Ring! His body jerked. Disoriented, his brain took a few seconds before registering the ringing of his cell phone.
“Hey, Cuz. What’s up?” an annoyingly cheerful voice said on the other end.
Irritated, Darcy barked, “Don’t call me that. What do you want?”
“Oh ho! I can see you’re definitely not getting it up, otherwise you wouldn’t sound frustrated.”
“Are you calling to be annoying or do you have a reason?”
“Just checking on you, making sure you’re not sitting alone in your room working or jerking yourself off.”
Pissed that his cousin was more accurate than he would ever guess, Darcy lost it. “Fuck off!”
***
On the other side of the world, Richard delighted in his quick success. Nothing else made him feel as cheerful as provoking his uptight cousin into losing his composure. “I always do—with company. You need to do that. Not alone, though. They have wonderful girls there.”
“You’re an arse, Richard.”
“You can get some of that from those girls. They know how to take care of big guys like you.”
“Do you have any idea how many disgusting diseases you can get?” Darcy said. “I hope you’ve outgrown your penchant for visiting red-light districts when you travel. The thought of dipping into a well-used, common inkpot for a quick fuck is so bloody abhorrent.”
Richard grinned. The last and only time he had been in such a place was years ago, but he liked to taunt his fastidious cousin with fabricated tales of more recent visits. “So double condom it. You can’t go through life so fastidious all the time, Darce. You’ve got to get a smudge of dirt now and then on your little guy.”
“I am not interested in getting dirty, and definitely never with a bar-girl. And my guy is not little.”
“Well, big guy, roll in the mud with two or more at a time.”
“Why are you so concerned with my dick?”
“Someone has got to show some interest.”
“Like I said, Richard, fuck off.”
Hearing the uncharacteristic curse word again, Richard decided he had teased his cousin enough. “You’re starting to repeat yourself. I’ll back off.” In a milder tone now, he continued, “Seriously, Darce, I wanted to see how you’re doing. You’ve had a few rough years. I worry you’re going to break sooner or later if you don’t let some sunshine in your life.”
“I’m fine.”
“How’re the headaches?”
“Not too bad anymore.”
Surprised at not hearing the usual denial, Richard lifted his brows. “Are they gone? You’re not sitting in a darkened room anymore, whimpering?”
“I never whimper. The headaches are just simple migraines, nothing to worry about.”
“Yeah, right. Like you’ve had a doctor tell you that!”
“She did say that.”
Unbelievable. His cousin saw a doctor? Wait, she? Richard rubbed his chin, thinking fast. “Is she sure about that? One never knows exactly what kind of training those doctors received over there and how competent they are.”
“You arse! She’s here because she’s volunteering. She’s brilliant. She could get any job anywhere she wanted.”
Richard bit his knuckles to keep from laughing. “Her specialty is headaches?”
“No, infectious diseases.”
Richard’s mouth dropped. His germ-phobic cousin smitten with an infectious disease doctor? God did have a sense of humor. Richard kept his voice casual. “She must be a geek, studying something like that.”
“She’s not a geek. She’s beautiful and… Shit!” Darcy swore.
Richard laughed. The gig was up. Darcy was onto him. “Beautiful and smart, eh? Perhaps I’ll fly down and have her take a peek at my germs and wipe my brow. The resort, you said?”
“Don’t even think of it. You need to stay there to keep an eye on things. You can’t just leave it all for Anne to do. She’s already doing too much. How are the Kethji deal and the TJean deal coming along?”
“Nice try, Cuz. I didn’t call to give you a chance to discuss business. The deals are fine and your other VP’s also doing fine. She thinks you’ve left her in charge and she’s the boss of us, ignoring the fact that I happen to own a third of DDF. Technically, I’m her boss right now.”
“A fact I’m sure you remind her of hourly.”
“I don’t want to talk about your creepy other cousin. I want to hear more about your doctor. Are you sharing germs yet? Is she sharing your room? Or are you playing doctor in hers?”
