Chapter Ten

Even the admonishment to herself that she shouldn’t consider the royal palace home couldn’t make it feel less like she was returning after a long absence to a welcome homecoming. The royal family had gathered to greet them, though she didn’t fool herself into believing that they were there for her. She was simply an accessory trailing behind the prince, but she was okay with that. Having them greet her in any other, more familiar way would mean they had realized there was something more to their relationship.

She was still aware of what a violation of her ethics it was to be sleeping with Bennet, even though she thought she had been fairly successful in separating her professional obligations from her personal feelings for him. They still had to be discreet.

As she made her way to the servants’ quarters after parting from the prince, each step felt like a lightening of her load. It was good to be back, and she couldn’t deny that. For however long it lasted, she should just enjoy the experience and certainly enjoy her time with Bennet.

She was feeling optimistic about everything when she stepped into her suite and dropped her suitcase near the bed. She was tired, but decided to sort through her mail before lying down for a nap. It was bundled neatly and waiting for her in a basket on her dresser, and she quickly flipped through it.

Most of the things were bills, which were all set up for auto pay, so she had no concerns there. There were no letters from her family, but that was because they all emailed and Skyped on a regular basis. The only other thing of interest or note was a large manila envelope. When she saw the sender’s address, her heart skipped a beat. The only other time she had received correspondence from the American Association of Physical Therapists had been after obtaining her degree and certification and receiving the certificate along with a thick booklet that laid out the expectations and rules for her licensure.

Her hands were shaking as she opened envelope, and she had a sense of foreboding even before she extracted what was in the packet. At first, the words blurred before her eyes, but she wasn’t crying. She was simply so nervous she couldn’t make her eyes focus. She closed them for a moment and breathed deeply before opening again.

This time, the words were sharply visible, and a stark condemnation of black font against crisp white paper. It didn’t take long to discover someone had filed a formal complaint about her, alleging she was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a patient. Her license was temporarily suspended pending review, and her hearing was set for August Fourth. Her eyes widened when she read that, and she cursed. That was in two days.

Her hands were still trembling, and the packet spilled through her fingers before she could stop it. When she bent down to pick it up, she realized there were three large black and white photos included in the packet. They were all of her and Bennet in intimate moments. There was no nudity, and nothing that could prove they were involved in a sexual relationship, but it was obvious from the looks they shared and the ways they were touching in the pictures that there was something more than professional ethics allowed for between them.

Without a clue about what to do, she felt the need to seek out Bennet. She tried telling herself she should be strong and handle it herself, but rereading the letter from the board was enough to send fear spiraling through her again, and she surrendered to it. In her haste, all she did was grasp the contents of the envelope and rush from her room. She hurried past Tucker, barely acknowledging his greeting, and made her way down the hallways to the prince’s room.

She knocked at his door before entering, too frantic to wait for permission. Fortunately, she found him alone and rushed to his side. There was no need to hide their relationship at the moment, and she was able to throw herself into his arms. He was obviously puzzled, but wrapped them around her just the same. “What’s wrong, Harper?”

She struggled to hold back tears as she forced herself to move far enough away from him to hand him the packet. She couldn’t bring herself to verbalize the accusations, so she waited until he had read it before speaking. “What should I do?” She should know what to do, and she should be able to figure it out for herself without relying on him, but at the moment, she was in need of help and was happy to allow him to assist her.

“We’ll be there for this meeting.”

She frowned. “It’s in two days.”

He shrugged. “We have a fast private jet at our disposal. We’ll be fine.”

She licked her lips, tentatively asking, “We?”

His expression cooled slightly. “I assumed you’d want me to come with you, but if you don’t—”

Harper quickly shook her head. “That’s not what I meant. I was just making sure that’s what you were offering. I know you should rest, and I hate to put you through a transcontinental journey at the moment, followed by the AAPT’S version of the Spanish Inquisition. I should say I don’t need you to come with me. I should be strong and independent about this, but…” She trailed off with a tremulous smile. “I’m glad I don’t have to be.”

He reached out and took her hand, squeezing her fingers gently. “I’m here for you, and we’ll get this settled.”

