Julia

by Ashley Merrick

  “I can’t believe you’re here!” Emma said as she pulled her in for a hug.

  “It’s so good to see you. Thank you for meeting me, and for inviting me.” Julia breathed a sigh of relief that she’d made it and that Emma was there.

  “Of course! I was so excited when your letter came. We’re going to have such a good time. There’s so much to catch up on. Oh, say hello to my daughter, Emily.”

  Julia glanced down at the small girl she’d heard so much about from Emma’s letters. When Emma married Ethan, he was a widower with a four-year-old daughter. Now, Emily was nearly five and Emma was very pregnant.

  “Hello, Emily. It’s very nice to meet you.” Emily smiled shyly back at her.

  “Let’s get your bags into the buggy and then we can head home.”

  They started walking toward the unloading area where the porter was taking luggage off the train.

  “I’ll get my bags. You shouldn’t be lifting anything. How are you feeling?” Julia asked.

  “I’m good, just feeling very big and ready for someone to make their appearance. Should be coming in about a month, the doctor says. And I’m so glad you’ll be here to help.”

  “I’m glad also, and so excited. I’m sure Ethan is thrilled, too.”

  Emma’s face darkened. “He is and he isn’t.” She lowered her voice to a whisper so Emily wouldn’t hear and added, “He’s scared to death, I can tell, because of what happened to Susan.” Julia nodded. That made sense. Ethan’s former wife had died during childbirth. Neither baby nor mother had survived.

  “You’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it,” Julia promised, and vowed to do exactly that. Though she had never seen a baby born before, she knew she could help just by being there and paying close attention.

  Julia found her two bags and, with the help of the porter, loaded them into Emma’s buggy. They helped Emily into the back seat and then Julia and Emma climbed in. Emma drove back to their farm, pointing out different places along the way. One of the first places she mentioned was Donovan’s Pub.

  “That’s Liam’s place. He really wanted to come over and welcome you, but I insisted that he wait. I knew you’d want a hot bath first and selfishly, I wanted you all to myself for a bit. You’ll meet everyone tonight.”

  Several hours later, after a long, hot bath and a short nap, Julia felt both rested and revived. She’d met Ethan when he came home after work and then went off to wash up. She was impressed with Ethan. He was exactly as Emma had described him—tall and solidly handsome, with warm eyes and a friendly manner. And he was clearly head-over-heels for Emma and very protective of her.

  “I have to admit, I’m glad you’re here. Maybe you can convince Emma to slow down a bit. She does too much and should rest more,” he’d said.

  Julia assured him that she would keep a close eye on her friend and help out as much as possible so she could relax. While Ethan was getting cleaned up and ready to go, Emma and Julia sat in the kitchen and, over soothing cups of tea, they caught up on each other’s lives. Julia filled her in on the details of her struggles to find a new job. Emma nodded in sympathy.

  “It would be just as hard to find a cook’s assistant role or a nanny. There’re dozens of girls desperate for any open position. That’s why this seemed like the best option, and it’s turned out better than I ever could have imagined.”

  “You didn’t expect to fall in love,” Julia stated.

  “No, not at all. I just wanted a way out.”

  “Do you think that could happen for me, too?” Julia wondered out loud.

  “I don’t see why not. You’ve met Ethan. All his brothers are good men and easy on the eyes. Liam is especially keen to meet you. He’s a bit of a flirt, though. Probably the most handsome of all the brothers, and the most social. He can be very charming. I adore him, and even if it doesn’t turn out to be a love connection for you, you can count on Liam to be a good friend.”

  “I could use a good friend.” Julia liked what she’d heard about Liam, but was a little concerned about Emma’s description of him as a charmer. She thought of Colleen and what she’d just gone through with Frank. But still, Liam was excited to meet her. That was a huge point in his favor.

  ###

  When Ethan pulled their buggy into his parent’s’ driveway, Julia felt intimidated by the large number of buggies’ already lined up outside and the houseful of strangers that awaited her.

