by Ruby Cruz
That feeling of dèjá vu crept upon me once more as I shook hands with the mayor of New York City and made small talk with his wife. Even as I smiled, I felt out of place and longed to be back home in Meryton, a glass of wine in my hand and a rerun of Law and Order playing in the background.
I flushed as I realized the mayor and his wife were watching me expectantly. “I apologize,” I said as my blush deepened. “It’s been a long week.”
“Mrs. Addison was asking you how your thesis is coming.”
“It’s still in the beginning stages. I should complete it in another year and a half.”
“That’s lovely, dear. And will you be continuing with your PhD?”
I hoped my smile didn’t look too forced. “Honestly, I haven’t even thought of going further. I’m just focused on completing my current program.”
“From everything I’ve heard about you, you’re a smart girl. You should be a doctor. Harry, dear, don’t you have a friend on the admissions board at Columbia? John Sandburg or Sandler or something? We could put in a good word for you, make sure your application was seriously considered, garner an interview…”
I flushed even more deeply. “Thank you so much, but, really, that’s not necessary. I’m very happy being a nurse.”
One of the mayor’s aides opportunely interrupted. “Excuse us,” the mayor apologized and the couple left.
Luke stepped next to me, obviously having overheard the conversation. “That was a generous offer from Mrs. Addison.”
“You know I have no interest in going to school for another three years so a bunch of Ivy-bred, Grey’s Anatomy wannabes can look down at my humble upbringing and perpetuate the myth that all nurses just want to be doctors. I’m quite happy with the career path I’ve chosen.” My words came out more sharply than I intended.
“Rawr. Someone’s got their panties into a twist. I think you’ve conveniently forgotten you’re currently dating someone who was Ivy-bred.”
I blew out a breath to calm myself. “You know I get aggravated when people completely dismiss nursing as a viable career path.”
“You’re preaching to the choir here. Just be careful. These aren’t the type of people you want to piss off, especially without Darcy here to back you up.” He rubbed my shoulder. “Would you like another glass of wine?”
“That would be fabulous.”
As I waited for Luke to return, I glanced around at the people mingling about the patio, sipping wine and nibbling on the occasional hors d’oeuvre and thought, not for the first time, how the scene seemed more like an elegant cocktail party than a funeral. I was tempted to feign a headache and escape upstairs to the suite. The temptation was so strong, I hesitated in the hallway, torn between my loyalty to Darcy and my need for some space, some normalcy, some nugget of my life in Meryton where I felt confident and in control.
My insecurities began to win out because I was halfway up the stairwell when Luke found me. “Hey, where are you going? I thought you wanted a glass of wine.” He held up the glass.
I continued in my flight up the stairs, then paused long enough to allow Luke to catch up to me. I lowered my voice so the people who milled by wouldn’t hear. “I don’t know what I’m doing here, Luke. I came here to be supportive to Will, but all I feel like is a big, fat lead brick tied around his waist. I am so out of my element. Give me an IV to start or someone in complete heart block and I know what exactly what to do. But this? All this…maneuvering and manipulating. All the fake happiness and smiles - it’s enough to make me want to go back to Meryton and never set foot outside it again.”
“Lizzy, you don’t mean that.”
“Don’t I? I don’t belong here any more than you belonged in Meryton. This world is so…foreign from anything I’ve ever known.” And I hated it. I hated feeling out of my element, like the illegitimate third cousin who inadvertently crashes the wedding and ends up drinking too much and doing the chicken dance on stage. And Darcy’s aunt was the one who wanted to boot me out on my ass.
“Hey, this isn’t like you. You’re the one who always wants to try out new things and meet new people, even if those people are annoying and not nearly as smart as we are,” he joked. When I didn’t smile, Luke’s grin faded. “Okay, that was a little funny.” When I still didn’t laugh, he sighed. “I agree, this isn’t exactly my scene, but you shouldn’t just run away because things get uncomfortable.”
“I’m not running. I can barely walk.”
“But you’re leaving at a time when your boyfriend needs you to put up a good face and prove to his aunt that you do belong here.”
“But what if she’s right? What if I’m not cut out to be his girlfriend? God, when I first met him, I never imagined he had this whole other life. I mean, most doctors make a decent living, but this,” I gestured to the grand foyer surrounding us, “this is…indecent. Lizzy Bennett doesn’t belong in this world.”
“Okay, you’re right. The Lizzy Bennett I know scoffs at wealth and prestige and wouldn’t know the first thing about couture. But you also told me more than once that underneath all that superficial crap, everyone is human. Everyone makes mistakes, has bodily functions, everyone breathes and eventually dies. No one is immune from that. Maybe you have to stop looking at the differences you have from these people and start trying to find the similarities. If you really love Will, you would do that for him and try to be here for him.”
“Being his girlfriend carries certain obligations,” I muttered under my breath.
“Say again?”
I blew out a breath, cleansing myself of the self-doubt and mentally kicking myself for being selfish. “I mean, you’re right, to my complete and utter dismay.”
The smile returned to Luke’s face. “Ah, the sweet melody of those words.”
