Shifting Perspectives

Helen shook the woman's hand and glanced at Reginald in question before answering. "Francis! Yes, Kyle MacDenny. From Canada."

"It's very nice to meet you both," Kyle said graciously as he gently shook the woman's hand.

"What do you do in Canada?" Reginald asked, earning a frown of annoyance from his wife.

"Until a short time ago, I was an Investment Manager for an investment house in Vancouver. When I realized I wasn't being fulfilled by the work, I resigned. I'm living off the earnings of my own investments while I search for something that brings me joy."

The older man huffed. "That pays the bills, does it?" he said gruffly.

"It does, but I live a minimalist lifestyle," Kyle replied, then looked around at the grand hall they stood in.

Francis chuckled daintily as she smiled at Kyle. "There is nothing minimal about my Reggie!"

"Oh!" Helen gasped quietly in amusement, then Francis picked up on her double entendre and burst into embarrassed giggles.

Reginald couldn't stop a smile from crossing his features. He gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. "She says the sweetest things."

He looked back at Kyle. "What brings you to England?"

"I promised Helen I'd visit her over the Christmas and New Year's holidays," Kyle replied, and Helen hugged his arm with a broad smile.

"We met while on a cycling vacation in France. The people we rode with were so much fun! It's so nice to continue to keep in contact!" Helen gushed, and Kyle nodded with a smile of his own.

"There's going to be dancing after dinner, so save one for me!" Reginald said to Helen with a wink.

"And Kyle can save one for me!" Francis insisted. Kyle smiled at her and nodded.

Their host moved on to greet the next guests coming into the hall.

Helen continued to hold his arm, and they moved further into the home. The decorations were beautiful and left them with the impression of what Christmas must have been like a century ago. Helen's eyes sparkled with joy, and from the ache in his cheeks, Kyle was sure he was grinning like an idiot.

"Helen!"

They'd just entered a large room set up with a bar and a crowd standing before it. A small group of people were waving vigorously at Helen.

"That's my team!" Helen exclaimed happily.

She led Kyle over to meet the group. There were two men and three women waiting for them, and Helen took him through the introductions. Harry was a man in his sixties with a thin fringe of hair and twice as much growing on his upper lip, and he looked like he was ready to retire. William was a clean-shaven young man fresh out of university, looking excited just to be here.

Jane was another veteran and in her fifties. She was a thick-bodied blonde with a bosom threatening to escape her party dress. Ginny wasn't much older than he was, had a shock of brilliant red hair, pale skin, and freckles splashed across her cute face. She looked like she had Jane's genetic disposition for carrying extra weight, but it wasn't too obvious yet as her dress was much more demure. She'd been working at the hospital in some capacity since met mid-teens. She was obviously following in Jane's footsteps.

Shelina was Helen's personal secretary and a giggly mess. The East Indian woman was very light-skinned and seemed just a little older than Kyle. She had long, luxurious black hair and was very pretty, but she couldn't stop her nervous giggles from erupting during the introductions.

The group found this to be very amusing and intriguing, but she wouldn't explain her behavior. When pressed, she just shook her head and shrugged.

Kyle caught her dark eyes stealing glances at him and saw Helen's eyebrows rise as the women's eyes met. He assumed Helen might have taken Shelina into her confidence about their time in France.

"This your first time in England?" Harry asked Kyle in a relaxed tone. Kyle picked up that Harry had visited the bar more than once. His rounded tummy told Kyle he liked his ale.

"Yes," he responded.

"No family at home to share the Christmas holidays with then?" the older man continued with a friendly smile.

"Harry! Rude!" Jane scolded.

Kyle blinked in surprise at the bold question but nodded to the man as a slow smile appeared. He patted Helen's hand on his arm as he addressed the group. "No, no family and no home at home. I gave up my apartment in Vancouver to travel. I rode my motorcycle south to Santa Barbara, California, and spent some time there with friends. Then I rode through the states, making my way northeast to Montreal, where I stayed with a friend for a time until I came to England." He felt a brief pain as he referred to the sweet French Canadian as a friend. He couldn't honestly call her that, but it would have to do.

"You're a modern-day nomad!" William gushed. "I have to get myself a motorcycle!"

"You'll do no such thing!" Jane insisted with a raised eyebrow for the young man. This made the group chuckle.

"Skye and I are thrilled to have Kyle visit us over the holidays!" Helen said with a pleased smile on her lips. "We had such fun on the cycling vacation--"

Shelina snorted as she took a sip of her drink and began to cough. Ginny rubbed her back as Jane gave her a napkin to dab her mouth.

