The Spanish Consultant Read online

  He had to hand it to her: she was an excellent actress.

  She was starting to make him feel guilty.

  Her blue eyes were suddenly huge, and she looked more like a little girl than a fully qualified doctor. “Why were you angry with me? Because of our—relationship?” She stumbled over the words, looking bemused, and Jago’s lean hands curled into fists.

  “I thought I already made it clear that the past is history.”

  “But it isn’t, is it, Jago? It’s there between us the whole time.”

  “Let’s just say I have a long memory for certain events.” His tone lethally smooth, he leaned back in his chair and surveyed her with the cool intent of a predator poised for the kill. It was really time for her to drop the innocent act. At least then they’d both know where they stood.

  Dear Reader,

  I’ve wanted to write a book about triplets for a long time, so when my editor suggested a trilogy I knew instantly how the books would be linked. It’s fascinating to observe the differences between children from the same family, and my triplets are no exception.

  First we have Katy—she’s cool and reserved on the surface, but underneath she has a wildly passionate nature that’s been repressed to suit the conservative expectations of her wealthy, aristocratic family. Only one man knows the real Katy, and he’s about to walk back into her life….

  Then there’s Libby—she’s free-spirited and independent and has attitude by the bucketload. It’s going to take a strong man to attract her attention, and he’s about to buy her in an auction….

  And finally their brother, Alex. Alex is a skilled A&E doctor, and so sinfully sexy and eligible that women can’t resist him. But he isn’t interested in commitment—until he meets Jenny and his well-ordered bachelor existence is turned upside down.

  Two sisters and a brother from an aristoratic family, all different but linked by medicine and a powerful emotional bond, each finding love in different ways. They are the Westerling triplets, and I hope you enjoy getting to know them.

  Warmly,

  Sarah

  The Spanish Consultant

  Sarah Morgan

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER ONE

  SHE’D forgotten how much she hated coming home.

  Katy’s breathing quickened as she looked round the elegantly landscaped garden filled with groups of people sipping champagne and laughing together. The air smelt of summer, the heady fragrance of blooms mingling with the scent of grass mown to uniform perfection.

  Suddenly she felt completely stifled and longed for the familiarity of the riverside apartment in London.

  If it weren’t for her mother she wouldn’t be here.

  ‘Happy birthday, Dr Westerling.’

  Hearing the familiar voice behind her, Katy turned with a smile of relief, her mouth dropping open as she caught sight of her sister.

  ‘What happened to your hair?’

  Libby tossed her long, shaggy mane and grinned wickedly. ‘I did it especially for Dad. It’s called strawberry blonde. Don’t you love it?’

  ‘It’s pink,’ Katy said faintly, and Libby’s smile widened.

  ‘I know. It’s perfect, isn’t it?’ Her eyes moved defiantly over the throng of conservatively dressed people and Katy bit her lip, looking at Libby’s normally gorgeous blonde hair in dismay.

  ‘Will it wash out?’

  ‘Yep.’ Libby reached out and scooped a glass of champagne from a waiter who was passing. ‘But hopefully not before I’ve caused a spectacular firework display from our esteemed parent.’

  Katy tensed, anticipating her father’s anger. ‘You always try and provoke him. Couldn’t you have worn a slightly longer dress?’

  ‘Definitely not.’ Libby wiggled her bottom provocatively. ‘Think he’s going to like it?’

  Katy slid her eyes over the skin-tight dress that exposed almost all of Libby’s perfect legs. For a nightclub it would have been barely decent and for a summer garden party it was—

  ‘He’s going to have a heart attack.’ Katy’s eyes darted warily over to where their father stood, broad-shouldered and unsmiling, deep in conversation with several cabinet ministers. There was going to be trouble. She bit her lip and shook her head. ‘Why do you always do this, Lib? Can’t you conform just once?’

  ‘Why would I want to?’ Libby reached out a hand and touched the pearls that lay around Katy’s neck. ‘I’ve never been a pearls sort of person. And neither are you underneath.’