Harper couldn’t hold back a shaky laugh. “I don’t know how we’re going to do that. It’s not like it isn’t true. I’ve broken a major rule, and I deserve censure for my ethics violation.”

“That’s ridiculous. You’re a skilled and competent physical therapist, and you motivated me to work my hardest to reach the maximum amount of recovery I could and still can. During the times you were doing physical therapy with me, you were nothing but professional. It’s none of their business what we do on your time off.”

She shrugged. “I agree with you, but I also know the rules are in place to protect vulnerable people. It is inappropriate for a physical therapist to be sleeping with her patient. If you were a different man, I could have been taking advantage of you.”

He snorted. “That’s my point, love. You wouldn’t do that. What’s happened between us is completely consensual, and it’s separate from the services you provide me in a healthcare capacity. I intend to tell them that too, the bloody busybodies.”

She managed a small giggle, though her fears were nowhere near allayed. “I’m sure that would go over well with the committee. I think it’s best if you don’t speak up on my behalf.”

He looked slightly wounded. “If that’s what you prefer.”

She hated hurting him, but she felt it was wisest not to admit that they had been in a relationship for a while. If she wanted to have any hope of retaining her license, she had to lie like crazy. It was an unsettling thought, and she dreaded the hearing more than she could say.

***

It was worse than she had expected. They had a full board convened, with all twelve members staring down at her severely. They were elevated on a second level at the front of the room, while she sat at a single table in front of them, having to look up to meet their gazes or answer their questions. She wasn’t even allowed representation, though she hadn’t bothered to reach out for a union rep anyway. What could they tell her that she didn’t already know? She had broken the rules, and unless she was able to convince them she hadn’t, she was going to lose her license.

Each of the board members had a nametag in front of them engraved on a wooden placard, so she was able to know who was interrogating her, though she had never met any of them before.

“This is a serious allegation against you,” said Sid Green, identified as the chairman by his placard. “I’m sure you’re aware of the guidelines and rules required for professional licensure by the American Academy of Physical Therapists. It’s unethical and highly inappropriate to have a romantic relationship with a patient. Even after discharge, it would be frowned upon, but if it occurs during an active client-patient relationship, it’s automatic grounds for permanent suspension of your license.”

“I know.” The words sounded like they had been croaked from a frog instead of spoken by her, and she winced when they amplified around the room in an eerie fashion.

“What sort of explanation can you offer for these allegations?” asked Susan Tarhill, third from the left where the chairperson sat. Her placard didn’t identify her as anything besides a board member.

“I’m not sure what you want me to say?” She was grateful for Bennet’s presence in the gallery behind her. He was the only one present besides her, the board members, and someone who was recording the minutes of the meeting in the corner.

“You could start by telling us if they are true?” said Tad Rian. He held up one of the photos they had provided to her along with the letter summoning her for the hearing.

She opened her mouth, preparing to lie, but couldn’t make herself do so. Taking a deep breath, she said, “The allegations are true, but it didn’t keep me from giving Bennet my best care. Our relationship is strictly separate from our physical therapy sessions. When I’m working with him, I treat him just like any other patient, and he’s thanked me for helping him reach his full potential. I’ve done something that’s against the rules, but it hasn’t impacted my performance as a physical therapist.”

“You’ve taken advantage of a vulnerable man,” said Elizabeth Gray. The board member sneered at her. “Have you extorted gifts and money from him?”

She let out a gasp that filled the courtroom even as she heard his wheels moving closer toward her. A couple of days ago, she’d asked him not to say anything, but now she was happy to have him beside her, offering support, when he slid in and angled his chair to reach her. His hand in hers was strong reassurance, and it helped her answer the outrageous accusation. “I’ve accepted nothing more than my salary, along with transportation to this hearing.”

“You’ve admitted to the ethics violation, so there’s no need to continue.”

“I’d like to say something,” said Bennet before the chairman could finish his statement.

The board looked uneasy, but none of them dared deny the prince his opportunity to speak. Harper was cynical enough to assume that if he’d been someone else, someone without the power he wielded, they would’ve ignored his request and pressed forward.

