Surgeon in a Tux Read online

  ‘I do my own make-up,’ Marianna said with a nod, ‘and I will continue to do so.’

  ‘Well, it won’t be a problem, then. The scarring is in the natural crease anyway …’ He looked at Lizzie. ‘Marianna has to think about constant close-ups.’

  ‘I feel very vain,’ Marianna admitted. ‘My sister says that I am being ridiculous, but the pressure, honestly …’

  ‘I completely understand.’ Leo nodded. ‘A little bit of work now will make a huge difference to your confidence.’ He looked at Lizzie. ‘Can you imagine the whole world watching your every move?’

  ‘No,’ Lizzie admitted. ‘I’d be terrified.’

  ‘There can be no relaxing when you are out,’ Marianna sighed. ‘You are always on show.’

  ‘No getting caught with your pants down!’ Leo said, and Marianna laughed as Lizzie blushed furiously, wondering if that little reference was in regard to what had taken place earlier. ‘When would you like this done?’ Leo asked his esteemed patient.

  ‘How soon can you do it?’ Marianna asked. ‘I am going away at the weekend for a fortnight. I know we were looking at May, but this vacation has just come up and the place is very secluded. Ferdinand says there will be no cameras. I know it is very short notice for you.’

  ‘That’s not a problem.’ Leo went to his diary and it was decided the minor surgery would take place at six a.m. the following morning.

  ‘You’re to have nothing to eat or drink after midnight,’ Leo said. ‘That’s just as a precaution, though—it will just be very light sedation.’

  ‘So it will be done here?’

  ‘Yes.’ Leo nodded. ‘Come in at five, while it’s still dark. I’ll keep you here for the day and then we’ll have you back in the hotel by evening. Gwen, our manager, will liaise with the hotel …’ He was completely at ease with her, Lizzie noticed—still in charge, despite who he was dealing with. ‘Right,’ Leo said. ‘Before you go I just want to take a closer look at that eye of yours.’

  Marinna smiled and leant back in the chair as Leo opened up a small pack. Lizzie was too embarrassed to ask if he needed anything, she didn’t have a clue what he was doing! ‘Marianna’s fiancé bought her a puppy,’ Leo said as he opened up a small packet and an eye dressing.

  ‘How lovely,’ Lizzie said, frantically trying to work out what was happening. Maybe he had to check her eyes before he operated or something?

  ‘He’s a basset hound,’ Marianna said. ‘He talks to me, I swear.’

  ‘I had a parrot that did that,’ Leo said, and it was such a silly joke that Marianna started to laugh and so did Lizzie.

  ‘You didn’t have a parrot?’ Marianna checked as he put two fluorescein drops into her eyes—it was an indicator and any scratches to her eye would turn green.

  ‘Of course not.’

  The laughter mixed with the drops had brought tears to Marianna’s eyes and Lizzie watched as the bright orange liquid ran down the side of her face. ‘No, there’s no scratch,’ Leo said. ‘Still, keep it covered for a few days, antibiotic drops and mild painkillers if you need them. A scratch to the cornea can be extremely painful. And watch that puppy’s claws!’

  Lizzie had stopped even trying to hide her frown now—hadn’t he just said that she didn’t have a scratch?

  Leo put a large eye patch on and taped it over Marianna’s eye. ‘Okay, dark glasses back on.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  Lizzie saw a little of the stain running down Marianna’s cheek and went to wipe it but Leo halted her, his hand lightly dusting hers, and Lizzie pulled her hand back just a little too quickly to even try to pretend his touch hadn’t been noted. ‘Just leave it …’ Leo said.

  Only then did Lizzie realise the lengths Marianna had to go to in order to keep this procedure a secret. The puppy, the small smear of fluorescein coming from beneath the eye patch and now the dark glasses. It wasn’t her ignorance that had Lizzie’s cheeks burning, though, but the brief contact from Leo.

  ‘Thanks, Lizzie.’ Marianna smiled as Leo walked her out to the foyer. ‘Will I be seeing you in the morning?’

  ‘Of course,’ Leo answered for Lizzie.

  Well, it looked like she’d better set her alarm early, Lizzie thought as she made her way to her office, but she was excited at the prospect of Marianna arriving under the cover of darkness and just thrilled to be a part of the big charade!

