by Ruby Cruz
“I’m sure there are few who do. Most people like to avoid allowing others the opportunity to laugh at them with no provocation. I myself avoid it by showing as few weaknesses as possible.”
I teased him. “Dr. Darcy, are you saying you have no weaknesses?”
“No, I’m merely saying that I try to avoid showing anything of myself that would be the object of ridicule.”
“Wouldn’t you say your vanity in itself is a weakness?”
“I wouldn’t say it’s vanity I possess but pride in my character.”
“So, Lizzy, what do you think?” Caroline added as she watched our exchange with interest. “What is William’s major weakness?”
“It appears Dr. Darcy has no weaknesses as he is so obviously perfect.”
Darcy bristled. “I never said I had no weakness, I just try not to display them for the world. I do admit I have a very short temper and very little tolerance for people who lack propriety and common sense, and I can be rather unforgiving of those who offend me. That is my biggest weakness. My good opinion once lost is lost forever.”
His eyes bore through me but I quipped, “Harboring resentment is one fault I can’t easily laugh at. I guess you’re safe from my ridicule for now.”
“Everybody has some defect or propensity they’d rather not have.”
“Well, your defect seems to be your tendency to hate everybody.”
“And yours,” he countered, “would be to misunderstand and mock everything I say.”
Caroline, obviously tired of our exchange, got out of the pool and excused herself to change. I was grateful when Jane and Charlie emerged from the house bearing what appeared to be marinating steaks and vegetables. As I splashed around the pool with Chloe, I watched with interest as Charlie attempted to turn on the impressive Weber grill that occupied one corner of the pool house. With quite a bit of help from Jane, Charlie managed to turn on the grill without blowing up the pool house and within a few minutes the food was sizzling away. Chloe fussed to be with her mother, so I handed Chloe to Jane and began to towel myself off.
Now that I was off baby duty, I sat on one of the lounge chairs and checked my messages. There was one from Luke. Darcy was engrossed again in his computer and Jane was hovering over Charlie to ensure that we had an edible meal, so I wrapped a towel over my swim suit and stepped out of the pool house. I turned the corner to ensure privacy and dialed Luke’s number.
“So you’ve survived two days at Netherfield and in the presence of Darcy no less. Sounds like you’re having a grand time.”
“Yes, it’s as fun as having my teeth drilled without Novocaine.”
“Just think, though. If Jane is serious about Bingley, things might progress much more quickly on that front.”
“What do you mean, if Jane is serious about Bingley? Why wouldn’t she be serious about him? She’s crazy about him.”
“She doesn’t really show it. You know how she is. When it comes to guys, she hardly ever shows her feelings and it’s gotten even worse since Bob.”
“Jane’s here, isn’t she? If she didn’t like him, she wouldn’t even have considered coming here.”
“Not all people think like her, Lizzy. Some people are more than willing to take advantage of another person’s generosity.”
After I finished my call with Luke and rejoined the others in the pool house, I considered what he had told me about Jane and Charlie. Yes, Jane was shy and had become even more so with men after her relationship with Bob. But the fact remained that she was crazy about Charlie and any fool should be able to see how she felt about him.
After Caroline emerged from the house, freshly made up and not a damp hair in sight, she took residence on the lounge chair next to Darcy’s. She called out, “William, what is it that you’re working on so intently? Why don’t you take a break?”
“I am taking a break. I’m catching up on all my personal emails. This one is, in fact, addressed to my sister.”
“How is Ana doing? How is she enjoying her summer?”
This was the first I knew that Darcy had a sister. I began to listen more intently, wondering if his sister was as rude as her brother.
Darcy paused in his typing. “You know Ana. She is taking some summer classes and keeping busy with the center.”
“Summer classes must be dreadfully dull. Why on earth would she choose to take classes when she could have taken the summer off?”
He paused in his typing but seemed to consider his words before answering. “With her duties at the center, Ana is trying to spread out her coursework so she won’t be overwhelmed for the fall semester.”
