Surgeon in a Tux

by Carol Marinelli

  ‘I’m quite sure she’s worked out what a top bastard you are.’

  She smiled sweetly as she said it.

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘You’re welcome.’ Lizzie snipped the stich and then made herself say it. ‘Keep arguments away from work.’

  ‘Leo never argues,’ Ethan said. ‘He ends things long before arguments start.’

  ‘Well, I don’t want to walk into that again.’ Lizzie knew she had to address it and as she did so he opened the other eye and stared back at Lizzie as she spoke on. ‘I’m not just talking about the scene in Reception, I’m talking about what I walked into before—I could have been a patient.’

  ‘But you’re not.’

  ‘Even so.’ Lizzie put down the scissors as Ethan, tongue in cheek as his brother got a scolding, applied a small dressing. ‘It’s not very professional.’

  ‘I’m extremely professional,’ Leo smarted.

  ‘I can only go by what I’ve seen.’ Lizzie retorted. ‘Am I being hired to merely smile or am I to be the head nurse of the clinic?’

  ‘Head nurse,’ Leo said through gritted teeth.

  ‘Then let there be no repetitions.’ She gave him a smile and then smiled at Ethan. ‘I’ll go and show myself around.’

  She walked out, again closing the door behind her, and let out a long slow breath as, on the other side, Leo did the same.

  ‘You didn’t tell me I was hiring an old-school matron,’ Leo grumbled, picking up the mirror he usually held up for patients and examining the damage to his cheek as he mimicked Lizzie’s voice. ‘“Let there be no repetitions”—I feel like I’m back at school.’

  ‘God help Lizzie then,’ Ethan said, but then the smile faded from his face as he watched Leo’s gaze briefly drift to the door Lizzie had just walked out of. Ethan watched as, simply on instinct, Leo dragged in the last dregs of the feminine scent lingering in the air and, not for the first time, Ethan wondered if, by seeing she got this job, he had been doing Lizzie a huge disservice.

  Yes, the money might be great but if Leo set his cap on her …

  Ethan let out a worried breath. He knew better than most the true cost of a broken heart.

  CHAPTER THREE

  LIZZIE DID SHOW herself around and chatted to a couple of the staff, who were very friendly.

  ‘Welcome to the Hunter Clinic.’ Charlotte, one of the nurses introduced herself. ‘I’m just heading over to Kate’s or I’d show you around.’

  ‘Kate’s?’ Lizzie checked—she’d heard that name mentioned a few times in conversation.

  ‘Princess Catherine’s Hospital,’ Charlotte explained and, as she spoke on, Lizzie was fast finding out how little she knew about her new role. ‘Day cases are normally done here but anything other than a twilight sedation is done either at Kate’s or the Lighthouse Hospital.’

  ‘Do you do a lot at the Lighthouse?’ Lizzie asked, because that was a children’s hospital.

  ‘Loads.’ Charlotte smiled. ‘Rafael De Luca, one of our paediatric surgeons, has a theatre list there this morning and I’m—’

  ‘Charlotte!’

  She was interrupted by rather gruff but very good-looking man who popped his head out of a treatment room like a handsome bear peering out of a cave, holding his gloved hands up in front of him and asking in a rich Scottish accent if he might have a hand.

  ‘I’m just on my way out …’

  ‘I can help.’ Lizzie smiled, glad of the chance to be useful.

  ‘Lizzie’s the new head nurse,’ Charlotte explained as she dashed off.

  ‘Hi Lizzie, I’m Iain MacKenzie. I’m removing sutures,’ he explained, ‘but Jessica, the patient, is very distressed. I need a hand to keep her still. She doesn’t want any sedation.’

  Jessica was very distressed; she was on an examination table and curled up.

  ‘Can we do it tomorrow?’ she begged.

  ‘The sooner they come out the less it will scar,’ Iain explained. ‘It’s not going to hurt, there will just be a little bit of tugging. This is Lizzie …’

  ‘Hi, Jessica.’ Lizzie smiled. She was about to ask what had happened but Iain shot her a warning look and Lizzie decided otherwise. Instead, she made the woman as comfortable as she could and put a small sterile towel over her face so that she couldn’t see the blade Iain was using to remove the numerous tiny sutures from her neck and behind her ear.

