They jumped to do her bidding.
* * * * *
When Julia heard the tires crunching on the drive, she was ready.
While getting ready, she’d allowed herself to think of the Kilpatricks’ words and to feel compassion for her soon-to-be fiancé. He would not accept or thank her for her sympathy, even though she, of all people, knew how he felt (which must have been why he reacted so strongly when Julia explained what Sean had done to her, a fact that, now that she understood it, made her stomach melt). She knew, though, for the sake of his pride, that she could never let him know that she knew the truth. It tore at her heart, knowing why Douglas was the way he was, but it would always have to be her secret with the Kilpatricks.
After years of abuse as a child, she knew it was unlikely she’d ever break through that wall but he wanted her and by God, he was going to have her. If she only had a week or was lucky enough to have years to show him love and tenderness, she was going to give it to him.
Starting tonight.
She was embarrassed about going on to Douglas, of all people, about being alone.
How selfish she’d been. How stupidly lost she’d been in her own grief and bitterness. She’d always had her mother and Gavin and a big family and loads of friends to love, cherish and look after her. Even here, she had Charlie, Sam, Mr. and Mrs. K, Ronnie and the children.
But Douglas had always been alone. Truly alone.
Julia had carefully prepared, picking her best little black dress (v-necked, sleeveless and backless it fell to her knees and fit her body lovingly) and added her stiletto-heeled, pointed-toed black pumps and Douglas’s emerald. She pulled her hair up in a loose bunch and let tendrils fall about her face. She was careful with her makeup (as both hair and makeup would have to survive being significantly mussed if she had anything to do with it).
She was trembling with anticipation as she rushed out of her rooms and down the hall.
She stopped dead in the door to the dining room, staring at the vision before her.
A huge crystal vase sat near the end of the dining room table and it was filled with stunning red roses with spikes of greenery shooting out between the buds. A warm fire was burning in the grate and silver candlestick holders held high, white, tapered candles that had already been lit. The table was covered with a white damask cloth and the finest china, crystal and silver were laid out, only two places, hers and Douglas’s. There was a silver bucket of champagne, not opened yet, chilling with a folded linen cloth thrown over the top. Somehow, as it was all set at the head, the enormous table was reduced to being cosy and romantic.
“I’ve taken care of everything,” Mrs. K whispered, Julia started and looked to her right at Mrs. K whose head was poking into the hall from the doorway that led to the kitchen. “I’ll serve you but I’ll be discreet. Roddy has taken the children to the cottage and Ronnie has already gone home.”
Julia nodded, a small, expectant (but slightly anxious) smile on her face.
Mrs. K winked and disappeared.
Julia heard footsteps down the hall, and voices.
She went still and listened.
Voices?
A man’s and a woman’s.
Julia walked into the room and the voices became more distinct.
Before they could turn the corner to the room, she knew. She knew both voices.
All the breath left her body and she realised there was a good possibility she would faint.
Then Monique Ashton and Sean Webster turned the corner and entered the dining room.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Archie and Ruby’s Heartache
Tonight was the night.
Douglas wasn’t going to allow her to hide in her rooms like she did last night (even at dinner, she gave the ridiculous excuse of a headache making the children eye each other speculatively throughout the meal).
He was going to ask Mr. and Mrs. Kilpatrick to take the children and he was going to find her, hunt her down if required, and make her agree to marry him using any means necessary.
Everything was in place; there was not a nuance he hadn’t considered. He had the ring in his pocket and he had an enormous bouquet of two dozen exquisite white roses in his hand.
He knew about the roses because of Patricia.
While Julia was hiding last night, nursing her “headache”, Douglas called her mother. He had never told Julia he’d play fair and drastic times called for drastic measures.
“Douglas, my God, is it the children?” Patricia said upon hearing his voice.
“No,” Douglas replied shortly, still not believing he was making such a call. “It’s Julia.”
“Is she all right?” Patricia’s voice was filled with worry.
“She’s fine,” he assured her calmly, “although I have a problem with her.”
Silence.
Douglas did silence very well, this time using it to stall while he contemplated the unpleasant task ahead of him.
Eventually Patricia was forced to ask warily, “What problem?”
Through gritted teeth, still not believing Julia had reduced him to this, Douglas forced out, “I seem to be unable to convince her to marry me.”
Silence again, this time the shock was palpable over the phone line.
Then, to his stunned disbelief, she asked, “Even after the kitten?”
Douglas didn’t deign to answer.
“The kitten was a crowning achievement.” Douglas heard the amusement in his future mother-in-law’s voice, forgot that he actually held some regard for the woman and at that moment would cheerfully have wrung her neck.
She continued, oblivious. “Jewel is stubborn as an ox and she doesn’t like men all that much, though don’t think I blame her, considering. Must admit, though, she does hold on to things a bit.”
“A bit,” Douglas agreed sardonically.
This caused Patricia to roar with laughter. When she was finished, he could practically hear her wiping her eyes.
“White roses,” she said, apropos of nothing.
“Pardon?”
“White roses, she loves them, her favourites. Start with that and then whisk her off to Fiji. She’s always said she wouldn’t consider that she’d truly lived until she went to Fiji, God only knows why but once that girl gets something in her head, she doesn’t let it go.” Douglas made no response, he’d lived that nightmare. “And let’s face it,” Patricia spoke into his silence. “The girl needs a vacation. If you go, I’ll come out and see to the children.”
It took a moment for the realisation to dawn that Patricia was helping him and he hadn’t had to convince her.