Douglas was right, he had never been her father.
She straightened her shoulders and drew air into her nostrils, her head tilting back with the effort. She released it from her mouth and turned to Douglas.
Not one tear had been shed.
“I’m ready,” she told him, her voice, surprising her, was strong.
He assessed her as she walked toward him but when she went to pass him, he took her hand. They walked together, hand in hand, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Even though she knew it was weak, knew she shouldn’t allow it, she needed his hand in hers. She might not have made it across the room without it.
When he stopped to open the door, he turned to her.
“Well done,” he whispered, the indifferent expression gone from his eyes and now clear, undiluted admiration was shining in them.
She felt every bone in her body turn to jelly and it was an immense effort of will simply to stay standing.
She should have nodded casually as if there was no question she could master the situation. But instead the corners of her lips tilted up ever-so-slightly at the look in his eyes that made her stomach clench, not with desire but with pride.
She dipped her head, slightly flustered, and whispered, “Thank you.”
She felt Douglas’s hand squeeze hers then he opened the door.
* * * * *
Five hours later, with a huge dose of Charlie’s experienced flair, coupled with Julia’s determined grace, a bit of Sam’s hilarious energy and even shades of Monique’s cultured charm, Thanksgiving Day did not become the disaster for which it seemed to be destined.
The children were hesitantly accepting of their grandfather, although both Elizabeth and William seemed far more reluctant than Ruby, undoubtedly they’d heard their parents talk. They looked constantly at Julia and Douglas. Julia would give them reassuring smiles; Douglas took Julia’s lead (but not so far as to smile, just communicating non-verbally that all was well).
Trevor acted the benevolent grandfather but seemed to be more interested in dancing attendance upon Monique.
Now, the children in bed, Douglas felt the need for pretence was gone.
He had known his mother was up to something and he resolved to deal with her later. He knew exactly what he intended to do to punish her for today’s antics. He would not, however, do it in front of guests.
As for Trevor Fairfax, that matter would need to be dealt with immediately.
Julia’s words about Gavin needing to smash open his piggy bank so her family could have the bare necessities made his gut clench. And the new knowledge that the proud, easy-going man he knew as his brother-in-law, who showered steady devotion on his family, at one time stood alone on a stage without a parent to support him, made him understand with a clarity he never had before why Tamsin had fallen so deeply in love with her husband. Patricia Fairfax was clearly a remarkable woman to make up for so much and nurture her family the way she did.
Douglas watched Julia and marvelled at her strength of will to control her emotions, to sit in a room and have dinner with her errant father. Douglas found her behaviour stunning.
But now it was high time his soon-to-be wife was allowed to relax and enjoy her f**king holiday.
They were all in the formal drawing room finishing a nightcap. Julia’s father seemed happy enough, sitting and conversing and even, Douglas noted to his disgust, discreetly flirting with Monique.
For Julia’s sake, Douglas had been nursing a slow burn for five hours and he was coming to the end of his patience with it. It was her father, her issue and he had to allow her to deal with it in her way (with his guidance, of course), even though he very much wanted to eject the man the minute he realised who he was.
But it was her battle. And Julia had, after a valiant struggle, handled it quite splendidly. If she had turned to Douglas and told him to get rid of her father, he would have done so, without hesitation. But she didn’t and that too, he thought, was not only her prerogative and it was also honourable.
However, when Monique finally moved away to refresh her drink, Douglas was finished with allowing Julia to have her honourable way.
He strode over to Trevor and said under his breath in a tone that could not be ignored nor misunderstood, “I think, Dr. Fairfax, it’s time for you to leave.”
Trevor turned astonished eyes to Douglas, clearly having been lulled into relaxing in his very plush surroundings. Even though Julia said barely a dozen words to him since dinner, Monique had been expending a great deal of energy making him feel welcome.
The older man read Douglas’s face and was smart enough to nod.
Douglas wasted no time in announcing his guest’s imminent departure. Farewells were quickly and not-so-cordially exchanged (Charlotte, Oliver and Sam had correctly surmised Julia and Douglas’s mood and behaved accordingly).
Douglas and Julia, joined by Monique, walked Trevor to the front door where Carter (at Douglas’s behest) had been waiting with the Bentley for the last half an hour. When Douglas ordered Carter to the front, Carter informed him that Trevor arrived in a taxi. Where Trevor now was going, Douglas neither knew nor cared.