by Ruby Cruz
“You don’t have to serve me, Terry. And please call me Lizzy.”
“Dr. DeBourgh said to entertain you while she engaged Dr. Darcy.”
“I’m perfectly capable of entertaining myself, although if you could retrieve my phone from my room, that would be great. And besides, I believe Ana has other plans for your time today.”
CHAPTER FIVE
New and Ancient History
The problem with being busy all the time with school and work and family obligations is that when I did have any decent amount of free time, I never knew what do with it. Before I started dating Darcy, much of my free time was spent doing mundane chores like laundry and cleaning the bathroom. Even my daily runs were exercises in multi-tasking - running Chloe to the park or to the library, food shopping…boring stuff. Now that my best friend Luke worked in New York and I was in school for my Master’s degree, my social life was strictly limited to the occasional drink with the girls after work or, more often, just chilling at home with Darcy and a glass of wine.
So, as I waited for Ana to return from shopping and for Darcy to complete his business discussion with his aunt, I found myself with way too much idle time on my hands. After checking the news and my messages, I called Jane to get an update on how Chloe had settled down after her mini-meltdown yesterday. Then I called Luke to see if he would be coming to attend any of the funeral services.
He’d been traveling a great deal for his job as a research nurse, mostly visiting clinical sites and attending lectures and conferences about stroke and neurovascular science, so it had probably been two weeks since we’d last actually spoken. “Hey,” he greeted me. His warm tones brought a smile to my face. “Called to gloat about your life of luxury?”
“What do you mean?”
“Colin told me you were staying at the DeBourgh manor out there in the Hamptons. That place makes Netherfield mansion look like a shack in the boonies.”
“It’s not like I’m here on vacation.”
“I know, but I’m still jealous.”
“All joking aside, are you coming to the funeral on Wednesday?”
“Of course. All Colin talks about now is all the networking opportunities this funeral is going to afford him.”
“Only he would think of a funeral as a networking prospect. He’s such an opportunist. You really need to find your own place.”
“And give up that great apartment? No way. And we’ve had this discussion before.”
“Yes, we have. Anyway, this morning, I witnessed firsthand Dr. Darcy’s medical expertise.”
He caught the teasing tone in my voice. “Do tell. And use very descriptive language.”
After I relayed what had happened after my mishap on the beach, Luke railed on me. “Okay, so you’re saying you had not one, but two very gorgeous males fawning over you this morning? And you’re currently staying at the largest estate in the whole of the Hamptons? Color me extremely jealous.”
“I did not say Chase was hot.”
“No, but I could hear the implication in your voice. Whoever this Chase guy is, he’s rating high on the hotness meter. Plus, any guy who carries a damsel in distress to safety has to rate more than lukewarm on the scale.”
“You should’ve heard Ana talk about him. They’ve known each other since they were kids and, if you hear her tell it, he’s a bit of a cad and an even bigger asshole.”
“I didn’t know she liked me even that much.”
The words, spoken not by Luke’s familiar baritone through the phone but by a deeper male voice only a few feet away, startled me. I squeaked in surprise and dropped the phone. My fumbling only succeeded in ensuring it fell directly into the decorative bowl of water lilies on the end table next to me rather than on the floor. It landed with a splash. When I looked up to see who’d sneaked up on me, Chase stood in the doorway with a sheepish expression on his face.
When I retrieved the phone from the bowl, sure enough, the screen had obvious water marks beneath the glass and the picture was fading.
“Shit,” I murmured, then raised the phone to my ear as I realized the line was still connected. “Luke?”
“Yeah, still here. What happened?” The sound was muffled and cut in and out.
“Dropped my phone into a bowl of water.”
I eyed Chase warily as he stepped next to me and crouched to survey the damage. “I’m so sorry. I’ll pay to replace that.”
Luke’s voice chimed loudly in my ear. “Who’s that? Ooh, please tell me that’s the handsome cad.”
“So, I’m handsome as well?” Chase raised an amused eyebrow.
“I’ve gotta go,” I hissed, then disconnected the call. I examined the phone more closely and sighed. I was due a new phone but had been hoping this one would have lasted until I was finished with school. “I thought you left earlier.”
“I did. I forgot to give you this before I left.” The silver filigree was recognizable even from my vantage point on the chaise. “The chain must have broken when I picked you up from the beach. I found it caught on the button of my shirt.”
Chase placed the diamond rose pendant into my hand. I knew it had been an insanely expensive gift, and I never took it off because I was always afraid of losing it. Ironically enough, because I hadn’t taken it off before my run, I’d almost lost it.
“Thank you. I don’t know what I would’ve done if it had been lost.”
“It’s a lovely design. A gift, I assume?”
“Yes. Will gave it to me for my birthday a couple months ago.”
“Well, happy belated birthday.”
He was watching me closely and I flushed, not exactly sure what else to say to him. Fortunately, he stood and announced, “I’d better go. I have some pieces at the gallery being delivered that I need to set up before I go to the wake tonight. I’ll see you there?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Good. Feel better.”
