The Heart of Deception

Chapter 14

“Didn’t the hospital sale finish around lunchtime Helen?” called Lauren, pouring boiling water into the teapot. “It’s almost five-thirty, and Kurt’s still not back.”

Helen danced into the kitchen, with Jessica held out at arms' length.

“It did,” she replied with a grin. “He probably went to the pub with a few of the others afterwards. I saw some of the stuff people had been donated in an empty ward yesterday. I reckon they’d have worked like donkeys this morning. That’s why I didn’t go near the place.”

Lauren transferred their cups to the breakfast bar, while Helen strapped the baby into the bouncer chair. Both women clucked like mother hens over the gurgling infant, as she chewed on her first teething rusk. They’d no sooner sat down to drink their tea, when Kurt’s Landrover skidded to an abrupt halt outside the house.

“Oooh,” murmured Helen, pulling a face. “It sounds like he might be mad at me for volunteering his services again.”

The door flew open, as Kurt erupted into the kitchen, covered in dust, his shirt ripped and filthy. A large dark red patch had formed over his shoulder, and extended down his chest, from the deep congealed gash below his left eyebrow. Beneath the eye, his cheek was swollen and discoloured.

Both women jumped to their feet in alarm, Lauren reaching his side first. With a cry of distress, she extended a hand to touch his injured face. He roughly flung her arm away from him, towering menacingly over her. Lauren backed away from his intimidating bulk, her eyes widened as he advanced towards her, trapping her against the counter.

“W...w…what’s happened?” she stammered, taking in the accusing look in his eyes. “What have I done?”

“Explain this!” he ejaculated savagely, through clenched teeth, slamming an open magazine down on the marble surface.

Lauren found herself staring with horror at a centrefold picture of Diane, dressed only in a nurse's cap, seductively taking the rectal temperature of some dark, naked hunk. Her face burned with colour. It had been more than two years since she’d last sighted the appalling image and it still mortified her. Then the implications of the situation struck her. This time she couldn’t deny it! She was meant to be Diane.

“Oh, no!” she whispered faintly, paling with shock. Her hands trembled as she closed the magazine on the damning evidence. Lauren felt a wave of nausea wash over her. How can I possibly explain this to him? I’ve never understood Diane’s motives for doing it in the first place! She raised wide, tear-filled eyes to meet his anguished face. Somewhere inside her breast she felt her heart being ripped apart. Reaching out to touch his chest, Lauren slowly shook her head.

“Kurt, I ... Oh ... I’m s…so s...sorry...”

“Why, Diane?” he demanded hoarsely, seizing her by the shoulders. His fingers bit into her flesh. “Why?”

The tears slid silently down her cheeks. “I don’t know...” she whispered, her heartache reflected in her expression.

Disillusioned and angry, Kurt spun on his heel, and marched back outside, slamming the screen door behind him. The Landrover sprang to life, and took off at breakneck speed. Lauren moved to the window, to watch the four-wheel drive hurtling across the property and down towards the road. Her entire body shook as she broke down, sobbing. Kurt loved Diane so much her actions had obviously crushed him. His pain was unbearable to witness. She desperately wanted to heal the hurt her sister had caused, but how?

Jessica had become pale, and her bottom lip quivered. She dropped her rusk, and began to wail. Lauren blindly stumbled over to the bouncer. Cradling the baby against her chest, she fought to control her own emotions, by focusing on pacifying her niece. Her whole being cried out in despair. She had no right to fall in love with this man. Kurt didn’t belong to her. He belonged to her twin, and Diane trusted her. He didn’t even know Lauren existed. Misery washed over her in a tidal wave. She was going to pay for this deception for as long as she lived!

Helen opened the magazine to the offending page.

“Is this Diane?”

Lauren nodded, as she looked up at her friend, tears still coursing down her face.

“That was why we fought a couple of years ago,” she whispered. “I still remember the first time I saw it. A patient showed it to me at the hospital kiosk. He thought it was me.” She gave a shuddering sigh. “I was livid. I couldn’t believe she would do something like that. I know it sounds selfish, but I object to having my likeness splashed across the media like ... like that.”

Helen folded her arms, and looked Lauren in the eye. “Now would be a good time to tell him the truth, Lauren.”

Lauren shook her head miserably, as she rocked the baby to and fro. “No,” she said quietly. “I can’t. I promised Diane I’d do whatever I could to save her marriage. I know it’s hard for you to understand, Helen. I love my sister, just like you love your brother. I know you would do anything to save his hide.”

Helen angrily threw her arms wide with disgust. “Kurt is a decent man. Married to a cold, calculating snake!” she yelled. “You’re a hypocrite Lauren. You say you care about him, but you’ll be quite happy to reunite him with Diane.” Her face contorted with hatred, and she wrung her hands together demonstratively. “She reminds me of a boa-constrictor. She’ll squeeze him for everything he has, and more. And you’re going to stand by, and allow her to do it. Have you no shame?”

Lauren felt as if Diane had stabbed her heart with a knife, and that Helen was now turning it. She slowly shook her head, pain etched into her features, as she confronted her friend.

“I love him! I love him more than anything in the world, and I’d give up everything I have to make him happy. My life if I had to!”

“Then why not tell him the truth, Lauren.”

“Open your eyes Helen! Kurt loves his wife. He’s mad about her. He’s putting his all into salvaging his marriage. Can’t you see that? Telling him the truth would hurt him unbearably.”

“Like that didn’t?” Helen demanded, pointing at the magazine.

Lauren sighed helplessly. “That photo was taken more than two years ago. I’m sure he’ll understand it wasn’t an act to hurt him once he’s calmed down. It happened long before he met her. She couldn’t have changed it if she tried.”

“She could at least have told him.”

“Maybe she was afraid he’d reject her.” Lauren took her friend's hand in hers. “Helen, please. Diane so badly wants to make amends. Give me a chance to patch things up between them. If I play my cards right, he’ll never know the difference.”

“Oh Lauren,” Helen shook her head helplessly. “Why did he have to meet her first? Why couldn’t you have been the one? Then none of this would have been necessary.” 

Fresh tears welled in Lauren’s eyes, as she rested her cheek against the baby’s soft curls. “Wishing for the impossible won’t change a thing, Helen. It would only make me more miserable than I already am.”