  ‘I assume the future princess was just in?’ A terribly handsome man dressed from head to toe in black leathers and carrying a crash helmet under his arm was walking towards her. ‘I’m Declan Underwood.’ He shook her hand.

  ‘Oh, yes, Leo did tell me about you.’ Leo had said that Declan was his second in command. ‘I’m Lizzie Birch.’

  ‘I know.’ Declan smiled. ‘Leo called earlier and told me that you’d started. I hear Flora kicking off was your welcome!’

  Lizzie really didn’t know what to say but settled for a noncommittal smile as Leo walked over to join them.

  ‘I’m guessing that was Marianna,’ Declan said to Leo. ‘Lizzie wouldn’t tell me.’

  ‘You could be anyone,’ Lizzie pointed out.

  ‘Fair enough. But I knew it must be someone if Leo was actually rolling up his sleeves to see a patient. He pinches all the good stuff.’ Declan smiled. ‘Or rather he takes only the good stuff.’

  It was good-natured teasing, Lizzie being quite sure that Declan would have more than his fair share of glamorous patients.

  Declan headed off to get changed and returned a few moments later looking very suave in a suit. Leo watched as Lizzie, not knowing he was watching, rolled her eyes.

  ‘What?’ Leo frowned in fleeting concern. The last thing he needed was his head nurse not getting on with Declan.

  ‘Nothing,’ Lizzie said, then, knowing she’d been caught, admitted the truth. ‘When you hand-pick your staff …’ she shook her head in exasperation ‘… do they have to be good looking?’

  ‘Do you find me good looking, Lizzie?’ Leo teased.

  ‘I think you know that you are.’

  Leo just smiled. ‘Well, if that is part of my selection criteria then know that you …’ He halted. It was her first day and he was determined to heed Ethan’s advice and get through it without flirting, but it was starting to prove an impossible ask. ‘It’s not all about looks, Lizzie,’ he scolded.

  ‘That a bit rich, coming from a cosmetic surgeon,’ Lizzie retorted lightly.

  ‘Tell me, Lizzie …’ He was dying to know. ‘What have you had done?’

  His finger came and lifted her chin, just slightly, and no there was no teeny scar beneath. She could feel the heat from his fingers and told herself it was second nature for Leo to examine a face.

  It just made the air trapped in her lungs burn.

  ‘If I guess correctly, will you—?’

  ‘I still won’t tell you.’

  Leo dropped the contact and Lizzie was glad that he did but she blushed when she saw the reason he had. A very boot-faced Ethan was walking past.

  ‘Isn’t it your home time?’ Leo said to Lizzie.

  ‘I was just going to—’

  ‘Go,’ he ordered. ‘I want you here tomorrow at four. ‘I’ll have a driver pick you up.’

  ‘A driver?’

  ‘You’re not walking alone at that time,’ Leo said.

  ‘You don’t have to do that.’

  ‘I’m not. It will all go on Prince Ferdinand’s account. Oh, and if you come in and someone’s crashed on my couch, you have my permission to kick them off.’

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘It’s like Piccadilly Circus in here at night,’ Leo said, but didn’t elaborate. ‘Welcome aboard, Lizzie.’

  CHAPTER FIVE

  WAKING TO HER alarm, Lizzie struggled to remember the last time she had enjoyed waking up way before dawn and looking forward to going to work quite as much as she now was.

  Yes, it had only been a day, Lizzie thought as she dressed and tied back her hair and, yes, maybe
she had got the job by pure default, but it was all so glamorous, and exciting. She was also incredibly impressed with the charitable side of the clinic as well as the care and concern that had been shown to Jessica—the work really was diverse.

  As promised, her intercom buzzed at five minutes to four and Lizzie headed down to the car, sinking back into the leather for the impossibly short trip to the clinic.

  She felt looked after.

  Lizzie blinked at her own admission.

  For the first time in an awfully long time she felt as if she was being looked after, rather than the other way round.

  It was a guilty admission.

  As she’d been growing up, Lizzie’s parents had doted on her.

  Her mum would even warm her school uniform every morning in the winter. Lizzie had been wrapped in love by her parents.

  Supported.

  Stifled.

  A bit, Lizzie conceded as she thanked the driver and stepped out of the warm car into the freezing morning. The pavement was icy and the air blew white as she let herself in.

