by Ruby Cruz
Darcy’s eyes, so dark, so unfathomable, watched me closely as he spoke. “You’re crying.”
I shrugged and said flippantly, “I had ordered a Cosmo and they’d run out of Cointreau. Didn’t seem any point in staying.”
“You forgot your wrap.”
“You seem to have perfected the art of stating the obvious.”
He ignored my comment and began to shrug his jacket off. “Here. You’re shivering.”
“Please don’t.” Again, he ignored me and draped the jacket around my shoulders. I allowed myself a slight moment to bask in the warmth and scent of his jacket, before I asked, “Where’s Caroline?”
He glanced briefly at the hotel entrance. “She was speaking with a client.” He turned back towards me, and his tone softened slightly. “I never had the opportunity to congratulate you on your award. That’s a wonderful achievement.”
“Thank you but it was a team effort. My manager picked my name out of a hat to accompany her in representing the unit.”
“You should still be proud.” I gave a cynical laugh at the irony of his words. “What?”
“You said I should be proud. Given the current situation, I feel like that’s the last thing I should be.” Darcy quirked his brow with curiosity. “Ever since what happened with Lydia, I’ve felt helpless. All I could do was stand back and pray that things would fix themselves, and what’s worse is I could’ve prevented it if I’d just opened my mouth and told everyone about George’s problem. Instead, I was too proud to admit that I’d been deceived, that he’d charmed me just like everyone else. I knew what type of man he was, I knew what he was capable of, and I just sat by and let Lydia be with him.”
“You did that to protect my sister and me. I am…grateful to you for that. Ana had enough stress with all her responsibilities that she didn’t need to know about his relationship with Lydia.”
“How were you able to find George and convince him to come back?”
He sighed and answered reluctantly, “When Ana became involved with George, she gave him use of her credit cards. Because he tended to favor Vegas when he had money to burn, I back traced some of the charges to her account and found a list of hotels that he frequented while they were together and bribed the managers to contact me if he was spotted.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell me you’d done all that? I knew that George hadn’t miraculously appeared with twenty thousand dollars but that’s what you let everyone believe. I mean, Lydia is still married to him because she thinks that he came back to her.”
“I know. It’s my fault that Lydia doesn’t know the truth, but I get the sense that she needs to learn the truth the hard way. I hate to be the one to enforce that lesson but…I didn’t want anyone to know about my involvement in the situation. I didn’t want anyone to know about George and Ana.”
I could understand keeping the information about George and Ana quiet, but at Lydia’s expense? I couldn’t find a way to reconcile myself with the knowledge that Lydia was in a sham of a marriage because of Darcy’s refusal to admit the truth. He must have seen the emotions warring on my face because he said next, “You’re disappointed in me.”
“Dr. Darcy…Will…I can’t be disappointed. You’ve done so much for my family, for Aunt Jo, for Lydia, you’ve given them your time and more money than we could ever repay.”
“Although I am glad I could be of some service to your family, you have to know…during this whole ordeal, I only thought of you.” My heart filled but I could not allow myself to hope. Not yet, not until after I heard everything he had to say. “Lizzy, despite what Caroline may or may not have intimated, she and I are not together. We never were. As much as I am friends with her brother, I could never be with her.”
“But she said…”
“I know what she said. I have to admit, I happened to overhear the last part of your conversation with her. Look, Lizzy, I know that things have been difficult between us, especially after what happened in New York, but it seemed like we’d come to somewhat of an understanding after your aunt got sick.” He dropped off and I briefly glimpsed vulnerability beneath the mask. “I know that I promised to make no mention of those feelings I expressed in New York, but I need you to know that those feelings have not changed. I came out here to talk with you because when I heard you talking to Caroline about me, you made me begin to hope…” He dropped off again and did not continue, but took a tiny step closer to me.
I couldn’t look at him, couldn’t face him when my heart was bursting. “What?” I whispered, my eyes focused squarely at his chest.
Darcy stepped even closer and tipped my face up towards his. “You made me begin to hope that even though my feelings haven’t changed, yours may have.” His eyes searched mine. “Have they?”
Stubborn tears welled. “Yes,” I whispered. “You know they have.”
He needed no further provocation. His hands tangled in my hair and his mouth was on mine, hard and urgent and tasting of whiskey. The kiss was as I remembered and somehow even more potent. Maybe it was because now I was fully aware, fully engaged in my actions. I reveled in the feel of him, in the taste.
I have no idea how long we stood in the cool night air, or how long we clung to each other with no regard for propriety, but I do know that when we finally released each other and he smiled at me that rare and gorgeous smile, I noticed the dimple at the corner of his mouth for the first time.
My heart swelled with love as need curled within me. This was how it was meant to be. This was what I'd been waiting for all my life, this perfect mixture of love and attraction and, dare I say, friendship. Even though I wasn't sure what would happen next, I knew in my heart that what I felt wasn't fleeting, that it wasn't just a bright flame that would gutter out as quickly as it had flared. This was endgame, and I was prepared to follow it to wherever it would lead me.
