1848453051 by Linda Kavanagh Page A

But the doctors say that everything’s okay.’
    Kerry gave an exaggerated sigh of relief. ‘I was worried sick when Maria texted me! She just said that you’d been taken to hospital, so I didn’t know what exactly had happened.’
    Laura smiled apologetically. ‘Sorry, love – I didn’t have time to give anyone a detailed account of what was happening.’
    Kerry looked worried. ‘I assume you’ve contacted Jeff?’
    Laura nodded. ‘Yes, he’ll be in later.’
    She felt too ashamed to tell her friend that Jeff had hit her again the night before, and that his aggressive behaviour during sex might well have been a factor in her threatened miscarriage. Despite claiming that he longed for the baby, Laura feared that Jeff’s erratic behaviour was starting to put her pregnancy in jeopardy. Lately, his temper had seemed to flare up in an instant. It was making Laura miserable, but she didn’t know what to do.
    Stifling a sob, she turned it into a cough as Kerry looked at her. She couldn’t understand why her marriage had suddenlygone sour. They were married such a short time – wasn’t this meant to be ‘the honeymoon period’? Or did Jeff feel that having won her and made her pregnant, he could now revert to being the man he truly was? And what kind of man was that?
    After Kerry had gone – with promises to ring later and bring in anything she might need – Laura lay back on her pillows and awaited her husband’s arrival. She’d chosen to text rather than to speak to him, since she didn’t relish another explosion over the phone. Perhaps he was having a difficult time at work? Yet she didn’t dare ask him about it, since he’d told her that she couldn’t. Perhaps his recent brush with death in the restaurant had made him more fearful for his life? He’d been adamant that he’d brought the pen with him to the restaurant, and Laura realised by now that Jeff hated being wrong about anything. So she’d said nothing further about the matter. She longed to be able to help him, but Jeff seemed determined to keep his problems and insecurities – whatever they were – to himself.
    ‘Hello, love,’ Laura said warmly, as Jeff arrived at her bedside.
    ‘Is the baby all right?’
    Laura nodded, deflated that he hadn’t enquired about her own health or given her a hug. She didn’t like to admit it, but she’d become sadly aware that Jeff’s charm and warmth had disappeared very soon after they were married. It was as though he didn’t feel the need to please her any more.
    ‘Yes, it’s fine,’ she replied. ‘Hopefully, I’ll be home in a few days.’
    ‘What happened?’
    ‘I don’t really know – I’d just finished giving a lecture when I suddenly developed cramps. Then I discovered I was bleeding, so Maria drove me straight to the hospital.’
    Laura realised guiltily that she was giving Jeff an edited version of what she’d told Kerry, by avoiding any mentionof the bleeding the night before. When Jeff had taken her in anger, she’d known that something was wrong, and a visit to the bathroom afterwards had confirmed it. But right then she didn’t want to draw any attention to his involvement, since that might precipitate another burst of anger, which would somehow end up with her being blamed.
    Laura also avoided mentioning that she’d phoned Kerry, and that her friend had already been in to visit her. She was gradually coming to realise that it was safer to avoid any mention of Kerry when Jeff was around. Despite Kerry’s attempts to be nice to Jeff, her husband wasn’t making a similar effort. Nor had she told Jeff about her night at the pub with Kerry. Since he’d been out himself that night, she’d felt it wiser not to draw his attention to it. Let him think that she’d been at home, waiting for him. He seemed to like her best in the role of acquiescent wife.
    ‘So my son is definitely okay?’
    Laura nodded, exasperated. ‘The baby is okay, Jeff – we don’t know whether it’s