Consequences

Part 39

Isabelle considered her options. Then she decided to tell them what they wanted to know. Isabelle put her knife down and said, "Rina put herself through med school, but we also needed her to keep up appearances, so she burnt the candle at both ends." Isabelle put her fork down, wanting to be sure that any sign of humiliation did not show. And relating what amounted to the fact the family were broke back then was humiliating. She tried not to allow her mortification show. It was embarrassing. Telling near strangers about a period in her life when all they really had was their reputation. That was something they had fought hard to hold on to.

"We couldn't afford to pay her uni fees, so Rina worked. Of course people in our circle thought she was just pretending to slum it. After all she was turning up at all the key social events in the calendar, and she had new outfits for each event."

"Which you borrowed?" Charlie asked with a frown.

Isabelle shook her head. "We reinvented Georgiana's and my wardrobe. Cara and Gran are brilliant seamstresses."

"Oh." The family were clearly very creative.

Wanting the humiliation to end, Isabelle said quickly, "Six years hard work paid off. Rina completed her studies, graduated and works as a medic."

"That's when Rafe changed his mind." Charlie sighed at the romance of it all.

Isabelle laughed ruefully. "No. Rafe, like most of the people who knew us, thought Rina was just playing at medicine, until she landed herself a husband. He gave her a wide berth."

"So how did they get together?" Charlie asked in confusion, more interested in the love story then the fact the family were skint!

"Charlie!" Ryan warned.

"What?" His wife scowled at him. "I'm just asking? Not a big deal! Surely!"

"Rina was assigned to Dr Rhianna Machedo." Isabelle said, not wanting the meal to cause disharmony. She did not know the couple well, for had she known something about them she would have realized that Charlie was a strong, assertive woman who was more than capable when it came to handling her husband!

"Rhianna." Charlie and Ryan asked in synchronicity. Of course Doug knew from Rhianna that she knew Marina, but he had not told his brother that.

"You know her?" That surprised Isabelle.

"Yes, of course, Jethro's our legal guy." Charlie said.

"I hang out with Mike. We know Rhianna through them. Got to know her when Jethro married her. Small world." Ryan seemed surprised.

"Small world indeed." Isabelle nodded and wondered if she should give Rhianna a call to learn more about this family. "When Rhianna went overseas, she recommended Rina to Rafe for Rina's final rotation as a junior doctor. Rafe and Rhianna were in the same year when they trained as doctors. Anyway Rhianna convinced him to take Rina on that rotation with the new team. Which he did."

"And they fell in love." Sighed Charlie romantically.

"Eventually!" And at their raised brows, Isabelle smiled and gave them the gist of the story.

At ten o'clock Isabelle made her excuses and once again got up to leave. She wasn't on tonight until midnight, but she didn't want to rush and she'd have to be extra careful this evening. She had a plan to avoid being recognized. But that would take a bit of preparation. If that journalist was around she wanted to make sure he didn't recognise her.

Doug glanced at his watch. Ten. Again. Was there more to this early night scenario than met the eyes?

"You really are an early bird." Charlie frowned when she too glanced at her watch and noticed it was early. Just gone ten. This wasn't her idea of how a socialite lived. Surely they didn't head for bed before midnight!

Isabelle smiled. "It's been a busy few days." She said, and shrugged. "The engagement and everything. Wholly unexpected. But somewhat tiring." She hoped they bought that excuse, flimsy as it was. "It was lovely to meet you both." She said as she waited for Doug to retrieve her coat.

"Nice meeting you too." And a pity this isn't for real, Charlie thought but said nothing.

Isabelle said her goodnights and Doug escorted her to her car.

"Thanks for this evening." Isabelle turned to face Doug.

"Sorry about Charlie, she doesn't mean to come across like a journalistic tank."

Isabelle shrugged. "It's ok."

He wanted to know about this ten o'clock curfew she seemed to operate. "We should meet tomorrow to synchronise our diaries." He told her with a brief smile, wondering whether he would be able to convince her to make this a real engagement.

"Yes, I guess."

"You don't sound too convinced."

"I'm just trying to keep some semblance of normality going. But you're right we need to check on what we are doing together next week."

"So, lunch?"

She sighed, she'd probably get home around nine, and she wanted at least five hours sleep. "If it isn't too much bother, could we make it afternoon tea?"

"People do afternoon tea?" He grinned. It felt good to spend time with her. And the way she had handled Ryan and Charlie this evening suggested she was a lot more than a socialite. "Yeah, that would be good."

"Why don't you come to the house, say four?" That would give her a chance to get a decent sleep before he arrived. She usually finished a saturday night shift late.

"Ok." He nodded, then hesitated and decided he would thank his sister-in-law later.

"What?"

"Don't look round, but Charlie is watching us from the window." He told Isabelle and knew that he was going to milk the situation for all it was worth.

"So?" Puzzled Isabelle tipped her head back to look up at him.

"So, I expect she is waiting to see us kiss."

"Oh." If she hadn't looked quite so dismayed Doug wouldn't have laughed.

"Brace yourself." He teased as he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers in a fleeting kiss. He stepped back and she saw the grin she had felt. Her lips twitched. Ok, she decided, that nuclear war head was going to detonate if they ever got to really kiss.

"You think that satisfied her?"

"Doubt it." He replied. "It hasn't satisfied me!"