But, the family had showed no signs that the slightest thing was amiss.
But Miss Julia looked like she could use a black shawl around her head and good scream and beating of the chest. Her grief was etched in every line of her body.
In her short, sad life, Veronika had lost her mother, father and sister. She knew grief and the look behind Miss Julia’s eyes was a look Veronika had seen in the mirror many a morning (and sometimes she still saw it in the mirror). She could try to hide it but it showed.
“Which one should I pick?” Miss Julia asked, sounding genuinely like she wanted an answer.
Veronika stared at the papers, not understanding the words written on them.
“I do not know,” she answered in her heavily-accented English.
“I don’t know either,” Miss Julia sighed and walked down the hallway. Little Ruby was laying on her back on the bed, arms and legs splayed out like she was arrested in the act of making a snow angel. Julia jumped on the bed and pulled the child’s t-shirt up and blew a raspberry so loud on her belly that the child shrieked with laughter. It made Veronika want to smile. She hadn’t heard laughter in this house in… well, she’d never heard it.
Though, of the three children, Veronika knew Ruby would one day find it the hardest. She didn’t know what she felt now, just loss and bewilderment. To her, Mummy and Daddy could come back any day.
But one day, without the precious memories the others enjoyed, Ruby would have the hardest time of all.
“So, you’re coming with us to London?” It took a moment to register that Julia was speaking to her she was so used to being ignored. Veronika stood there, carrying the towels Julia had used the night before.
“I… yes. To look after children,” Veronika answered.
“Have you ever been to London?”
Veronika shook her head.
“Then you’ll go with us on Saturday,” she decided and Veronika just stared. “We’re going to Kensington Palace to see Diana’s gowns and to Madame Tussaud’s to see all the waxworks.”
“And the Tower of London where they chopped off people’s heads!” Ruby shouted, even though both women were close enough to hear.
Julia turned and looked at Veronika, her tired, sad eyes kind.
“Would you like that, Veronika? To see Diana’s dresses?” she asked.
“And the place they chop off heads!” Ruby shouted again and Julia smiled indulgently at the child.
Veronika didn’t know what to say. She was paid to do what she did. Would she get sacked if she went sightseeing in London? Mrs. K said the American was now a member of the Ashton family and should be treated thus. If Miss Julia told her she must go then she couldn’t refuse.
She’d always wanted to go to London, she’d always wanted to go anywhere and everywhere, to travel and have adventures, see things, meet people, eat different food and hear different music. But those were dreams and even though she was only seventeen she knew that her life was this. Work and loneliness, not sightseeing in London. Any dreams Veronika had were long since dead.
“Don’t worry, Veronika, we’ll take care of you,” Miss Julia assured her in her soft, throaty voice, watching Veronika closely.
“Yes! Auntie Jewel takes care of everyone. That’s what Daddy always says.”
Both women looked at the child who was now on her knees, her hands clasped in front of her, her eyes bright with excitement at the prospect of London.
Veronika turned to the American and saw the tears shimmering in the other woman’s eyes. Knowing instinctively what to do, before little Ruby could see her aunt’s despair, Veronika rushed forward.
“Come, girl. We take a walk to see what Missus Kilpatrick is doing, maybe she makes bread. You help her.”
Ruby, always up for an adventure, shot out of the room.
Veronika quickly followed her but when she turned to close the door behind her to give the American some privacy, Julia was there, one hand on the door to stop Veronika.
“Thank you,” Julia whispered, her voice such an absolute ache Veronika felt it lodge in her own throat just hearing it.
Veronika nodded and gently closed the door.
No, Veronika didn’t know what to make of the American. But somehow, she felt maybe she could believe her luck had changed.
Chapter Five
Douglas’s Protection
The doorbell rang at Douglas’s house in the posh Kensington area of London just as Julia was walking down the stairs. She saw Veronika come out of the room where she and the kids were watching a DVD and she waved her back.
“I’ve got it,” she told the girl, Veronika nodded and walked back from where she came.
Julia opened the door and a short woman with dark hair highlighted expertly with blonde streaks charged in.
“Okay… I hope I’m not too late but I had a million things to do,” the woman announced without saying hello.
But she didn’t have to say hello.
Julia had never met Sam Thornton but she would know her voice anywhere.
Sam whirled around once she’d gained entry and stopped. Julia saw Sam was wearing a well-cut, black suit with impossibly high-heeled black pumps and still she was at least four inches shorter than Julia.
“Well, I can see I didn’t need to rush. Wow, that’s quite a dress,” Sam pronounced, her eyes giving Julia a head-to-toe.
“Sam,” Julia said and walked forward, bent down and tightly hugged the woman she’d known for months but had never met.
The last three days, as with the last five months, Sam had been her lifeline. She’d arranged for Julia to have a mobile phone, a laptop and had the technician come to Sommersgate to connect Julia’s new computer not only to the high-speed broadband that was already laid to the house but also to connect it to Douglas’s complicated, wireless network in the house. Sam acquired an e-mail address for her as well and this meant Julia was in touch with family and friends back home and for that she’d be forever grateful.
Sam had sent Julia all the forms she needed for her driving license and from the Home Office. She’d researched health insurance and sent her job openings and volunteer opportunities in Julia’s field. She’d even looked into getting Julia a bank account, which right now seemed impossible due to laws put in place to prevent terrorist activities and thus Julia had to be a resident of the country. It appeared Douglas had to open an account for her which was an aggravation Julia did not need and something she had to discuss with him on Sunday.
As the days went by, Julia was getting more and more uncomfortable with the “arrangement”, as Douglas had called it, and needing to rely so heavily on him, even when he wasn’t there. Her debts to him were mounting up and Julia was making carefully updated lists to tally these debts so she could (if she ever saw him for long enough to have a conversation with him) settle them.
Once Julia stepped back from Sam, the other woman started talking in her usual rapid fire way.
“Good to meet you too,” she said, obviously flustered at Julia’s show of affection. “I brought half a dozen frocks just in case you didn’t have anything suitable to wear tonight but it seems I didn’t need to worry.” She gestured at Julia’s outfit and then quickly on to another thought, she glanced around her. “Where are the kids?”
Without a response from Julia, Sam headed directly towards the lounge and the other woman’s command of the situation and everything around her made Julia smile.
She looked down at her dress thinking with amusement about Sam taking charge of even her wardrobe. Julia’s dress was jade green satin, with a high, mandarin neckline with intricate aquamarine frogs and scrolled cording. The hem was embroidered extravagantly in pale yellows, deep pinks, aquamarine with accents of black and gold with high slits up her thighs on either side. She wore a pair of delicate but dangerous-looking high, spike-heeled, slingback pumps. She’d twisted her hair up at the back, clipping it at the crown with a gold barrette inset with jade allowing the thick, waving blonde mass to fall over the clip.