by Ruby Cruz
“Hi, I’m Lizzy Bennett. My sister Jane is a guest here,” I explained lamely, not exactly knowing what to say.
The woman smiled at me kindly and said, “Yes, of course. Charles is expecting you. Come in, please.”
I stepped into the two-story foyer that boasted a crystal chandelier the size of a Smartcar and expanded towards a wide and winding staircase. The foyer was flanked on one side by a well-appointed sitting area which eclipsed the size of my entire townhouse and by an expansive dining room on the other.
Charlie appeared at the top of the staircase and bounded down. “Lizzy, thanks so much for coming.” The housekeeper nodded her head slightly and discreetly left. He eyed my scrubs. “I didn’t realize you were working, otherwise I would’ve just picked up the medication myself.”
“It’s fine,” I said and explained I’d been put on-call. “What happened?”
“I’m not sure. Jane seemed like she was fine and then after lunch we went into the pool. She said she was okay but she didn’t seem okay and eventually she asked if she could put Chloe down for a nap. When I went to check on her after a half hour she was lying down with Chloe but had asked to be left alone.”
Jane’s migraine must have been really bad if she’d opted to lie down instead of spend time with Charlie. “I’m sorry I couldn’t get here sooner. I didn’t get Jane’s message until a half hour ago and I came as soon as I could with her medicine. Jane gets migraines,” I explained.
His expression cleared slightly. “Ah. My mom gets those sometimes. I wish she’d just told me. I could’ve gotten her something.”
“Her neurologist just started her on a combination drug. It seems to work pretty well as long as she hasn’t waited too long to take it. Where is she?”
“She’s in one of the guest rooms. Chloe is with her and she’s still sleeping, thank God.” Charlie escorted me up the staircase and to a doorway halfway down the hall. “I’ll go get a glass of water.”
The room was dark but the light from the hallway spilled through enough for me to see Jane curled on top of a four poster bed. Chloe was sprawled next to her and by her even breathing she was still sleeping soundly. I crept next to the bed and touched Jane gently on the shoulder. “Jane? Sweetie? I have your medicine. Charlie’s gone to get some water for you.”
“God, Lizzy, I’m so embarrassed.” Her voice was soft. “By the time I realized it was coming on, it was too late and there was no way I could drive us home. I didn’t even have the energy to explain to Charlie what was going on, all I could do was get Chloe to sleep and hope it passed me by.”
“I know.” Charlie arrived with a bottle of water. He handed it to me and stepped aside. I poured one of the pills out and handed it to Jane with the uncapped bottle of water. “Slow sips,” I reminded her. She handed the bottle back to me and lay back down.
I capped the bottle, and then led Charlie out of the room. “She usually starts to feel some type of relief after a half hour but until then she needs to rest.”
Charlie blew out a breath and nodded. “So we wait, I guess.”
“That’s all we can do.”
“While we wait, can I offer you a drink? Mrs. Pratchett just made some fresh lemonade this afternoon.”
“Sounds lovely.”
I followed Charlie down the stairs, through the foyer and towards the back of the house where a monogrammed fireplace dominated an enormous white-washed great room. The stark nature of the white walls and furniture was contrasted by black and red throw pillows and area rug. An abstract painting in primary colors filled the wall above the fireplace. But what interested and appalled me the most about the room was the man seated in one of the white upholstered arm chairs: Darcy.
Charlie directed me to sit on one of the couches. “I’ll go fetch the lemonade.”
While I was used to awkward silences when dealing with Darcy, I was not used to being completely ignored by him. He typed feverishly on a laptop as I sat down and did not acknowledge me in the slightest. Finally, because I was tired and annoyed, I said loudly, “Dr. Darcy, I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
Darcy paused in his typing, forcefully banged a keystroke, and closed his laptop. “Pardon me, Lizzy. I was trying to complete a train of thought.” He set the computer on one of the end tables. His expression was impassive when he finally met my gaze. “How is your sister feeling?”