“Thank you. And thanks again for bringing this back.”
“My pleasure.” The words melted off his tongue like warm butter, and I made a mental note to keep my distance from him, Ana’s warning about his character in the back of my mind. “And the offer still stands for me to replace your phone. You wouldn’t have dropped it if I hadn’t startled you.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
He flashed a grin at me before leaving.
Darcy entered the room and gave Chase a cursory greeting as he passed. “What was he doing here?”
I held out the necklace to him as he sat beside me. “It caught on his shirt when he carried me back to the house.”
His expression cleared considerably. “I’ll have to thank him later.”
“Is everything okay with your aunt?”
“There are some…legalities which need to be addressed regarding the company and my grandfather’s estate.” He avoided eye contact, and I again wondered why he was being so evasive. Even though I didn’t understand much about running a company, I wasn’t a complete idiot.
“What legalities?”
“They’re not important at the moment.” He reached for the necklace in my palm. “I’m glad Chase found this. I’ll have to send it to the jeweler to be repaired or have the chain replaced.”
“I can do that when we get home.”
“But I enjoy seeing you wear it. It accentuates your long neck.” He lifted his fingers to caress it, the gesture sending a shiver down my back. “Are you comfortable?”
“Something is distracting me from the pain in my ankle at the moment.”
“Are you suggesting I continue?” He moved his fingers down my neck and brushed my collarbone.
I sighed and leaned my head against his shoulder. “As much as I would like you to, we don’t exactly have that much privacy here.”
“That can be easily remedied.” Before I knew what he was doing, he scooped me up into his arms. “Oof, Mrs. Pratchett has been doing her job too well.�
�
“Are you implying I’ve gained weight?” I teased him, knowing fully well I’d gained no more than two pounds under Mrs. Pratchett’s care.
As he moved across the room and towards the staircase, I added, “Chase didn’t seem to be fazed much by my extra weight.”
His eyes darkened, and I could tell I’d reached dangerous territory. “You don’t know how that felt, seeing you in his arms.”
“He was merely being helpful, not trying to cop a feel.”
“Not from where I was standing.”
“Besides, I think he has sort of a thing for your sister.”
“What? But he’s older than her.”
“The age difference between them is a lot less than the difference between us.”
“But…but…” He was so adorable when he was flustered.
“Relax. She told me herself she has no interest in him. I think your sister’s virtue is safe from Racy Chase.”
“Really? That’s what you’re calling him?”
“It sounded much better in my head.”
Huffing slightly, he reached the top of the stairs. “I’m going to tell Mrs. Pratchett to cut your portions when we get home.”
I hit his arm lightly. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“You shouldn’t hit the person carrying you, especially when my arms are getting tired. I just might drop you.” He pretended to falter, making me yelp in the process and grab him more tightly around the neck. “That’s better,” he said, his breath feather soft against my forehead. As we entered our suite, his heart beat quickened within his chest and, as he lay me on the bed, all thoughts of Chase Hammond fled my mind.
~
Afterwards, as I snuggled into him, I asked, “So…who’s Nina?”
“Is that a tone of jealousy I detect?”
“No more than the one you had when you saw Chase carrying me up from the beach.”
“She was a friend from medical school. Nothing more.”
“But you still keep in touch with her.”
“We’re colleagues, and she was my grandfather’s physician at one point. We’ve exchanged some emails.”
“She’s very nice.” And I probably would’ve liked her if I didn’t hate her so much for being pretty and friendly and someone I could totally see Darcy being attracted to. “And if you and she did have more of a romantic history than you’re admitting, I could see why.”
He sighed with a resigned air. “If you must know, we did go on a couple of dates, but there wasn’t any real chemistry. We made better friends than lovers.”
“So you have slept with her?”
“Once, one drunken night about a dozen years ago, and we both regretted it because it made things extremely awkward between us.”
“Sort of like when you kissed me in New York and we still had to act like professional work colleagues?”
“Nothing like that. Because, unlike my experience with Nina, every time I saw you afterwards, I wanted to keep kissing you. And touching you. And spending every moment with you.” He punctuated his statements with light kisses to my cheek, my forehead, my lips.
I melted into him as I let his reassurance pervade me.
“As long as we’re sharing histories, please tell me you never slept with George Wickham.”
The request stilled me and took me completely by surprise. I hadn’t thought of George, at least my romantic history with him, in a very long time. In fact, I chose to forget about my previous infatuation with him, especially now that he’d married my stepsister, stolen her money, and abandoned her, amongst a number of other transgressions. “No, he and I never slept together. We did kiss, but I have to admit, yours completely blotted out those memories.”
“Good.” He followed with a searing kiss that left me breathless before he broke away. “We should probably get dressed. I’m sure my aunt is wondering where we’ve disappeared to.”
“If she’s as smart as she thinks, she knows exactly what we’re doing.” I snuggled more closely with him. “But you’re probably right. This seems sort of…wrong. Being together and happy when she’s grieving so much.”
