Sommersgate House (Ghosts and Reincarnation #2)(45)

Although her words were true, how she really felt was floored. Mostly because he was so nonchalant about it, being responsible for another person’s misfortune. But also the depth of feeling such an act showed that he had for his sister, she didn’t know Douglas had that depth of feeling in him for anyone.

“Julia.” His tone held a gentle warning that said he didn’t believe her.

She closed her eyes and licked her lips, pressing them together. Then, for reasons unknown to her, she whispered her darkest secret, “He wasn’t worth it but he deserved it.”

Douglas’s only response was to tighten his hands on her jaw and she felt somehow that response, however slight, was significant.

“And have you recovered from his behaviour?” His soft words caused her eyes to flutter open.

She stared at him, wondering what this was all about and tiring of true confessions.

Enough, she thought, really was enough.

“Why do you want to know this?” she asked, her voice sounding slightly curt.

“Just answer me.”

“No. Okay? No,” she snapped, tore her head away from his hands and leaned away from him, arching her back against the desk to do so. “I haven’t recovered. You don’t recover from something like that. I learned my lesson. I’m better off without him, without anyone,” she admitted with rancour.

“I see. This is why you didn’t remarry.”

“Yes,” Julia replied, exposing bitterness deep in that one word. “This”, how he put it, was why she didn’t do anything since Sean, no boyfriends, no lovers, no nothing. Sean had worked hard to teach her a lesson about men and added to that was her father’s betrayal of her mother. Between the two of them, she learned that lesson well. There were very few Gavin Fairfaxes in the world, indeed, only one and he’d been her brother and now he was gone.

Again, they were in territory that was none of his business and it was decidedly ticking… her… off.

“If you must know, and apparently you do, yes,” she informed him. “I won’t remarry and if by some miracle I do, it will be to a pudgy, short, bald man who worships the ground I walk on and doesn’t mind cleaning the bathroom.”

With that statement, Douglas threw back his head and roared with laughter as if this situation was of such comedic proportions as to delight all mankind.

This shocked her so much, Julia jumped.

Firstly, it was not an amusing moment and secondly, she’d never heard him laugh.

Perhaps a chuckle here and there but out and out laughter?

Never.

When he was finished he leaned into her and she was forced to arch further away. She couldn’t escape him, however, because, to her disbelief, his arms slid around her and he pulled her into his body.

“Douglas,” her voice was low, her pulse leaping madly, “what are you doing?”

“I’m going to kiss you,” he replied evenly as if this was the most natural thing in the world. As if he hadn’t just gone from accusing her of whatever it was he was accusing her of to demanding she bare her most personal, painful and illicit secrets.

His breath smelled pleasantly of whisky and his hard body warmed her and that was a heady combination.

“Oh no you aren’t.” She shook her head, tried to twist her body away and pushed against his chest all at the same time. These actions had no result except his arms tightened.

“Yes,” he whispered, his head was descending, “I am.”

With superhuman effort, she pulled free and slid to the side, retreating by walking backwards towards the door.

“Listen,” she pleaded, “I don’t know what game you’re playing but I don’t want to play it with you. I’ve got enough to worry about without you doing… whatever it is you’re doing. So can you just stop it and let me be?”

“No,” was his answer and he followed her, advancing as she retreated.

“Why?” Julia cried, her voice rising. “Why on earth are you doing this?” Then she stopped and squared up against him, aggravated beyond caring. “It’s unnecessary. I’m not a gold-digging, crazy woman, okay? I’m just going to raise those kids, get a job, live my life and when Ruby moves on, I’m going to go away. That’s it. Period. The end. I don’t have my eyes on your fortune. I’m just here to grant my brother’s dying wish and I don’t need you making it more difficult for me than it already is.”

He’d stopped too but he didn’t say a word.

“Okay?” she prompted on a near shout.

“No,” he said again.

“Why?” she threw her hands up in agitation. “What are you getting out of this?”

She asked and she really wanted to know. He started walking towards her again and Julia started retreating again, step for step. What he didn’t do was answer.

“Okay, play your games.” She gave in but she did it with her heart beating faster. “See if I care, I’m going to bed,” she announced to finish and turned to walk away.

“Excellent idea,” he returned immediately, his insinuation as shocking as it was clear.

“Alone!” she spat over her shoulder.

“Julia, we need to talk.”

“Not now we don’t and I’m not sure we ever do!” She whirled around and faced him. “I’m fed up with you lot. You leave me with your mother who has all the warmth of a Siberian winter. You don’t call. You don’t give a good goddamn about those children. You show up accusing me of… whatever,” she threw one arm out, dramatically, “you kiss me for no reason, stalk me around your study. Fine, okay, I get it. I’m some kind of game to you. Apparently your life is so boring you’ve run out of challenges so you have to play with humans in order to find amusement. Go for it. See if I care. You obviously don’t know how stubborn I am so have at it. You won’t win.”