“Don’t gloat. It brings out the wrinkles around your eyes.”
“I don’t have wrinkles!” he protested in genuine horror.
We bickered good-naturedly until we descended the stairs and stood in the foyer.
“Lizzy, hi.” Nina greeted with a second woman in tow.
“Nina, it’s nice to see a familiar face here.”
“I know, or at least a friendly one. This is my friend, Emilia.”
Her friend was very pretty with deep set dark eyes, perfectly straight black hair, and clear skin the color of caramel. She was also tiny, probably no taller than five foot and made me feel like a giant in comparison. When she spoke, she had a distinct Spanish accent. “Ever since meeting you, Nina has spoken much of the woman who stole William Darcy’s heart.”
I couldn’t tell if she spoke ironically, but her expression appeared genuine enough. “Truthfully, I can’t say I stole it, especially since I sort of stomped on it when he was offering it to me.”
Nina smiled at my response, and I introduced Luke, who reverted to his usual charming self. “My friend here does have a certain knack for doing what everyone thinks is impossible.”
“Yes, I have met the formidable William Darcy,” Emilia replied. “And I would say the task you have accomplished was quite the feat.” She gave a sidelong glance to her friend and added, “How long are you and Will in town?”
I glanced at Will briefly. “Just until this evening. I was supposed to be back at work tomorrow morning.”
“I don’t miss those days,” Nina replied. “Endless shifts at the hospital, working weekends and holidays. Moving out here has been the best for my social life, that’s for sure.”
My opinion of Nina dropped a couple notches in that moment. As much truth there was in it, I couldn’t help but feel a certain resentment at her implied denouncement of my lifestyle. She must have caught my response because she added hastily, “I just meant that I have more time to spend with the people I care about.” She turned to Emilia, and the grin she gave her held so much more than friendship.
Luke caught the exchange also and became nearly giddy. “I agree. Ever since I left be
dside nursing, I’m grateful for all my free weekends and holidays, though they do come with the price of business travel in my case.”
They chatted about Luke’s role in the DeBourgh group, Nina taking increased interest because of the impact the research has had for her patients. As they spoke, I asked Emilia, “How did you and Nina meet?”
“In medical school.”
“So, you went to school with Will also?”
“Yes, but he and I never really saw eye to eye. Nina and I didn’t reconnect until we encountered each other at a medical conference a few years ago.”
“And you’ve been together ever since?”
She nodded. “I’ve started a free clinic in Montauk. It pays nothing, but I find it more rewarding than doing wellness visits and prescribing pain medication to the set here.”
“Sounds like you don’t approve of Nina’s work.”
“Hey, it pays the bills, and she likes the slower pace. She got so burnt out working in emergency medicine, and this way she has time to help out in the clinic and spend time with me. In fact, if you and Darcy are looking to move out this way, give me a call. I could use some able bodies at the clinic.” She handed me a business card.
“I still have a couple years left before I’m done with my program.”
“Hey, I could use an experienced nurse also. And I do this with everyone I meet from the medical profession, so don’t feel too creeped out.”
I relaxed slightly because her earnest manner had started to sort of alarm me.
Nina chuckled as she joined our conversation. “Is Emilia trying to recruit you?”
“Maybe,” I answered.
She shook her head. “She’s a workaholic.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t be if I had the right people working for me.” She threw a wink in my direction. “I’m serious, Lizzy. If you find yourself moving to this area, give me a call.”
Nina laid a hand on her partner’s arm. “On that note, I’m going to get another glass of wine. Please excuse us.”
Luke grinned as he watched Nina lead her girlfriend away. “Now that gives me hope that I may also find a lasting relationship of the same sex variety. And you must be relieved that Darcy’s so-called ‘woman who got away’ now plays for the other team.”
“You’ve got that right. The more I got to know her, the more I was becoming sexually confused, she was that cool.”
Luke guffawed. “If you ever came out as a lesbian, I’d think hell would’ve frozen over. But I guess I’ll have to keep the apocalypse on standby because you’re with Darcy.”
“Yes. I am.”
~
Another hour later, I received a phone call from Darcy. “What happened? Is she okay?”
“Her arteries were clean, but the echo showed some apical ballooning and her EF is down to 25%.”
“Takatsubo?”
“That’s my impression and the on-site cardiologist agrees with me. She’ll be here at least overnight, if not longer, for them to manage her symptoms and monitor her.”
“I’ll come to the hospital after everything has died down here.”
“No need. Now that we have a diagnosis and course of treatment, Ana and I are coming back to the manor house to try and salvage some of this. Mrs. Hammond has agreed to stay with her until we can come back.”
“Okay. If you’re sure.”
“We’ll be there hopefully within a half hour.”
When I disconnected the call, Chase appeared at my side. “Any news?”
“Yeah.” I glanced around us to make sure we weren’t overheard. “Ever hear of broken heart syndrome?”
He shrugged and shook his head.
“You know the saying how someone can die of a broken heart? Well, it’s sort of true.”
His brows knit in consternation.
