CHAPTER THREE

HER arm felt bruised from the way Alex thrust her inside the house, closing the door in the young man’s face as he would have continued his questioning.

Morgan had never been so shocked in her life. Where did people get these ideas from? She and Alex hardly knew each other, and what they did know they disliked. They would certainly never consider marrying each other, not even for Courtney’s sake.

Alex was scowling heavily as his mother came out of the lounge, throwing his car keys down carelessly on the hall table. ‘Have you called the police, Mother?’ he rasped.

‘Police?’ Rita Hammond looked puzzled. ‘Oh, you mean the press,’ she dismissed.

‘Of course I mean—–’

‘Alex, you had no right to take that woman with you to collect my grandson!’ Her icy blue eyes spat venom at Morgan.

He frowned. ‘Are you saying you told the media?’ he asked softly.

‘No, of course not,’ the elderly woman snapped, striding over to stand in front of Morgan. ‘Give him to me,’ she ordered, holding out her arms for the baby.

Morgan’s arms tightened about the tiny shawl-wrapped form. She didn’t like the almost hysterical gleam in Rita Hammond’s eyes. She had been wrong about this woman’s lack of emotion concerning Glenna and Mark’s death; Rita Hammond was slowly cracking up, her emotions held on too tight a rein.

Morgan looked appealingly at Alex, and was relieved when he stepped forward to take control of the situation.

‘It’s time for your medication, Mother—–’

‘I don’t want it,’ his mother refused imperiously, shaking off his hand on her arm. ‘It just makes me sleepy. If I hadn’t been sleeping this morning I could have come with you to collect Courtney. She has no right to him!’

‘Mother—–’

‘She’s a slut, Alex, just like her sister was. I will not permit her into my grandson’s life!’ Rita Hammond’s voice was beginning to rise shrilly. ‘You should know that no member of that family is capable of bringing up a child decently!’ Her eyes glittered with hatred.

Morgan was very pale. ‘Mrs Hammond—–’

‘Give the baby to me!’ The other woman reached out for Courtney, and Morgan stepped back out of her reach. There was no way she was going to relinquish the baby to this hysterical woman!

‘Mother—–’

‘Give him to me!’ Rita Hammond began pulling at her arms, waking the baby, who instantly gave a heartrending wail of hunger. ‘You see?’ she turned triumphantly to her son. ‘Courtney doesn’t like her either. He’s frightened of her. Alex, I forbid this woman to come near my grandson.’

‘Let’s go to your room, Mother,’ Alex controlled her, firmly propelling her out of the room, not sparing a second glance for the shocked and pale Morgan.

What did Rita Hammond mean by calling Glenna a slut? How dared she talk about Glenna like that, and imply that she was the same! The woman might be bordering on collapse, but her insults to Glenna were unforgivable.

‘Shall I take the baby for his feed, Miss McKay?’

She turned at the softly spoken words, her eyes widening as she took in the neat nurse’s uniform and kindly face of the middle-aged woman standing in front of her, her arms held out for Courtney.

‘I believe he’s hungry, 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 abruptly; 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, especially 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 feeling at a disadvantage by sitting across from him like some naughty schoolgirl!

‘You engaged a nanny—–’

‘Nurse,’ he corrected calmly. ‘Courtney is with her now?’ He raised dark brows enquiringly.

She nodded abruptly. ‘He’s been fed, and is now fast 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 have 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 born 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.’

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