  Katy looked away.

  She didn’t know who she was any more.

  As usual, Libby’s directness had unsettled her. ‘Just because I dress appropriately for our parent’s summer party, there’s no need to—’

  ‘Our birthday party,’ Libby reminded her pointedly. ‘This is supposed to be our birthday party, remember? You, me and Alex.’ She glanced round the manicured garden at the hordes of elegant guests and rolled her eyes. ‘We’re the only triplets in the world whose parents throw them a garden party and then invite all their own guests and offset it against tax as business entertaining. Well, I, for one, refuse to play the game. And you only do it because you’re so sweet and gentle and hate confrontation.’

  There was a light in her eye that made Katy feel extraordinarily jumpy. ‘We can all go home in a few hours,’ she reminded her sister wearily. ‘Just play along, Libby. For Mum’s sake. Please.’

  ‘Like you do, you mean?’ Libby’s eyes slid over her. ‘Don’t you ever want to shock them all, Katy? Rip your clothes off, get drunk, take drugs, swear?’

  ‘All at once?’ Katy gave a wan smile and glanced towards a group of men who were downing champagne at a remarkable rate.

  ‘Ah—yes. I forgot. You can’t do things like that. Lord Frederick Hamilton wouldn’t approve.’ Libby was silent for a moment and then she gave a sigh, her pretty face suddenly serious. ‘I can’t believe you’re going to marry that man, Katy.’

  Katy swallowed.

  Sometimes she couldn’t believe it either.

  But it was the right thing to do.

  ‘I mean, look at him now! Why isn’t he trying to drag you into the bushes for a grope?’ Libby studied him curiously, her head on one side. ‘He’s too busy networking to even notice that you’re here. You could be naked and covered in whipped cream and he’d still be mingling with the movers and shakers.’

  Everything her sister said was true and Katy wondered why she didn’t mind more. She chewed her lip. The truth was that she didn’t mind because she didn’t want Freddie to take her into the bushes for a grope. She was quite happy for him to be talking to his business colleagues, leaving her alone to make her own amusement.

  Freddie was safe.

  At that moment their mother glanced towards them and a horrified expression crossed her face. Visibly agitated, she cast a terrified look towards her husband who was still deep in conversation and hadn’t yet noticed his daughters.

  Libby sucked in a breath and grinned. ‘We have lift-off. Ten, nine, eight…’

  The girls waited as their mother hurried towards them, Katy tense and on edge, Libby amused and defiant.

  Katy glanced at her sister with a mixture of exasperation and envy. How could she be so completely unafraid of their father?

  Instead of avoiding confrontation, she relished it.

  As if to prove a point, Libby tugged her dress down to expose a little more of her already exposed c
leavage.

  ‘Elizabeth.’ Lady Caroline Westerling stopped in front of her daughters and her eyes darted nervously towards her husband. Fortunately he still had his back to them. ‘Your hair is a disgrace, and what do you think you’re wearing?’

  ‘A party dress.’ Libby smiled happily at her mother. ‘For my birthday party.’

  Katy winced at her less than subtle reminder that this annual event had originated as a celebration of their birthday. Her mother seemed oblivious to the dig.

  ‘It’s indecent and common.’ She ran her eyes over Libby’s long bare legs and winced. ‘Your father will…He’ll throw a fit.’

  Libby’s eyes gleamed. ‘Oh, I do hope so,’ she said softly, and their mother gave her a helpless look.

  ‘Why, Elizabeth? Why do you have to do this?’ Her eyes flickered around the lawn. ‘There are any number of suitable men that you might have been introduced to this evening, but not dressed like that.’

  Libby’s smile widened. ‘I’m only interested in unsuitable men.’

  Her mother’s eyes closed and sweat broke out on her brow. ‘You look like a prostitute. Go upstairs and ask Sally to find you something more conservative before he sees you.’

  ‘I like this dress and I don’t care what he thinks. And neither should you.’ Libby’s eyes gleamed. ‘You shouldn’t let him bully you, Mum.’