“Hopefully she’ll be feeling better soon. Her migraines are pretty severe if she doesn’t treat them proactively.”
Darcy nodded but shifted his gaze to my clothing. “You came straight from work, I see.”
“Yes. The census was down so they sent me home, though, I’m sure you already know that as some of the discharges were your own patients.” He’d rounded early that morning, well before the other doctors had even arrived at the hospital.
As if reading my thoughts, he commented, “I like to round early on the weekends so I can enjoy my day.”
“That’s understandable.”
“You must be happy to have the rest of the afternoon off to care for your sister.”
“Well, I’m not happy she’s sick but I am glad to be able to help her, at least for now. In theory, I could be called in at any time.” As if to punctuate my statement, I checked to make sure my cell phone ringer was on and that I had no messages.
“Well, I haven’t received any calls from the ED regarding admissions, so you may get lucky in that respect.”
Charlie returned with a tray holding the lemonade and a plate of shortbread cookies. “Mrs. Pratchett is famous for her shortbread. She insisted I bring some out so she could garner more praise from a new patron.”
I usually tried to limit my intake of sweets but the shortbread looked too inviting to resist. I nibbled tentatively at the corner of a decorative round and immediately was rewarded by the meld of butter, sugar and a hint of lemon. “You can tell Mrs. Pratchett that these are wonderful. I might just take the whole tray home with me.”
Charlie beamed. “She’ll probably send you home with it. God knows I shouldn’t keep them all to myself.” He patted his flat stomach. “Darcy here has much more will power than I do. As far as I can tell, he hasn’t had so much as a crumb since I moved in.”
“It must be difficult to resist temptation so frequently,” I commented.
“Not so difficult when I know the indulgence can be harmful to my well-being.” Darcy’s dark eyes bore into mine intently.
Unnerved, I glanced away and changed topics. “It must be nice to move to a new area and have such close friends nearby.”
“Especially when the friends are under my roof.” Charlie grinned again.
My eyes drifted between Darcy and Charlie. “Are you two roommates?”
Darcy answered, “Temporarily. I’m in the process of buying a new house. Charles was generous enough to let me stay here while renovations are being completed.”
Before I could inquire politely about Darcy’s new home, I heard the front door slam and the gunshot sound of stilettos against stone tile.
Caroline breezed into the great room, dropped her briefcase and purse idly onto the coffee table and sighed onto the loveseat after toeing off her stilettos. “Charles, remind me to charter the company jet the next time I have to go into Boston. Every time I drive there I’m reminded of why they call the drivers Massholes. That commute is just horrendous, especially with the summer traffic on 95.”
“But you weren’t doing the driving, Jose was. How horrendous could it be?”
She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at Charlie and explained as if to a two-year old, “Without traffic, the drive time between Boston and this area of New Jersey is six hours. I just spent eight hours of my time in the back seat of a Lincoln Town Car. That’s eight hours of my life I’m never getting back. Taking into account gas, mileage and the time I wasted that could have been spent doing something productive for the company, I’d probably save the company money by tak
ing the jet.”
I sincerely doubted her logic but I wasn’t about to insert myself into their argument. “Other than the drive, how was Boston?” I asked.
Caroline looked at me as if actually seeing me for the first time. “I detest that town. The rotaries are ridiculous, the food is horrible and the traffic sucks. Give me New York City any day.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
She turned to Charlie and said, “I thought you mentioned you were dating that pretty nurse.”
Charlie had the decency to look appalled by his sister’s comment. “Caroline, you remember Lizzy. She’s Jane’s sister. Jane wasn’t feeling well so Lizzy came to bring her medicine.”
“Ah. Right. How…sweet of you.” Her eyes traveled over me and I had the distinct impression I was being examined from head to toe. Nothing escaped her scrutiny and I suddenly wished I’d changed out of my scrubs and refreshed the makeup over the bruise on my cheek before coming here. “Well, I’m going to freshen up before dinner. It was nice to meet you again, Lizzy.” She picked up her heels and carried them out of the room with her.
