Spanish Inquisition by Elizabeth Darrell Page B

but you forgot my Sunday ritual of inspecting your apartment. I had to learn of your covert return by being scared out of my wits on seeing a body in your bed.’
    â€˜It wasn’t a covert return,’ he began, remembering guiltily how he had ensured no lights would be seen at the front of the building. ‘You weren’t there when I arrived, and I was tired after the flight.’
    â€˜There are pens and paper, emails, mobile phones. No, you sneaked in expressly to avoid me.’
    â€˜
You weren’t there
,’ he repeated emphatically.
    â€˜Had you told me you were coming home I would have been.’
    â€˜I wanted to surprise you,’ he wheedled with sudden inspiration.
    â€˜Don’t try to avoid the issue using blatant cajolery that’s so out of character it’s laughable.’
    â€˜I’ve forgotten what the issue is, ma’am.’
    â€˜No, you haven’t,’ she snapped. ‘Now you’re back on the base you’ve become one of my patients again, and I refuse to allow you to undertake any form of military duty until passed by a medical board. You sustained serious injuries in that explosion. A foot closer and you’d have been killed along with Jeremy Knott. I thought you had more sense than the average male who thinks it’s macho to defy medical advice, then ends up twice as ill.’
    â€˜Clare, I’m not being irresponsibly stupid.’ He tried to take her hand, but she pushed his away. ‘I hear what you’re saying, but you know damn well there are hundreds of instances when doctors are proved wrong. Miracles of mind over matter, or a guardian angel hovering. I know my body took a beating in that explosion. It ached, it burned, it produced so much pain I thought it would never end. But it has. A week ago I suddenly realized I was back to normal.
    â€˜No, don’t look at me that way,’ he chided. ‘Consider your car, for instance. You jump in it and take for granted that it will get you safely to your destination.
But
, if you hear a faint rattle or squeak; hesitation when the engine fires; smell burning or petrol; feel the vehicle juddering or losing power up hills you know there’s something wrong.
    â€˜Being inside your skin is similar to that. Day after day you take for granted that your body is doing what it should.
But
, a slight twinge; a curious ache or pain; trembling or giddiness; losing power up hills all tell you that something’s wrong. A week ago I knew this large bulk of flesh, bones and organs named Rydal was working completely normally again. It still is. So much so, the brain that goes with it needs similar stimulation after three months of books, music, jigsaw puzzles and Mollie Hubbard.’
    He managed to catch up her hand this time. ‘I appreciate your care and concern, all you’ve done for me over the bad four months, but I’ve come through it and I’m ready to take up my life where it left off last November.’ He squeezed her fingers. ‘I’m not a fighting soldier intending to go to a warzone any day now, I’m just helping to investigate a false charge against one of my men. Some in-depth thinking isn’t going to threaten my chances at the medical board.’
    She studied him for several moments without drawing her hand away. ‘Have you finished?’
    â€˜Yes. Can we kiss and make up?’
    â€˜In front of the Officers’ Mess?’ she cried in mock horror. ‘That’ll have to wait until tonight. Come on, let’s go in for lunch and you can tell me about your thrilling escape from Mother Hubbard.’
    When Max left Headquarters Tom shut himself in his own office leaving Piercey sitting gloomily before his computer. On checking out Maria Norton’s next of kin he was surprised. Although he ought not to have been because the young singer was intelligent enough to hold NCO rank in a specialized branch of the Army.
    That