Part 17 (1/2)

'You know she has an illegitimate child? That's not really something we encourage in the Wentworth family.'

Carrie blinked. Illegitimate? Did anyone seriously use that word any more? Did anyone seriously care any more? She was beginning to see why Charlie and his father didn't get on.

Charlie grimaced. Pompous a.s.s. He was doing exactly what Charlie had known he'd do. Stick his nose into Carrie's background to check out her pedigree. 'She's a friend, Dad, that's all.' Bounce. Bounce.

Carrie sucked in a breath. She was surprised how much Charlie's dismissal of their relations.h.i.+p hurt. It shouldn't, that's what they'd agreed, after all. She should be happy that he was trying to stick to their deal. But the deal had come before her revelation. She knew now she could never just be friends with Charlie Wentworth.

'You know Veronica was asking after you the other day?'

Carrie swallowed. She should stop. This was a private conversation and none of her business. But, try as she may, she couldn't drag herself away.

'Oh, yes?' Charlie stifled a yawn. Bounce. Bounce.

Carrie felt her breath catch in her throat. He was interested?

'Said she missed you.'

Bounce. Bounce. Charlie rolled his eyes. h.e.l.l-kill me now. 'Really?' He'd rather go without s.e.x for another year.

Carrie swallowed. He was interested. There was a pain in her chest. He wanted his ex back?

'Play your cards right and I'm sure she'd take you back.'

'Really?' Charlie said distractedly. Thoughts of s.e.x had reminded him of how he had peeled Carrie's clothes off with his teeth last weekend. Bounce. Bounce.

Carrie ordered herself to breathe. Which she did. She ordered herself to move. Which she did not. The conversation was horribly fascinating-like a motorway smash, gruesome but compelling.

'What is that infernal noise, Charles?'

Charlie had had just about enough of the conversation. 'Someone knocking at my door.' I do work, Daddy, Dearest. 'My first appointment for the day. I'd better go.' Bounce. Bounce.

'So you'll apply for that surgical position, then?'

'No.' Charlie ended the call, pleased to have it over and done with. He checked his watch as he rose from his desk. Carrie was late. Maybe if he lurked by his doorway he could lure her inside.

He opened his door and jumped as he came face to face with her. The look on her face told him she had heard everything.

'Hi,' he said.

'Hi.'

'You heard that, didn't you?'

Carrie nodded.

Charlie couldn't tell what she was thinking. Her gaze seemed blank. She looked kind of frozen. That wasn't good. 'It probably didn't sound too good from your side of the door.'

He reached out to touch her, to tell her it wasn't what she'd thought, but she drew back.

Carrie felt her brain power up. 'No...it's fine. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been listening. It was none of my business.'

It was good that she'd overheard. To know that he hadn't really got over his ex-wife. It made the conversation they had to have easier. It made their parting easier. And it didn't matter that her heart was breaking. It was better to know now where she really stood in his life. Before she had too long to get used to loving him. Better to know before Dana got involved, too.

'Let me explain,' he said, taking another step towards her.

'Charlie, really,' Carrie said briskly. 'This is unimportant. There's something much more pressing I need to discuss with you.' She turned on her heel and headed straight for the staffroom, placing her laptop on the table.

She paced while she waited for him. She hummed a nursery rhyme in her head, determined not to think about the conversation she'd just overheard. About her fledgling love being well and truly flattened. She had to get through this. Afterwards she could fall apart. She could cry and rail against the fates. Right now she had work to do.

Charlie entered and she looked at him and couldn't decide what she wanted to do more-run to him or slap his face.

'Shut the door,' she ordered.

OK. This was bad. And he didn't think it was about the phone call. She looked serious. Deadly serious. Her pinstripes had never looked primmer. He turned and did her bidding then faced her.

'You're closing the centre down.'

Carrie suppressed a gasp. She could see his jaw clench and unclench and guessed the calmness of his statement had cost him a lot.

She swallowed. 'The centre is not viable. It will be my recommendation to the board that closure is the most expedient course of action.'

Charlie felt the burn of anger scorch his chest. 'Expedient.'

Carrie flinched at the disgust in his voice. He repeated it as if it was the dirtiest word in the dictionary. She lifted her chin. 'Yes. Expedient.' To h.e.l.l with him.

'I thought you'd changed. I thought you'd started to see past the bottom line.'

His barb hit home. He knew she had. She had changed so much in her time there. But that didn't alter the facts. 'My job is to look after the hospital's money.'

Charlie strode to the door and whipped it open. He pointed to the teenagers that were already lining up for their first game of pool. 'What are these kids going to do? Where are they going to go?'

'That data is not required by the board-'

'Data?' he interrupted furiously, slamming the door closed. 'They're people!'

Carrie swallowed. 'Rest a.s.sured, as with any report, I will also state the reasons against closure, which will include those issues.' Dear G.o.d, she sounded so pompous. So bureaucratic.

Charlie couldn't believe what he was hearing. The centre was the heart and soul of this needy community. He couldn't allow this to happen. It was madness. 'Is this because of us?'

It took a brief moment for the full implications of his statement to sink in. 'I beg your pardon?'

'Well, let's see. You haven't mentioned a word to me once about the state of play and then this morning you overhear a phone call and now you're shutting me down?'

Carrie felt herself stiffen. 'I resent your inference. This was a professional investigation. What happened between us privately has absolutely no bearing on the outcome.'

'You sure there isn't a little vengeance in there, Carrie?'

She stared at him, at his indignation, and her heart ached. But she didn't need to stick around and be insulted. Have her integrity called into question. She'd been down that road once in her professional career and had barely survived. She wasn't about to let Charlie do it to her all over again.

She picked up her laptop and fished around in her pocket for the locker key he had given her the first day. 'You will be receiving official notification in due course.'