by Ruby Cruz
Her candid manner was refreshing and disconcerting at the same time, but I found myself liking her more and more. “I’m not sure what our plans are for after the wake, but I’d love for you to join Will and me for a drink.”
She spared a brief glance at her companion, who was waiting patiently near the exit. “That’d be great. In fact,” she reached into her purse and drew out a business card, “that is my cell. You can be sure to get a hold of me on that and I’ll meet you. Just text me the time and address.”
“Great.”
“I’d better go. I promised my friend a good dinner if she came with me here. It’s not easy coming to one of these things when you have no idea who you’re paying condolences to.”
“Tell me about it.”
She grinned, then turned to rejoin her friend.
I made my way through the crowd and towards the front of the room. Just as I was about to make my final approach to Darcy, he stepped to the very front of the room just to the side of his grandfather where a microphone stood on its stand. He cleared his throat, and the room immediately quieted.
“Thank you, everyone, for coming and helping to remember my grandfather, Walter DeBourgh. On behalf of my aunt and sister, we appreciate the support you have given us through this difficult time.” He turned to Ana, who began telling a story about her childhood memories of her grandparents.
Darcy’s eyes met mine. His expression was enigmatic, unreadable, and tinged with sadness. I offered him a small smile of encouragement, and the only acknowledgment I received was a faint twitch of his mouth, almost as if he were refraining from smiling back. He hesitated slightly and seemed like he might say something more when Ana finished her story, but instead stepped back from the microphone.
He started to cross the room, but Charlie and Caroline Bingley, who hadn’t quite reached him in their turn on the procession line, waylaid him. Knowing I could no longer avoid the encounter, I painstakingly made my way towards the small group, my blood boiling when Caroline drew Will into an unwelcome embrace.
To his credit, he allowed the hug for only a second, then extracted himself enough to push her to a respectable distance. He had his public face on - that impassive mask that hid his thoughts and emotions so well. His eyes flickered to me, and his expression softened minutely. He knew how much I disliked Caroline and suffered her attention only because of his continued friendship with Charlie.
I finally reached the threesome and deliberately stood behind Caroline when I greeted, “Charlie, Caroline. I didn’t realize you both were able to attend today.”
“Caroline had business on the East Coast and had offered to pick me up with the company jet. We just arrived,” Charlie said.
“How long are you staying?” I implicitly ignored the daggers Caroline wordlessly threw in my direction.
“Just for the wake. I’m flying back as soon as this is over. I can’t exactly take any more time off, not after I’ve just come back from vacation.”
“It’s understandable, and I appreciate you making the effort to be here.” Darcy had moved to my side and slipped an arm around my waist, a gesture not lost on Caroline as her eyes narrowed at the both of us.
“I like your dress, Lizzy,” Caroline complimented in a saccharine tone. “I’m glad to see spending time with the Darcys has at least improved your taste in clothing.”
“Caroline,” Charlie warned, but I waved it off.
“She’s quite right, Charlie,” I said evenly. “I have to admit I have next to no fashion sense. Ana has been very generous with her time and her taste. How long are you planning on staying, Caroline? I imagine a successful business woman such as yourself has many commitments.”
I could sense her frustration simmering beneath the surface, but she answered, “I am here through the funeral. My father sends his apologies for not attending himself. His doctor has advised that he not fly.”
“I’m sorry to hear he’s doing poorly,” Will commented with genuine concern.
“He developed a DVT during his last business trip to Shanghai,” Charlie explained. “Fortunately, he never developed an embolus, but he’s on warfarin and being closely monitored.”
“I appreciate him thinking of us at all.”
Caroline leaned with one shoulder slightly tilted forward. “You forget, he and your grandfather had grown quite close over the years. It’s only recently that our families have…lost touch.” She threw Darcy a significant look, and I could feel him shift uncomfortably beside me.
From the set of Charlie’s jaw, I gleaned he was also uneasy with the direction of the conversation so he switched topics. “Was that Nina Petrova I just saw leaving?”
“Yes,” Darcy answered with some relief. He explained her burgeoning practice as a concierge doctor in the Hamptons as well as her role in treating me earlier in the day.
“It’s lucky she decided to settle here. She spared you a trip to the emergency room,” Charlie commented congenially.
“It wasn’t luck. She set up her practice here at my suggestion.” All of us looked at Darcy curiously. “A few years ago, she’d become disenchanted working in the emergency room at Kings County and was looking for a change of pace. My grandfather’s personal physician was retiring, and I suggested she take over the practice.”
“That was quite generous of you, William, using your family connections to help a…friend.” Caroline’s implication was all too clear.
“No more generous than when I recommended Charlie for the residency program at Princeton, on your suggestion.” His dark eyes glittered, and she had the good sense to back down.
“Still it must be dreadfully boring, waiting by the phone for the next client to call complaining of a sore throat or tennis elbow,” she said dismissively.
“She enjoys it well enough.”
“In fact,” I interjected, “you’ll have a chance to ask her about her practice yourself. If you’re not busy after the wake, that is.” Her eyes narrowed slightly, and I could feel Darcy’s posture stiffen beside me. “I invited her to join us for drinks after the wake. You’re more than welcome to come along.”