“I see it differently. It’s moments like these that make you appreciate what you have in your life and want to cling to every precious second.”
As Darcy continued to hold me, I could feel the truth to his statement. I hoped he would never let me go.
~
After having showered and changed into fresh clothes, we emerged from the suite to find Ana and Terry had returned from their shopping trip. By the amount of bags and smiles on their faces, I suspected they’d bought more than a dress for me. In fact, it looked like they’d bought out the entire Hamptons shopping district.
“Retail therapy always works for me,” Ana announced, dropping her shopping bags into the sunroom where I was again lounging on the chaise. Terry followed her into the room carrying her own bags of purchases. “And I found some perfect things for you.”
“I really hope you didn’t buy all that stuff for me,” I stated cautiously, not wanting to appear ungrateful.
“No, silly. This is yours.” She handed me a large shopping bag which felt like it contained more clothing than I’d brought with me to the Hamptons.
“I can’t possibly afford all of this,” I announced as I glanced into the bag and saw two shoe boxes and an assortment of casual wear. “Where’s the dress for the wake?”
“Oh, sorry.” She retrieved a garment bag and unzipped it. “I had to buy you a dress for tonight, tomorrow night, and Wednesday. And don’t worry about the cost. I’ve got you covered.”
“I can’t possibly accept. It’s too much.”
“Lizzy, you’re practically family, and if you have any shot at winning over Aunt Catherine, you need to dress the part.”
“But I don’t want her to think I’m just using your brother for his money.”
“But his money isn’t what bought those clothes. Consider it a belated birthday present from me.”
“But you already got me a present for my birthday,” I pointed out, fingering the FitBit I wore on my wrist.
“If it makes you feel any better, consider this an IOU, and you can pay me back whenever you want. And I’ll refuse it every time,” she said pointedly.
The stubborn expression on her face reminded me so much of her brother’s I couldn’t help but smile. “Fine. But I will pay you back.”
She shrugged but couldn’t quite hide the satisfied smirk knowing she’d won the battle.
“So what did you buy, Terry?” I asked, hoping to draw the quiet assistant into the conversation.
“Way too much,” she answered sheepishly.
“Let me see.”
As Terry and Ana flaunted their purchases, Darcy began to get restless. After a few moments, he stood up and announced, “I’m afraid there’s too much estrogen in this room for my liking. I’ll let you ladies have fun while I take care of some work.”
Ana rolled her eyes at his retreating back. “I think that’s why he likes you so much. You’re not so much of a girly girl.”
“Only where it counts,” I quipped, then blushed as I realized I’d said the words out loud.
Ana’s eyes widened in surprised and she gave a strangled laugh. “That is way too much information, but I’ll forgive you since I like you so much.” She sobered and sat down next to me on the chaise. “You’re good for him. He’s happier than I’ve ever seen him since…”
“Since your parents died.”
“Yes.”
Terry cleared her throat. “I’m going to take these up to your room. Would you like me to bring yours up, Ana?”
“I’m going up in a minute. Thank you, Terry.”
After Terry left, Ana turned back to me. “I know you’re worried about Aunt Catherine. Don’t be. She’ll come around as soon as she realizes what I already see.”
“And what’s that?”
“Like I said
, you make him happy. And you make him laugh, which is something I very rarely saw before you came into his life.”
Her words made my heart swell and, without even quite knowing why, tears welled in my eyes. Because I didn’t want to look like a sentimental fool, I took a deep breath and asked, “So, what’s all this business that Will is working on with your aunt?”
Her expression shifted slightly, and she appeared distinctly more uncomfortable. “It’s sort of complicated.”
“Try me.”
“Before our grandfather died, he had the controlling amount of shares in the company. Between him and Aunt Catherine, they owned thirty-eight percent of the company. Will and I each own eight percent - those shares had been passed down to us through our mother. Now that Grandfather DeBourgh is gone, his shares revert to Aunt Catherine, which gives her the controlling interest in the company.” Ana took a deep breath. “Before all this, a merger with a major company was in the works, and they’re threatening to pull out until the leadership on our board has been made transparent.”
“What does that mean?”
“I can’t divulge all the details, and you have to promise not to mention any of this to anyone. But our grandfather’s death has caused a big problem within the company. They needed this merger to happen because the company hasn’t been doing so well.”
“But I thought your business was doing great.”
“My end of it has been, but the focus of the DeBourgh Medical Group has been the development of medical devices. With the changes in the current healthcare system, our sales and reimbursements haven’t been as robust as we would’ve liked. Our investors are worried about the sustained growth of the business. We need this merger to boost investor confidence.”
“But what’s Will’s role in all this? I thought you were the one with the MBA.”
“True, but unfortunately, the rest of the board has an antiquated view of women in the boardroom.”
“Even with your aunt there?”
“Especially with her there. After Grandfather DeBourgh’s retirement, she expressed her interest in moving up as CEO, but he wouldn’t have it and retained her as chief science officer, which actually suits her better given her medical background.”