a cream blouse with a cowl neck and small buttons at the back.
Hardly practical, Lizzie thought, changing from boots to low heels, slipping on the jacket and then stepping back to check her reflection.
Even though she was thirty-two years old, Lizzie felt like a child trying on her mother’s clothes. They were tailored, fitted … elegant.
Lizzie didn’t normally bother with make-up at work but, having seen Gwen and a couple of the other staff on her entrance, she wished she had thought to bring some.
She walked towards Leo’s office, wondering how best to face him.
As it turned out, it wasn’t facing Leo that proved to be the problem.
Instead it was Flora!
‘I’VE GOT THIS …’ Leo said.
He was attempting to cover Flora with her coat and guide her from the sumptuous reception either out the main door or towards his office. Lizzie wasn’t sure which. But, as stubborn as a mule, Flora dug in her stilettoes and stood beneath the chandelier in the reception, telling anyone, who had no choice but to listen, what a bastard Leo was.
‘Not here.’ Leo was attempting to smooth things and steer her away.
‘Yes, here!’ Flora insisted.
Leo had been making a coffee, trying to give Flora the chance for a somewhat dignified exit, when the one-woman protest had started.
There was something quite unattractive about a near-naked woman furiously ripping off jewellery and tossing it at a very calm man, Lizzie thought.
‘And he was worried about me creating a scene …’ Ethan walked out of his own office and made the dry comment as Lizzie joined him. ‘Welcome to 200 Harley Street, Lizzie. You’ve met my brother, I presume?’
‘Is it always like this?’ Lizzie asked.
‘That depends.’ Ethan shrugged. ‘They’ve been together for a few weeks, including Christmas, which is a bit of a record for Leo. I hope to God he gets it sorted before patients start to arrive.’
Lizzie was starting to doubt it.
‘Flora!’ Leo was trying to calm Flora down and failing. ‘You’re being ridiculous.’
‘No.’ She hurled a necklace at him and Lizzie realised she was holding her breath as it flew through the air and thankfully missed its target. ‘What’s ridiculous is you throwing away all we have. Why can’t we work on it?’
Leo opened his mouth to say something but then changed his mind and Flora carried on. ‘Do you remember what you said when you gave me this?’ she demanded, as she wrenched off a ring.
‘No,’ Leo admitted shamelessly.
‘Bastard.’ She tossed the ring and this time it did meet its mark. If a diamond could cut glass then it made light work of Leo’s cheek—a gash opening as Leo stepped forward to restrain Flora. She was clearly about to hit him but Lizzie got there first. She took the woman’s wrist and held it, and for the second time Leo heard the calm ice of Lizzie’s voice.
‘Now, that really would be stupid,’ Lizzie said. ‘If this doesn’t stop right now I shall have the police called.’ Absolutely she meant it. ‘I thought I’d left the fights in Accident and Emergency behind when I came to work here.’
‘It’s not like that,’ Flora attempted.
‘It’s exactly what it’s like,’ Lizzie said, releasing Flora’s hand and watching the woman’s anger turn to horror as she realised what she had done. ‘Now….’ Lizzie quickly put on Flora’s coat and did up the buttons, then tied the belt as she spoke. ‘I think we’ve all seen enough drama …’ She looked briefly over at Ethan and at Leo, who had blood pouring down his cheek. Seeing Lizzie had control of things, they both gave a brief nod at her dismissal of them but before they disappeared into Ethan’s office Leo had a very quiet word with Lizzie.
‘See that she gets home okay.’
‘Sure.’
All the fight had gone out of Flora and Lizzie couldn’t help but feel sorry for her and perhaps embarrassed for her too.
‘You need to go home and calm down,’ Lizzie said.
‘I can’t believe it’s over.’ Flora said. ‘He told me—’
‘I don’t think going over things will be very helpful now,’ Lizzie interrupted.
‘I thought we were going to get engaged!’ Flora sobbed. ‘I thought it meant something …’
‘This is a medical clinic.’ Lizzie kept her voice practical. ‘It’s not the place to cause a scene. Whatever is going on between you and Leo is to be sorted well away from here.’ Lizzie simply refused to prolong the conversation. ‘I’ll call a taxi for you.’
‘I’ll take her home.’ Gwen walked down the corridor and gave Lizzie a tight smile. ‘Come on, Flora.’
‘Hold on.’ Lizzie picked up the jewellery that was scattered over the floor. ‘You don’t want to leave these behind.’ She was warmed to see a very pale smile on a dazed Flora’s lips as Lizzie carefully slipped the jewellery into her coat pocket. ‘That really would be a stupid mistake.’
‘Thank you.’
Lizzie just nodded.
Before Gwen headed off with Flora she told Lizzie there was someone watching the front desk as patients would soon be arriving.
Luckily none were here yet.
For a moment Lizzie wondered how to play it when she saw Leo—whether to pretend that it hadn’t happened, carry on as if nothing had, or face things.
There really wasn’t a choice—yes, she wanted this job but she couldn’t work in, let alone be head nurse of, a clinic with this type of thing going on and not state her case.
Lizzie knocked once and opened the door.
‘Don’t you wait to be called in?’ Leo asked, his tone telling Lizzie he was joking. He was leaning back in his leather chair as Ethan opened up a suture pack.
‘I don’t think there’s much point.’ Lizzie’s response was dry. ‘I’ve seen far more than I wanted to already.’
‘Yes, well, sorry about that.’
He gave a slight wince as Ethan probed the wound. ‘You need a couple of stitches.’
‘I don’t.’
‘It’s deep,’ Ethan said. ‘If you don’t want it opening up …’
‘Just do it, then,’ Leo snapped, and then his blue eyes opened to Lizzie. ‘Things are normally far calmer …’
‘He’s lying.’ Ethan was opening up a vial of local anaesthetic. ‘My brother tends to bring out the worst in women.’
‘Don’t bother with the local.’
‘Suit yourself.’ Ethan shrugged.
‘Why do women always say they want to work on things?’ Leo pondered out loud, saying now what he’d been sensible enough not to say to Flora. ‘I save work for work.’
‘Just what did you say when you gave her the ring?’ Ethan asked.
‘I said that it wasn’t an engagement ring. I made it very clear.’ Lizzie winced for Leo as Ethan put in a stitch, then she winced for Flora as Leo thought for a moment and then spoke on. ‘Actually, I can remember what I said, I said that it was the closest I’d come to one …’
‘Leo!’