Page 223 of Feathers in the Wind
‘I’ll be back in a moment,’ I said.
I left Christian in Lily’s care but the child began to cry as I ushered the crowd into the hallway, where Sergeant Evans took Nat by the arm.
‘This is outrageous.’ I turned to the perpetrator of this tableau, my face hot with anger. ‘Mark, how could you?’
Mark looked away. ‘I’m sorry, Dr. Shepherd, but I have a duty.’
‘A duty to your patient, who has now been deprived of his only parent at a vulnerable time.’ I turned to the officials. ‘What happens now?’
‘We are taking Mr. Preston to Northampton police station for the time being, and then he will be moved to our detention center, where we will undertake further inquiries,’ Ms. Smith replied.
‘I’ll get you a lawyer, Nat,’ I said.
Behind us, Christian’s wails echoed down the corridor, and I saw the pain in Nat’s eyes but I could do nothing except watch helplessly as the policeman, followed by the little woman in the gray suit, took my lover away.
When I turned around, Mark, his work complete, had beaten a retreat. I found him in his office, writing up reports. To make my point, I slammed the door behind me and, both hands on the desk, glared down at him.
‘You spineless bastard,’ I said. ‘This was never about Nat. It’s about you and me.’
‘Dr. Shepherd, Jessica, please...’
I brought my face to within inches of his. ‘You spoilt little boy. When you couldn’t have me anymore, you thought you would punish me by taking away the one person in the world I have ever truly loved.’
‘Jessie...’ He adopted a silken, soothing purr.
‘Don’t ‘Jessie’ me, Mark. I’m so disappointed in you. You were bloody brilliant in surgery. You saved that child’s life and then you had to go and spoil it all with your shabby tricks.’
‘You don’t understand, Jess. I had no choice. I have a duty to this hospital, to the government, to report these inconsistencies. For all you know, he could have been an Irish terrorist!’
‘Does he look like an Irish terrorist?’
‘What do you know about him anyway?’ Mark’s bravado had returned.
I nearly said ‘Everything’, but bit my lip just in time. ‘I know he’s not Irish and he’s not a terrorist. He is just a father who would do anything for his son,’ I paused. ‘And I know I love him, Mark. Whatever else there is to know about him, I have a lifetime to find out.’
Mark deflated like a balloon. ‘You really feel that strongly about him? There’s no chance...’
I gave him what I hoped was a withering glare, straightened and said, ‘No. Now I’m going to find him the best lawyer I can and then I’m going to sit with his son who needs him. Stay out of my life, Mark—mine and Nat’s.’
* * *
I returned homelate in the evening, after a fruitless afternoon spent trying to get Nat released. Apparently the Department of Immigration liked to keep its suspected illegal immigrants firmly under lock and key. Not even the best efforts of my lawyer and offers of a hefty recognizance could change their minds.
I had barely sunk onto the sofa with a large whisky, when someone knocked at the door. Muttering under my breath, I went to answer it.
‘Colonel Preston.’ I greeted the dapper elderly gentleman on the front door step.
‘Good evening, Dr. Shepherd. I hope I haven’t called at an inconvenient time?’
‘Well...’ I ran a hand through my hair, wondering how I could get rid of my uninvited visitor without offending him. He seemed like a nice, old fellow.
‘I was wondering if I might speak with your friend, Nathaniel.’
‘Ah, that’s a little difficult. He’s not here.’
Colonel Preston raised an eyebrow in much the same way Nathaniel did. The familiar gesture made my heart jolt.
‘Can you tell me where I may find him? It’s quite urgent.’