“Well, I’m sure she’ll do well, regardless. Brilliant minds run in the family.” I rolled my eyes but kept my mouth shut. Caroline continued, “She should drive up here to visit when she has some free time. I would love to have her visit for the weekend. I’m sure Charles would agree. They always seem to have the best time whenever they’re together.” The tone in her voice implied that she’d rather have this Ana as company than her present guests.
“I will mention your invitation again, though she assured me her summer is very busy when I invited her in my previous email.”
There was a pause before Caroline continued, “You type ridiculously fast. I’ve never seen anyone type as fast as you.”
“Actually, I type relatively slow.”
“Well, you type faster than me or Charles. Especially Charles.”
Charlie spoke up. “Hey, it’s only because I’m carefully composing what I’m going to say as I type it out. Besides, I like to text more than email. Texts are so much more concise, more conversational. Plus, I’m better with my thumbs as writing instruments.”
“But you can convey so much more information in an email than in a text message. Texts are only practical if you are in close contact with the person you’re corresponding with,” Darcy countered without even looking up from his laptop.
“I never have time to email and when I do my emails are short and contain no more information than my texts. Texting is so much quicker. Not everyone has time to check email.”
“To convey important facts, I still find email to be the more practical of the two. Text messages are lost or deleted so much more easily than emails. And you cannot argue that emails are the chosen venue for professional discourse.”
“Who’s talking about professionalism? A conversation between friends, when not in person, is most efficient through texts. Sometimes my thoughts flow so rapidly I can barely express them in a coherent email. I find I do best when expressing them in a text, one thought at a time.”
“And thus why you have a Twitter account and I don’t.”
“You don’t have a Twitter account?” I clarified.
“I don’t see the point of it. I feel they are for people like Charles who like to express themselves in short bursts and phrases. That’s not my style. And I’ve never been one to do something just because the masses were.”
I was somewhat surprised to discover that Darcy’s philosophy about social networking mirrored my own so closely but I didn’t comment. Charlie announced the steaks were ready and invited everyone to sit at the patio table and eat. The marinade Mrs. Pratchett had prepared for the steaks was divine and had done its job well of flavoring and tenderizing the meat. The vegetables were slightly charred but I was so hungry I didn’t mind. Mrs. Pratchett had also made a potato salad that was the best I’d ever tasted. I seriously considered kidnapping her and making her my culinary slave.
Charlie preened as I declared his grilling feat a success. When Mrs. Pratchett emerged with tubs of homemade ice cream, I was talked into taking at least one scoop of her chocolate brownie concoction. She laughed when I hugged her and kissed her cheek in thanks for what was probably the best ice cream I’d ever had. I would need to do fifty more laps in the pool in order to burn off the calories from that one meal.
During the meal, Charlie mentioned, “
Oh, Lizzy, I forgot to tell you that your friend Mary convinced me to host the Nurses Gala here at the mansion. I thought it would be a fun night and the ballroom is definitely large enough.”
“Plus, Bingley Pharmaceuticals is proudly sponsoring the event,” Caroline added. “Johnson and Johnson is well-known for their support of nursing education. And while Bingley Pharmaceuticals is a much smaller company, our dedication to promoting nursing excellence is unmatched and I thought it was high time our sponsorships reflected that.” I wondered vaguely whom Caroline was trying to sell that line to.
“In any case, we hope you and your friends will be able to attend,” Charlie added.
“At two hundred dollars a ticket, that’s highly unlikely,” I answered truthfully. While the event was for nursing education, God forbid the pricing be adjusted so that nurses could actually afford the tickets. I inwardly smiled at the idea: an event for nurses with no nurses in attendance. “Some of the physician practices have bought tables for their nurses to attend but I know none of the nurses on our unit is going.”
“But that’s horrible,” Charlie exclaimed before he straightened with resolve. “Don’t worry. I’ll make some phone calls and I’ll personally make sure some of the nurses from your unit will have the opportunity to attend.”