  “Don’t be nervous,” Emma said as they walked toward the front door. “There’s a lot of them, but they’re a friendly bunch.”

  Julia followed Emma inside and then tried to keep up as she was introduced to Ethan’s family. His mother was exactly as Emma had described her, warm and welcoming, and his father a bit gruff but with a twinkle in his eye. His sister, Elizabeth, was a pretty girl, and the youngest at just sixteen. His brother Joshua was married to Hannah and Julia knew that she had become a good friend to Emma. The brothers were mostly all tall and varying shades of blond. It was obvious that they were brothers but they all had their own unique look. Julia found them all pleasant enough, though a bit reserved and maybe even a bit intimidated by her, which she found somewhat amusing.

  “They’re not used to being around single women, especially pretty ones,” Emma whispered.

  Julia realized that one of the brothers was missing. “Is Liam here?”

  Emma scowled. “He should be. I thought he’d be the first to greet us, actually.” As they glanced around the room, the door swung open and a swirl of energy entered the room. Liam had arrived.

  “I’m sorry I’m late,” he announced to the group. “Billy had a situation on his farm and I had to wait for him before I could leave.” His eyes swept the room, searching until they found Emma and then Julia. His eyes locked on hers and then he smiled—a slow, lazy smile that made Julia feel a bit unsteady. He strolled towards them and pulled Emma in for a hug, then held out his hand to Julia.

  “You must be Julia, Emma’s very beautiful friend. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

  Julia shook his hand and almost jumped at the heat generated by his touch.

  She felt herself blushing. She wasn’t used to this kind of attention and had never felt so strong an attraction before. It was quite confusing.

  “Emma’s told me a bit about you, too.” She replied. “I understand that you recently opened your own pub. That must be exciting.”

  Liam’s eyes lit up. “Opening the pub was a dream I’d had for years. Thanks to the help of my brothers, I was able to make it happen. And Emma keeps me supplied with cookies.” He flashed a grin Emma’s way and she smiled in return.

  “She told me about the cookies. That’s a brilliant idea, giving them out to customers.”

  “That was Emma’s idea, too. She gave me a big basket of them for my opening day with instructions to share generously with the customers. They were a huge hit, so we decided to keep it going.”

  “Okay, everyone gather around. Food’s ready, help yourselves.” Ethan’s mother herded them all to the dining room, where platters of chicken, roasted potatoes, peas and cornbread were on a large side table. They lined up, filled their plates and then settled at the long dining room table, which was expanded to double it’s normal size whenever the whole family ate together.

  Julia found herself surrounded by the women at the end of the table. Mrs. Donovan was on one side, Elizabeth on the other and Emma, Emily and Hannah directly across the table. Liam was at the opposite end of the table, animatedly telling a story to several of his brothers, pausing every few minutes to laugh delightedly. Julia wished she was close enough to hear what he was saying. She forced her attention back to the conversation around her.

  “So, Julia, tell us about Boston and life in the city,” Mrs. Donovan asked.

  “Did you wear fancy dresses and go to balls?” Elizabeth added.

  Julia laughed at that. “This dress I’m wearing is about as fancy as it gets. I’ve never been to a ball and none of my frie
nds have, either. We all grew up in an orphanage and had to leave as soon as we turned eighteen to find work. Most of my friends work as nannies, maids or in the kitchens of rich families. A position opened up in an accounting office and I was always good at math, so it worked out. Until the owner retired and sold the company.”

  “Did you live on a farm there, too?” Elizabeth asked.

  “On a farm? No. I lived in a townhouse in the middle of the city. A boardinghouse, actually, for young women. We buy all of our food at the markets.”

  Mrs. Donovan raised an eyebrow. “Have you ever visited a farm, dear?”

  “Yes, today. Emma’s is the first one I’ve personally visited.”

  “So, you don’t know how to milk a cow? Or make butter?” Elizabeth looked surprised.

  “No, and I’m not a very good cook, either,” she admitted.