  Not stifled in any terrible way, Lizzie guiltily amended as she keyed in the security code to turn off the alarm. Her parents had been wonderful, supporting her in everything, but even her leaving home to do her nursing training had caused such a marked change to their many routines that it had been then, almost at that point, that Lizzie had been more a carer than cared for.

  She had worried endlessly about them, telling herself not to as she’d prepared for a trip overseas with her boyfriend.

  Her first.

  It had never happened.

  She had found out at the airport that her mother had had a serious fall and, to Peter’s displeasure, she had backed out of their trip and returned to her family, racked with guilt for even thinking of leaving, and had stayed to take care of her mother.

  When her mother had gotten to the stage that she’d barely recognised her, and both her parents had gone into a home, Lizzie had realised that it was now or never and had made the move to London, much to her father’s distress.

  Families, Lizzie thought as she turned on the lights and watched the glittering chandelier sparkle above her, were complicated—even the straightforward ones.

  And as for the not so straightforward …

  ‘Ethan!’

  He was crashed out on the sofa in Leo’s office and she was grateful to Leo for having had the foresight to tell her how to deal with this because otherwise she might have wondered whether it was best to leave Ethan and set up in another office.

  ‘Ethan!’ He stirred and, deciding there was only one kind way to wake him, Lizzie went off and made them both a coffee and then woke him as she always had when she had come to do his dressings—by turning on every light.

  ‘Lizzie …’

  ‘Like the old days, isn’t it?’ Lizzie smiled, handing him the coffee.

  ‘I was working.’

  ‘Hmm …’ Lizzie wasn’t convinced.

  ‘This time I actually was.’ Ethan almost smiled at her doubtful expression. ‘I had a conference call at three with a doctor in the Solomon Islands. I thought Leo’s office might be a better background than me at home …’ He watched as Lizzie turned on Leo’s desk lamp and checked all his investigation and prescription pads as Ethan took a grateful drink of his coffee. ‘How are you finding it?’ Ethan asked.

  ‘Interesting,’ Lizzie said. ‘I actually really enjoyed yesterday and the flat is amazing.’

  ‘Good.’

  ‘I really am grateful to you for putting me forward for the job.’

  ‘You don’t need to be grateful, Lizzie,’ Ethan said. ‘You deserve a break and after all you did for me I should be the one who’s grateful.’

  ‘I did nothing!’ Lizzie said. ‘Except dress your legs.’

  ‘And talk,’ Ethan said, and Lizzie paused, remembering how he had been so shell-shocked, so deep into himself, that she’d just wittered on about her family, her parents, what she was making for dinner. Just every little inane thing as it had come to mind and slowly he had started to converse.

  ‘You helped bring me back from hell.’

  ‘You’re still there, though,’ Lizzie said, and she turned her back and started pulling back the drapes so that Ethan couldn’t see the tears stinging her eyes. Yes, he had come a long way but there was still such a long way to go.

  ‘How come you’re in so early?’ Ethan asked.

  ‘Leo’s got surgery early. Marianna is coming in soon …’

  ‘Ah, the cloak-and-dagger stuff,’ Ethan said. ‘You might want to leave the curtains closed, then.’

  Good point, Lizzie thought, turning around.

  ‘I think he keeps a red carpet in the cupboard in the hall,’ Ethan said, and Lizzie heard the slight trace of bitterness.

  ‘She’s lovely.’

  ‘I’m sure she is.’ Ethan shrugged. ‘Lizzie …’ Ethan was hesitant, he didn’t really know how to play this, but he had seen Leo yesterday, seen his fingers on Lizzie’s chin. As much as he had tried to deny it, Ethan had read the instant attraction, not just from Leo but Lizzie too. ‘I didn’t really tell you much about my brother …’

  ‘He’s been great,’ Lizzie said, taking a drink of her own coffee. ‘Of course, we didn’t get off to the best start …’

  ‘You soon get used to that sort of thing with Leo,’ Ethan said, and watched a dull blush spread on her cheeks as she resumed needlessly tidying Leo’s desk. ‘He’s a rake, Lizzie. He goes through women like …’ He glanced at the pad she held in her hands. ‘That new prescription pad will outlive his next conquest.’

  ‘That’s none of my business,’ Lizzie pointed out. ‘I’m here to run the clinic, not manage his sex life.’

