A few days later, I sat behind the nurses’ station filling out paperwork. Despite going to a paperless system years ago, I still somehow managed to have mountains of paperwork for my patients. I just wanted to finish and head home. I’d already reported to the night nurses, so once I finished putting in the last few sets of vitals and notes, I could leave.

A shower and bed sounded like the best thing in the world.

“Hey, Lizzie,” the charge nurse called to me. “There’s someone here to see you.”

Lydia and Jane rarely visited me at work, and if they did, it was always at lunchtime so I could buy them cafeteria food. I knew it wasn’t them, and despite my dreams, I knew that Mr. Darcy would never show up here.

I sighed, hit save, closed my screens, and went to see who wanted me. Maybe it was a former patient. Those always made my day.

It was not a patient.

I came to the entrance of the unit to find a woman in an expensive pantsuit and a mean look on her face waiting for me. She looked like a grandmother, but without any of the requisite kindness. I recognized her from Mr. Darcy’s office.

I had a bad feeling about this. I just wanted to go home and take a shower.

“Do you know who I am?” the woman barked as soon as I got near. She had the same accent as Mr. Darcy, except his sounded much suaver. Her’s sounded mean.

“You’re Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Darcy’s COO,” I replied politely. Maybe she had a legit reason to be here. I hoped that Mr. Darcy was okay.

“Good. You’re not as stupid as you look,” the woman replied.

I bit my tongue. “How can I help you, Ms. de Bourgh?”

“Can we speak privately?” She gestured toward the gaggle of nurses trying to overhear what was going on.

“Of course. There’s a doctor consult room over here,” I told her, motioning down the hallway. We stepped into a small room with four comfortable chairs and a table. A whiteboard hung on the wall opposite of the door.

“I’m sure you know why I’m here,” Catherine announced as soon as she stepped into the room. Her small statue somehow dominated the entire thing.

“I’m afraid I don’t,” I said, shaking my head. “Is Mr. Darcy alright?”

“That’s what I’m here to see to.” She looked around the room in disapproval before coming back to me. She somehow looked less pleased as she looked me over. “Why were you in Mr. Darcy’s office yesterday?”

“I wanted to thank him,” I replied honestly. “He did something kind for me.”

“No other reason?” she pressed. “You did kiss him.”

“I did,” I confirmed. She walked around the small room as I spoke, making me feel like I was being interrogated by a caged tiger. “I kissed him in gratitude because, as I said, he did something kind for me. He is a good man.”

Catherine spun on her heel, surprising me with a sudden advance into my personal space. “Do you intend to seduce my nephew?” she asked, point blank. “Because I will not allow that.”

“Excuse me?” I asked, completely taken aback.

“He is needed by this company,” Catherine informed me, not really explaining herself. “He is the life force of this company, and you cannot distract him.” Her eyes narrowed. “Have you been sent by a competitor?”

“What? Ma’am, I have no idea what you are talking about,” I replied, taking a step back. She continued to stay in my face.

“He left a very important meeting to go to California for no reason,” Catherine told me. She kept stepping forward, making me retreat. “The buyout nearly failed because of it, and I want to know why. I flew all the way from London. You’re the only reason I can come up with.”

“Ma’am, I’m afraid I don’t have any explanation for you,” I stated, using my best customer service voice. I didn’t add on, “and even if I did, there’s no way in hell I’d tell you,” because that seemed like a worse idea than taunting a bear.

“I will not allow you to destroy everything I have worked so hard to achieve,” the small woman shrieked at me. Her tone set my teeth on edge.

“You mean what Mr. Darcy has worked so hard to achieve,” I corrected her. I was fine with her talking down to me, but not him. It was his company. Not hers.

“You are impertinent!” She took a step back, mouth open and unhappy. “You will leave William alone. You are not his equal. You are nothing but a harlot out for his money.”

My mouth opened in shock. She was furious, and I could do nothing but stand there and take it. “Ma’am-”

“I saw you in his office yesterday. I saw the way he looked at you,” she sneered. “I know what your sister is willing to do for fame. Your whole family stinks of scandal. I know it all, and I will not tolerate it!”

I couldn’t believe she was speaking to me this way. All I wanted was my shower. I took a deep breath, drawing on reserves of calm I didn’t know I had.