“That’s really generous of you, Charlie,” I said, “but I didn’t mean for you to foot the bill yourself. You’re doing enough by opening up your home for this event.”
Charlie waved away my comment. “Nurses should be able to attend their own gala. I’ll make the arrangements.”
After eating, Jane took Chloe back into the pool and I settled by the poolside to read my Patricia Cornwell novel. Darcy had put away his computer and was browsing what looked to be medical journals while Caroline was intently working on her tablet. I had barely read a paragraph when Darcy, gesturing to my book, commented, “I haven’t read that one yet. How do you like it?”
I shrugged. “So far, so good.” I’ll let you know if you stop talking to me and let me finish reading my book, I thought meanly.
“I typically don’t like reading fiction but her writing is pretty good and the science is fairly accurate.”
I actually agreed with his assessment but was annoyed enough by his interruption of my leisure time that I merely nodded.
Darcy finally took the hint and returned to his medical journals. As I read, I couldn’t help but feel my eyes drift towards the pool and the cozy family unit that appeared there. Jane seemed so happy and Charlie was the same as he played with Chloe in the water. I finished about thirty pages in the book when Jane emerged from the pool with a slightly cranky and dripping toddler. “Time to go?” I asked, although I already knew the answer.
“Looks like it.”
Charlie appeared disappointed that we had to leave so soon. I helped Jane pack up as she changed Chloe into some dry clothes. “Thanks so much for having us here,” Jane said. “Chloe had a wonderful time and so did I, despite the migraine, which I apologize for. Again.”
“You’re welcome back here any time, schedules permitting, of course.”
I made myself scarce and brought our bags out to the car. I was lifting one of the bags into the trunk when I heard a voice, “Let me help you with that.”
My heart jumped and I dropped the bag. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were right behind me,” I told Darcy.
With an enigmatic smile, he lifted the bags into the trunk, then asked, “Is that all?”
“Aside from my sister and niece, I think so.”
“I guess I’ll see you soon, Lizzy.”
“I guess so.” Too soon.
CHAPTER NINE
A Ripe Cheese
When I found out an entire table had been bought so nurses from my unit could attend the gala, I was surprised to find out that the tickets had been donated, not by Charlie as I’d originally assumed, but by Meryton Cardiology Associates. My immediate thought was Darcy, but logic and previous experience with him had me concluding he would never be so generous as to donate two thousand dollars’ worth of tickets for nurses. A small part of me actually wanted to attend the event if only to see the Netherfield mansion all decked out for the gala.
Jane was fortunate to already have been scheduled off for that night and was attending, not as a nurse, but as the date of one of the gala’s sponsors. Mary was chosen to go as she was on the planning committee and had been the one responsible for brow-beating Charlie into offering the mansion as a venue. My manager earmarked tickets for herself and her assistant manager, thus leaving seven tickets up for grabs for those nurses not already scheduled to work that evening.
Since Jane was already attending, I’d assumed I would be taking on babysitting duties, especially since my mother had bought herself a ticket. “I’ve always dreamed of attending a party at the Netherfield mansion!” She had no qualms about leaving Hal at home, especially since her husband’s experience with wearing a suit was limited to his own two weddings. When I told the others I’d be taking my name out of the lottery, Kate assured me, “I have the kids that weekend, so I can watch Chloe if you’re chosen. One of us should have a chance to see how the other half lives.” And wouldn’t you know, my name was chosen along with Lydia’s.
~
The following week, I rushed into my mom’s house, Chloe clutched to my chest, my heart pounding with fear. “Mom, is Hal okay? Where is he? Did you call 911?” Misty jumped onto her hind paws and began prancing excitedly in front of me. I ignored the dog and walked past the living room and into the kitchen. I stopped short when I saw Hal seated at the kitchen table and tinkering with another one of Chloe’s broken toys. “Hal? But Mom said there was an emergency.”