“I’m sorry for what my sister said,” he apologized. “She can be impolite at times.”
I shook my head. “Don’t worry about it. It’s hard to feel attractive anyway when I look like I’ve been on the losing end of a prizefight.”
“I hope your shift at work today was less eventful,” Darcy said.
“Much less eventful. No scuffles with three hundred pound patients, so that’s always a good day.” Despite my dismissal of Caroline’s comment, I felt self-conscious enough about my appearance to say, “I’m going to change out of these scrubs before Chloe wakes up.”
“Do you need to borrow some clothes? I’m sure Caroline has some she can lend you,” Charlie offered.
“That’s okay. I usually keep some extra scrubs in my car. They may still be scrubs but at least they’re clean. Jane and I usually change after work, you know, so we don’t potentially expose Chloe to anything.”
“Totally understandable. If you want to shower, there’s a guest bath down the hall you can use. It should have everything you need.”
“Thank you.” Because I wasn’t sure how much longer Chloe would nap, I rushed out to the car, retrieved my clean scrubs and shuffled into the bathroom Charlie had mentioned. I felt much better after a brief shower, though with my wet hair and bare face I looked raw. Because I didn’t have much of a choice, I pulled my wet hair into a ponytail. The hairstyle and bare skin accentuated the bruise on my cheek but with no makeup there wasn’t much I could do about it.
When I emerged from the bathroom, I could hear Chloe fussing and Jane attempting to pacify her. I padded down the hallway and into the guest bedroom. I made some shushing sounds and picked up Chloe from the bed. She continued to fuss but I ignored that and carried her out of the bedroom so Jane could rest some more.
When I returned to the great room, Darcy had returned to his computer and Charlie was flipping channels on the TV. Charlie jumped up when I entered and his face lit up when he saw me carrying Chloe.
“Hey, little one,” he greeted. “Was that a good nap?” Still sleepy, Chloe whimpered and buried her face into my neck. Undeterred, he added, “Hey, look what I found for you.” He reached behind a cushion in the couch and emerged with a stuffed puppy in his hand. The fur was matted and worn and he was missing an ear. “His name is Buddy and he was my buddy ever since I was your age,” he said. Intrigued, Chloe shifted her head so she could better examine the toy. “You can play with Buddy if you want. He especially likes to be cuddled.”
She shyly reached out to touch the puppy and after a beat she grasped the dog by its remaining ear and hauled it towards her and clutched it to her chest.
“You should be warned you’re probably never getting that back,” I commented.
Charlie grinned as he shrugged, “I’m getting too old for stuffed animals anyway.”
He and I sat on the floor with Chloe as she played with the stuffed dog. The delicious odor of simmering herbs wafted into the room and I remembered that dinner time was approaching. I glanced at the clock sitting on the mantle and was surprised to see that it was almost six. I wondered how Jane was feeling but knew her well enough to surmise she probably wasn’t feeling too much better if she hadn’t already emerged from the bedroom.
Chloe began to fuss again and I suspected she was probably hungry and thirsty. At Charlie’s suggestion, I escorted her to the kitchen where Mrs. Pratchett was stirring a large pot on the stove. “I know you’ll be serving dinner soon but I was wondering if I could get something for Chloe.”
“Of course, my dear,” she answered congenially. She gave the pot another stir, wiped her hands on a dish towel, and moved towards the refrigerator. “I made some chicken fingers for Chloe as I wasn’t sure if she would like the soup I made. My son was so picky at that age. Let me just heat these up. Jane mentioned that Chloe likes corn so I cooked some of that as well.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“Have a seat, dear, and I’ll bring them out to you.” She handed Chloe a wooden spoon which the baby immediately began banging on the floor.
“I don’t mind waiting here, if you don’t mind.” Mrs. Pratchett didn’t respond but a small, knowing smile formed on her lips. As she moved around the kitchen to prepare Chloe’s meal, I settled onto the counter stool and asked, “Have you been working for the Bingleys long?”
