The Doctor's Forbidden Fling by Karin Baine

would’ve taken any more notice of a different staff member, Violet was sure, but this continual slight against Nate was very hard even for her to stomach. By denying his achievements he somehow rendered her own unremarkable. The great Earl would never admit he’d been wrong in trying to force them into their society pigeonholes or congratulate them on their successes. Until now Violet hadn’t realised she’d been waiting for his approval.
    * * *
    Nate had dealt with his fair share of obstinate patients over the years. People had different coping mechanisms when it came to facing their own mortality and sometimes that manifested itself against the very staff treating them. Usually he took it in his stride. After all, who was to say he wouldn’t lash out if he were the one on the other end of the stethoscope? Today he was finding new limits to his tolerance he didn’t know he was capable of.
    In the space of ten minutes his integrity and his professionalism had been called into question by someone who’d known him since he’d been a child. That was the problem, he supposed. His parents’ employer was still judging him on the nonconforming teen he imagined had robbed him of his daughter. It was ironic that Nate hadn’t gained anything from that loss except the successful career that was now being maligned. Regardless of how hard he tried, those from Strachmore would never see him as anything but the next generation of domestic staff. The only difference was the Dempseys weren’t paying him to take this abuse.
    He’d even had to battle his own family to pursue his chosen career. In their eyes by going to medical school he’d thrown away the honour of working for the aristocracy. As if their allegiance meant he should’ve sacrificed his prospects too. They hadn’t understood his resistance to doing manual labour so a privileged family could sit comfortably on their pedestals. There’d been no support, financially or otherwise, as they’d seen him as some sort of traitor.
    That attitude had created a distance between Nate and his parents. He’d hated them at times for their blind devotion to the Earl when they’d effectively disowned their own son for the sin of ambition. In a roundabout way they had been part of his success when his anger had driven him to reach the pinnacle of his career. These days he accepted them for who they were in the hope they would some day do the same for him. He’d learned it wasn’t healthy to hold on to grudges or look for answers where there was none, and taken back control of his life by simply accepting circumstances beyond his control. No matter how much it jarred.
    â€˜In that case all I can do is ask you to wait until we have your discharge papers ready. We need to have it in writing that you are going against our recommendations by leaving before your treatment here is complete. There’s also the matter of arranging your medication before you leave.’ If it was merely a case of one stubborn patient showing he was still in control of his own fate, Nate would sign off and move on to the next patient who actually wanted his help. That was practically impossible when Violet was standing opposite worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.
    â€˜I will not linger here a second longer than is absolutely necessary.’ The Earl continued to bluster, his cheeks reddening as he pointed a knobbly finger at Nate as though he were holding him to ransom. It was the other way around. As tempted as Nate was to have Security bundle him out of the door, he couldn’t bear to be responsible for anything happening to Violet’s only surviving family member.
    â€˜That’s entirely your prerogative, but it would be in your best interests to wait for the reasons I’ve stated. I would also ask you would do so quietly to prevent any further disruption to your fellow patients on the ward.’
    His thoughts were