“Fuck off. None of your damn business.”
“Oh ho! That means a big N-O. Otherwise, you’d sound happier. Or maybe it’s not going quite as well in that department? It has been a long time for you, hasn’t it? Do you need reminder pointers?”
“Leave off, Richard. And no, I don’t need pointers from you, of all people. I shall be fine, I assure you.”
Richard chuckled at the smugness in his cousin’s voice. “I’m glad you’re getting some action… or even thinking about it. You’ve been a hermit too long.” With that parting shot, he clicked off the phone.
***
The next day, just as Darcy tried to come up with some excuse to drop by the hospital, he received a message that Elizabeth was waiting for him downstairs. He was nervously patting down his hair in the elevator mirror when he realized what he was doing. When he reached the lounge next to a fresh water lagoon, he saw her and her sister playing with a gurgling Vietnamese baby.
“Is this one of your charges?” he said to Jane.
Hearing his deep voice, the baby let out a cry.
Elizabeth stood up and gently bounced side to side to soothe it. Darcy tried not to openly stare at her swaying hips.
“No, he’s the grandson of Lizzy’s patient.” Jane began to make funny faces at the baby to distract it.
Elizabeth said, “His mom needs to do some personal care for Grandpa, so I offered to baby-sit. I don’t want him to expose Grandpa to some new germs. I’ll bring him back to them later.”
Enviously, Darcy watched the baby burrow his head in Elizabeth’s chest. The baby peeked at him and gave him a toothy smile. Darcy touched his finger to the baby’s nose. The infant made a bubbling sound and pushed his face forward for more. Chuckling, Darcy played the game of tapping different parts of the baby’s face, each time eliciting a giggle.
“William, you’re good with babies. Want to adopt?” Jane teased.
“At this stage in my life, I can’t afford…” Distracted by the touch of vanilla he smelled in Elizabeth’s scent when she moved closer, he lost his train of thought.
“This little guy is an easy baby.” Elizabeth cooed to the baby, “Aren’t you, my sweetie, coochee, little man.”
The baby threw back his body and laughed. He twisted his face in Darcy’s direction.
Darcy reached for him. A second later, he held the happy infant in his arms. “I can’t believe this little guy’s family let you take him all the way here to the resort.”
Jane said, “Lizzy’s patients would do anything for her. If she wants the child, Mr. Vinh would probably order his daughter to give her son to Lizzy. It’s a badly kept secret in the hospital that Lizzy’s been paying for his medicine herself.”
Darcy caught the annoyed glance Elizabeth shot in her sister’s direction. “You pay for your patient’s medicine? Isn’t it a state-run system here?”
Elizabeth explained that as a high-ranking communist official, most of Mr. Vinh’s care was subsidized but not all. “Unfortunately for him, he has a rare and aggressive infection, and he can’t pay for the extra medicine.”
“You’re actually paying money to work at the hospital. It’s negative income, then.” The businessman in him found this hard to accept, especially since both Elizabeth and Jane were on a tight budget; they always carefully checked the cost of any activity.
Elizabeth grinned. “I can afford to have a negative income, since I don’t throw my
money away on overpriced five-star places like this.” Her smile slipped. “Here comes Charles and his family.”
Bingley’s eyes lit up at seeing the baby. He immediately began making funny faces at it.
Laughing at Bingley’s antics, the baby bounced and Darcy had to shift his arms to hold the baby steady between them. When he glanced over at Elizabeth, a shadow crossed her face. Concerned, he raised his eyes, questioning. She gave him a small smile and glanced away.
Bingley cooed at the baby. “You look like a happy little fellow. What’s your name?”
Elizabeth said, “It’s Cuc.”
In a peeved voice, Caroline asked, “What does ‘Cuc’ mean?”
Jane directed a warning glance at her sister, Darcy observed with amusement. He turned expectantly toward Elizabeth.
She didn’t disappoint. A succinct word came from her as she smiled at Caroline. “Shit.”
