The Surgeon and the Princess Karin Baine (websites to read books for free .TXT) 📖

In the spirit of their new, open relationship she’d confided in her mother about the operation she was due to undergo and what had happened with Ed.

‘It’s a shame things didn’t work out. Mr Lawrence is a lovely man but it’s important that you’re happy, Georgiana. Although, at this moment in time you don’t look particularly happy,’ her mother had said when she’d literally cried on her shoulder over the break-up.

However, she’d picked herself up and thrown herself back into work even if she’d lost something of her pep in the aftermath of breaking up with Ed. No, she wasn’t happy but she couldn’t carry on simply doing as she pleased. What she wanted wasn’t necessarily in Ed’s best interests. Yeah, it would be nice to have him by her side for her operation and recovery but at what cost to him? She’d get over him. Eventually.

Today she was setting up a new LGBTQ charity her parents had suggested to honour Freddie. Another new milestone in their continuing evolution into the modern world.

She was surprised and not altogether pleased to find out she had a visitor to the palace. It soon transpired her mother hadn’t been entirely transparent about her recent dealings and had set this meeting up before conveniently going off to make an appearance anywhere other than here.

‘You’re Ed’s brother?’ Now Jamie had introduced himself she could see the similarities in their build and colouring.

‘Don’t hold that against me.’ He laughed at his own joke. That cheeky sense of humour apparently ran through the rest of the family too. He was a good-looking guy and clearly had the family charm, but he wasn’t a patch on his older brother in her eyes.

‘What can I do for you? You said you’d been speaking to my mother?’ Georgiana’s heart was racing with desperation to find out what had brought him here but decorum decreed she play it cool.

‘Yes, sorry. I don’t usually do this kind of thing. You know, casually turn up at palaces and expect an audience with the princess in residence, but the queen thought it would be a good idea. I mean, do I need to call you Your Highness or bow or anything?’ He pointed at the crutches he was currently resting on, having declined her invitation to sit.

‘I don’t think we need to stand on ceremony if you have my mother’s ear.’

‘That’s only because I begged and pleaded with my father to make the call. It was a family emergency.’

That pricked her ears up and, anxious for the news that had brought him here, she asked, ‘Is Ed all right?’

‘It depends what you mean by all right. He’s still breathing and working as hard as ever but I think you’ve broken him.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Usually all he talks about is his work and his patients. Then there was the charity and of course, yourself. Now we can barely get a grunt out of him. He even took time off to show our parents around some sheltered accommodation. This should be the happiest time of his life, getting some independence back, but he’s as miserable as sin.’

‘I’m not sure what you want me to do.’

‘I love my big bro to bits. I don’t know what we would have done without him growing up. He spent so many years taking care of us yet refuses to let us take care of him. Our Ed has a white knight complex. For him to make this change is a major deal. It’s not a decision he would’ve made lightly and I’m sure he’s done it for you.’

‘I know he does a lot for your parents. I didn’t ask him to stop.’

‘No, but clearly having you in his life made him think differently about how he prioritised his time. I don’t know what happened between you but I’m asking you not to give up on him.’

‘It’s complicated—’ Her surgery was already scheduled. She wasn’t going to tie him down by expecting him to take on the role of carer for her next.

Jamie rolled his eyes. ‘I’d talk to him but he’s stubborn. Short of staging some sort of intervention, pinning him to a chair and forcing him to open up about how he’s feeling, I don’t know how to fix him.’

‘I’m not sure I’m in a position to do anything.’ Georgiana didn’t know where the surgery would leave her in terms of physical recovery and her future. Her circumstances since their last conversation hadn’t changed, even if his had.

‘My brother gives so much of himself to others, I think it’s only fair you give him a chance to prove himself to you.’

Georgiana admired Jamie’s devotion to his brother. She wasn’t sure he’d approve if he knew, but it was touching nonetheless to see his love for his family was returned tenfold.

‘I’m going to be incapacitated for a while but I think we do both need some closure.’ By the time she’d had her surgery he’d realise what the road ahead held and any thoughts of beginning a carefree life with her would be well and truly put to rest.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

IN HINDSIGHT, Ed could have arranged driving lessons with an instructor for Jamie but he had nothing else to do with his time these days.

Until meeting Georgiana he’d thought a relationship meant taking him away from his family, but he could see now he’d been using them as an excuse not to get too close to anyone. It was too late now.

He groaned as he pulled into the car park and marched through Reception to his office, where he was picking Jamie up. Mad at himself and everyone else because he wasn’t with the one person he wanted to be with.

‘Are you ready to go? I haven’t got all day. Some of us actually have work to do,’ he barked at Jamie, who was spinning in his office chair.

‘Who took a bite out of your biscuit? I hope you’re not this rude