  “You don’t know how to cook?” Mrs. Donovan looked shocked.

  “I’ve never really learned. I do know how to bake, though.”

  “I can teach you. It’s not hard,” Emma assured her.

  “It’s going to be very different for you here,” Mrs. Donovan said. Julia could tell she was worried for her.

  “I’m a quick learner. I’m hoping to take over some of Emma’s chores so she can rest before the baby comes.”

  “That would be a wonderful thing,” Mrs. Donovan said as she got up and started to clear some of the empty plates. Julia jumped up to help and Elizabeth joined her. Soon after, the desserts were brought out and coffee was poured. Some of the brothers left right after dessert but Liam stayed, and once his mother got up to start tidying up in the kitchen, he made his way over to Julia and settled into the seat next to hers. They had the end of the table to themselves at this point as Emma, Emily and Elizabeth had disappeared as soon as he’d sat down. Julia knew Emma was giving them some time alone to get to know each other.

  “They’re subtle, aren’t they?” Liam chuckled as the women scurried away.

  Julia said nothing to that, just took another sip of coffee and tried not to laugh.

  “It’s okay, though. I’m glad they left. I’ve been dying to talk to you all night.”

  “Have you, now?” Julia chuckled.

  “You don’t believe me?” Liam pouted. “I couldn’t be more sincere.” He smiled then and his eyes twinkled. “So, tell me all about yourself. I want to know everything.”

  “There’s really not much to tell. I’m sure Emma has told you everything.”

  “But it’s not the same. I want to hear it from you. What do want from life, Julia?” Suddenly he was serious and she grew quiet.

  “I want to be happy and secure. To be around my friends and to be useful.” She’d been feeling decidedly un-useful since losing her job. It was an awful feeling to be rejected over and over again. To feel not good enough.

  “Emma told me about your job. I’m sorry, that must have been rough.” The genuine sympathy she saw reflected in his eyes affected her even more than his flirty smiles.

  “Thank you. I do miss working,” she admitted.

  “Well, there will be shortage of work for you to do around here. Cows to be milked, food prepared, all kinds of things.”

  “I’m going to have to learn how to do those things. Emma’s going to teach me how to cook, and maybe Ethan can show me how to milk a cow. I don’t think it’s a good idea for Emma to do it.”

  “I can do it! I’m an expert milker. I can come by tomorrow morning on my way into work and give you a private lesson.” He grinned wickedly and Julia felt it again. She wasn’t sure what it was, exactly, but the feeling was entirely new and she was both excited and scared at the same time.

  “That would be really nice of you.”

  “It will be my pleasure. It’s a date, then.”

  Emma and Emily walked over then and said that Ethan was ready to head home.

  “I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.” Liam took her hand again and held it a just a moment too long. “Sweet dreams, beautiful Julia.”

  ###

  Liam watched Julia leave and then walked over to where his brothers Paul and David were sitting on two kitchen stools, chatting with their mother while she finished putting dishes away. He was very much intrigued by Julia. She was even lovelier up close and he wanted to get to know her much better.

  “So, what did you think?” Paul asked as he pulled up a seat next to them.

  “About what?” He pretended not to know what he was talking about.

  “Julia, of course. She’s a fine girl. We’d both like to get to know her better.”

  Liam chuckled and then said, in all seriousness, “Don’t, bother. She’s mine.”

  ###

  At nine o’clock the next morning, there was a soft knock at the door and it was Liam.

  “Are you ready for your lesson?” He was smiling and seemed happy to see her.

  “Go ahead. I’ll be waiting for a full report when you come back,” Emma said as Julia pulled her coat and hat on and then followed Liam outside.

  He led her to the stables where several cows waited patiently.