EPILOGUE
Charlie and Jane were married the following spring, under a canopy of cherry blossoms at the arboretum. I accompanied Chloe as she scattered rose petals carefully one by one down the aisle. She had taken her job as flower girl so seriously, she’d practiced for hours in the days before the wedding. As I stood in attendance and held Jane’s bouquet during the vows, Will caught my gaze from across the aisle. He flashed his dimple at me and I gave him a small smile back as my heart swelled.
Later, at the reception at the Meryton Inn, many of the other guests teased Will and me about when it would be our turn down the aisle. We coyly sidestepped their questions and inquiries and even my mother announced, “Now, everyone, don’t scare him off! Lord knows Lizzy needs to hang onto this one, who knows when another one will come around!”
Aunt Jo gave my mother a verbal put-down that had her in tears and Hal sighed at my aunt before he rushed after his wife to soothe her. “Hmph, serves her right for embarrassing you guys,” she muttered unapologetically.
Caroline, the only Bingley who’d deigned to attend the wedding, much to Jane’s chagrin, raised a sardonic eyebrow and never once approached Will or me. Not that I wanted to talk to her, though a part of me felt grateful to her that she’d been the one to ultimately bring us together.
Will and I were in no hurry to get married. We’d agreed to wait until I’d at least completed my Masters degree and after he gave up his practice at Meryton to work full-time near Pemberley. Luke cornered the two of us when his date, a professional photographer, had wandered away to take candid photos of the happy couple. Even though he’d seen us together as a couple in the months since we’d begun dating, Luke never missed the opportunity to brag that he’d known we were made for each other all along. “Okay, so tell me, when did the two of you finally catch up to what the rest of us already knew?”
I rolled my eyes. “Luke, we’ve been through this already.”
“I want to hear it again. I want to hear about when you finally realized you were hot for each other. Like I said before, it’s like one of tho
se great epic romances you see in the movies.”
Will began, “For me, it was never one moment. I was in the middle before I’d even known it had begun, though I have to admit your sarcasm was what first caught my attention.”
“And your mother always said your sarcasm would relegate you to spinsterhood,” Luke said gleefully.
“I’d been so accustomed to women treating me differently because of my profession or my privileged background, and to meet Lizzy who didn’t care about any of that, who in fact reviled me for it, I have to say I was intrigued.”
“So you’re saying that you never would’ve noticed me if I hadn’t been rude and snarky towards you?”
“I’m just saying that I admired you spoke your mind and were willing to stick up for your beliefs and advocate for your patients.” Will gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “And what about you? When did your feelings change for me?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
Luke interjected, “Oh, bullshit. The second you two locked lips in New York, all you could do was talk about how hot that kiss was.”
Will raised an amused eyebrow. “Oh, really?”
I blushed. “I have to admit, that may have gotten my mind to start thinking of you in a different manner. But before that, I always caught glimpses of your integrity and I admired that. It probably wasn’t until I saw you with my aunt and how much you cared that I was a goner. Not to mention all you did for Lydia.”
My eyes drifted towards where Lydia was flirting with one of Charlie’s college buddies. Lydia’s marriage to George had lasted less than a year, at which point he’d emptied their bank account and disappeared. Despite various attempts to locate George, even with Will and Ana’s help, we couldn’t locate him. We’d discovered that he’d been fired from his job well before he and Lydia had ever been married, a fact he’d somehow hidden from her. Eventually, she’d applied for a divorce in absentia, which was still in progress, and had moved back in with her mom.
Lydia was slowly beginning to rebuild her life, a process which I knew could not be easy for her. I tried to talk to her about what had happened with George but she would only say, “I know I should have listened to you, Lizzy, but I loved him. I still do. You can’t help whom you love.”
My eyes drifted back towards Darcy and he smiled again. No, you can’t help whom you love.
EXCERPT
Second Opinions: A Lizzy and Dr. Darcy Story
Unexpected News
The warmth of sunlight. The caress of a finger on my cheek. I lay in that moment between dreams and awakening and felt more content than I had in a very long time.
“Good morning.” The words were a mere whisper in my ear, his breath tickling me and sending delicious shivers down my spine.
I turned towards the warmth and into his arms. “Good morning, Dr. Darcy.” No matter how often I saw it, I never tired of seeing his handsome face, especially now when he was still somewhat sleepy and the stress of the day hadn’t yet hardened his features. Even though we were obviously on a first name basis now, I still thought of him as Darcy in my mind. It was a habit I probably would never be able to break, thinking of him as Darcy. My Dr. Darcy.
“Mmm, so formal,” he murmured as his lips captured mine in a soft kiss. “Shall I call you Nurse Bennett?”
“Don’t you dare.” I pushed him away playfully, but his arms tightened around me.
“But I’m finding need for assistance in a certain area.” He punctuated that statement by pressing that certain area against me.
My insides turned to mush, but I continued to push at him. “Stop, Chloe might wake up any minute.”
He sighed but didn’t fight me any longer. “When do Charles and Jane return from their honeymoon?”
I chuckled because he obviously already knew the answer to that question. “This afternoon. And, yes, Dr. Darcy, we still have to entertain the munchkin until then, which means no quickies this morning when I know she might walk in on us.”
