Second Opinions: A Lizzy and Dr. Darcy Story (Meryton Medical Romances Book 2) Read online

  Contents

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  PART ONE

  THE HAMPTONS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  PART TWO

  BETTER OR WORSE

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  PART THREE

  BODY AND SOUL

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  EPILOGUE

  BONUS CHAPTER

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  SECOND OPINIONS

  A Lizzy and Dr. Darcy story

  Ruby Cruz

  Second Opinions

  Copyright© 2016 Ruby A. Cruz

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission of the author. Your support of author’s rights is appreciated.

  All characters in this novel are fictitious and are the product of the author’s (or Jane Austen’s) imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The use of any real company, institution, landmark and/or product names is for literary effect only. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

  Edited by Megan Harris

  http://mharriseditor.com

  Cover by Lou Harper

  http://louharper.com

  For Vivian, who asked for this sequel

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Special thanks to Rick, Roseanne, Susan, Becky, Joan, and Vivian for being my test readers and for helping me shape Lizzy and Darcy’s story. A special shout-out goes to my husband for being quite tolerant of my slight obsession with all things Darcy. My deepest gratitude goes to all my family and friends who have supported and encouraged me in this continuing journey. And to all those avid Austenites who continue to uphold the integrity of Jane Austen’s legacy – thank you for your passion and your loyalty to her craft.

  PART ONE

  THE HAMPTONS

  CHAPTER ONE

  Unexpected News

  The warmth of sunlight. The caress of a finger on my cheek. I lay in that moment between dreams and awakening and felt more content than I had in a very long time.

  “Good morning.” The words were a mere whisper in my ear, his breath tickling me and sending delicious shivers down my spine.

  I turned towards the warmth and into his arms. “Good morning, Dr. Darcy.” No matter how often I saw it, I never tired of seeing his handsome face, especially now when he was still somewhat sleepy and the stress of the day hadn’t yet hardened his features. Even though we were obviously on a first name basis now, I still thought of him as Darcy in my mind. It was a habit I probably would never be able to break, thinking of him as Darcy. My Dr. Darcy.

  “Mmm, so formal,” he murmured as his lips captured mine in a soft kiss. “Shall I call you Nurse Bennett?”

  “Don’t you dare.” I pushed him away playfully, but his arms tightened around me.

  “But I’m finding need for assistance in a certain area.” He punctuated that statement by pressing that certain area against me.

  My insides turned to mush, but I continued to push at him. “Stop, Chloe might wake up any minute.”

  He sighed but didn’t fight me any longer. “When do Charles and Jane return from their honeymoon?”

  I chuckled because he obviously already knew the answer to that question. “This afternoon. And, yes, Dr. Darcy, we still have to entertain the munchkin until then, which means no quickies this morning when I know she might walk in on us.”

  “Locks were made for a reason, you know.”

  “Yes, but she’s missing her parents. You saw how she was when I went to the bathroom yesterday and she couldn’t find me.” The novelty of staying in Darcy’s home had worn off after day two of her parents’ honeymoon, and my niece had been nearly inseparable from me since then.

  He sighed again, lay back on the bed, and stared at the ceiling. “You know, this isn’t a very convincing argument for having children.”

  “It’s just for another few hours, then you’ll have me all to yourself again.” I turned so I lay on my side to face him more fully. “Do you regret inviting her to stay with us?”

  He propped himself onto his elbow and his dark eyes met mine with a somber expression. “No, of course not. You know I enjoy spending time with her. It’s just that I don’t have much free time to spend with her aunt the way I would like and, after being on-call the majority of last week, I’ve missed spending time with you.” He reached a hand up to cup my cheek in his palm, and the simple gesture was enough to heat my blood.

  As if on cue, tiny feet thundered down the hall and the door flew open. Without preamble, Chloe climbed into the bed and launched herself at me in a hug. Her face was tear-streaked as her little arms wound tight around my neck.

  Almost simultaneously, Darcy’s phone rang and I frowned at him. “Are you on-call?”

  He shook his head as he reached for it. I didn’t think he was, but it was so early, I couldn’t fathom who else would call at this hour.

  He checked the readout and by the way he sighed and closed his eyes, there was only one person at the other end of the line.

  “Good morning, Aunt Catherine.”

  Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I carried Chloe out of bed and brought her downstairs and into the kitchen where Mrs. Pratchett had busied herself with making breakfast.

  “Good morning, ladies,” she greeted cheerily. Chloe ignored her and continued to cling to me.

  “Something smells delicious,” I commented as a wonderful sweet aroma filled the room.

  “Cinnamon rolls. I know they’re a little too decadent for Dr. Darcy’s tastes, but I thought the little one might enjoy them before her parents pick her up this afternoon. I’ve so enjoyed having her here this past week.”

