ask if that life included him. It was too soon to be putting her
under so much pressure. Instead, he said, “I’ve spoken to some
colleagues. They’ve recommended a couple of therapists who
specialize in domestic abuse. I have the contact details if you
want them.”

“Thanks; I do.”

He handed her a piece of paper and she
tucked it into the pocket of her uniform. When she looked up at him
her eyes were full of gratitude.

“Thanks again, Mason. Thanks for everything.
I don’t know what I would have done without your help. You’re the
reason I found the courage today to stand tall and tell Nigel it
was over. You gave me that, Mason, and I’ll never forget it.”

“No, Belle, you’re wrong. You did that all
on your own. All I did was give you support and encouragement and
share my belief that you could do it. I’m so proud of you.” His
voice turned husky with emotion and once again, he cleared his
throat.

She moved closer. So close that if he moved
slightly, he’d brush her with his coat. She reached up and brought
her hand behind his head and slowly exerted pressure until his lips
were inches from hers.

“Kiss me, Mason,” she whispered and he
did.

Long moments later, he pulled away. His
chest heaved with the effort it cost to curb his passion. They were
in the treatment room, after all. Anyone could walk in at any
moment. It was funny how Isobel didn’t seem to care. Throwing
caution to the wind, he spoke from the heart.

“You know how I feel about you, Belle. I
don’t care how long it takes. I’ll wait for you forever.”

Emotion shadowed her beautiful green eyes. A
moment later, they sparkled with tears. A tiny smile trembled at
the corners of her lips.

“What did I do to deserve you, Mason
Alexander?”

Nigel flicked through shot after shot of the
photos he’d taken of his wife and her new man and his anger burned
hotter with every frame. They’d been taken from a distance, on the
other side of the staff car park, but with the expensive lens Nigel
had attached to his phone he was able to zoom in until their images
were crystal clear.

He stared at the smile on Isobel’s face and
the proprietary way Mason had thrown his arm around her shoulders.
He’d pulled her in close to his side, as if he didn’t care if their
secret got out; as if he didn’t care he was fucking another man’s
wife.

A fresh wave of fury burned through Nigel’s
gut. His eyes narrowed and his lips curled up in a snarl. Reaching
for the decanter of scotch that stood on the low table near his
elbow, he refilled his glass and then swallowed a healthy mouthful.
It had been a month since the bitch walked out. Christmas had come
and gone and yet he was still forced to endure the sideways glances
of his colleagues and the sniggers from other staff. He was the
source of whispers, innuendo and downright lies and there was
nothing he could do.

Well, he’d had enough of doing nothing. It
was time he wrested back control. The bitch would pay for what
she’d done to him. Of that, he was certain. All he had to do was to
come up with a plan; a plan so fantastic, so amazing, it would blow
his mind and more importantly, would finish off Isobel
Donnelly.

He took another two mouthfuls of scotch and
then set the empty glass aside. The alcohol burned its way down his
throat and he welcomed the heated feel of it. He stared at the
fireplace set into the wall on the other side of the den. It was
cold and dark and lifeless, like the rest of the house. It didn’t
matter that it was the middle of summer and that a fire wasn’t
needed. Some would also argue he didn’t need a wife and family.

And they’d be right—
the wife, at
least…