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Taking a measured breath, he glances at me with a crooked smile. “While I know that you’re not a child and that you are more than capable of living your own life…without interference, I also know that you don’t see the bigger picture of all this. And it’s not your fault, it’s ours for shielding you from it, because we’ve always wanted you to follow your dreams.”
There. The look in his eyes tells me that he’s not just come to meet me so that we could have a cosy dinner between siblings and catch up. There’s more going on than he’s letting on. He might have a great poker face, but I’ve lived with it all my life. I know when he’s glossing over shit.
“Why did you really come and pick me up tonight?”
“I told you, Cooper has a family that he hasn’t seen in days, so I’m taking over.”
I know there’s more to it. Still, I manage to give him a smile before I turn to look out of the window, allowing myself to get lost in my thoughts and wonderings. I’ve never known my head to be such a dangerous place to retreat to. Every thought circles around one thing. The one thing I can’t shake.
Freddie.
Chapter 4
FREDDIE
Simone is uncomfortable. It’s noticeable from the way she fluffs her hair and wraps her hands around the back of her neck, leaning over the edge of the table while Pedro pours her the glass of Chardonnay she requested and then puts my drink down in front of me. The lights in the basement bar of the club are dim enough that we can talk without too many prying eyes, and the music is at that level where it’s loud enough to mute our conversation from curious ears while low enough to talk with in the background.
The new addition to Heath House that Arabella proposed is actually brilliant. Compared to the main bar upstairs, this one is mellower. More intimate. She was right—it’s a great environment for business dealings.
“I can’t force Lucy to see you,” Simone tells me the second Pedro walks away.
“Force her? I didn’t say anything about forcing anyone,” I chuckle, and she takes a long gulp of her drink.
“You may not have said it, but it’s what you want. Maybe I didn’t make myself clear enough when we talked at the hospital, but I won’t be bought. While Lucy Stanton is in my hospital, she is my patient, and her well-being is my only concern.”
Hmm, she’s fiery. I like that—it’s going to make this entire exchange a lot more fun for me. Although, the high opinion she has of herself could make this tedious.
“I told you, I would nudge her in the right direction in our sessions. Ms. Stanton hasn’t opened up about anything. If and when she does, and if it is of any use to your…cause… It is a cause, isn’t it? You are trying to help her?” Hitching her brow, she sits straighter in her seat, fingers stroking the stem of her wine glass in a way that tells me her thoughts aren’t all that ethically concerned about her patient right now.
While normally I would fuck her to get what I want, the thought makes my stomach twist. She may be a good-looking woman, but she’s not Georgina. Even in the flicker of the dim light, her hair is too dark, and her voice is ridiculously sharp. She lacks any softness or allure. Nothing about her makes me need to put my hands on her. Everything about her screams safe. Her green eyes are too detached, even while she narrows them at me, waiting for an answer to her question. Something she won’t get because the first person to talk right now relinquishes their power, and Simone needs to know who’s in charge.
Sucking in a deep breath, she takes another sip of her drink, mirroring my own action. A faint nod precedes the purse of her lips. She’s playing a good game, but she’ll lose. As though she knows it’s inevitable, Simone finishes her drink before she continues. “If Lucy tells me anything I think will be of use to you, I’ll let you know. It’s what I agreed, and it’s what I’ll do.”
“We agreed that you would open her up like a book and that you would keep me abreast of her progress. If you can’t do that, I have no use for you, and neither do any of your patients.”
“Mr. Emsworth,” she grits out, clearly pissed at my statement.
“Lord.” My correction earns me a scowl. Looks like the good doctor’s pride is hurt by her social inferiority as her eyes flit about the room, taking in the other members milling around. “If you’re going to make this formal, at least get it right.”
Pushing to my feet, I pull my wallet out of my back pocket and take out a fifty before I signal Pedro over and finish my drink.
“Dr. Pevensey will have another,” I tell him when he reaches our table.
“Yes, Lord Emsworth.” He nods back, offering me his tray for my empty glass.
Dropping his tip, I place the glass over the note as I glance down at Simone. “See? Pedro got it right. Maybe you should ask him for pointers in other areas too.”
Her dark mauve-painted pout gapes open, and before she has a chance to compose herself, I walk away.
The best way to deal with people like her is to leave them befuddled and discomposed. Do it once and they never forget the power you have over them. I learned that from Emily; it’s how she deals with all the social bullshit, and it works.
The evening is still light when I make it to my waiting car and head home. Oddly, the journey itself is clear. The only sound is the lull of the classical music. With every note and trill, my swan is all I see.
My delicate thing.
Georgina was incredible last night, and as hard as it was to sit far in the shadows with every person in the place crowding around me, I couldn’t have been anywhere else.
Watching her dance is watching pure fucking magic, like watching her soul unfurl right in front of me. It’s addictive, and when it’s over, I’m already pining for that little bit more. It’s a madness that I can’t escape. It’s always there. Always simmering, bubbling and bubbling, ready to boil over. It’s why I need to stay physically away from her. If I can’t protect her by choosing her, then I can do it as a bystander.
