by Janet Woods
He laughed. ‘You’re doing one of your famous chats about nothing. Where shall we keep your orphaned elephants? I don’t think my garden is big enough for any more waifs and strays.’
‘Stop teasing me, Martin Lee-Trafford. I just wanted to warn you of what you’ll be getting into. No elephants.’ She picked up the dancing lady he’d given her on the first Christmas they’d met and smiled at it. She’d found it amongst her father’s things in the attic, still intact. Martin had told her it had reminded him of her.
‘Have I established my credentials yet?’ he said quietly.
‘You seem to have all the qualities I expected you to have, and more.’ She laughed then. ‘I might as well tell you now that Latham fathered Lisette. If you look at the clipping in the paper you will see that she looks a little like him. The other child is Ben.’
Had he noticed the resemblance? She heard the rustle of paper, then he said, ‘The children are not much alike.’
‘No . . . they’re not. It’s an awful lot for you to take on, but will you marry me then, Martin? All of us, really.’
He laughed. ‘I’m supposed to ask you that.’
‘Then ask me.’
‘I love you, Julia. Will you become my wife?’
She decided not to tell him about Ben yet – she’d surprise him. ‘I most certainly will, and I’m definitely coming to Bournemouth to see you.’
‘When?’
‘I don’t know . . . I’ll have to work out some travel arrangements. I want to leave my father’s car for use at the children’s home, so I’ll have to come by train. Besides, I couldn’t have my menagerie leaping about in the car when I’m trying to drive. Perhaps Fiona might be able to take a day off and help me . . . though she’s already stretched. We didn’t expect the home to fill up so fast.’
It would be enough time to arrange for her boxes to be sent down to Bournemouth, and for the staff to be informed of her impending marriage. The flat could be handed over for the use of Fiona and Agnes now. They were the senior staff, after all, so they deserved the best accommodation, and she was sure that Fiona would be pleased to see the back of her, though they had become good friends since Latham’s death.
‘I’ll come and get you in the car,’ Martin said. ‘You can’t manage by yourself with two children, two dogs, and the luggage. Will two weeks be enough time to sort yourself out?’
‘Goodness, everything is coming in twos. It sounds as though we’re setting up a Noah’s Ark.’
Two weeks later a car drew up outside the house. The dogs wagged their tails, looked hopefully at Martin, then sniffed his ankles and followed him into the porch when he made a fuss of them. The pair began to compete for his attention.
Julia answered the door and shooed the dogs back into the garden with: ‘Off you go, you can meet him later.’
Drawing him inside she took him through to a comfortable flat attached to the main house.
‘I’ll show you around the children’s home later,’ she told him.
‘I’m impressed by what I’ve seen so far.’
‘That’s good, because I’m going to ask you to accept a seat on the board of trustees, on my behalf, and you might as well know what you’re being a trustee of. But now, meet Lisette Miller and Master Benjamin Miller, otherwise known as Lisette and Ben.’
The girl scuttled off and stood behind Julia’s legs for safety, holding tightly to her skirt at the sight of a stranger in their midst. Julia picked her up and kissed her. ‘He won’t hurt you, sweetheart, I promise. Take a seat on the couch, Martin.’
The boy trotted on sturdy legs to where Martin sat. Martin sucked in a breath as he looked at him. Nothing had prepared him for this.
‘Hello, Ben, my boy,’ he managed to get out.
‘How do-de-do,’ Ben said and held out a chubby, and rather grubby hand.
A pair of eyes as blue as his own looked into his as he shook the little hand. The boy had dark curly hair and a smile a mile wide. He’d inherited that from his mother, plus her dimple.
‘Surprise!’ Julia said softly, when he gazed at her with a grin on his face and an enquiry in his eyes.
He shook his head. ‘I’ll be damned . . . didn’t Latham suspect?’
‘No . . . He was convinced Ben was his. For a while I felt guilty about Ben, but Latham was constantly unfaithful, you know, and he treated me so badly. I was the perfect daughter to my father, and that was because I reminded him of my mother, and I loved him and wanted to please him.’
‘Your father loved you, dearly.’
‘I know. But Latham expected me to be the perfect wife, you see. I couldn’t be because I didn’t love him. Most of the time I didn’t like him . . . sometimes I despised him. God knows, I did try. I was a paper doll to both of them, an ideal. You’re the only person I know who ever allowed me to be myself. You treated me as an individual and thought my opinion mattered.’
‘You’ll never be a paper doll to me. I should have taken you away earlier.’
‘You had your own problems to deal with, my love. Just before Latham’s death I told him Ben was the result of an affair and that I was going to leave him. He didn’t believe it, and was coming home to try and save our marriage when he died. Irene told me that he’d finished with her that morning. And he didn’t want the responsibility of Lisette, though he was supporting her.’
‘You went through all that by yourself. Poor Julia.’
‘The staff supported me wonderfully, and I didn’t have time to grieve, not with Irene to look after, as well. She needed me, and was very demanding, and the children needed me . . . and turning this house into a memorial for Latham was the best way I could think of to get rid of his money and build a memorial as well.’
‘It was a wonderful way. I’m proud of you.’
‘It’s unhealthy to have as much money as he had accumulated. I felt like cashing it all in and making a grand bonfire out of it on Guy Fawkes Night. I won’t pretend I know how, but the money just keeps growing in the bank vaults like mushrooms. No matter how fast I spend it, it just keeps multiplying. I don’t understand a damn thing about money, even though I pretend that I do.’
Martin laughed.
‘Then I remembered there were lots of children like Lisette, who needed a home and good food while their mothers recover from illness, and for those who lose their mothers we try and find homes for them.’
‘Dearest Julia. I can’t tell you how much I adore you.’
She beamed a smile at him. ‘I’m so glad, because I’m sure we’ll be perfect for one another.’
Ben scrambled on to the sofa next to Martin and subjected him to an intense and thorough examination. He patted Martin’s head, touched his cheek, and grinned when Martin wiggled the end of his nose. It had been a while since there had been a man in Ben’s life. He must have liked what he saw because his arms slid round Martin’s neck and he squeezed him tight. He turned and smiled at her, saying firmly, ‘Dada.’
Not to be outdone, Lisette demanded to be put down. Standing in front of Martin she banged her palm on his knee for attention.
‘Hello, my lovely.’
Lisette giggled, then coming over shy, returned to the safety of Julia’s lap.
‘Well, they seem to approve of you, so that’s one hurdle over with.’
The children lost interest in the adults and headed for the toy box.
Martin stood and held out his arms to her and she rose from her chair and slid into them. He smelled so familiar, and she felt she belonged there in his arms. His mouth touched against hers in the longest of kisses.
He gazed down at her afterwards, through eyes full of love. ‘I’ve imagined this so often.’
‘So have I,’ and she laughed. ‘Kiss me again, then I must finish packing. We’ll leave after lunch, or in the morning, whichever suits you.’
‘Today would suit me better. I have a busy practice to run.’
They set off, Julia occupying the back seat with the two children
and the terrier. All three of her companions fell asleep within half an hour, while the Labrador kept Martin company in the front seat, and panted against his thigh and offered him affectionate sighs and the occasional lick. Martin wished it were Julia.
Julia was wishing the same thing. Leaning forward she planted a kiss at the corner of his mouth then softly whispered against his ear, ‘I love you, Martin.’
Outside, the sunlight shone through the showers, the air was filled with a silvery light and a rainbow arced across the sky.