  ‘You’re doing grand …’ Iain said every now and then, but he was a silent type and was concentrating hard so it was Lizzie who did most of the reassuring as the tiny threads were removed.

  ‘How does it look?’ Jessica kept asking.

  Iain was concentrating and it was Lizzie who spoke for him.

  ‘It’s very swollen and tender at the moment,’ Lizzie said, ‘but the wounds are …’ She hesitated. How could she describe them as amazing? Yet she had never seen anything so intricately repaired. ‘It’s a marvellous job.’

  She looked up and Iain gave a grim smile.

  He was a man of few words but his work clearly spoke for itself. As he held up the mirror and Jessica carefully examined the wounds, Lizzie was relieved for the patient that she could see an improvement.

  ‘It looks so much better but—’

  ‘Just let it settle and I’ll see you in a couple of days and we’ll start with ointments and massage, but for now I just want the wound left. How are you?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Jessica admitted. ‘The thing is …’ She glanced over at Lizzie and when it was clear that she’d prefer privacy Lizzie made her excuses and left.

  ‘How is she?’ Leo was walking past as Lizzie came out.

  ‘Sorry?’

  He nodded in the direction of his office and Lizzie followed. The corridor was perhaps not the best place to speak. ‘How is Jessica?’ Leo clarified. ‘I was going to suture her when she came in but I knew it was going to take hours and I had a function to attend …’ He watched as Lizzie’s lips tightened a fraction. ‘You’ve been spending far too long listening to my brother about me.’ Leo gave a wry smile. ‘Anyway, Iain is brilliant for that type of injury. I’m just interested to hear how Jessica is.’

  ‘Her sutures are out,’ Lizzie said. ‘She’s just speaking with Iain. I think she wanted me to leave.’

  ‘You don’t recognise her, do you?’

  ‘Should I?’ Lizzie said, and then her eyes widened as she recalled the news last week and realised she’d just been looking after the wife of a celebrity who’d been taken in for questioning after a heated argument with his wife.

  ‘From her injuries I thought she must have been in a car accident.’ Lizzie closed her eyes for a moment. ‘I thought that working here would be …’ She halted, realising Leo might not be the best person to reveal her thoughts to, but he was already one step ahead.

  ‘You thought that it was all fake boobs and antiaging?’ Leo finished for her. ‘Domestic violence isn’t just for the working classes.’

  ‘I know.’ Lizzie’s voice was rattled, cross, but more with herself because, yes, Leo was right, people assumed that if you were rich and beautiful of course those sorts of things didn’t happen and so, when they did, it was somehow more shocking.

  ‘You’ll know it for certain after a couple of months here,’ Leo said. ‘Right, would you mind stepping outside and then walking in again?’ He saw her confusion. ‘I’d like to start again.’

  ‘It’s really not necessary.’

  ‘It really is,’ Leo said. ‘Go on, knock and this time wait till I call you in.’

  ‘This is ridiculous,’ Lizzie said, walking out and closing the door. She knocked and waited for his summons.

  ‘Come in.’

  But kind of fun, Lizzie decided as she opened the door to his smile.

  ‘You must be the new head nurse.’ Leo stood from his desk, walked over and shook her hand.

  ‘You must be Mr Hunter.’ Lizzie smiled. ‘It’s lovely to meet you … Oh, what on earth happened to your cheek?’

/>   He smiled, and Lizzie’s stomach did what it had done at the door to the changing room and simply folded over on itself.

  ‘Oh, that,’ Leo said. ‘Just a little tumble, skiing.’

  ‘Ouch.’ Lizzie winced. ‘Poor you!’

  Then Leo was serious. He offered her a seat and moved behind his huge walnut table. It really was a lovely office, which looked out onto Harley Street, and Lizzie had to snap her eyes back to Leo when he spoke as she found herself staring out of the window, unable to believe she was actually here.

  ‘I think you’ll enjoy working here,’ Leo started. ‘I have an amazing team —all the staff I have personally chosen for their excellence. From surgeons to receptionists I have hand-picked each one.’

  ‘Except me.’

  She didn’t mince her words, Leo noted.

  ‘Except you,’ Leo admitted. ‘But, then, I trust my brother’s judgement.’ He didn’t add it had been a condition of Ethan’s that if he was to take the role then Lizzie must be employed. ‘So, what made you want to work at the Hunter Clinic?’

