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.