"Excuse me, please," the woman murmured as she slipped away to tidy herself.

Jane's expression changed to one of mischievous delight as her eyes caught sight of a man walking through the doorway. "Don't look now, but Dr. Hansey just arrived."

"Handsy?" Kyle asked, having misheard.

"Oh! Helen's already told you about him!" Ginny said with a grin.

Helen's face was glowing a fetching pink as she shook her head. "Han-see. Dr. Hansey. Chief surgeon at the hospital. Ah well, he's seen me. Good evening, Richard!"

Kyle got a good look at the man as he approached with a pleased smile on his face. The tall, slim man was sporting a black van dyke beard peppered with grey. His graying hair was cropped military short, and he was in pretty good shape for a man in his forties.

"Good evening, Helen!" he said with a smile, then glanced at the others around her. "Good evening... Helen's team." Obviously, he never bothered to remember any of their names. His eyes stopped on Kyle. "Oh, you must be new!"

Kyle grinned at the man. "No, I'm Helen's plus one."

The doctor froze as his eyes jumped between Kyle and Helen.

"Richard, this is Kyle, my good friend from Canada," Helen said with a sweet smile on her lips.

"From Canada? You're a long way from home for the holidays!" the man said, his smile a little too stiff to seem genuine.

"Helen's worth the journey," Kyle said as he looked at the beauty at his side. His smile was genuine, and she blushed happily. Her team whooped and cheered until she swatted them into giggling submission.

Richard struggled to show a carefree smile of his own. He nodded to Kyle then looked at Helen. "Have a lovely night, Helen!"

She gave him a smile and a nod. "You as well, Richard. Merry Christmas!"

"Yes, you too," he mumbled awkwardly and moved off towards the bar.

"He seems nice," Kyle ventured as he looked at Helen.

"He's an inappropriate toucher. If his hands weren't so important for saving lives, I think I might smash them with a hammer," she sighed. The team erupted in giggles.

Shelina returned and aimed an apologetic look at her boss.

Jane gave her boss a cheeky smile. "You were telling us about the fun you had in France?"

Shelina's eyes shot to the older woman in surprise. She managed to control herself this time.

Helen shook her head with a raised eyebrow. "It was a lovely trip, a beautiful route to cycle, and we met a lot of wonderful people, including Kyle."

Harry leaned closer. "I overheard the tour was for couples. Helen's divorced, so she brought her daughter Skye. Who did you bring?"

"You're such a cheeky fellow when you drink!" Jane exclaimed in frustration at the man.

That didn't stop the group from looking to Kyle for his answer. Helen gave him an apologetic smile, and he shrugged.

"I was supposed to be there with my fiancé, but she chose to run off with another man instead," he said calmly as he held their eyes. He saw shock and surprise, even from Harry.

"The biggest mistake that woman ever made," Helen growled fiercely, and her team burst into laughter once more. Helen's face glowed with embarrassment. She tried to hush them as people were beginning to take notice of the rowdy group.

"It's true! She admitted it herself when she came crawling back near the end of the tour!" Helen insisted with a quieter voice as she leaned closer to her people. They all leaned in excitedly.

"She came back to you?" William gasped, wide-eyed.

"You didn't take her back, did you?" Ginny exclaimed.

Kyle grinned at her as the others burst into laughter once more. "No, she burned that bridge too badly." He looked at Helen. "She was on my flight home, and... tried to get together with me once more." Helen gasped. "When I told her it was over and to leave me alone, she assaulted a flight attendant, then an Air Marshal."

"She's mad! You're lucky to have gotten away!" William exclaimed, and Kyle nodded to him as he recalled how badly she'd manipulated him.

Helen saw the sadness and touched his arm with a compassionate smile. "Would you like a drink?"

He nodded. "Scotch, neat," he said with a smile for her.

She moved off towards the bar with Jane at her elbow.

The others moved closer to Kyle as he eyed them cautiously.

"Helen has been distracted and dreamy-eyed ever since she heard you were coming for a visit," Harry exclaimed.

Kyle picked up the scent of rum from the man from this close, though he showed no visible signs of being drunk. He smiled at the group. "I was looking forward to it as well!" He caught Dr. Hansey giving him a disappointed glare as he passed by. "So, the grumpy doctor isn't the only one making eyes at Helen, is he? Skye told me she has several admirers."

"Jealous?" Ginny grinned at him, but he shook his head.

"I'd be surprised if Helen didn't have men lining up to see her. I'm just asking for a heads up on anyone else who might not appreciate my presence."

