Douglas leaned forward, put Ruby on her feet and the little girl rushed back toward Julia. Julia didn’t say a word to either Douglas or Monique. She just took Ruby’s hand and walked stiffly away.
“Charming. I’ve been gone for days and she doesn’t even say hello,” Monique noted, her tone ugly and she ignored the fact that she not only hadn’t greeted her grandchildren’s aunt, she also had not greeted her grandchild, nor, Douglas realised something very telling, did Ruby even look at her grandmother.
He sat back in his chair, put his elbows on its arms, steepled his fingers and rested his chin on them. Then he regarded his mother coldly and, as usual, quickly made his decision.
“Mother, I don’t believe we’ve had an important conversation,” he declared with deceptive calm.
“Yes, dear?” she asked, her eyebrows going up, her face the picture of innocence. He reacted rather negatively to this familiar faux expression.
“I think,” he started, “you need to be aware of my thoughts on the matter of Julia and the children.”
“And what are those, darling?” She was the picture of motherly love and concern. For years he’d ignored it but now it made bile rise up the back of his throat.
“Julia is now a member of this family, not a member of staff, not a guest, though you haven’t treated her as such. She will be afforded all the power and protection that means.”
All motherly love gone in a flash, her voice now had an edge when Monique demanded, “Perhaps you should make yourself perfectly clear.”
“It means that Julia’s position here, as co-guardian to Tamsin’s children, is elevated above yours,” he retorted bluntly and heard her gasp.
“I cannot believe you’d –” she began.
“Believe it,” Douglas cut her off. “If you don’t like it, you can move to the dower house in Clevedon or I’ll find you a place in London.” Her eyes widened in fury but unaffected, Douglas carried on. “Now, do I make myself perfectly clear?”
“I cannot believe you’d chose that… that… woman over me!”
He didn’t bother to reply.
Then her face changed, the outrage melting to venom. “I see. I see very well. You are, of course, welcome to her. She’ll suck you dry, as she did with Sean, but –”
“That’ll do,” Douglas declared with such finality her head jerked. She stared at him a moment, her eyes working then she nodded slowly and rose from her chair in order to leave.
She moved to the door but stopped and paused for a parting shot. “I cannot believe I’ve raised such a cold-hearted son who’d put his mother out in favour of a money grubbing schemer.”
“Can’t you? As I remember, you didn’t particularly care to raise Tamsin or me at all. Both of us you ignored and for my part you left me in the hands of a vicious and abusive father.”
Again she let out an outraged gasp, this quite genuine as he’d brought up a subject that they had never discussed.
Not ever.
“I’ll not have you talk about your father in that way!” Monique snapped.
“Mother, in case you hadn’t noticed, he’s been dead for years. He can’t hear you defend him and then offer you a diamond necklace for your efforts.”
She blew air out of her nostrils at this effrontery and then, without a word, whirled on her heel and left.
Douglas stared at the door for long moments after she left. He was furious at the conversation and cursing himself, his mother and Julia who was inadvertently responsible after bringing up all his old demons last night during their conversation. Demons he had methodically locked away. Demons he did not want to, would not, face.
It was high time he had the conversation he’d been meaning to have with Julia since this morning.
With determination, he got up and went to the kitchen to do just that.
Chapter Ten
The Proposal
They were elbow deep in cookie dough, three baking sheets sitting on the vast kitchen table half-filled with sloppy balls. Ruby was on her knees on the bench, her fingers a mess, slipping Carter, who was sitting across from her doing a crossword puzzle, pieces of dough (while consuming much of it herself) nearly as fast as Julia could put them on the sheets.
“It would be nice, Ruby-girl, if your brother and sister had some cookies when they got home from school,” Julia admonished but her tone was teasing.
After she said this, with confusion Julia noticed Carter stiffen and he glanced swiftly down at his crossword puzzle, all the smiles and winks he’d been passing Ruby erased from his face.
“Carter.”
Julia jumped and turned around to see Douglas stroll arrogantly in the kitchen. She cursed him silently, prowling around like a cat. How a big man like him could be so damn quiet, she’d never know.
Then her mind stilled and she stared at him in wonder. He had a face like thunder and she’d never seen such an expression from Douglas. She was used to either bland or indifferent, and lately, appreciative, but thunderous was new to her and it was both frightening and awe-inspiring.
“Sir?” Carter asked, dropping his crossword and jumping up from the bench, again showing an agility of a much younger man.
Douglas came to a halt next to Julia and declared, “It has come to my attention that I should make some explanations about your priorities.”
Julia held her breath. She didn’t know why but there was an underlying edge of fury in Douglas’s tone that was making her highly uncomfortable. She did not want, nor did she want Ruby, to witness Douglas abuse Carter in the way that Monique freely abused the staff.
However, there was no escape.
Douglas continued. “My mother has led you to believe that you needed her permission in regards to Miss Fairfax using your services.”
Julia and Ruby both looked from Douglas to Carter.
Carter just nodded.
Julia and Ruby looked back to Douglas.
“I apologise for that confusion,” Douglas went on.
Again, Julia and Ruby’s eyes slid back to Carter, whose jaw, they witnessed, dropped as this heretofore unheard phrase came from Douglas’s lips. They turned back to Douglas when he continued speaking.
“Miss Fairfax, not only when she’s doing something for or with the children, but at all times, has priority when you’re assessing your workload. Understood?”
It was Julia’s turn to have Carter’s gaze on her face and her jaw dropped.
“Furthermore,” everyone looked back to Douglas, “she’s to have free use of the Audi TT, the Aston Martin and the Range Rover. Make certain she has easy access to each set of keys.”