Shaking her head at her sister, Jane explained Vietnamese people called babies names they hoped would keep the evil spirits away from harming the infants. As the babies grow older, their names would be changed to something more dignified.
“Unfortunately, sometimes the nicknames stick,” Elizabeth laughed. “Our aunt has a cousin whose name is Cu Ti, little wienie! And he’s fifty years old.”
With an unmistakable sound coming from his nappy, the baby lived up to his name right then. Darcy almost gagged.
Elizabeth took the child from him. She laid the baby down on the lounge chair and changed him. A gleam of mischief in her eyes, she offered the soiled nappy first to Hurst, then Louisa, then Caroline, motioning for them to throw it in the nearby trash bin. None responded.
Fighting the churning of his stomach, Darcy manfully stepped up.
Bingley advanced at the same moment.
Fortunately for Darcy, Elizabeth glanced at his face and handed the offensive package to Bingley.
***
Jane again read her notes on the Hursts and reached for the phone.
“Hello, sweetie,” Aunt Mai answered. “Are you and Lizzy having a good time at the resort?”
“Yes, but I feel I’ve neglected the orphanage and Lizzy feels she’s neglected her patients. She’s off at the hospital right now, chasing some parasites.”
“You both work too hard.”
“Not really. I want to talk about the Hursts’ adoption.”
“What exactly is the heart of your concerns? Say the first thing in your mind now.”
“They’re not interested in a child,” Jane said. “I mean, they’re interested in a child. But they’re not interested in being parents.”
“Ahhh! There you go. No matter what the material advantages are, I don’t think it would do the child any good to be placed with them.”
“I’m waiting to talk to the investigator, Mr. Collins. He may have more to add.” Jane stalled.
“If you wish, though, you should trust your judgments and instincts without depending on unreliable facts.”
“You’re right. I’m going to decide against.” The moment she said it, Jane felt relieved.
“Good for you. Now that your uncle is better, we’ll look at this Mr. Collins closely. I’m not impressed so far.”
“I can’t believe I dawdled over a decision Lizzy would have made in a second. In fact, from the very beginning, she told me to say no.”
“Your sister can be too impulsive and tends to make snap judgments about people. For the most part she’s right on, but sometimes she’s not.”
“Speaking of Lizzy’s snap first impressions…” Jane told her aunt about her sister and William Darcy. “She finally conceded to me today perhaps the two men aren’t here to adopt a baby, since William said he can’t afford a child at this stage in his life. She’s still convinced he’s gay, though. You know Lizzy. Once that girl gets an idea in her top-heavy, mushroom head, it’s hard to get her to change her mind.”
“Let’s hope your sister will sort it out before she shocks the guy,” Aunt Mai said. “She’s rather naive about men, and that worries me. Is this William a good man? He’s not playing with her, is he?”
“He seems intimidating sometimes, yet a bit shy also, but it’s obvious he adores her.”
“You think this might get serious?”
“They’ve just met. I don’t think either of them knows what to do about each other. It’s very amusing to watch.”
CHAPTER 11
Bell Boy
Anne de Bourgh frowned and lowered the phone.
“Hey, boss lady. How’s it going? Did you get a message from the Darce man?” a voice said from the doorway.
“I received a message, yes.”
Whistling, Richard entered her office uninvited. He sat down on top of her desk, dislodging files and boldly pushing her laptop aside. “Our cuz is having a good time in Vietnam.”
She resisted the urge to lean back. She waited, knowing he was baiting her.
“He’s forgotten about us here in New York. Must have found a cure for his headaches. Last I talked to him, he mentioned something about a beautiful woman doctor at the resort there.” He pointed to a file he had moved. “Did he ask you about the Chicago deal?”
“No, he said he was sure things were being handled fine here, by us.” Though happy at Darcy’s confidence in her, it bothered her he hadn’t asked for specific details as per usual.