  “I know. Me, too.” I pried Chloe’s arms from around my neck and coaxed her to face Mrs. Pratchett. “Sweetie, look at what Mrs. Pratchett made for you. Don’t they look yummy?” They did look scrumptious still steaming from the oven as she drizzled icing over them.

  Chloe immediately reached out a hand to grab one, but I caught her in time. “You have to wait until they’ve cooled down a bit, then you can have one. You don’t want to burn your fingers, do you?”

  Wordlessly, she showed me one of her fingers, the one she’d scraped against the side of the pool when we were swimming yesterday.

  “Yes, I know, you’ve got a boo boo. But we put a Band-Aid on and it’ll get better.”


  She clung to me as I poured a cup of milk for her and a large mug of coffee for myself. I turned to Mrs. Pratchett. “Are you set for your trip to your son’s house?”

  “Dr. Darcy arranged for his car service to drive me to New York this evening. The grandkids will probably be asleep by the time I arrive, but I didn’t want to miss seeing Charles Junior and Jane. I so want to hear about their trip.”

  “But I thought you travelled with him before, when you were working for his family.”

  “I have travelled with his family and I’ve seen some wonderful places: Paris, London, Geneva, Hong Kong. But those were usually business-related trips. I’ve never been anywhere tropical like Hawaii. The pictures Jane posted to Facebook are beautiful. I would like to visit there one day, perhaps after I retire and have some more time to travel.”

  I settled Chloe at her seat at the kitchen table, a move she protested until I placed the warm cinnamon roll in front of her. All moodiness set aside, she grabbed a piece of gooey pastry and began to eat.

  When Darcy entered the kitchen, his face was grim and I immediately knew something was wrong. “What? What is it?”

  “It’s my grandfather. He’s passed away.” His words were flat, almost monotone, but the meaning confused me. He’d never mentioned his grandfather before - I’d always assumed his aunt and his sister were his only living relatives.

  Hiding my confusion, I stood up and joined him in the doorway. “I’m so sorry.” And because I couldn’t think of anything else to say, I asked, “How’d it happen?”

  “He had a massive stroke three days ago. Aunt Catherine had him taken off the ventilator this morning.”

  Ironically enough, his aunt’s main focus of research involved stroke treatments. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how she was feeling now.

  “I’m expected in the Hamptons for the bereavement services. Ana is making arrangements for us to fly out this afternoon so we can arrive this evening and help with the funeral arrangements.”

  I had a difficult time pondering Darcy’s cold Aunt Catherine as the grieving daughter, but I couldn’t argue with him wanting to be there for his aunt. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder... “Were you close with him? You’ve never mentioned him before.”

  He twisted his mouth into a wry smile. “No, we weren’t close. The last time I physically saw him was at my parents’ funeral.”

  “That’s so sad.”

  “I suppose it can be viewed as such. Despite my relationship with him, he’s made sure to provide educations for myself and Ana, so I feel I at least owe him this.”

  “How’s your aunt taking things?”

  “As well as she can. You know she’s not a particularly emotional person, but she seems to be having a difficult time coping with his death, so Ana and I want to be there.”

  “Of course. Would you like me to accompany you? I don’t want to get in the way of your mourning, but...”

  Darcy pulled me into his arms and sighed. “I would love for you to come with me, but I don’t want to impose. I know my aunt isn’t one of your favorite people, and it’s not likely to be a very fun time.”

  I pulled away slightly and tipped my face up towards his. “I’m not looking for fun. Despite your aunt thinking I’m unworthy of your attention, I don’t hate her. Her father - your grandfather - has died and, even though you may not have been close with him, I want to be there for you and for Ana.”

  Chloe, seeing us embracing, climbed down from her chair and ran over to us. “Group hug!” She grabbed us both around the legs.

  I laughed even as I could feel her sticky fingers on my thigh.

  Darcy grinned down at Chloe before swooping her up. “Hey, did you save any cinnamon rolls for me? I think you have all of them smeared on your face.”

  “No,” she answered with a giggle. “They’re all in here.” She patted her belly.

  “None for me?” He pouted. “I guess I’ll have to eat you instead!” He made a show of fake chomping on her while he tickled her, and the room filled with her excited squeals and laughter.

  ~

  Darcy and I had unofficially started living together shortly after Charlie and Jane were married. We’d only been together eight months by the time of my sister’s wedding, and even though we’d talked abstractly about moving in together “someday,” the reality that I needed a new place to live had fast approached.

  Up until the wedding, Jane and I shared the townhouse we’d purchased shortly before Chloe was born and, after the wedding, Charlie was supposed to buy out my share of the property, which essentially left me homeless.

  Jane and Charlie had offered to let me stay with them until I at least finished school and started working full-time as a nurse practitioner, but I demurred. Newlyweds needed their privacy, especially newlyweds who already were caring for an energetic three-year old.