“Locks were made for a reason, you know.”
“Yes, but she’s missing her parents. You saw how she was when I went to the bathroom yesterday and she couldn’t find me.” The novelty of staying in Darcy’s home had worn off after day two of her parents’ honeymoon, and my niece had been nearly inseparable from me since then.
He sighed again, lay back on the bed, and stared at the ceiling. “You know, this isn’t a very convincing argument for having children.”
“It’s just for another few hours, then you’ll have me all to yourself again.” I turned so I lay on my side to face him more fully. “Do you regret inviting her to stay with us?”
He propped himself onto his elbow and his dark eyes met mine with a somber expression. “No, of course not. You know I enjoy spending time with her. It’s just that I don’t have much free time to spend with her aunt the way I would like and, after being on-call the majority of last week, I’ve missed spending time with you.” He reached a hand up to cup my cheek in his palm, and the simple gesture was enough to heat my blood.
As if on cue, tiny feet thundered down the hall and the door flew open. Without preamble, Chloe climbed into the bed and launched herself at me in a hug. Her face was tear-streaked as her little arms wound tight around my neck.
Almost simultaneously, Darcy’s phone rang and I frowned at him. “Are you on-call?”
He shook his head as he reached for it. I didn’t think he was, but it was so early, I couldn’t fathom who else would call at this hour.
He checked the readout and by the way he sighed and closed his eyes, there was only one person at the other end of the line.
“Good morning, Aunt Catherine.”
Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I carried Chloe out of bed and brought her downstairs and into the kitchen where Mrs. Pratchett had busied herself with making breakfast.
“Good morning, ladies,” she greeted cheerily. Chloe ignored her and continued to cling to me.
“Something smells delicious,” I commented as a wonderful sweet aroma filled the room.
“Cinnamon rolls. I know they’re a little too decadent for Dr. Darcy’s tastes, but I thought the little one might enjoy them before her parents pick her up this afternoon. I’ve so enjoyed having her here this past week.”
“I know. Me, too.” I pried Chloe’s arms from around my neck and coaxed her to face Mrs. Pratchett. “Sweetie, look at what Mrs. Pratchett made for you. Don’t they look yummy?” They did look scrumptious still steaming from the oven as she drizzled icing over them.
Chloe immediately reached out a hand to grab one, but I caught her in time. “You have to wait until they’ve cooled down a bit, then you can have one. You don’t want to burn your fingers, do you?”
Wordlessly, she showed me one of her fingers, the one she’d scraped against the side of the pool when we were swimming yesterday.
“Yes, I know, you’ve got a boo boo. But we put a Band-Aid on and it’ll get better.”
She clung to me as I poured a cup of milk for her and a large mug of coffee for myself. I turned to Mrs. Pratchett. “Are you set for your trip to your son’s house?”
“Dr. Darcy arranged for his car service to drive me to New York this evening. The grandkids will probably be asleep by the time I arrive, but I didn’t want to miss seeing Charles Junior and Jane. I so want to hear about their trip.”
“But I thought you travelled with him before, when you were working for his family.”
“I have travelled with his family and I’ve seen some wonderful places: Paris, London, Geneva, Hong Kong. But those were usually business-related trips. I’ve never been anywhere tropical like Hawaii. The pictures Jane posted to Facebook are beautiful. I would like to visit there one day, perhaps after I retire and have some more time to travel.”
I settled Chloe at her seat at the kitchen table, a move she protested until I placed the warm cinnamon roll in front of her. All moodiness set aside, she
grabbed a piece of gooey pastry and began to eat.
When Darcy entered the kitchen, his face was grim and I immediately knew something was wrong. “What? What is it?”
“It’s my grandfather. He’s passed away.” His words were flat, almost monotone, but the meaning confused me. He’d never mentioned his grandfather before - I’d always assumed his aunt and his sister were his only living relatives.
Hiding my confusion, I stood up and joined him in the doorway. “I’m so sorry.” And because I couldn’t think of anything else to say, I asked, “How’d it happen?”
“He had a massive stroke three days ago. Aunt Catherine had him taken off the ventilator this morning.”
Ironically enough, his aunt’s main focus of research involved stroke treatments. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how she was feeling now.
“I’m expected in the Hamptons for the bereavement services. Ana is making arrangements for us to fly out this afternoon so we can arrive this evening and help with the funeral arrangements.”
I had a difficult time pondering Darcy’s cold Aunt Catherine as the grieving daughter, but I couldn’t argue with him wanting to be there for his aunt. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder... “Were you close with him? You’ve never mentioned him before.”
He twisted his mouth into a wry smile. “No, we weren’t close. The last time I physically saw him was at my parents’ funeral.”
“That’s so sad.”
“I suppose it can be viewed as such. Despite my relationship with him, he’s made sure to provide educations for myself and Ana, so I feel I at least owe him this.”
“How’s your aunt taking things?”
“As well as she can. You know she’s not a particularly emotional person, but she seems to be having a difficult time coping with his death, so Ana and I want to be there.”
“Of course. Would you like me to accompany you? I don’t want to get in the way of your mourning, but...”