Sommersgate House (Ghosts and Reincarnation #2)(120)

Charlie was right, even if he would never love her, couldn’t love her and even though she knew one day she’d lose him, the time she had with him would be better than anything she could get from anyone else. She needed to take that risk, even if her happiness was short-lived, at least she’d have it for awhile. Tamsin and Gav hadn’t known their joyous lives would be cut so short and they still lived every moment like it was precious.

Julia needed to learn that lesson.

Douglas wasn’t just gorgeous, dangerous, mysterious, sexy and rich as Croesus. His voice made her tremble, his hands made her shudder and his mouth made her wild. When he looked at her, she felt the most beautiful woman, not just in the room, not in the world, but in history. Though she knew it wouldn’t last, now she felt safe with him, she believed to the depths of her heart that he would always do the best for the children and no matter how it ended; he’d never be deliberately cruel to her.

So she was going to marry him.

And tonight, she was going to tell him.

Her consultancy was done. They were ready to hire an Executive Director and begin to put her and Douglas’s business plan in motion. Even though they wanted Julia to apply for the job, she still had no leave to work in the United Kingdom and she didn’t think she could take full-time employment for the sake of the children. One of the Trustees offered her another consultancy with another charity he supported, an even smaller organisation. Julia took the job, it would last less than a month but it was something to do.

Today was her last day at work and they’d had a small going away luncheon for her that was very sweet. Julia had made friends with the women there and before she left, they officially invited her to attend their monthly “Girls Night Out” dinner. Julia felt honoured, making friends was another important step in feeling home and conquering homesickness.

It was all falling together for Julia, she was settling into her life in England.

She just had one more thing to do.

She was later arriving at Sommersgate than usual due to stopping by the grocery store on her way, getting steaks, potatoes and anything else she thought Douglas would like (though she had no idea of his favourite foods or if he even had any, but she felt safe as most men seemed to like steak and potatoes).

Julia had a simple plan, she was going to ask Mr. and Mrs. K to watch the kids for the night, she was going to make Douglas dinner, she was going to agree to marry him and then she was going to seduce him.

Or she might do the last two the other way around.

Julia came in the kitchen door carrying her bags and saw Mr. K at the table. He had taken to coming around during their break times every once in awhile to have a cuppa and a gab.

Upon entry, Julia offered him a smile, “Hey Mr. K.”

“Julia,” he said but didn’t meet her eyes and she had the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

She came forward and dropped her bags on the table and saw Mrs. K approaching with an already prepared cafetière of coffee.

One look at the determined set of Mrs. K’s face made Julia’s entire body tense before she asked, “Mrs. K, is something the matter?”

The older woman set the coffee down, stood back and crossed her arms on her ample bosom.

“We have to talk,” Mrs. K announced.

Julia’s heart leapt and the blood drained from her face, “Is it the children?”

“No, lass, it isn’t the children,” Mr. K assured her. “Sit down, luv,” he continued gently.

Watching Mrs. K’s curiously blank face the entire time, Julia sat on one of the benches.

“Is it Douglas?” she asked quietly, hoping he was all right. It could be him, he’d been shot, for goodness sake, anything could happen if he’d once been shot. He could have vicious, armed villains stalking him everywhere for all she knew.

“Not what you’re thinking, no,” Mrs. K said, sat down herself and prepared the coffee. “But it is him we want to talk to you about.”

Mr. K broke in. “You have to know that what we’re about to tell you could –”

“We could get sacked.” Mrs. K interrupted abruptly, finishing with the coffee.

“Wha…” Julia’s voice cracked and she cleared her throat, feeling her mouth go suddenly dry. Whatever they had to tell her had to be important. They both loved Sommersgate and she thought they would do nothing to put their places there in jeopardy. “What is it?”

Mrs. K didn’t hesitate but reached across the table and slid over two framed photographs that used to be in Julia’s room, the one of her family at Christmas and the one of her wrapped around Gavin when they were children. “Sorry, luv, I hope you don’t mind but I took these out of your room.”

Julia shook her head, indicating she didn’t mind. She also didn’t know what the photos had to do with anything. Scanning the photos she memorised, she tentatively took a sip of her coffee.

“For weeks and weeks, I’ve been searching and all I could come up with is this,” Mrs. K went on, then, she slid something that looked like a piece of paper across the table and when it was in front of Julia, she flipped it over.

It was a photograph, a formal portrait taken of the Ashtons with Monique and Maxwell and a young Douglas (who had to be the same age as Gavin in the other photo) and Tamsin (at the same age as Julia).

They all looked refined, well-bred and very serious.