  Katy let out a breath. ‘Not here, Lib, please.’

  Libby was staring at their mother. ‘You should stand up to him.’

  Caroline Westerling ignored her comment and looked away, her breathing suddenly rapid. ‘Your father has some very important guests here today.’ She turned to Katy and gave a bright smile that fooled no one. ‘Freddie is doing so well. He has something to say to everyone. Your father thinks he’s heading straight for the top.’

  ‘Hopefully he’ll bang his head when he gets there,’ Libby drawled, and Katy hid a smile.

  What would she do without her sister? She loved her irrepressible nature and the fact that no one scared her.

  No one made Libby do anything she didn’t want to do.

  Not even their father.

  Katy watched Freddie weave his way through the crowd, exchanging smiles and handshakes.

  Her mother gave a sigh. ‘Such a suitable man. You’ve made a wonderful match, Katherine. All we need to do now is to sort your job out. I hope that once you’re married you’ll give up all this doctor nonsense.’

  Katy stiffened. ‘I won’t be giving it up.’

  What did it take to convince her parents that this was the career she wanted?

  ‘What about me?’ Libby’s tone was airy. ‘I’m a nurse—does that count? And Alex is a doctor. Doesn’t Dad want us to give up, too?’

  Their mother bit her lip. ‘You and Alex are different.’

  ‘He can’t bully us, you mean,’ Libby said softly, and Caroline’s eyes darted nervously around the lawn.

  ‘Keep your voice down, Elizabeth.’ Her mother looked pained and turned back to Katy. ‘You’ve qualified now. You’ve shown everyone that you can do it. You don’t need to carry on working any more. Freddie is extraordinarily wealthy in his own right and with your trust fund there’s absolutely no need for you to work. When you’re married Freddie will need you at home for entertaining clients. You won’t have time for a job.’

  Katy felt stifled again. ‘I love being a doctor, it’s what I do. There’s no way I’m giving it up.’

  Sometimes she felt that her job was the only thing that kept her sane.

  Her mother rubbed her hands together nervously. ‘You can’t carry on doing nights and all those horrible hours once you’re married.’

  Katy liked the horrible hours. Horrible hours gave her a perfect excuse not to have a social life.

  ‘I’ve got a new job starting in two weeks,’ Katy reminded her. ‘I’m a casualty officer in the accident and emergency department.’

  And she couldn’t wait.

  ‘Oh, Katherine, what is the matter with you?’ Her mother screwed up her face in horror. ‘All those drunks and rough people—Saturday nights after the rugby. Why would you want to do that when you don’t have to?’

  Because she loved medicine. And it was a million miles away from the ruthless world of banking that had been her entire life.

  The garden was closing in on her.

  ‘It’s just such a waste,’ her mother was saying. ‘I still tell everyone that you were a successful model when you were seventeen. You were on so many magazine covers and if you hadn’t thrown it all in to become a doctor you’d be one of those supermodels now.’

  ‘No, she wouldn’t,’ Libby interrupted cheerfully. ‘Katy’s grown hips and boobs since then and you’re not allowed to have those if you’re a supermodel. Just bones.’

  Their mother’s mouth tightened. ‘Just promise me you’ll give up this emergency department rubbish. I know Freddie’s parents are worried about it, too. It’s just not suitable, Katherine.’

  Suitable. There was that word again.

  Katy felt as though her head was exploding.

  What was happening to her?

  Normally she’d do anything to keep the peace for her mother’s sake, but today she just wanted to run screaming into the distance.

  ‘Start the job if you must,’ her mother carried on, ‘but you’ll be marrying Freddie in three months and you’ll have to give it up then. Oh, look, there’s Freddie’s mother. I must talk to her about the arrangements.’ She glared at Libby. ‘Elizabeth, go and change into something that hides your underwear before your father sees you. Please.’

  She turned and walked with studied elegance across the lawn, beaming at her guests and reaching for another glass of champagne.