  Lizzie wondered just how honest she should be—she could hardly admit that it was the dazzling salary that had first attracted her. Neither could she say that the chance for an apartment in such a beautiful part of London had been too good to pass up and that the chance to finally get ahead financially had clinched the deal for her.

  ‘It’s a very prestigious clinic,’ Lizzie settled for instead.

  ‘It is.’ Leo’s eyes never left her face. ‘You haven’t worked in cosmetic or reconstructive surgery, though?’ he checked, and watched as her cheeks darkened. ‘What attracts you to it?’

  ‘People like Jessica,’ Lizzie answered. ‘It’s wonderful that such an appalling injury—’

  ‘I’m talking about the cosmetic side of things. People who come to the clinic for purely cosmetic reasons. Vanity even …’

  ‘I’m all for it,’ Lizzie said.

  ‘Really?’ Leo raised an eyebrow. ‘You don’t sound very sure.’

  Lizzie was really struggling. Had she had a formal interview she would have given this question some thought prior to the event, but now it had been thrust upon her. There was no escaping Leo’s eyes as her mind raced for a more convincing response.

  ‘Why wouldn’t I be all for it?’ Lizzie said. ‘I’ve had a little work done myself.’

  ‘Really?’ Leo frowned. ‘What?’

  Lizzie let out a slightly shrill laugh. ‘I don’t think you’d really expect me to answer that.’

  Leo frowned. He could usually spot any work—it was his job after all—and Lizzie had to sit there burning with mortification as his eyes skimmed her face and then dipped briefly before returning to meet her gaze.

  ‘Can I ask who did your work?’

  ‘No,’ Lizzie said.

  ‘Well, whatever he did, it was an excellent job.’

  ‘She,’ Lizzie said.

  ‘Now you’ve got me really curious.’

  Leo soon got back to being serious as he explained how the clinic ran. ‘I take great pride in my work. My patients often live their lives, or have lived their lives in the spotlight,’ he explained. ‘Like it or not, the world can be a very judgmental place and I do my best for my patients. I respect them immensely for taking care of themselves.’ Lizzie looked up at the determination in his voice. ‘Though I’m seeing fewer clients now as I focus more on the business side of things.’

  ‘Can I ask why?’ Lizzie was curious. ‘You’re clearly in demand …’

  ‘Two-fold.’ He nodded his approval of her question. ‘The more elusive I’ve become the more in demand I am and, on a more serious note, I really do want to build the charitable side of things. That’s the reason I’ve persuaded Ethan to come on board. The Hunter Clinic provides many people with very nice lifestyles but we do give back. It’s not just about donating a doctor’s time, though, it’s the hospital beds, the rehabilitation, the family …’

  ‘I can imagine.’

  ‘Fundraising is a serious part of my role. I’m very good at the social side of things.’

  ‘I had heard.’

  ‘Someone has to be,’ Leo said. ‘I can hardly send in Edward.’

  Lizzie frowned.

  ‘Renowned micro surgeon, absolute genius, lives with his books,’ Leo said. ‘Then there’s Iain.’

  ‘MacKenzie? The Scottish one?’

  Leo nodded. ‘Another brilliant surgeon but useless at small talk. And can you imagine Ethan drumming up business at an A-list function? He drips disdain.’

  Lizzie felt guilty doing so but she did give a small laugh because, yes, Ethan wouldn’t be wonderful at schmoozing up to anyone.

  ‘For all he disapproves …’ Leo mused out loud, and then halted himself and turned the focus back to Lizzie. ‘Ethan said something about you supporting your parents …’

  ‘He shouldn’t have.’

  ‘He wasn’t gossiping,’ Leo said. ‘It must be quite a drain on you.’

  ‘I look out for my parents,’ Lizzie said tartly, embarrassed to be discussing this. ‘The same way that they have always looked out for me. Like you, there comes a time when it’s right to give back.’

  ‘Okay.’ He wrote on his pad and Lizzie frowned. ‘I was just reminding myself not to go there again.’ He turned her visible discomfort into a smile. ‘Right, I’d better get on. I do have a patient at two who will expect only the most senior staff.’ He opened up a folder and Lizzie saw that despite the effortless small talk this meeting really had been planned because it contained all her paperwork. ‘You’ve signed the confidentiality clause?’ Leo checked.

