Island Doctor to Royal Bride?

She couldn’t have this. She couldn’t live a life that inspected her every breath, her every thought. She couldn’t have a life that destroyed the privacy of her patients. She wasn’t cut out for this—no matter how much her heart was tearing in two.

Philippe’s hand appeared at her arm. ‘Let me do something about this. Let me release a statement. I won’t let them treat you like this. I won’t let them expose your patients like this. They have no right.’

She shook her head. ‘But they think they have every right. Isn’t that what free speech is about?’

He gestured towards the TV. ‘I’ll speak to someone at the station. I’ll tell them they had no right to use those photographs or to discuss you—or to contact your patients.’

She kept packing her clothes. ‘You can’t control the world, Philippe. You can’t control what people think, and say.’ She looked to the TV where the woman in pink was talking incessantly. ‘I do a job that I love. I don’t want to be pushed out. But I have to protect my patients.’ She stepped right up to him. ‘I want privacy to live my life. But I demand privacy for my patients.’ She shook her head. ‘And there’s no chance of getting it here.’

She gave a wry laugh as another headline flashed up. ‘They even had me down as your bride. How ridiculous is that? We’ve only known each other a few weeks.’

He moved closer, his eyes serious. ‘Not that ridiculous.’

Her skin prickled. ‘What?’

Philippe sucked in a breath. This day was just snowballing out of control. First the leak, then Arissa’s reaction, followed by her revelation. She was an abandoned baby—just like the one he’d treated. The one he’d lost. Arissa could have been lost if someone hadn’t come across her. And the thought of that happening made his heart ache. He lowered his head and shook it.

He watched as she continued to throw things haphazardly into her case. Some clothes were missing the case completely. He hated that he’d caused any of this. He was furious that someone from the press had dared to track down one of her patients. She had every right to be angry, and that made him even sadder.

Because all of a sudden, he knew exactly how much Arissa Cotter meant to him. Love. The word he may have mentioned casually, but now he knew just how much he meant it.

After his experience a few years ago he’d thought he’d built an impenetrable wall around his heart. But it seemed he was wrong. Slowly but surely, this beautiful woman with the world of hurt in her eyes had found a way into his heart.

But look what he’d done to her.

He tried to keep his voice steady. ‘Where do you plan on going?’

Something flashed across her face. She was angry with him, but she was hurt too.

She shrugged. ‘I have no idea.’

He stepped forward and put one hand on the case. ‘Wait. At least until tomorrow. The first safe haven cot is getting installed then. Wait and see it through.’

Right now he would try anything to make her stay. Even for one more day. Anything to give himself a bit of time to try and make a plan. A plan to find a way to make things better for Arissa.

He could see from her face that she knew what he was doing. He was trying to use her professional responsibility to will her into staying. ‘I’m sure it will all go to plan,’ she said, zipping up her case.

‘But we need you to see it through. To help with the final touches. The protocols.’ He winced. ‘The press releases. The way we get the word out there to those that need it, that there is a safe place to leave your baby—no questions asked.’

There was an edge of desperation to his voice that he couldn’t even pretend to hide. The woman that had stolen his heart was standing in front of him hurt and confused, all because he’d asked her to come here and work with him.

This was his fault. His.

He should have known better. People had been curious about him all his life. Of course someone would comment about her—particularly if he showed any interest in her. And the truth was he hadn’t tried to hide it because he didn’t want to.

His family could see it. All of them had given him knowing looks last night.