With that statement, Douglas threw back his head and roared with laughter as if this situation was of such comedic proportions as to delight all mankind.
This shocked her so much, Julia jumped.
Firstly, it was not an amusing moment and secondly, she’d never heard him laugh.
Perhaps a chuckle here and there but out and out laughter?
Never.
When he was finished he leaned into her and she was forced to arch further away. She couldn’t escape him, however, because, to her disbelief, his arms slid around her and he pulled her into his body.
“Douglas,” her voice was low, her pulse leaping madly, “what are you doing?”
“I’m going to kiss you,” he replied evenly as if this was the most natural thing in the world. As if he hadn’t just gone from accusing her of whatever it was he was accusing her of to demanding she bare her most personal, painful and illicit secrets.
His breath smelled pleasantly of whisky and his hard body warmed her and that was a heady combination.
“Oh no you aren’t.” She shook her head, tried to twist her body away and pushed against his chest all at the same time. These actions had no result except his arms tightened.
“Yes,” he whispered, his head was descending, “I am.”
With superhuman effort, she pulled free and slid to the side, retreating by walking backwards towards the door.
“Listen,” she pleaded, “I don’t know what game you’re playing but I don’t want to play it with you. I’ve got enough to worry about without you doing… whatever it is you’re doing. So can you just stop it and let me be?”
“No,” was his answer and he followed her, advancing as she retreated.
“Why?” Julia cried, her voice rising. “Why on earth are you doing this?” Then she stopped and squared up against him, aggravated beyond caring. “It’s unnecessary. I’m not a gold-digging, crazy woman, okay? I’m just going to raise those kids, get a job, live my life and when Ruby moves on, I’m going to go away. That’s it. Period. The end. I don’t have my eyes on your fortune. I’m just here to grant my brother’s dying wish and I don’t need you making it more difficult for me than it already is.”
He’d stopped too but he didn’t say a word.
“Okay?” she prompted on a near shout.
“No,” he said again.
“Why?” she threw her hands up in agitation. “What are you getting out of this?”
She asked and she really wanted to know. He started walking towards her again and Julia started retreating again, step for step. What he didn’t do was answer.
“Okay, play your games.” She gave in but she did it with her heart beating faster. “See if I care, I’m going to bed,” she announced to finish and turned to walk away.
“Excellent idea,” he returned immediately, his insinuation as shocking as it was clear.
“Alone!” she spat over her shoulder.
“Julia, we need to talk.”
“Not now we don’t and I’m not sure we ever do!” She whirled around and faced him. “I’m fed up with you lot. You leave me with your mother who has all the warmth of a Siberian winter. You don’t call. You don’t give a good goddamn about those children. You show up accusing me of… whatever,” she threw one arm out, dramatically, “you kiss me for no reason, stalk me around your study. Fine, okay, I get it. I’m some kind of game to you. Apparently your life is so boring you’ve run out of challenges so you have to play with humans in order to find amusement. Go for it. See if I care. You obviously don’t know how stubborn I am so have at it. You won’t win.”
And with that, Julia turned to leave.
“I think I will,” Douglas said to her back.
“Think again, I’m a lot stronger than I look,” she announced as she made her way to the door, hoping she was right. “If I can take on an ass**le like Sean and emerge unscathed… well, virtually so, then you’re a pu**ycat.”
“I wouldn’t underestimate me,” he warned.
She thought of something, stopped at the door, turned back to face him and put her chin up.
“One rule,” Julia declared.
“No rules,” Douglas replied.
“One rule,” she ignored him, “whatever it is you’re after, you don’t drag the children into it.”
He didn’t even think, just inclined his arrogant head in agreement.
“Good. Let the games begin,” she declared sarcastically.
And before he could reply, she left, trying not to look like she was fleeing. Her heart was racing, her head was aching and she was scared to death. As she walked, she felt the arctic draught around her feet and looked down.
It wasn’t an invisible draught this time but looked like wisps of fog gathering around her ankles. She picked up the pace but it stayed with her, detached from her ankles and floated ahead. Julia watched in dread as it approached her bedroom door but then it slid past, towards the chapel, disappearing around the corner. She ran into her room, slammed the door and, for good measure, threw the bolt home.
“Dear Lord, what have I gotten myself into?” she asked the room.
The scratching at the window was her only reply.
Chapter Nine
Julia’s New Position
The next morning, Douglas arrived to an empty breakfast table. Julia had gone with Carter to take the children to school. Avoiding him no doubt.
Knowing this almost made him smile.
After breakfast, he holed himself in his study, catching up with e-mails and telephone calls he’d not been able to return while he was away with Nick. His mother arrived home with the usual fuss and fanfare and he kept his door closed. Monique knew from experience that meant he did not wish to be disturbed. For hours, he heard nothing more, Julia, Ruby nor Carter returned home. Julia would have to come through the front door, of course, the family never used anything but the front door. To do that, she’d have to pass his study.
Then it struck him that, being Julia, perhaps she didn’t use the front door.
Finally, impatient to set his plan into action, he went to find her.
Mrs. Kilpatrick was in the dining room using a foul-smelling, lemon-scented balm to polish the already exceptionally high sheen of the dining room table.
“Sir,” she muttered, not looking at him.
“Mrs. Kilpatrick,” he replied as greeting, intending to pass her as usual and go straight to Julia’s rooms.