  ‘I’m just letting you know. Leo is what he is …’ How did you describe a sun that burnt? ‘He’s an amazing surgeon, not that he uses it much …’

  ‘He explained all that.’

  ‘Leo likes the fast lane, there’s nothing more to him than that.’

  Lizzie wasn’t so sure. Brilliant surgeon or not, you didn’t get to be where Leo was by chance and she was quite sure there was far more to Leo behind that very smooth exterior.

  ‘Lizzie …’ Ethan liked Lizzie and decided to get straight to the point. ‘He’s a bastard. Leo—’

  ‘Ethan,’ Lizzie broke in, ‘I don’t need a big brother looking out for me.’

  ‘Neither do I,’ Ethan said, and gave a wry smile. ‘I’ve told him the same thing many times.’ Yet she was right. He thought of Lizzie more like a brother would and he didn’t want her to get hurt. Ethan knew the damage Leo so easily wreaked and he could not stand that for Lizzie so he pressed on when, with anyone else, he wouldn’t have. ‘I’ve never known Leo serious about anyone …’ Ethan hesitated and then corrected his lie by omission. ‘Actually, there was one …’ Lizzie glanced up at the tentative note to his voice ‘… but they were never serious.’ God, Ethan hated talking about personal things and he certainly wasn’t going to tell Lizzie about Olivia. ‘All you need to know is that Leo—’

  ‘I get the message.’

  ‘Good,’ Ethan said. ‘So long as you do.’

  They both fell silent as they heard a car pull up and a few moments later Leo stepped in.

  His hair was damp and he smelt as fresh as if he’d just that second stepped from the shower and sprayed cologne on himself.

  ‘Bitching about me?’ he said, for his entrance.

  ‘It’s so very easy to do,’ Ethan responded.

  ‘Don’t believe a word,’ Leo quipped to Lizzie, but he was unusually rattled, a smidge jealous at the sight of Ethan and Lizzie gossiping over coffee, and not for the first time he wondered about the nature of their relationship.

  ‘I’ll get you a coffee.’ Lizzie headed off and Leo took off his heavy coat and hung it up.

  ‘Here again?’ he said to Ethan.

  ‘I had a conference call,’ Ethan said. ‘So you’ve got Marianna coming in for major surgery
this morning?’

  ‘I do.’ Leo refused to be drawn; he knew how little Ethan thought of his work and that his skills could be far better utilised. Leo certainly wasn’t about to justify himself, especially not at this hour!

  ‘Have a look at this,’ Leo said, as Lizzie returned with coffee. ‘Hot off the press.’

  ‘Oh, my goodness!’ Lizzie smiled. There was a picture of Marianna wearing her eye patch and a white arrow pointing to the streak of fluorescein running down her cheek. There was an extraordinarily long piece about corneal scratches and how she would have to keep her eye covered and wear dark glasses. The Sirmontane royal spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied the reports that Marianna had been scratched by the puppy Prince Ferdinand had bought her.

  ‘There’s even a photo of her puppy!’

  She couldn’t help but laugh but a less than impressed Ethan limped off. He could hear them laughing and chatting through the empty clinic, hear their easy conversation as Lizzie set up for the surgery, and he wondered if he’d been clear enough in his warning.

  No, he wasn’t overreacting and it wasn’t far too soon, he’d seen the way Leo had first responded to her.

  They’d known each other close to twenty-four hours now.

  For Leo, that could be considered contained!

  Gwen arrived early too and then, a short while later, Marianna arrived via the basement, with her security, and very soon the procedure would be under way.

  Marianna really was delightful.

  ‘Well done!’ she said to Leo as he marked her eyes with his purple pen for the procedure. ‘I read the article on the way here.’

  ‘Good, isn’t it?’ Leo smiled. ‘By the time most people are waking up to read it, you’ll already be done. I’ll let you know how many journalists we have calling to make an appointment with the ophthalmologist.’

  ‘Do you have one here?’ Lizzie asked, and Leo nodded.

  ‘He comes in twice a week. It works out great for this type of thing. They’ll all be ringing to make appointments, just trying to catch us out. They won’t, though.’

  Leo really did have everything worked out, Lizzie was fast realising.

  He was very good with Marianna. She lay down and he chatted with her easily as he put in an IV. Incredibly stoic, she asked for only minimum sedation.