Caroline appeared as if I’d just asked her to jump in a vat of battery acid wearing nothing but a g-string and Wonderbra, but she answered, “I’d be delighted. It’ll be nice to catch up with…old friends.”
“Excellent. We’ll text you with the details.”
Charlie touched her elbow. “Come on, Caroline, we still have to pay our respects to Dr. DeBourgh and Ana. Excuse us.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask what that was all about,” Darcy said me under his breath.
“Hey, I’m doing as the adage goes and killing her with kindness. Too bad that doesn’t result in actual death.” I sighed. “No, I don’t really mean that, the death part. Although I do think she may bring that upon herself if she keeps wearing those stilettos.”
“You really want to have drinks with Caroline and Nina? Did I do something to upset you?” The imagined scenario brought such an aggrieved expression to his face I felt slightly guilty.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think how this puts you in the middle. Ex-lover, current girlfriend, and bitch who wants to steal you away.” I shivered dramatically. “Okay, so I may have missed the mark on this one. I’ll text them both and say you’re not up to it.”
“No, it’s not me I’m worried about. I’m quite looking forward to catching up with Nina. I just know how much you and Caroline don’t get along.”
“I’ve always been civil to her, despite all the catty remarks she throws my way.”
“I know, but this doesn’t exactly make for an enjoyable time.”
“I can’t avoid her forever. She’s a part of Charlie’s life and, therefore, is tangentially part of mine, so I’m stuck with her for as long as Jane and Charlie are together, which should be forever, by my calculation. Maybe spending some time with you and me as a couple will show her that she can’t break us up merely b
y throwing rude insults in my direction.”
He shook his head. “I defer to your judgement in this situation.”
“Should I think up a safe word in case things get too intense among us later? Redrum? Sadist? Stiletto?”
He merely chuckled and gathered me into his arms.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Girl Crush
By the time the wake ended, many people still lingered, either hoping for a final word with Dr. DeBourgh or making last minute plans for a late dinner. Much of the wake had been attended by members of the community, and the funeral home seemed to have served as a meeting spot for people who wanted to be seen at the wake of one of the most prominent citizens of the Hamptons rather than to pay their respects.
My ankle throbbed, and I longed to prop my leg up on one of the folding chairs or stick my foot in the bucket of ice that held bottles of water provided for those who had attended. Darcy must have caught my grimace of discomfort because he instructed me to sit and rest. I shook my head. “I’ve done enough of that. I’ll rest later when we get back to the house.”
“Don’t make me carry you out the door,” he warned, though he elicited a laugh from me a moment later when he added, “My back may never forgive me.”
My laughter caught Ana’s attention because I saw her glance in our direction. We made eye contact. I knew things were still strained between us when I offered a smile and she turned away with the pretense of giving her full attention to something Terry was telling her.
Darcy caught the exchange and inquired in a low voice, “Is she angry at you?”
“She thinks I was giving Chase Hammond too much attention earlier. That I was giving people the wrong impression by conversing with him.”
He frowned. “He does have a reputation for being a flirt, but as much as I dislike the idea of you speaking with anyone of the opposite sex, I didn’t see anything in your behavior that could be deemed inappropriate.”
“That’s basically what I told her, but she didn’t buy it.”
“Do you want me to speak with her?”
I shook my head. “No. You have enough on your plate. You don’t need to act as a mediator for what’s essentially a misunderstanding. I’ll talk to her myself after she’s cooled off some. Though after this evening, I can see you both share the Darcy temper, so that may be easier said than done.”
I shifted my weight on the crutches in an attempt to relieve the pain in my ankle with no effect. “Do you have a good recommendation for drinks around here?”
“Are you certain you still want to go? You really need to rest.”
“I was the one who suggested drinks in the first place. I can hardly back out now. Plus, I’m curious about Nina. She seems like a pretty cool person.”
“I know the owner of the wine bar not far from here. He’s agreed to stay open a little later tonight for us. My grandfather was a loyal patron of his.”
“When did you have time to arrange that?”
“Must you know all my secrets?”
Sometimes I feel I hardly know any, I thought.
~
Later, after we had dropped off Dr. DeBourgh, Ana, and Terry at the manor (Dr. DeBourgh citing exhaustion, Ana complaining of a headache, and Terry stating she needed to go home and give attention to her neglected cat), Nico drove us to the wine bar. Almost as soon as we were alone in the back of the limo, Darcy captured my lips in a fierce, passionate kiss.
When he finally pulled away, he leaned his forehead against mine, our ragged breaths mingling in the darkened interior. “Now I feel slightly better.” His voice was barely audible.
“There’s a certain part of me that’s distinctly uncomfortable now,” I stated with a slight chuckle.
I felt rather than saw his lips curve into a smile. “I’m grateful you were here with me today. Seeing my aunt so distraught…I hardly knew what to say or do. Just knowing you were there made me feel stronger.”
“You don’t have to be grateful. I love you, despite all the female population apparently wanting to get in your pants.”
