Douglas ignored him. “We need to talk.”
There was still mirth in Nick’s eyes when he said, “I figured that. Wasn’t keen on the events of last night, was she?”
“Not particularly, no.”
Douglas walked into the lounge and Nick followed while talking. “Been telling you, since your sister died and those kids came here, that you should quit the work.”
Douglas nodded and sat down. Until he was seated he didn’t realise how badly he needed to do it.
“You gotta take it easy, mate,” Nick noted softly, his words held grave meaning.
“I need you to move into the Gate House. I’ll ask Mrs. Kilpatrick to have someone come in and clean it for you. No one’s been there in awhile.”
Nick nodded, no discussion required, he knew what Douglas was asking.
“One thing, though. You seem determined you’re gonna marry her,” Nick was back to the subject of Julia, “but she doesn’t seem to agree.”
Douglas should have told him to mind his own business but he was still tired, hungry and his shoulder ached. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger before, uncharacteristically, he shared.
“She needs a bit of convincing.”
Nick whistled. “There’s a woman out there who needs to be convinced to marry you?” he asked, clearly amazed.
“Apparently.”
Nick laughed again before saying, “I like her even more.”
And even though he’d never sought anyone’s approval, never asked for it, not since he’d given up searching for it from his father, he looked at his friend, who was his “bodyguard”, his comrade and his partner-in-crime, and said with feeling, “Good.”
* * * * *
Chaos ensued when Julia and the children arrived home, the children flying around and setting the table, introductions to Nick were seen to in short order and Lizzie prepared drinks, pouring the men’s bitters into chilled beer glasses.
As they settled in, Julia was still dumping fish and chips onto Ruby’s plate when Lizzie slid into the seat to Douglas’s left, glancing at him under her lashes. This left the seat to his right, the seat relegated to the lady of Sommersgate House, open for Julia. He didn’t react to what was, he assumed, his niece’s gentle matchmaking but was pleased to find he might have a surprising ally.
When Julia turned to take her seat, she stopped and stared. Lizzie immediately began forking huge pieces of fish into her mouth.
Yes, Douglas thought, a surprising ally.
Julia stiffly took the seat to his right, not looking at anyone and also not eating much of her meal.
Douglas found that he liked the food, although it was not a nice steak, it was, at least, filling, in a greasy way. He also liked the company. Julia fell easily into the role of hostess, going out of her way to include Nick and the children in the discussion and making Nick at ease.
Not that Nick wasn’t already at ease, in fact, Nick was enjoying himself tremendously. He was also enjoying the children, telling jokes that made them laugh. Julia eventually allowed her stiffness to recede and laughed along with them.
Douglas watched this scene with a sense of fascination, thinking, soon, this scenario, strange to him and something he’d never experienced before, was to be his life. Every night, sitting and talking with the children, laughing, eating. Afterwards there would be… whatever it was that families did after supper.
Then it would be Julia and him, alone, in his bedroom. Julia, perhaps, pulling a brush through her hair and striding around in nothing but her dressing gown.
Later, Julia in his bed, wearing nothing at all.
Something stirred deep within him, something he’d never felt, not once in his entire life. Something that was both alarming and soothing. Something, for his sanity, he firmly set aside.
The kids finished and Douglas allowed them to leave the table, taking all the plates and cutlery to put in the dishwasher. Julia went with them but came back carrying two more cans of bitter and another can of cider for herself.
“You got a job or do you look after the kids?” Nick asked as he popped open his bitter, ignoring the glass and drinking it straight from the can.
Julia had reseated herself, informally folding one leg underneath her on the chair and leaning forward to put her elbow on the table.