  Then my stepsister Lydia approached me about moving in together. She’d been trying to save up money by living with her mother, but the arrangement hadn’t been working out.

  “All she does is complain about how much of a screw-up I am,” she’d complained to me over drinks one night. “I can’t take it anymore.”

  I’d already signed a lease with old Mrs. Haskins, who attended my mother’s church, to rent the room above her garage. The apartment was small, but it was close to work, and Lydia had jumped at the chance to move in with me. “I’ll take the couch! I don’t care. It’s cheap, and you’ll probably be spending most of your time at Darcy’s anyway.”

  I hadn’t had the heart to tell her no. Now, almost six months later, I’d spent no more than a week sleeping in an apartment I was paying half the rent on.

  Not that Darcy really minded; in fact, he’d tried to persuade me to move in with him well before I’d signed the lease with Mrs. Haskins. I’d been too nervous about the prospect of cohabiting with him so soon after getting together to make the commitment, but he’d persisted. “I have more than enough room for the two of us. You could probably live there a week without the two of us seeing each other.”

  That statement was true enough. His house, while not the mansion he could have probably afforded, was spacious and had enough room for me to have my own suite if I wanted to. But I’d felt funny about moving in with him less than a year after being together. Because we worked together at the hospital, the idea of us living together as well seemed a bit too intimate. What if we got sick of each other?

  Lydia’s unexpected imposition into my life made the decision for me. After three nights of living with Lydia in the cramped apartment, I’d given up the façade and stayed most of the time at Darcy’s. He had more room, true, plus I could study at his place in peace without Lydia blaring her iPod or the TV. I still kept my belongings, meager as they were, at the apartment, going there once a week or so to get clothes or spend the occasional evening with Lydia when Darcy was on-call. Most of the time, though, I spent at his house studying and enjoying the quiet.

  I was packing for the trip to the Hamptons when Charlie and Jane arrived. They looked absolutely radiant with their sun-kissed skin and glowing smiles, but Jane was obviously anxious to see Chloe, who bounded up to her mom as soon as her parents entered the foyer. They held each other for a long time as I greeted Charlie with a hug.

  He winced and pulled away. “Sorry, I got a bit sunburnt on my back. I don’t think my lily white skin has seen the sun since I’ve started residency.”

  “How was your flight?”

  “Long. Ten hours on a plane plus a four-hour layover in L.A. I’m ready for my own bed. But Hawaii was amazing.”

  Jane straightened with Chloe in her arms. “It was so beautiful, Lizzy. You have to go someday. You’d love the Big Island. The volcano and the sea turtles…”

  “Turtles?” Chloe asked.

  “Yes, big turtles right on the beach. Bigger than you.”

  Chloe’s eyes widened comically.

  Mrs. Pratchett ushered us
into the living room and insisted on serving lemonade and her famous shortbread cookies. “It’s probably nothing compared to all that fancy food you were served at the resort,” she commented.

  “Nothing compares to your food, Mrs. Pratchett,” Charlie retorted, popping an entire cookie into his mouth. “Will was a smart man to hire you after I left Meryton the first time. Believe me, I regret that decision in more ways than one.” His hand settled onto Jane’s knee, a knowing look passing between the couple.

  “I do miss cooking for you, Charles. Not that cooking for Lizzy and Dr. Darcy is unpleasant. Far from it, but I do miss seeing you every day.”

  After regaling us with stories about some of the beautiful sites they visited, Charlie reached into the large shopping bag he’d brought with him and lifted out on oblong box from which a delicate flower peeked. He presented the orchid to Mrs. Pratchett who fawned over the gift. “This is for helping to take care of Chloe while we were gone.”

  “It’s so lovely! Thank you, but the pleasure was mine. She’s an adorable child, and Lizzy was the one who did all the running around.”

  “Speaking of which…” Charlie reached into his bag and pulled out a long, flowing dress with a tropical print in an array of blues. “Don’t worry, Jane picked it out.”

  Before I could reach for the dress, Darcy snatched it from my hands and held it in front of his chest. “Oh, Charlie, you shouldn’t have.”

  After the laughter died down, I added, “I think it complements your coloring very well.”

  “Perhaps, but I think it suits you much better.” He handed the dress to me, and I admired the silky material. “You should bring it with us to the Hamptons.”

  “I hardly think this is appropriate for a funeral.”

  He explained about his grandfather’s death to Jane and Charlie, both of whom expressed their condolences. When Darcy expounded further on his plans to travel to the Hamptons and assist with the funeral arrangements, Jane stated, “We don’t want to delay your plans. It’s quite a long car ride from here.”

  “Ana is chartering a plane so the entire flight should be less than forty minutes and we should be able to avoid most of the weekend traffic.”