“It happens when someone has a big shock or emotional trauma and causes the heart not to pump as efficiently, and it can lead to heart failure.”
“Will she be okay?”
“Usually the condition begins to reverse itself after a few days. They’ll need to monitor her and manage her symptoms until then, but she should make a full recovery.”
“Makes sense. She did sort of lose it at the cemetery.”
“It’s a wonder more people don’t experience it. I had a patient who went into it after a car accident. She came out of the accident with only a few bruises from the air bag and seat belt, but the shock of the accident caused her to go into heart failure. She ended up being fine after a few days. We’ll just have to hope Dr. DeBourgh has a similar outcome.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Unspoken
When Darcy and Ana arrived to the manor, many of the guests flocked around them, eager for assurance of Dr. DeBourgh’s well-being and to extend their condolences again in person. It took them the better part of an hour to greet everyone who’d decided to wait for the family to make an appearance.
“How is she doing?” I asked when a break finally presented itself.
Darcy looked so weary I was surprised he was still upright. “She’s stable. They started her on furosemide and metoprolol. She’ll probably be released in the next few days as long as she remains stable and her symptoms don’t return. It’s imperative she remain calm, though, so as not to exacerbate her condition.”
“That’s unlikely unless you know someone who specializes in resurrections.”
“I know. I’m talking about the business. The negotiations haven’t exactly been going well and there has been significant resistance to her taking over as CEO.”
“So…what can you do about it?”
He avoided my gaze and my question. “Do you want to accompany me to the hospital later?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I can give you guys a ride,” Chase offered. He never seemed far away lately. “I have to go pick up my mom anyway.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Darcy stated. “Plus, your car only seats two people.”
“Details,” he responded with a nonchalant wave of his hand. “What about you, Ana? Need a lift to the hospital?”
“With you in that death trap? I don’t think so,” she said, her tone definitely acerbic.
“Suit yourself. I’ll see you guys later.”
Darcy and Ana saw the last guests out, then summoned the limo to take us to the hospital. Just as we were about to leave, Terry ran out to the car and intercepted us. “Dr. Darcy, Miss Darcy, I just received a call from the San Francisco site. There is an issue that needs your immediate attention.”
Darcy gave a resigned sigh, then told me, “You go ahead. I need to take care of this.”
I was tempted to protest, as I didn’t think Dr. DeBourgh really needed or wanted my presence at the hospital, but instead I dutifully climbed into the back of the limo.
~
Once at the hospital, I debated whether to get her anything from the gift shop. Flowers? Magazine? What should I get for a broken-hearted, middle-aged, financially successful and fiercely independent woman who hated my guts?
I settled on flowers even though she had scores of them back at the manor. I chose a brightly colored arrangement of roses, sunflowers, and chrysanthemums, something far different from the white lilies which had adorned her father’s coffin. As I rode the elevator up to her room, I waffled about my decision, unsure whether even flowers themselves would remind her of her father and cause even more stress. But to show up with absolutely nothing seemed unacceptable, so I continued to her room, arrangement in hand.
The hospital wasn’t large, similar in size to Meryton Medical Center, but it was significantly more posh with updated rooms and décor. I followed the engraved signs and had arrived to her private room when I heard voices from within.
“Marjorie, dear, you and Chase have been a godsend these past few days.” My heart quickened slightly when I recognized Dr. DeBourgh’s voice. “I don’t know what I would have done without y
our kindness.”
“Oh, Catherine. You know I will always be there for you. When Richard left me, you were my rock, and I am more than happy to serve as one for you in your grief. I have to say, even in this difficult time, you have done fabulously.”
“Thank you, though I must extend credit to my wonderful assistant. Terry has organized everything so beautifully.”
“Your niece and nephew have also done exceptionally well carrying the DeBourgh mantle in your stead. Are the rumors true about them? Will there be certain changes coming about?”
“You know I can’t officially confirm anything, but, let’s just say I am hopeful they realize the full ramifications of their decisions.”
“And what of William’s girlfriend?”
“What of her?”
“Don’t be coy. You can’t tell me that she doesn’t have any influence on your nephew.”
“And why would she? She has no understanding of the business.”
“But it’s not business I’m talking about. It’s obvious Will is completely infatuated with her.”
“He’s besotted, there’s no doubt.”
“You have to admit she possesses a certain wholesome attractiveness.”
“Ugh. Don’t get me started. At least the dress she’s wearing today is much more appropriate than that ghastly frock she wore when she first arrived. I do believe she obtains most of her clothing at Wal-Mart.”
“My dear, you’re beginning to sound as if you don’t approve of William’s girlfriend.”
“You’ve known me for years, Marjorie. Has any woman met my approval when it comes to my nephew? What he sees in that gold-digging wench, I have no idea. She’s insolent and outspoken. She has no breeding, nothing to recommend her to higher society.”
“Catherine DeBourgh, you surprise me! You’re complaining that his current girlfriend is the exact opposite of those boring socialites you’ve been complaining about for years. I personally think she’s a breath of fresh air, despite the shit you’ve undoubtedly been throwing at her.”