“Check the living room,” he answered gruffly as he continued to tinker with the disemboweled toy. He was obviously perfectly well and not sick or injured at all. I sighed dramatically, gave him a kiss on the top of his head, and lowered Chloe to the floor where she immediately grabbed one of Misty’s ball toys and started throwing it around. “I told her you’d be mad,” he mumbled.
“So who is it this time? Please don’t say it’s your bowling partner’s son again. The last time Mom invited him over, he groped me on the way to the bathroom.”
Hal pursed his lips at the description, then jabbed his thumb in the direction of the living room. “See for yourself.”
I scooped up Chloe and left my stepfather in the kitchen as I walked towards the living room where I could hear Mom talking breezily. “She’s so responsible. She is quite successful at the hospital from what I understand and she helps her sister so much with my granddaughter.”
The voice that responded was familiar, though difficult for me to place. “Mrs. Bennett, I always knew a girl with her disposition and intelligence would be successful. It’s part of the reason why I’ve come to visit. I was in the process of moving the remainder of my belongings out of my parents’ home and to my new apartment in the city when I came across our high school yearbook. She wrote the most charming message to me. I regret we did not keep in touch after high school.”
Oh no. Colin Richardson. I had totally forgotten my mother had invited him for dinner while he was in town. Colin, while perfectly nice, had been so awkward in high school that I basically went out with him out of pity during our freshman year. The relationship had lasted merely one month and had consisted solely of a trip to the movies, some handholding while walking through the mall and one-sided conversations in my parents’ living room as he regaled me on his newest online gaming exploits. Fortunately for me, the school year had ended later that month and I spent the summer with my aunt and uncle in Philly. Colin never called or wrote me after, and when we saw each other at school a few months later, it was as if we’d never had any type of relationship. I didn’t even remember the content of the so-called “charming” message I’d written in his yearbook.
“Lizzy,” Mom called. “I thought I heard you in the hallway.”<
br />
I walked into the living room and Colin immediately sprung from the couch. His parents stood also as Misty jumped up onto Colin’s pant leg and started pawing him. Mom shooed Misty away which only caused her to start barking incessantly. I politely greeted Mr. and Mrs. Richardson before Colin stepped towards me. “Lizzy, it’s so good to see you. It’s been too long.” He enveloped my hands with his.
My memory had served me correctly as I nearly gagged from the feel of the sweat on his palms. I extracted my hands as politely as possible and asked, “How are you?” I hoped I wasn’t being too obvious as I wiped my hands on my jeans.
“Quite well. I have been telling your mother about the new job I started in the city. With your background as a nurse, you may have some knowledge of it. My principle investigator Dr. Catherine DeBourgh is developing a technique that would revolutionize the management of cerebral vascular emboli and thrombi in stroke patients. I cannot divulge the specifics, however, as the knowledge is proprietary. I’m sure you can relate to being unable to speak about your work, with HIPAA violations to consider.”
As Colin spoke, I surreptitiously studied him. He was medium height and build, and his mousy brown hair was unfortunately being threatened by premature male pattern baldness. He’d traded his Coke-bottle lenses for more stylish and lightweight frameless glasses. My mother preened as if she’d just presented me with Brad Pitt and not a reject from the Big Bang Theory. Now, I knew I wasn’t as pretty as Jane, not many women were, but - call me egotistical, call me shallow - I knew I could do a hell of a lot better than Colin Richardson. Hell, I’d attracted the attention of George Wickham and he ranked at least an eight on the hotness meter. The thought of bringing him home for Sunday dinner, however, had me breaking into a cold sweat. Somehow, I didn’t think George would appreciate the eccentricities of my mother.
“What brings you to town, Colin?” I asked politely after Mom picked up Misty and urged us to sit in the living room to “visit” while she finished cooking dinner. Mrs. Richardson offered to help and watch Chloe, an offer that, given the circumstances, was accepted readily, and Mr. Richardson followed to converse with Hal. After Colin and I were left alone in the living room, his eager eyes gazing at me, I resolved that as soon as the Richardsons left, I was going to kill my mother.