“About ten years now. I started with the family on the West Coast, but when Charles moved East, I came here with him. See, my son Peter lives in Westchester. He’s got two little ones of his own and, bless them, I love to see their smiling faces every chance I get. They’re a bit older than your niece, four and six. I’ve got their photos right here.” Mrs. Pratchett reached into her apron pocket and extracted an iPhone. She squinted at the screen. “Peter got me one of these infernal smart phones last Christmas. I can’t figure out anything other than making phone calls, but I know there are pictures somewhere here.”
“May I try?” Mrs. Pratchett gratefully handed me the phone and I pulled up her photos. “Here you go. These must be them. They have your smile.” A pair of boys grinned up at me from the screen. “They’re adorable.”
“A pair of hellions, they are, but they’re sweet enough to me. Mr. Charles Junior lets them use the pool when they’re here, never complains about the noise or the ruckus.”
“Charlie is a very generous guy. It was nice of him to invite Jane and Chloe here to use the pool.”
She placed the phone back into her pocket. “It’s a shame Jane is feeling so poorly today. Charles was very much looking forward to her visit.” She bent to place the chicken tenders into the oven, then straightened to face me. “He adores your sister, he does. From the moment he met her, he’s been talking about what an angel Jane is. I can see why. She is sweet and she’s a good mother to her little girl.” She regarded me for a moment. “May I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“Your sister, she’s an honest one, yes?”
“Yes, of course. She’s the kindest, sweetest person I know. She’d never hurt anyone.”
“I can see that about her. She keeps her emotions close to her heart, though, am I right?”
“She does. Jane has always been reserved with her feelings but ever since Bob, Chloe’s father, he…well, he wasn’t very nice to Jane, and she’s been even quieter.”
“My own child is grown with children of his own, but Charlie…I’ll always think of Charlie as one of my own. He’s a special one. Heart of gold, always doing for others. I’d like to see him with someone who’ll treat him with as much generosity as he gives to everyone else.”
“If there’s anyone who’ll do that, it’s Jane, trust me.”
“I’d like to believe you. I just hope Charlie isn’t discouraged by her quiet nature.” She sighed. “Enough of that. Why don’t you join your friends in the family room
while I finish heating up Chloe’s dinner? I’ll send for you when it’s done.”
“I may not be much of a cook, but I’m a great helper, if you need me to do anything.”
“Nonsense. Guests in the Bingley home don’t help with the cooking.”
“Well, technically, I’m not a guest. More like an afterthought.”
She knitted her brows. “Don’t tell me Charles Junior has forgotten his manners.”
“No, nothing like that,” I added quickly and her expression cleared. “I’m just here for Jane, not really to visit with Charlie or Dr. Darcy.”
“Ah.” There was understanding in her tone. “Dr. Darcy. He’s an interesting man.”
“How long have you known him?”
“Not as long as Charles, but almost as long as I’ve been on the East Coast. Dr. Darcy and Charlie have been friends since Charlie was at medical school. I can’t recall how they’ve met but he’s always been a serious one.” She lowered her voice. “Not as gentle of a soul as Charles Junior.”
“I’ve gathered as much.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
The View
By the time Chloe finished eating her meal, an event which involved corn kernels flying every which way, and my insisting on cleaning up what seemed like millions of stray kernels and chicken pieces, the adults’ dinner was ready. Although I would have much rather eaten dinner in the kitchen, Mrs. Pratchett insisted on watching Chloe for me so I could join the rest of the adults in the dining room.
Caroline emerged from her room looking fresh and stylish in a fuchsia sundress and heeled sandals. After I saw that Darcy and Charlie had also changed, I felt distinctly underdressed in my spare scrubs. “Father always insisted that we wear dinner attire,” Charlie explained apologetically. At that moment, I wished the fury of a thousand gods against Bingley Senior and wondered how someone as mellow and generous as Charlie had been born of someone who seemed so pretentious. Maybe Darcy reminds Charlie of his dad, I pondered.