  Libby gave an exaggerated sigh. ‘It’s a good job we’re triplets. At least they managed to get the physical contact over in one go.’

  ‘Libby!’ Katy turned to her, her blue eyes wide with reproach, and Libby shrugged.

  ‘Well, it’s true. Look at them.’ She tilted her head to one side. ‘They don’t show each other any affection. Their marriage is a business arrangement. It’s no wonder you, Alex and I are so dysfunctional. Look at our role models.’

  Katy licked dry lips. ‘We’re not dysfunctional.’

  ‘Yes, we are. You’ve spent so much of your life trying to please Dad and avoid his wrath that you don’t even know who you are any more. I’m so determined to be the opposite of everything they want me to be that I’ve forgotten who I am, too. And as for Alex…’ Libby turned and scanned the garden, looking for their brother. ‘Alex is so disillusioned about marriage that he sets a three-month rule. After three months with a woman he ends the relationship just to be sure that they don’t start hearing the word “serious”. He’s the original commitment-phobe.’

  Katy looked at her. ‘So are you.’

  ‘And can you blame me?’ Libby looked at her parents and shuddered dramatically. ‘If that’s marriage, then I hope I die single.’

  ‘Libby, that’s an awful thing to say.’

  A bee hovered close to them and Libby took a step backwards.

  ‘Oops. Killer insects.’

  Katy frowned, knowing that her sister was very allergic to bee stings. ‘Are you carrying adrenaline?’

  Libby grinned and tapped her tiny bag. ‘Lipstick and adrenaline. A girl’s best friends.’

  Katy knew that, despite the smile, Libby took her allergy seriously. They all did. Libby had had a frighteningly severe reaction to a sting in the past and none of them had ever forgotten it. Particularly Alex, who had been the one who’d kept his sister alive until the ambulance had arrived. Ever since then Katy had always carried adrenaline and she knew that Alex did, too. Just in case.

  The bee moved away and Katy’s gaze was caught by Freddie, who was taking a call on his mobile phone.

  Libby’s soft mouth tightened. ‘Don’t marry him, Katy.’ Her voice was soft. ‘As Mum says, there are three months to go. Plenty of time to change y
our mind.’

  ‘I don’t want to change my mind.’

  Libby shook her head in disbelief. ‘Katy, life with Lord Frederick is going to be one long round of business entertaining. He’s marrying you because of Daddy.’

  ‘I know.’ Her sister’s bluntness should have upset her but it didn’t. It was the truth, after all. Freddie was marrying her because of her father’s immense wealth and influence. And she didn’t even care.

  Libby looked at her with exasperation. ‘So why are you marrying him, Katy?’

  ‘Because I want to.’

  Because their relationship was safe and predictable.

  Libby shook her head. ‘It isn’t right, Katy. Don’t you want to be in love with the man you marry?’

  Katy felt her breathing quicken. No. No, she didn’t. Love was terrifying.

  Love had almost destroyed her.

  ‘Well, maybe you can do without love, but what about passion?’ Libby was studying Freddie with narrowed eyes. ‘I mean, that man would never do it for me. I want someone who’s so overwhelmed by lust for me that he thrusts me against the wall, lifts up my dress and takes me there and then.’

  ‘There’s nothing to lift,’ came a dry male voice from behind them. ‘Your dress barely covers your bottom.’

  ‘Alex!’ Libby gave a delighted squeal and threw her arms around her brother.

  He glanced over her shoulder and down her back. ‘Nice knickers, Lib.’

  Libby grinned and tugged her dress down. ‘You’re late. We thought you weren’t coming.’

  His handsome face was inscrutable. ‘I was busy.’ He released her and turned to Katy, his customary indifference momentarily suspended as he looked at his other sister. ‘Hi, there, kid. You all right?’

  No.

  Katy hugged her brother, avoiding his penetrating gaze. ‘Happy birthday, Alex.’

  He tucked a finger under her chin and forced her to look at him. ‘All right. What’s going on? Tell your big brother.’