“There’s only one female I want in my pants, though I have to admit that article of clothing is feeling entirely too tight at the moment.”
All too soon, we arrived at the wine bar. Although the interior lights were on, a prominent sign on the entrance stated, “Closed for Private Party.” I assumed we were the private party as Darcy knocked on the glass.
He introduced me to the proprietor Mr. Niklaus, a tall, burly, white-haired man nearing retirement age whom I recognized from the wake. He heartily clapped Darcy on the back and said in a thick, Ukrainian accent, “Come, we share a drink to Walter.”
The interior of the bar was impressive, with a sophisticated mechanism of glass enclosed racks displaying what looked to be hundreds of bottles of wine stacked in dozens of rows. Mr. Niklaus bypassed the racks and led us to the wet bar that stretched against the far wall of the room. He produced a bottle of cognac which, judging by Darcy’s nod of approval, was apparently quite expensive.
He poured generous glasses for all three of us. “To Walter,” he toasted. “He was not the easiest man, but he was honest and loyal.”
Darcy said nothing as he raised his glass and drank deeply. I sipped tentatively and felt the alcohol burn its way into my stomach. Mr. Niklaus seemed pleased that I didn’t cough and gag.
By the time Darcy and Mr. Niklaus had finished their drinks, Nina and Caroline had both arrived. Caroline appeared discomfited by arriving at the same time as Nina and eyed the other woman with distrust. A small part of me felt guilty for being grateful there was someone else Caroline could try to bully and criticize.
“So many beautiful women, Dr. Darcy,” Mr. Niklaus commented congenially. “How do you find the time?”
Darcy answered smoothly, “There’s only one woman here I’m interested in.” He wrapped his arm tighter around me and kissed my hair. I squeezed his hand in response.
Caroline had apparently heard the comment and threw more eye darts in my direction. Throw as many of those as you want, Caroline. They can’t hurt me.
He made introductions between Nina and Caroline, after which Nina exclaimed, “Bingley? As in Bingley Pharmaceuticals? Your new anti-coagulant drug has revolutionized treatment for thrombi and embolus prevention with less risk of side effects compared to warfarin.”
Caroline preened importantly. “Yes, we’re pleased at the market share it has gained in the U.S. over the past quarter. We’re still awaiting approval in Europe and Asia, but after the positive response we’ve had in the States, it’s just a matter of time before it’s launched worldwide.”
“I have no doubt it’ll continue to be a success. William was actually the one who first recommended it to me for my patients. So many of them don’t want to take the time for routine blood draws, even with me coming to them. For my patients to not need such close monitoring has been a godsend.”
“And we’re proven to have fewer side effects than our competitors. I’m pleased it’s working well for your patients.”
When Mr. Niklaus brought out the bottle of merlot Darcy had requested, Caroline smiled for the first time. “Finally, someone who knows a decent bottle of wine. William has the best taste.”
Ugh, gag me. Nina and I just shrugged at each other. From what Darcy had told me about her, she’d grown up in a working middle-class family not too different than mine. As much as I liked to drink, I was no sommelier - I thought drinking anything that cost more than twenty dollars a bottle was high class, and from Nina’s neutral expression, she seemed to have a similar opinion.
“This was my grandfather’s favorite wine,” Darcy explained. “He bought a dozen cases after he first tasted it and had them shipped here for storage, and Mr. Niklaus has been more than accommodating over the years. I thought opening a bottle was appropriate to the occasion.”
“Of course,” Caroline agreed a little too eagerly.
After t
he glasses were poured and the wine allowed to breathe properly, Darcy held his glass and uttered a toast in what sounded like perfect Russian. My heart skipped a beat. He could have been saying “monkey butt” and it still would’ve sounded completely sexy.
“Nice to know you haven’t forgotten everything I taught you,” Nina stated to Darcy with a smile.
“Just the important ones,” he answered. I ignored the jealousy their easy banter elicited and could see Caroline was having a more difficult time processing their friendship. “Nina spent two years in Ukraine with the Peace Corps.”
“That must have been a fascinating experience,” I said. Sheesh, if I wasn’t so jealous of her, I’d be developing a major girl crush.
“I was working with underprivileged children in schools, helping to teach life skills.”
“Like what? Not starving to death?” Caroline asked disdainfully. Apparently her jealousy and overall bitchiness overruled any camaraderie shared over the marketing of blood thinners.
Nina blinked, obviously taken aback by Caroline’s attitude. “Er, no. Things like making a budget, interviewing for jobs, and how to practice safe sex.”
Caroline raised an eyebrow. “You were teaching kids about sex?”
“Not about the act itself, just how to be prepared and the risks associated with unprotected sex. AIDS is rampant in many Third World countries, not merely because of lack of condom use, but lack of knowledge on how it’s actually transmitted. Anyway, that’s the type of work I did.”
Caroline sipped her wine. “You share a lot of similarities to my brother. He spent some time in Haiti before attending medical school. I never understood why he would want to spend time in a disease-ridden part of the world where he didn’t speak the language and didn’t even have a clean water source.”
