Chapter 4: Old Enemies and New Names

Nicholas was no monk. In fact, he had been called a playboy in the tabloids for years. The term was only half correct. While there was a handful of women that had graced his bed temporarily over the last few years. He was never seeking out new women to then use and discard. He had needs like any man and occasionally he would seek a willing partner to fulfill them. It was not as if he could date seriously, he had been betrothed since he was eighteen. Nicholas was five years overdue for his marriage because his bride had disappeared.

Regardless, he had made a mistake in choosing to put April into his bed. Her living near his city residence had made it too easy to call upon her when he needed an outlet. Since they had a somewhat continuing relationship at least where sex was concerned. She had begun to be possessive of him and jealous toward any woman he might be seen with.

This was made even more difficult because Nicholas was regularly called upon to attend events such as charity balls and auctions, private parties, and business events. His life was social, and men of his standing were expected to bring a date at least some of the time. Nicholas tried to bring a variety of partners for his evenings so that no one person would be linked to him too often.

April had begun to demand that she should be the only person he attended events with and if another woman was seen with him, she would fly into a jealous rage. Nicholas was tired of it. She had been convenient and was passible in bed. So, he had tolerated her behavior, but her actions last week had been appalling. Watching Ana read about his exploits this morning had bothered him in a way he couldn't explain.

Nicholas thought it had been akin to watching his character be reduced and demoted in front of someone he wanted to think highly of him. It had felt awful. Nicholas didn't want Ana to think he kept mistresses or that he was a playboy. He no longer wanted other women's names spoken in the same sentence as his own.

Nicholas knew Ana couldn't join him socially so he would attend alone or not at all. Nicholas also thought it might be time to let go of the city loft. He would never be able to go there without trouble from April anyway. He didn't need the trouble she brought, and he was never going to want her for anything more than they had already shared. He had been upfront with her, but she hadn't listened. Now it was time to clean up his image. Ana was important, he just didn't understand how yet.

Nicholas spent the rest of the day clearing his schedule and going over critical trauma cases and assigning them to the doctor most qualified to treat them. In the afternoon he had one surgery that was a case of internal bleeding from a car crash. He finished the surgery in a couple of hours and sent the patient to the ward.

Dr. Stanton was standing in the ER nurses' station when a man came in asking about a patient.

"I am looking for Ana Devon." The man told the nurse. She shook her head at him. "She might be under the name Ana Minden." The man continued to question the nurse, but she typed the name in the search bar and told him she did not see anything.

Nicholas walked around the desk still holding his clipboard. "Excuse me, I might have heard the name. Who are you?"

The man looked hopeful. He had been doing this all day. "My name is Keith Rizer. I represent Scott Devon; he is looking for his wife who goes by Ana Devon but may be using her maiden name of Minden."

Nicholas paused, trying not to show his shock. "How long has she been missing?"

"They had a misunderstanding yesterday midday, and he hasn't been able to find her since." Keith relayed.

"I am sorry, I thought you said Susana Linden." The doctor lied. Walking back through the ER doors toward his office.

Nicholas walked into his office and locked the door behind him. Couldn't Ana have been anyone else's ex-wife? Anyone else? The wife of Scott Devon was in his house. How was this possible? The man he hated more than any other person on this planet was Ana's ex-husband. The doctor flopped into his leather chair and poured himself a drink.

The important question was, did he want Ana to leave his house? Nicholas considered this carefully and after a few swallows of his drink and a couple of minutes' reflection he knew the answer was no. He didn't want her to go anywhere. That he was now hiding her from Devon was a bonus. Nicholas finished clearing his schedule and assigned the last of the consultations.

The doctor grabbed several files that he would work on from home, plus a box of tapes that needed transcribing and he put everything into his medical bag, and he called to have his car brought around in the garage. Nicholas didn't notice as he climbed into the car that he had a tail.

***********

"Follow the bastard Scott had told Keith when the assistant told him about Dr. Stanton's interest in Ana's name only to say he had misheard." Something was off there, and Devon planned to get to the bottom of the situation. Stanton better not have anything to do with his wife's disappearance. Scott had told Keith to watch Stanton until he could confirm or deny his wife's presence with the man.

Scott couldn't imagine how Ana could know Nicholas Stanton, but he didn't like the thought of it. What could she be doing with that man? Stanton was a well-known playboy, but he had never thought of Ana as that type of girl. She had always been modest and reserved.

Ana had been a proper wife and if he wanted a wife now, he would have kept her. He simply couldn't afford to spend time on a woman and Ana was young and beautiful. She could find someone to appreciate her in ways he couldn't even though the thought made him uncomfortable, but it would not be Nicholas Stanton. Scott would not tolerate that.

***********

Nicholas's car pulled up in front of his estate. He gathered his medical bag and coat and got out of the car. Mrs. Burns opened the door welcoming the doctor home. He walked through the door casting a quick smile her way. Nicholas headed toward his study and Mrs. Burns followed behind. He deposited his bag on his desk and went to drop his coat on the chair only to have Mrs. Burns take it from him and hang it on a coat rack.

"Sorry." Nicholas told her with a smirk before continuing, "where is she?"

"Miss Ana is in the cinema room." Mrs. Burns said informationally. "Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes. Where would you like to eat?"

Nicholas thought about it for a minute. "How about on the veranda?" Mrs. Burns nodded and headed off.

