His hands cradled her face and, if she wasn’t shocked enough at this behaviour; he astounded her further by nudging her nose with his own.
“Marry me.” His voice was rough and she felt it like a physical touch.
Her legs, already jelly, nearly came out from under her.
She grasped onto his sweater at his sides to hold herself upright but shook her head, panic beginning to fill her.
This was not a Douglas she knew. This was not an indifferent Douglas. This was not a determined Douglas, bent on having what he wanted. This was an altogether unknown Douglas.
A Douglas she could actually say yes to.
“I was just trying to be nice, I didn’t expect this.” To her irritation, her voice held a tremble.
“Oh yes you did, you just didn’t know it.”
“What an extraordinarily arrogant thing to say.” She tried to sound waspish but it came out breathless.
He grinned and she moaned a little at the sight of it which made his grin grow to a smile.
“It’s going to be so fun when I win.” His nose nudged hers again, this time playfully (a playful Douglas, too, had once been an altogether unknown entity and she found herself shocked that she was actually getting used to it).
He slid his nose up the side of hers. Then his lips kissed each eyelid in turn and she held her breath, scared of what she’d say or do because his actions were so sweet, so tender, so caring, so strangely loving, she couldn’t cope.
She tried to break the moment. “Everyone is probably wondering where we are, we have to go back.”
“Did you like the watch?” He changed the subject immediately, his body pressing more insistently into hers as his hands moved from her jaws and became arms curved around her and his lips slid from her temple to her ear.
She knew that he knew that she liked the watch. He was just being wicked by making her say it out loud.
“It’s a lovely watch.” It was more than a lovely watch, it was a magnificent watch.
“‘Lovely.’ That’s a word you use to describe a lot of things.” His voice was at her ear, causing tingles to slide across her skin.
She knew exactly what he was referring to and she also knew she was being churlish, especially considering the thoughtfulness and generosity of the gift.
He deserved better.
“It’s beautiful,” she admitted. “I love it.”
“How much do you love it?” he asked roughly, invitingly, his breath floated across the sensitive skin behind her ear and she squirmed against him, both pushing him away with her hands at his waist and bunching the fabric of his sweater between her fists to hold him where he was.
“It’s perfect,” she whispered. “It’s me. I would choose it for myself. Sam did a good job with all the gifts today.”
This caused his head to jerk up and he narrowed his eyes at her.
“Sam did not choose that watch. I did.”
“Oh.” This came out as a breath and then the thought of him entering a shop, choosing something so immensely splendid, so entirely perfect and purchasing it for her caused her to utter the word, “Wow.”
“I suppose ‘wow’ is a damned, bloody sight better than ‘lovely’,” he growled.
She blinked at him as she realised, belatedly, his mood had shifted.
“Are you angry?” Her eyes had rounded and for some reason he let her go, stepping back a pace.
“I’m not angry,” he said in a voice that belied his words.
“You sound angry.”
“I’m not angry,” he clipped.
“Then what are you?”
He looked for a second uncertain and Julia couldn’t believe her eyes.
His eyes became focused and he glared at her. “I’m frustrated.”
Julia stared at him for a second before returning, “Well, remind me never to do anything nice for you again. Frustrated was not what I was going for.”
And before he could reply, she took her opportunity for escape (something, at that moment, she dearly needed) and quickly exited the room, not looking back.
Chapter Twenty
Ruby Finally Understands
After leaving Douglas in the study, Julia was of a mind to make the men do the Christmas dishes, including and especially Douglas. She came to her senses and realised she’d escape him more easily by doing the dishes herself because he rarely stepped foot in the kitchen.
The children talked to Patricia while Ronnie, Mrs. K and Julia scoured the pots and pans.
Julia came to the phone last.
“How’s it going?” Patricia asked.
“So far so good,” Julia replied.
“They sounded good. Happy. You did a good job Doll Baby.”
Julia was silent. She wanted to tell her mother everything but couldn’t. Patricia would be there in twenty-four hours raising all kinds of ruckus if she knew even half of what was happening.
“Jewel?” Patricia broke into her thoughts.
“You having an okay Christmas?” Julia queried.
“Your Aunt Doris made the most heavenly cake. It has twelve melted Milky Way bars in it.”
“It’s not time for dinner there yet, how have you had any cake?”
“I might have sneaked a piece,” Patricia admitted.
Normally Julia would have laughed but she was in no mood to laugh.
On a sigh, Julia said, “I miss Aunt Doris. Tell her I love her, will you?”
Patricia was silent.
“Mom?” It was Julia’s turn to break into her mother’s thoughts.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Her intuitive mother demanded.
No, Julia was most definitely not going to tell her mother what was going on.
“I’m fine, the kids are fine, everything’s fine,” Julia lied.
“Is Douglas fine?”
Julia felt a shiver go up her spine. Her mother’s insight was uncanny. It was almost as if she could read Julia’s thoughts.
“Yes, I’m just, we’re both…” Julia paused and then continued. “Mom, it isn’t the happiest day, if you know what I mean, even though we’re all pretending it is.”
Patricia, as usual, didn’t fall for Julia’s evasive manoeuvre.
“What’s this about a diamond watch?” Patricia asked.
Julia closed her eyes.
Lizzie.
“It’s probably nothing to him.” It was definitely not nothing to him and it certainly wasn’t nothing to her. “He’s rich as Rockefeller, Mom. Richer, even. He was very generous, with all of us,” Julia explained and hoped it sounded plausible.