“Did he say when he was coming back?” When she shrugged, he whistled. “Didn’t talk business and didn’t give us a return date. Very unusual for our workaholic cousin. You know why? You always know what’s going on with him, even before he does.”
“I didn’t know he was taking this trip with Charles until two days before they left.”
“For whatever reason he’s staying longer, perhaps he’ll come back a changed man. He might even be in love.” With a malicious smirk, he left her office.
She allowed herself a dart of pure hatred directed at his back before she put her laptop in her briefcase and left for home.
***
“Have you heard from Darcy lately?” Catherine Darcy de Bourgh noticed her stepdaughter’s preoccupied mood. It must be something involving Darcy. It always was. She picked up her teacup and took a small sip, then nodded, satisfied. Earl Gray, brewed the way she liked.
“He’s staying in Vietnam longer.”
Catherine knew Anne hated Darcy being out of her sight. “What’s keeping him there? He has a business to run here.”
“Richard implied Darcy saw a woman doctor for his headaches.”
“That Richard is a fool. My nephew hates doctors.” The tea suddenly tasted bitter to Catherine. She put the cup down. She detested that Richard Fitzwilliam. He’d ruined everything. If only her late brother George hadn’t married into that opportunistic American Fitzwilliam family and given them one-third ownership of the Darcy family’s company. The one-third that should have gone to Catherine and her late husband Lewis. No matter. She and Lewis’s daughter, Anne, would get back their one-third share. Soon.
Anne said, “A beautiful woman doctor.”
“Since when has my nephew’s head been seriously turned by a pretty face? Those beautiful women he dated, none made it from the penthouse to the townhouse. If this one steps inside of his townhouse, I’d start worrying. Until then, let him sow his oats.”
Anne pressed her lips together until they disappeared.
Catherine soothed. “You know what to do; a little maneuvering and the trollop will be gone. Nothing to worry about.”
“When he calls, he sounds different. Distracted. Brief.”
“Unlike his loudmouth American cousin, my nephew has always been the quiet one. Like you.”
“He’s not so quiet around Richard. He jokes and laughs with him. They’re crude with each other when they think they’re alone. He never does that with me.”
Anne’s voice sounded wistful, which made Catherine uncomfortable. She didn’t like seeing an insecure Anne. “You want him to be crude with you?”
“No.” Anne’s mouth tightened. “The adoption didn’t go through. Bingley’s sisters already left. Darcy had an appointment with the doctor. He’s been spending time with her afterward.”
Catherine didn’t ask how Anne knew. Her stepdaughter always found a way if anything involved Darcy. “You’re worrying for nothing. After what happened with his mother and that incompetent Dr. Wickham, and then the work he did with the malpractice trial lawyers to put other incompetent physicians out of business, my nephew’s not going to get too involved with a doctor.”
“He likes smart and beautiful women.”
“It still doesn’t mean anything.” Catherine glanced across the table and swallowed a disappointed sigh. Time to gently remind Anne to make an appointment to get her mustache waxed and to trim those few hairs from that mole by her nose. Her eyes swept lower. Some work on that flat bosom wouldn’t hurt, either. Still, she needed to remind the girl of her worth. “You shouldn’t worry too much. He left you in charge of DDF, didn’t he? That’s saying quite a bit, considering how controlling he is about everything. Didn’t he make you vice president of operations after only a short time?”
Anne smiled a satisfied little smile. “He did. Richard wasn’t happy.”
“There, you see. We’ll get the F dropped from DDF and have the name changed to DDD soon, don’t worry.” Catherine smiled. With her stepdaughter Anne as Mrs. William Darcy, Catherine would reclaim a third of her father’s company. That had been her and Anne’s dream for years now.
“All the same, I want him back sooner than later.” Anne’s chin jutted out, highlighting her manly jaw and the loose folds of her neck.
Catherine curbed the urge to tell the girl to tilt her head an inch to the left to make her profile appear more tolerable to the eyes. “How are you going to do that?”
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