  “It’s an easy enough thing to do, but there are a few tricks that can make it go more smoothly.” Julie watched closely as Liam positioned a clean bucket under the fullest teat and then showed her how to hold it in the best way and how to control the flow of milk as it came rushing out. He then stepped aside and let her try. Her first attempt was an awkward mess and she even managed to spray milk across Liam’s face. He was a good sport, though, and just laughed it off. A few minutes later, she got the hang of it and before she knew it, the pail was full of milk. They made their way to the other cows and Julia milked them, too, and then they both carried full pails back to the house.

  “See, it’s a snap. You picked it up easy enough. Although you did have a truly excellent teacher.” His eyes twinkled and she laughed.

  “You are quite the charmer.”

  “That’s me, full of charm.” Liam held the door open and Julia went in first, setting her pail of milk down in the kitchen. Emma pulled a tray of cookies out of the oven and then turned her attention to them.

  “You’re back already—and with so much milk. How did she do?” she asked Liam.

  “She’s a natural.”

  “Those smell amazing.” Julia breathed in the intoxicating scent of vanilla, butter and sugar.

  “Have one.” Emma pushed the plate of warm cookies toward her.

  “I really shouldn’t,” Julia protested.

  “You really should,” Liam insisted as he reached for one.

  “Okay. Though they’re for your pub, aren’t they?”

  “They’re for my customers, and since you and Emma and Emily are coming in for lunch today, you’re a customer.”

  “We are?” Julia glanced at Emma, who nodded.

  “Yes, I thought that might be fun. I’ll bring the cookies along when they’re all done, so we’ll be there right when you open at eleven thirty.”

  “Great, I will see you lovely ladies then.” Liam left then, and Julia sat and watched Emma scoop cookie dough onto the baking pan.

  “That was nice of Liam to stop by on his way to work,” Julia said.

  “He’s set his sights on you. Could you see yourself married to him?” Emma looked up from scooping to see her response.

  “I don’t know, maybe. He’s a little overwhelming, but in a good way.”

  Emma chuckled. “Yes, that’s Liam. He is a ball of energy and always the life of the party, but he’s ready to settle down, I think. It would be good for him to be married. Good for you, too.”

  “I do want to get married. I just don’t want to rush into anything,” Julia said.

  “No, you don’t have to rush at all. Ethan likes having you here for me. Why don’t you take the next few weeks to spend some time together? Get to know his other brothers, too. Paul and David seemed interested, too.”

  “They seemed very nice,” Julia agreed. “But Liam is the o
nly one that I felt really drawn to.”

  “Really?” Emma seemed pleased to hear it. “Well, I have to admit, they’re all great guys, but Liam might be my favorite.” She was quiet for a moment then, and Julia wondered what she was thinking.

  “You know, maybe it would be a good idea if you two got married sooner, instead of waiting?”

  “What’s the hurry? I thought you wanted me here for the delivery? Besides, he hasn’t even asked me, and who knows if he will?”

  “Oh, he will. I’m sure of it. I was just thinking that part of what made it work for Ethan and me was that we slowly got to know each other while we were married. Because we married soon after we met, we were both more determined to make it work. It was nice getting to known him that way and falling in love.”

  “If he asks me, I think he’d be okay with waiting until after the baby comes. I think Ethan would be more comfortable with that, too.”

  “Yes. You’re right, of course, and I want you here, too. I’m just excited for you to get married.”

  “I hope it works out, too. I really don’t want to go back to Boston.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The drive into town took about an hour, and they arrived a few minutes before the pub opened. Liam unlocked the front door and proudly showed them in. Julia was impressed immediately. She didn’t have much to compare it with as she’d only been out to restaurants a few times in her life, but she liked the feeling of Donovan’s Pub. It was roomy and inviting, with a roaring, wood-burning stove in the corner and honey-colored wood floors. Liam showed them to a cozy corner table near the fire and handed them all menus. Emma passed him the basket of cookies and he took them into the kitchen, returning a few moments later with glasses of water.

  “Our soup and sandwich special is grilled cheese with a cup of creamy tomato soup. It’s the best tomato soup you ever will have. I just had a cup.”

  Julia was amused by his passion. He was quite the salesman. “Do you do the cooking, too?”