A Venetian Affair: A Venetian Passion / In the Venetian's Bed / A Family For Keeps

By which, thought Laura happily, Domenico meant to make love to her the moment they were through his door. With this in mind she went on a shopping expedition with money her mother had given her from her windfall, and spent a shamelessly large part of it on underwear.

Laura went down to Stavely regularly, but during one weekend she’d stayed in the flat the doorbell rang while she was enjoying the luxury of a late breakfast with the Sunday papers.

‘It’s me,’ said a hoarse little voice through the intercom. ‘Let me in, please.’

‘Abby?’ Laura pressed the release button and opened the door to see her sister creeping up the stairs in such obvious pain she flew down to help her. ‘What on earth’s the matter, love? Have you hurt yourself? Where’s Mother?’

When her only answer was a visceral groan, Laura put an arm round Abby’s waist and helped her up to the flat. ‘Tell me what’s wrong,’ she said urgently.

‘Bathroom,’ gasped Abby, and staggered through the door Laura opened for her.

When she heard anguished groans Laura disregarded her frantic pleas for privacy and went in after Abby, her practical side taking over when it dawned on her what was happening. She soaked a hand towel in cold water to bathe Abby’s sweating face, and unable to help in any other way, held her sister’s hand until the inexorable process was over. She turned on the shower and helped the shocked, sobbing girl out of her clothes, and when Abby was clean and dry wrapped her in a dressing gown and made her lie on the bed to recover.

Laura went to the kitchen to make tea, but Abby slid off the bed to follow her, looking at her with huge reddened eyes, her face ashen beneath its suntan.

‘I’m sorry about landing you with this,’ she said unsteadily.

‘Don’t worry about that,’ said Laura firmly. ‘The important thing right now is to get you to a hospital—’

‘No,’ wailed Abby, sounding more like eight than eighteen.

‘I’m afraid you must, love. Don’t worry, the hospital’s quite near. I’ll give you something to wear, then I’ll ring Mother and bring her up to speed.’

‘Don’t do that!’ said Abby frantically. ‘I don’t want her to know.’

‘Of course she must know,’ said Laura gently. ‘Where does she think you are now?’

‘Out for the day with Rachel.’

‘And where does Rachel think you are?’

‘Up here for the day with you.’

‘You were taking a chance!’

‘I was desperate,’ sobbed Abby.

Laura put a comforting arm round her. ‘Don’t cry. I know you feel rough, but get these clothes on, love. The taxi should be here any minute.’

With a feeling of déjà vu Laura reported at Reception in the A & E department, but Abby keeled over while they were taking her details, which meant that she was wheeled away immediately. While her sister was examined Laura rang her mother, who took the news on the chin and said she would start out at once for the flat, in case Abby was allowed out of hospital before she got there.

On her way back to her sister Laura’s heart sank when a familiar white-coated figure came striding towards her.

‘Laura! Is something wrong?’ demanded Edward Lassiter.

Not with me, she thought glumly. ‘I’m fine. I’m just here with someone.’

His hazel eyes studied her face closely. ‘Your face has healed well. It was a hell of a shock to see you covered in contusions.’

‘It was to me, too,’ she said dryly.

‘Could we meet for a drink some time?’ he asked in an undertone, but before Laura could answer his name was called urgently. ‘I’ll be in touch,’ he promised as he hurried away.

When Laura got back to Abby it wrung her heart to see her lively, clever young sister lying like a marble effigy in the bed. ‘Hi,’ she said, more cheerfully than she felt. ‘How do you feel?’

‘Not so hot.’ Abby tried to smile. ‘But at least I don’t need a surgical procedure. They’re giving me some drug. I’ll be discharged this evening at the latest.’

‘That’s good.’

‘Have you rung Ma?’

‘Yes. She’s on her way.’

‘Oh, God!’ The amber eyes shut tight in anguish for a moment then opened to look straight into Laura’s. ‘I didn’t do anything to make this happen, but I wanted to. I came to ask you how to get a termination.’

Laura went cold. ‘Not something I’m clued up about, I’m afraid.’

Abby swallowed hard. ‘A good thing nature did it for me, then. I was up at the crack of dawn to walk to Chepstow to catch the London coach, but I was in the underground from Victoria when I started getting these awful cramps. I thought maybe the pregnancy test was wrong and it was just the usual thing. But on the way to the flat I realised it was more than that and I really panicked, thinking I’d never make it before…’ She dissolved into bitter, painful sobs, and Laura bent to kiss her as she mopped her up.

‘Don’t, love. You got to me in time, thank God.’

‘And you just took over without a fuss.’ Abby sniffed hard. ‘You were great, sis. Thank you.’

Laura braced herself. ‘Can I ask who’s responsible?’

‘I am.’ The drawn young face turned mulish. ‘I made a big mistake.’

‘It takes two, love.’

‘I don’t want to talk about it.’ Tears started again, and Laura patted her sister’s hand reassuringly.

‘I’ll go back to wait for Mother, and then we’ll both come to collect you later. Are you all right with that?’

Abby nodded miserably. ‘Sorry I made such a mess of things.’

‘Don’t think like that.’ Laura gave her sister a fierce look. ‘Now, listen to me, Abigail Green. You put this behind you, go off to Trinity next month, and just get on with your life.’

Domenico rang as Laura was letting herself into the flat. ‘How are you, tesoro?’

‘I’m fine,’ she assured him, wishing she could let him into Abby’s sad little secret. ‘How are you?’

‘I am well, but you sound tired, amore.’

‘I’ve had things to do. Mother and Abby will be with me soon for a visit,’ said Laura, needing to tell him at least part of the truth.

‘You will enjoy that. Please give your mother my regards. Even on such brief acquaintance I find her most simpatica.’

‘You’ve hardly known me any longer.’