Shelina worked up the nerve to move closer. Kyle admired her lovely dark brown eyes until he noticed they seemed to look deep into his soul. Her intensity was intimidating!

"What are your intentions now for Helen?" she asked, point-blank. The others looked at her in surprise but quickly looked to him for his answer.

"We're friends. We like spending time together. I'm friends with Skye too. They were there for me when my life went sideways in France at the start of the trip and when Gwen showed up at the end."

"Your fiancé?" Shelina asked. He nodded. "And Helen's just a friend?"

Kyle snorted quietly as he watched the group. He wasn't going to give them an answer as it was none of their business. He saw the dawning realization appear on their faces, one after another, with William being the last. "Back to my question. Are any of the other suiters here tonight?"

Shelina was obviously disappointed with the answer he wasn't giving, so she remained quiet. William, on the other hand, was feeling chatty.

"Dr. Peng arrived not too long ago, but his wife is clinging to his arm, so I doubt he'll be making any moves on Helen. I haven't seen Dr. Montgomery--"

"He's in Indonesia, volunteering at a clinic in some god-forsaken remote village. Goes every year at this time. Probably just to avoid this party," Harry grumbled.

Kyle wasn't pleased to hear about the married man. "Peng is married and is after Helen?"

Ginny nodded with a frown. "He's not really serious. He just competes with Dr. Hansey for everything. He wants the Chief Surgeon title as well. He's a bit of a creep. Dr. Montgomery is nice, though."

"Not married?" Kyle asked.

Ginny shook her head. "A widow."

"Who's a widow?" Helen asked as she returned and handed Kyle his drink.

He accepted the tumbler with a smile. "Thank you. We were just talking about your suiters. Dr. Hansey, I've met. Dr. Peng is here and married, apparently. Dr. Montgomery isn't here as he's doing volunteer work in Indonesia. He sounds nice."

Helen eyed her people with suspicion.

"Kyle was the one who brought it up!" Ginny confessed nervously at the annoyed look from Jane.

"Shelina was grilling Kyle on his intentions!" William asserted.

At Helen's shocked look, Kyle leaped in. "Not grilling. Just a curious inquiry."

"And none of her business!" Helen gasped.

"Well intentioned concern. Nothing more. It's nice to have such good friends." Kyle continued, holding Helen's eyes with his, and could see her calming. He took a moment to take a sip of his drink. Very smooth. "Ooo, that's really good!"

"Of course, it is! Do you think we'd serve that swill they make in the colonies?"

Kyle turned to smile at Reginald, who was also holding a tumbler of the dark amber liquid. He raised his to the older man. "You serve, quite possibly, the best Scotch I've ever tasted. Thank you, sir!"

The man's mustache tilted up with his smile. He gave Kyle a nod and raised his glass in return. They sipped as they held each other's gaze. Reginald nodded to himself as he moved to Helen's side. "I like him," he said in a stage whisper and moved on.

Helen's smile was back, her annoyance with Shelina forgotten.

"Have you seen the dining room yet?" Jane asked her boss. When she shook her head, Jane gestured for them to follow.

The group left the parlor and walked down the grand hallway and through the last door on the right. Kyle's eyes widened in awe as it felt like the vast chamber had been pulled out of the past. The room was dominated by a long table that had to seat close to one hundred. The table must have been five feet across, which left plenty of space in the center for a centerpiece that ran almost the length of the table. Crafted from long-needled evergreen boughs, it was woven through with red and gold ribbons and white bows. Candelabras rose from the branches at set intervals to add a warm glow to the atmosphere. The place settings gleamed with an abundance of glasses and cutlery for each guest. Kyle looked at Helen nervously, and she patted his arm.

"Just watch me. My parents taught me proper dining etiquette in case I married into nobility," she said to him quietly. He gave her a grateful smile.

The walls were covered with massive paintings of people riding horses, hunting wild boars, or standing with large dogs.

He found himself staring up at the ornate trim around the high ceiling. While it all felt over the top for him, he could appreciate the craftsmanship that went into its construction.

"Oh!" Helen gasped quietly in surprise. He looked at her curiously. She gestured to the handwritten name tags. The calligraphy was lovely. He spotted Helen's name, and the next tag had his name. He looked at her with a questioning smile.

"We're sitting very close to the hosts, the Dunsfields!" she gasped quietly.

"They seem like fun people," Kyle replied with a grin.

She nodded distractedly. "These closer seats are reserved for the senior executives of the hospital. The very well-connected representatives of the hospital. Us being seated here may be seen as disruptive, politically."

