Compulsively Mr. Darcy by Nina Benneton Read Free Book Online Page A

probably used to such conditions. Where did you say you’re from? Berkeley, California?” Miss Bingley threw a pointed glance at Elizabeth’s hair. “Isn’t that where you’d find a lot of long-haired, dirty hippies?”
    Catching the pleading message in her sister’s eyes, Elizabeth swallowed the retort on her lips. She kept her tone light. “Just like Vietnam, Berkeley is not everyone’s cup of tea.”
    Only a sniff and a slight upturn of the nose from Miss Bingley answered Elizabeth’s attempt at politeness. Irritated now, she stared at Miss Bingley while she slowly raised her hand and scratched her head, then, after a few seconds, her sides. While she followed Mr. Bingley’s telling of his adventure in the market with an unwashed fruit, she kept scratching, alternating between her hair and her sides.
    No reaction from Miss Bingley, but Mr. Darcy slid his chair back.
    Encouraged at unsettling him, Elizabeth began to scratch more vigorously until a kick under the table from Jane stopped her antics.
    Mr. Darcy said to Elizabeth, “Were you out on the beach earlier?”
    Surprised at the unexpected question, Elizabeth blushed and wondered if he’d seen her childish romping. “Yes.”
    A pointed glance at Elizabeth’s skirt came from Miss Bingley. “I don’t like the beach. All that sand getting into your hair and clothes, making you look stupid.”
    Elizabeth bit her cheeks and suppressed the urge to flick her skirt and fling a few grains in the woman’s face.
    â€œSometimes, one can discover an unexpected, beautiful treasure on the beach,” Mr. Darcy said. Holding Elizabeth’s gaze, he took a small sip of his drink.
    Flustered at the intense blueness of his eyes, she looked down at a plate of fruit on the table.
    Miss Bingley said, “How do you know that girl Chau?”
    â€œWe work together,” Elizabeth answered.
    Miss Bingley turned and shared an amused glance with her sister.
    With a barely concealed snicker, Mrs. Hurst said, “The tips and compensations must be quite attractive working here.”
    â€œI do get compensated obscenely well for asking people to undress”—Elizabeth’s temper snapped at the sisters’ bitchy attitude—“and get them to tell me secrets they wouldn’t dream of revealing to their nearest and dearest—”
    She was interrupted mid-sentence by Mr. Darcy’s standing up. He mumbled he was expecting a phone call and abruptly left.
    Elizabeth turned back to the sisters and continued, “Would you two like to make an appointment? I’d be happy to dust up what little psychiatry I know.”
    â€œYou’re Dr. Bennet.” Mr. Bingley’s eyes widened and he slapped his forehead. “Of course, the same last name. I’ve been trying to figure out why your voice sounds familiar. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you.”
    â€œNo problem,” Elizabeth said, embarrassed she’d lost her temper with his sisters. “I was masked and covered in surgical scrubs.”
    Jane explained to the Bingley sisters. “Elizabeth works with Dr. Chau Luc at the hospital. Though, for the next couple of weeks, my sister’s going to be the in-house doctor here at the resort.”
    Miss Bingley studied her nails.
    In a bored voice, and while looking around the patio area, Mrs. Hurst said, “Interesting.”
    A moment of uncomfortable silence reigned before a red-faced Mr. Bingley started a conversation with Jane about the famous snorkeling excursions at the resort.
    Miss Bingley interrupted and told her brother to ask Mr. Darcy to arrange a shopping trip for them to Hong Kong while they wait for the adoption to be finalized. She turned to her sister. “Louisa, what time is my massage appointment?”
    With that hint, Elizabeth and Jane said good-bye and left them.
    ***
    Jane and Elizabeth were almost out of the resort