Lifelong Affair by Carole Mortimer Read Free Book Online Page A

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