Jane grinned at her. "We're thrilled to see you so well regarded by the hosts!" Her team nodded.

Kyle noted Dr. Hansey was seated across from Helen. He wondered how that would play out.

The group continued down the table, and Helen spotted the names of her team. They were together, but across from another of the admin teams they got along with, so she relaxed.

They heard a gentle chime, and people began to enter the dining room to hunt for their seating positions. Kyle looked at Helen, but she didn't seem ready to leave her people just yet. He hoped this seating move wouldn't make her life difficult at work. The Dunsfields were the hosts, so they set the rules, but they didn't work in the hospital environment as Helen did. She would bear the brunt of the grief this might stir up. He sighed as there was nothing she could do.

Finally, Helen could no longer avoid taking her seat, so she and Kyle moved to their chairs. They set down their cocktails, then he held her chair out for her. He noted a few people looking at them with interest. Only one expression seemed a little sour from a woman he hadn't met, so he looked at their hosts. Kyle smiled at Reginald and Francis, who were admiring his polite manners. Kyle tucked himself in as Dr. Hansey arrived. The man's expression went from delight at seeing Helen across from him to annoyance when he spotted Kyle.

"Excuse me, Mr. Dunsfield. Where are the Chathams?"

Kyle looked to the voice and saw it was the sour one from earlier.

The white-haired gentleman turned to the woman. "The house received a call a short time ago. Jacqueline and Fredrick are rushing to the airport now to fly to Greece. There's been some trouble there involving their only son. I have no more details, but understandably, family takes precedence."

Kyle glanced at the stricken expression on Helen's face. Apparently, Reginald saw it too.

"I'm sure it's nothing dire. It's my understanding the boy is going through a bit of a rebellious stage. He probably got into a fight and needs his parents to assist him with the police," the older man explained. This seemed to put Helen at ease.

"There's been a rash of rebels getting into fisticuffs!" Dr. Hansey offered. "Young Owen Richards came into the ER last night in the company of two constables. The fellow is a rugby player at the local college and a bruiser, but he met his match last night. I spent four hours reconstructing his jaw and wiring it shut so it can heal." The doctor looked over at Helen. "Wasn't Mr. Richards seeing your daughter, Skye?"

Helen gave him a somewhat stiff nod. "Skye broke up with Owen months ago but occasionally saw him casually as the young do these days."

Dr. Hansey looked genuinely confused. "The boy was calling out her name when he arrived with a broken jaw. It sounded to me like he was still in love with her."

Helen looked like she was becoming upset, so Kyle placed his hand on hers, and she calmed. Kyle turned his face to the doctor, unaware that all nearby guests were listening. He felt a calmness settle over his nerves.

"What you heard wasn't a boy expressing his love. Love isn't a hard backhand to the face. Love isn't a closed fist. What you were hearing was the rage and anguish of a boy who realized he couldn't own the thing that made him happy. That's something this boy wouldn't accept. So, violence was his answer. It probably was his whole life. You mentioned he played rugby. That was probably a good, safe outlet. But now, he directed that violence towards someone he... loved?"

Dr. Hansey was staring at Kyle in surprise. "You? You were there? You did that... to him?"

Kyle took another slow breath to calm himself. "Doctor, let me ask you a hypothetical question. I understand you follow the Hippocratic oath. Do no harm?" Hansey nodded cautiously as he held Kyle's eyes.

"Someone you care for is about to be physically assaulted right before your eyes. The assailant has already started moving. The injuries your friend will suffer will be devastating, both physically and mentally. You could stop it, but the only guaranteed way to protect your friend requires you to harm the assailant. What do you do?"

The doctor snorted. "You're creating a scenario with only one avenue. There's always--"

BANG!

Kyle lifted his hand from the table where he's slammed it. The room went silent. "That's all the time you had, and it's gone. Your friend is bruised and bloody on the floor. Lost teeth? Broken bones? Emotional scars that last for years?" He shook his head slowly. "I believe the medical field is one of the most honorable pursuits people can undertake, and I'm truly thankful that people like you dedicate yourselves to it... but I don't envy you your constraints." He looked the doctor in the eye. "I detest violence with every fiber of my being, but yes, I was there. My good friend faced that violence, and I acted to protect her. Twice. This wasn't a rational assailant. Owen believes he owns Skye. When she disagreed, he tried to strike her. I put him down instead. I had the police called. When they arrived, Skye explained to them what she told Owen, and in a rage, he threw the constables aside like rag dolls to launch another attack on Skye. I put him down again."