“Harper’s become very special to me, and we are involved in a relationship, but as she said, it hasn’t shortchanged my care in any fashion. She’s alternating between tough on me and encouraging. She’s damn good at what she does, and I wouldn’t be in the state I’m in today if it weren’t for her. If you strip her of her license, you’re making a huge mistake. I’m not vulnerable, and she didn’t take advantage of me. If the truth were told, I probably took advantage of her.”

He flashed her a small grin before returning his attention to the board members, and his expression went serious again. “I see the need for the rule that forbids relationships between clients and physical therapists, but I assure you that we were acting as fully consenting adults, and what happens outside of our session hours has no bearing on the care she gave me during.”

Harper’s stomach dipped when the board didn’t even bother to withdraw to consult for a moment, and they barely seemed to pay any attention to Bennet’s words. She was certain they had already reached their decision before instituting the hearing, which was merely a formality. She wasn’t at all surprised when the chairman spoke.

“Your license is permanently suspended, and you’re no longer allowed to practice physical therapy in this state. Furthermore, we’ll be placing a notation on your record that will be visible to any other states who request information about this action. You must immediately cease care of Prince Casparian, since you’re no longer legally licensed to treat him.”

As Bennet broke into an angry shout, she put her hand on his thigh. After a moment, he calmed down, and they sat there as the board members filed out. None of the dozen bothered to look their way again, and she felt lower than gum on someone’s shoe as she squirmed in her seat.

“We’ll appeal this. You will get your license back.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know if there’s an appeal process, but it doesn’t matter. The truth is, they’re right. It doesn’t matter the circumstances. I still broke a significant rule.”

He frowned, his gaze probing hers. “I thought you weren’t going to tell them. Wasn’t your plan to try to hide it?”

She gave him a half-smile. “That was the plan, but when it came time to lie about our involvement, and how I felt about you, I couldn’t make myself do it. If I did, it was as if I was ashamed of it, and I have no shame and no regret about getting involved with you. It was a choice I made at the time, knowing the possible consequences, and I wouldn’t change it.”

“I still think you’re getting railroaded.”

It was adorable to hear him say that in his posh Montrovian accent. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’m not. They’re enforcing the rules, and the rules exist for a reason. I might not agree with it, but I can’t fault them for their actions.”

He snorted. “You sound like you agree with them.”

Harper hesitated for a moment and then nodded. “I suppose I do. Our circumstances are different, and I’d like to think unique, but most of the time, I can’t see how a relationship between the patient and their physical therapist can’t have some kind of imbalance of power that suggests coercion or exploitation of the vulnerable. I’m sure there are other jobs I can do. I’ll figure it out.”

Fortunately, she had a generous amount left in her bank account from having accepted the position of Bennet’s physical therapist, since she hadn’t gotten around to paying off her student loans yet. “I don’t know if you’re planning to stay in a hotel, or if you’re flying back to Montrovia tonight. If you need to, you’re welcome to stay at my apartment with me this evening. It might be a bit musty, but we’ll be fine.”

He scowled. “We might stay there before we fly home tomorrow, but you’re coming with me.”

Her eyes widened, and she shook her head. “I really can’t do that. I’m not allowed to work as a physical therapist anymore.”

He scowled. “You’re not allowed to work as a physical therapist in this state. That rule doesn’t apply in Montrovia, and you’re not my bloody physical therapist any longer. You’re my girlfriend, and if I want you to play physical therapist with me, there’s not a damn thing the board can do about it.”

A combination of hope and reluctance filled her chest, until it felt like it might burst. “So you still want me to be your physical therapist, even though I’m not licensed?”

He let out a sigh, looking impatient. “No, I want you to be my girlfriend. Aren’t you?”

She hesitated again, the reluctance overpowering the hope, because she didn’t want to let herself get too excited. “I’m not sure what I am. We haven’t really discussed it, have we?”

He looked around the interior of the hearing room. “We haven’t, but this isn’t the place. We’ll have a long talk when we get back home, all right?”

“Home? You mean my apartment?”

He looked grim. “I mean the bloody palace, but we’ll start with your apartment. Either way, you’re coming home with me.”