“Ma’am, thank you for taking the time out of your very busy schedule to make sure that I know my place,” I told her, doing my best to keep my temper in line. “Now, please excuse me. I have work to do.”

I pushed past her to get to the exit, but she slammed her hand down on the table hard enough to make me jump.

“You selfish girl!” she snarled. “Do you think that I do this for him? I do this for the company. How dare you put his company at risk for your greed and lust!”

I bit my tongue hard enough to draw blood.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you think I’m doing,” I told her. “I am hardly a distraction.”

Catherine narrowed her eyes. “Don’t play coy, young lady. It doesn’t become you,” she sneered. “William’s place is in London with his company. Not here in New York. This is a temporary stop, and I will not have him move his headquarters here. I will not let him throw away the company we have built.”

“He’s moving his headquarters?” I asked, surprised. “Why?”

“He says New York is the better location,” Catherine spat. “I say it’s you. You have tainted his mind and made him, and now me, come to this wretched city.”

“I didn’t make you, or Mr. Darcy do anything,” I told her. “Least of all have him move his headquarters.”

“Now, swear to me that you will leave him. Swear to me that you will leave him to his work, and tell him to go back to London,” the old woman pressed. She came forward and stuck her finger under my nose. “You are beneath him, and I will not have him throw it all away for a stupid girl who only wants his cash flow.”

I was so angry I was unaccountably calm. Maybe it was because I was at work. Maybe it was because I was tired. Maybe the stars had simply aligned, but for once, I was furious yet able to keep my wits about me.

“I will not.”

She glared at me and reached for her purse. “Fine. How much will it take?” She pulled out a checkbook.

“Excuse me?” I asked, not quite following.

“How much money to leave him alone?” she asked. She looked me over once. “You look like fifty thousand would make your life better.”

“No.” I didn’t even hesitate.

“Fine.” She scribbled numbers on the check and ripped it out, holding it up to me. “One hundred thousand dollars never to see him again.”

The idea that she thought she could buy me was infuriating.

“There is no amount of money you can offer me,” I informed her, still floating in my calm anger. “I will see him as he sees fit. If he wishes to see me, then he may. It is his decision, not yours.”

“I do what is best for him!” Catherine shrieked at me. She was not calm. She did not have my cool, detached anger right now.

“No, I care for him. I respect him,” I told her. “You are doing neither of those things by showing up here and trying to buy me off. Now, you will leave, or I will have security escort you out.”

Despite my calm bubble, I was shaking with rage. I had never wanted to beat the crap out of someone so badly, yet I managed to keep myself standing with my hands to myself.

“You intolerable whore!” Catherine screamed at me. I was glad these doctor consult rooms were soundproofed. I opened the door leading out to the hallway and held it open for her.

“You have now insulted me in every possible way,” I informed her, surprised at the even control in my voice. I felt like screaming, but I wasn’t. I spoke evenly and calmly. “You can have nothing further left to discuss. Good night, Ma’am. If I see you again, I will call security.”

“How dare you!” Catherine screamed at me. She sounded like a bitter, broken old woman. If I hadn’t been so furious, I would have pitied her.

She stepped out into the hallway and stomped away. Her heels clicked on the floor hard enough to drive holes into the linoleum, but I just stood there, making sure she left my unit.

“Are you okay out there, Lizzie?” one of the nurse’s asked, peeking her head into the hallway. Maybe the doctor consult rooms weren’t quite as soundproofed as I thought.

“It’s fine,” I told my coworker as I headed back to my computer. I still had to finish my work. “It was just an angry old woman.”

I went to an empty patient room and shut the door so that I could finish charting in peace. I was still shaking and furious, yet oddly calm. I didn’t quite understand it.

I couldn’t believe that Catherine had come to my hospital. I replayed the entire visit in my head, trying to make it make sense. I wasn’t a threat to Mr. Darcy’s business. He would have to want to be in New York all the time to make his headquarters here. He loved London. Why would he do that?

For me?

That was laughable, and yet...

It made hope flare up for a moment before I put it back in its place.

I had burned the bridge between the two of us. I could cry at the ashes all I wanted, but I was the one that lit the match. As much as I wished this conversation and him moving his headquarters meant something, I knew he wasn’t mine and never would be.