Margaret McDonagh – Virgin Midwife, Playboy Doctor (страница 1)
Nestled on the rugged Cornish coast is the picturesque town of Penhally. With sandy beaches, breathtaking landscapes and a warm, bustling community—it is the lucky tourist who stumbles upon this little haven.
But now Mills & Boon® Medical™ Romance is giving readers the unique opportunity to visit this fictional coastal town through our brand-new twelve-book continuity… You are welcomed to a town where the fishing boats bob up and down in the bay, surfers wait expectantly for the waves, friendly faces line the cobbled streets and romance flutters on the Cornish sea breeze…
We introduce you to Penhally Bay Surgery, where you can meet the team led by caring and commanding Dr Nick Tremayne. Each book will bring you an emotional, tempting romance—from Mediterranean heroes to a sheikh with a guarded heart. There’s royal scandal that leads to marriage for a baby’s sake, and handsome playboys are tamed by their blushing brides! Top-notch city surgeons win adoring smiles from the community, and little miracle babies will warm your hearts. But that’s not all…
With Penhally Bay you get double the reading pleasure… as each book also follows the life of damaged hero Dr Nick Tremayne. His story will pierce your heart—a tale of lost love and the torment of forbidden romance. Dr Nick’s unquestionable, unrelenting skill would leave any patient happy in the knowledge that she’s in safe hands, and is a testament to the ability and dedication of all the staff at Penhally Bay Surgery. Come in and meet them for yourself…
Margaret McDonagh says of herself: ‘I began losing myself in the magical world of books from a very young age, and I always knew that I had to write—pursuing the dream for over twenty years, often with cussed stubbornness in the face of rejection letters! Despite having numerous romance novellas, short stories and serials published, the news that my first “proper book” had been accepted by Harlequin Mills & Boon® for their Medical™ Romance line brought indescribable joy! Having a passion for learning makes researching an involving pleasure, and I love developing new characters, getting to know them, setting them challenges to overcome. The hardest part is saying goodbye to them, because they become so real to me. And I always fall in love with my heroes! Writing and reading books, keeping in touch with friends, watching sport and meeting the demands of my four-legged companions keeps me well occupied. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I loved writing it.’
www.margaretmcdonagh.com
margaret.mcdonagh@yahoo.co.uk
Recent titles by the same author:
AN ITALIAN AFFAIR*
THEIR CHRISTMAS VOWS**
ONE SPECIAL NIGHT…†
HIS VERY SPECIAL NURSE
A DOCTOR WORTH WAITING FOR
†A
Dear Reader
Welcome to Book 8 in this exciting series set in the beautiful Cornish town of Penhally Bay—one of the projects celebrating Mills & Boon’s 100th Anniversary.
Writing is a solitary occupation, so taking part in this series was a new and interesting experience for me, and it was an honour to work with fellow Medical™ Romance authors I have admired for a long time.
VIRGIN MIDWIFE, PLAYBOY DOCTOR was wonderful to write. I immediately fell in love with my hero, Oliver Fawkner, a dedicated, drop-dead gorgeous GP. Confident, wicked and fun, Oliver also has some surprising vulnerabilities. He needs a special kind of woman—one who will see past the playboy image to the man inside. Devoted to her mums-to-be, midwife Chloe MacKinnon is kind and serene, a popular colleague and a loyal friend. But issues from her past constrain her, and she believes there is no place in her life for love.
Can Oliver teach Chloe what it means to be a woman in the fullest sense of the word? And is Chloe the one to help Oliver find the love he deserves? You’ll have to read on to find out!
I hope you enjoy reading Oliver and Chloe’s story as much as I loved writing it. I also hope you will follow the Brides of Penhally Bay series, and the other special treats marking Mills & Boon’s centenary year. Here’s to another hundred years of the finest romance books in the world!
Love
BRIDES OF PENHALLY BAY
At Christmas pregnant Lucy Tremayne was reunited with the man she loved
We snuggled up in January with gorgeous Italian, Dr Avanti
Romance blossomed for Adam and Maggie in February
Single dad Jack Tremayne found his perfect bride in March
In April a princess arrived in Penhally!
In May Edward Tremayne found the woman of his dreams
June saw gorgeous Chief Inspector Lachlan D’Ancey’s wedding
The temperature really hots up this month— Dr Oliver Fawkner arrives in the Bay …
In August Francesca and Mike try one last time for the baby they’ve longed for
September brings sexy Sheikh Zayed to the beaches of Penhally
Snuggle up with dishy Dr Tom Cornish in October
And don’t miss French doctor Gabriel, who sweeps into the Bay this November
A collection to treasure for ever!
VIRGIN MIDWIFE, PLAYBOY DOCTOR
BY
MARGARET McDONAGH
CHAPTER ONE
‘SOMETHING’S WRONG, isn’t it?’
Midwife Chloe MacKinnon unwrapped the blood-pressure cuff from around Avril Harvey’s arm and tried to offer the anxious woman a reassuring smile. ‘Your blood pressure is rather high,’ she admitted, masking her own growing concern as she re-checked the notes and previous readings.
‘What about the other things?’ Tears glistened in Avril’s pale blue eyes, while her swollen fingers nervously shredded a paper tissue. ‘I’ve always suspected things weren’t right but the people at my previous practice in Birmingham told me not to worry. They said they were normal signs of pregnancy.’
Chloe took one trembling hand in hers and squeezed gently before returning to her chair. This was the first time she had seen Avril. The woman had moved to the small Cornish town of Penhally Bay in the last couple of weeks with her husband, Piers, both determined that their longed-for child would grow up in a better environment than the inner city. But this was Avril’s first baby. And at thirty-nine, being short in stature, underweight and with a history of migraines, she had a few of the risk factors that warned Chloe to be on her guard. Add in the symptoms she had presented with that morning, and Chloe was worried about Avril’s well-being as well as for that of her baby, suspecting that she had developed pre-eclampsia.
‘I always saw my GP at my old practice as well as the midwife.’ Avril paused and bit her lip. ‘Could I see one of the doctors here today?’
‘We’re more midwife-led here…’ Chloe hesitated as fresh tears spilled down the mother-to-be’s cheeks.
‘I don’t want to be a nuisance, and I don’t mean to doubt your expertise. It’s just that I don’t know anyone and I don’t know what to think. I’m so scared.’
Chloe smiled, wanting to put her at ease. ‘I understand, Avril, don’t worry. I’ll ask one of the doctors on duty to see you.’
The GPs left straightforward cases to Chloe and her colleague, Kate Althorp, but if it would set the distressed woman’s mind at rest to have the second opinion, Chloe wasn’t going to be awkward about it. Avril was alone in a strange place and feeling vulnerable, clearly on edge, her pale skin sallow, her short blonde hair lank. Time was of the essence. All that mattered was the safety of both mother and baby.
‘Thank you, Chloe.’ Avril gave a weary sigh, pressing the fingers of one hand to her temple. ‘I wish my husband was with me.’
‘Would you like me to call him for you?’
‘No, it’s all right. After dropping me here, Piers had to make the half-hour drive to St Piran for a meeting at the secondary school. He’s an art teacher and he’ll be working there when the new term begins,’ she explained tearfully. ‘We were looking forward to the summer to settle into our new home first and prepare for the baby. He won’t be back for another couple of hours.’
Nodding, Chloe reached for the phone and keyed in the extension number for Reception. She watched as Avril turned her head to stare sightlessly out of the window of the room on the first floor of the expanding Penhally Bay Surgery. Chloe had tilted the blinds to keep out the full effects of the merciless July sunshine and was grateful for the coolness inside the building.