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘You fully understand what you signed?’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘Good. I’ll see you just before two, then. The patient I’m seeing is Marianna Dupont. Have you heard of her?’

  Lizzie swallowed. You’d have to be living under a rock not to have heard of Marianna. Since her engagement to Prince Ferdinand of Sirmontane had been announced, their romance had filled the gossip columns. As first in line to the throne, his future wife would one day be queen and from the way Leo was talking, Lizzie was about to meet her.

  ‘I have heard of her,’ Lizzie said, attempting nonchalance and failing miserably. The wedding wasn’t till next year but it would seem some discreet preparations were being put in place for a woman who would spend the rest of her life living in the eye of the public and on the cover of every magazine.

  ‘Good,’ Leo said, and as Lizzie went to go his voice caught up with her at the door.

  ‘The salary.’

  ‘Sorry?’ Lizzie turned around.

  ‘You could have just answered that it was the salary that attracted you to the role and I wouldn’t have minded. There’s nothing wrong with wanting nice things.’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘And a lot of people have no idea what goes on in a clinic like this till they actually work in one.’

  ‘I’m already finding that out.’

  ‘You have to know it to love it,’ Leo explained.

  She possibly already did.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  MARIANNA WAS SERIOUSLY beautiful.

  Gwen showed her through and Lizzie tried to quieten the flutter of nerves in her stomach, telling herself that all patients wanted, rich or poor, was simply to be well cared for.

  It didn’t help.

  ‘Leo!’ Marianna was charming and greeted him like a friend. ‘It’s lovely to see you again.’ Her voice dropped in concern when she saw the dressing on his cheek. ‘What happened there?’

  ‘Just a small tumble, skiing,’ Leo said, as he kissed her on both cheeks and gave Lizzie just the tiniest wink. ‘How are you?’

  ‘Nervous,’ Marianna said in her rich accent.

  ‘This is Lizzie Birch,’ Leo introduced them. ‘Our new head nurse.’

  ‘It’s lovely to meet you, Lizzie.’ Marianna smiled but she gave a nervous swallow when she turned back to Leo. ‘I a
m sure that I was photographed coming in.’

  ‘You used the basement?’

  ‘I did, but when I was in the car—’

  ‘You’ll leave by the front door,’ Leo said. ‘Did you wear dark glasses on the way here, like I told you to?’

  Marianna nodded. ‘If anyone finds out that I’m having work done, it will be awful.’

  ‘No one shall find out from us,’ Leo assured her. ‘We’re very used to dealing with this type of thing, though, as we’ve discussed, there are always going to be rumours.’

  ‘Of course,’ Marianna sighed. ‘I have already been pregnant five times.’

  ‘You’ve kept your figure well,’ Lizzie joked, and then blushed, but Marianna just laughed.

  ‘How has it been?’ Leo asked, pulling up some images on his computer and then coming over to Marianna to take a closer look.

  ‘Your work is amazing,’ Marianna admitted. ‘Even I struggle to notice what is different about my nose—I just know that it looks so much better.’

  ‘Marianna had rhinoplasty six weeks ago at Kate’s,’ Leo explained to Lizzie as he examined the soon-to-be-royal nose. He then took a couple of photos, which he transferred to his computer, and Lizzie marvelled at the change. It was almost imperceptible, yet the difference was very telling.

  ‘I shaved a fraction here …’ Leo told Lizzie, using his pen to point to what he had done. ‘And then just tweaked the tip and lifted it a millimetre …’ He turned to Marianna. ‘It’s going to just keep getting better,’ he said. ‘It’s still a touch swollen.’ He gave his patient a very nice smile. ‘You’ve done the hard part now. The next surgery we can do here. It will just be local anaesthetic and light sedation. We’re going to do a blepharoplasty,’ Leo said, and then, seeing Lizzie blink, he translated. ‘Take away some of the excess on Marianna’s eyelids.’ He turned back to the images on the screen and addressed Marianna. ‘Taking just a sliver will open your eyes up and it will look amazing, especially for profile shots …’

  Marianna nodded but she had questions. ‘What about the scars?’

  ‘We’ll use laser to minimise, but there will be a small scar. It will be easily covered with make-up but if you don’t want your staff to know …’