The doctor weaved his way through several halls before making it to the seldom used theater. At least someone was getting to use it. Nicholas quietly crept through the door wondering what movie was playing. He smiled when he realized it was what his gender would label a chick flick called 'Fools Rush In' or something close to that. The movie was nearly over, and he sat down next to Ana to watch the last several minutes with her. It was an older movie, but Ana was engrossed in the drama onstage barely even registering his presence.

Nicholas carefully watched Ana as she watched the ending of the movie. Her expressions were so pure. That is when he realized that Ana was a real person. She wasn't a fake personality like all the women he had known before. With her, what he saw was what he got. Which was funny because in truth he didn't even know her name. Nicholas had to at least get her to tell him her name.

The movie ended a few minutes later and Ana looked at him, her eyes slightly glassy as the classic song played in the background.

"Hi. Did you get the time off work?" Ana asked the doctor.

Of course he had, he owned the hospital, but he wasn't going to remind her of that. "Yes, I did. I'm all yours for the next month. It's time for dinner. Come with me." He held out his hand and she took it rising to her feet. He absently noticed that she rose slightly awkwardly, but he couldn't have described how.

They walked out of the theater hand in hand, but he was slightly dismayed when she dropped his hand a moment later. He used a light hand that touched her back only occasionally to guide her through the corridors and out onto the veranda.

When they walked out into the night a white table and chairs were set up nicely outside with a lantern in the middle for light. The windows from the house also cast light for them to see plus it was twilight so not fully dark yet. It was made to appear cozy but not romantic. Mrs. Burns was a godsend, understanding his wishes perfectly. A more romantic setting might have scared Ana away.

Mrs. Burns came out with a bottle of wine that was opened for Nicholas. "Would you like wine, Ana?" Nicholas asked her.

"I am sorry, but I don't drink. Could I just have some water or juice." Ana inquired apologetically. Mrs. Burns said she would bring her some juice.

"Why don't you drink?" Nicholas poured himself a glass of wine looking at the woman curiously.

Ana looked away awkwardly. "I just decided not to." Nicholas wondered if she had a drinking problem but somehow doubted it. Mrs. Burns arrived a minute later with cranapple juice for Ana and dinner arrived a couple of minutes after that. Then the pair were left to eat in peace.

Both were about halfway through the meal. The night was serene with crickets and frogs creating a symphony all around them. Nick was thinking about how this beautiful woman was. However, the thought of her being Mrs. Devon intruded. She had spent over two years with Scott Devon. How in the world had she survived? He was as cold, hard, and emotionless as they came so why had she married him? Why would a woman as sweet as Ana subject herself to years with that bastard?

"Ana," Nicholas paused.

"Nick, what is it?" Ana asked him concerned.

There was that nickname again he smiled. "Ana, will you please tell me your first name? I won't use it, but you feel like a ghost to me because I don't even know your name."

Ana thought about it. Would there really be harm in it if he never said it? Out of context what did it matter? Nick was doing all this for her and putting his life on hold, couldn't she give him that small piece of herself?

"You promise never to call me by it or refer to me by that name?" Ana asked worriedly.

"I swear, I just want to know something real about you." Nicholas vowed.

"My name is Leana though it has been nine years since anyone has called me that." Ana told him very quietly like she was afraid her voice would carry, and she would be overheard. Something about the name struck a chord with Nicholas though he didn't know why.

"It is nice to meet you, Ana. I won't tell a soul." Nicholas smiled and went back to his meal happy that he knew something real about her other than her marriage to Scott Devon.

A little while later Nick asked if he could ask a question about her marriage. He wanted to understand why she had married Scott Devon. Ana balked but he told her it wasn't about who he was. She finally agreed and he tried to figure out the best way to ask his questions.

Nicholas gave Ana a tentative smile. "Why did you get married, Ana?"

Ana thought for a moment looking up at the stars. "He was sick, dying and I was a hospice nurse. He wanted a wife so he would have a companion and wouldn't have to die alone. He was wealthy but didn't socialize so I was able to help him, and he helped me hide even though I never told him that."

"Did you care for him?" Nicholas asked.

"If you're asking if I loved my husband," Ana asked, "The answer is yes but then he got better and became a different person. One that I hated as much as I had loved him." Ana finished sadly messing with the rings on her finger. "I forgot to return these when I left. I need to return these rings."

Nicholas looked at her frowning. He was still reeling from Ana saying she loved Scott Devon. "Why not sell them and make a nest egg for yourself?"

"I could never do such a thing these are family heirlooms." Ana said emphatically.

"Would you want to go back to your husband if you could?" Nicholas shifted uncomfortably.

Ana looked up at Nick reading how uncomfortable he was but not understanding it. "No, I wouldn't go back to him. He has made it very clear who and what I am to him. If I wanted to be treated like someone's..." Ana stopped herself before continuing, "I know which street to walk on in the city for that."

Nicholas looked at her appalled. Had Devon really degraded her to such a level that she would compare herself to streetwalkers. Nicholas couldn't fathom it. He couldn't bear it. He watched Ana's far away expression and wondered what horror she was remembering.

Nicholas pulled himself together a moment later and began to talk of light things and things they would do on the estate ground over the next month. They laughed and joked. Mrs. Burns brought them dessert and they were awed about the gooey pineapple upside-down cake. They spent a full hour just sitting there chatting like old friends that had known each other for years.