‘I may as well clean Mr Hugh’s room while I’m here,’ she commented as she came back. ‘I hate to disturb him while he’s at work so I’ll grab the chance while he’s away.’
Julia almost dropped the glass bowl she was drying and stared, heart pounding, at the plump expanse of olive-green wool that stretched across the housekeeper’s back as she rummaged in the cleaning cupboard.
‘Away? Away where?’ she managed faintly.
‘Auckland, so Mrs Marlow says,’ said Jean, turning around. ‘Business.’ She sniffed. ‘I thought he was down here to avoid business.’
‘So did I,’ said Julia numbly. ‘For how long, do you know?’
‘Three or four days, I think.’ She bustled out of the room happily, unaware of Julia’s misery.
Gone! And without even saying goodbye. The joy drained out of the day. Julia couldn’t imagine that Hugh had been driven away by what had happened last night, or rather, by what hadn’t happened. So it must just be an awful coincidence—an urgent call from his office perhaps. Or his publisher. There were dozens of possibilities, none of them likely to be you, Julia told herself sternly. The day-to-day business of the world didn’t stop just because Julia Fry had fallen in love!
But when would she see him again? And what would she say? What would he say? Would things be the same between them, or different? Please, please don’t let us be back at square one, Julia agonised. Three or four days! The suspense was going to kill her. She could only hope that a few days away might result in Hugh’s discovery that he missed her. She clung to the thought.
Whichever way her doubts carried her, she certainly didn’t expect what actually happened. Hugh arrived on Tuesday evening, an hour or so before dinner. Gathered in the lounge for drinks, the family heard the throaty purr of the Maserati in the driveway and looked expectantly at the door as footsteps sounded in the hallway. Julia put down her glass with a hand that trembled.
It wasn’t Hugh, though, who came through the lounge door first. It was the elegantly groomed figure of Ann Farrow. Julia’s throat slammed closed and she struggled for breath.
‘My dear!’ Connie recovered herself first and rose regally from the couch, throwing an enquiring look at her son as he towered in the doorway. ‘How nice to see you again so soon.’
‘Ann’s staying for a few days, Connie,’ Hugh said meeting her eyes blandly. ‘I knew you wouldn’t mind my inviting her.’
‘Why, no, of course not,’ said Connie gamely, clinging determinedly to her self-possession. She looked helplessly at her husband, who raised an eyebrow, and back to Ann. ‘You can have the room next to us—Ros can move in with Olivia, can’t you, darling? Come and have a drink you two, it must be freezing outside. Sit down, Ann.’
‘Thank you.’ Ann’s voice was a cultured drawl and she moved with the self-confidence of beauty. She’s got hard eyes, though, thought Julia critically, as she watched Hugh guide his guest to the couch with a hand under her elbow. She felt outraged when he followed her down and the two of them sat, thighs touching, presenting a smugly combined front to the rest of the room.
‘Fortunately I don’t have any classes this week,’ Ann continued, sending Julia’s spirits into a further nosedive. ‘It’s nice to get away from the intensity of the campus now and then. When Hugh asked me to come down with him for a few days, naturally I couldn’t resist.’
Naturally. Julia stared at her with dislike. She had never been jealous of anyone or anything before in her life, yet now the emotion seethed hotly inside her. She sat and slowly steamed as everyone gradually recovered their manners and filled the room with conversation, unable to utter a word. The way she felt, if she opened her mouth she would shriek like a fishwife. It was obvious to the meanest intelligence what Hugh was doing. He was making a definite statement. He had said that Julia wasn’t a subtle person, but what Hugh was doing wasn’t just unsubtle, it was downright cruel.
He only met her gaze once, and Julia’s eyes shot cobalt sparks that were politely ignored. He even smiled slightly; the bastard! If anything it was that superficial smile that convinced Julia that she was right. He was brandishing Ann like a shield. Ann was of his world; Ann was a sensible, sophisticated woman, she wouldn’t embarrass a man with protestations of love. Hugh didn’t like scenes, but Julia was going to give him one. He needn’t think he could scare her off by flaunting another woman in her face. Julia didn’t scare easily.
When he excused himself to take his luggage upstairs, Julia seized her chance, and muttered something about dinner. She caught him as he turned the first landing.
‘Hugh!’
He half-turned, foot on the first of the next flight of stairs. ‘Julia?’
She sought for an opening gambit. ‘Do you want me to come up after dinner? You must be behind with your schedule again by now.’ She hadn’t meant it to sound quite so accusing.
‘That won’t be necessary. Ann is going to do some proof-reading for me.’
‘Oh, so she came down here to work,’ said Julia sarcastically. ‘Why couldn’t I proof-read?’
‘Do you have a degree in English?’
‘I though she was a computer specialist.’
‘She also has an English degree.’
‘I suppose she can type too,’ Julia muttered sullenly.
‘No. But I can.’ He held up his hand and wiggled the healed fingers in proof. ‘So I think that we can now dispense with your valuable services.’ He took another step and Julia exploded against the door he was trying to shut in her face.
‘Now wait a minute, buster.’ She dashed up the stairs in front of him and whirled around to bar his way with her small figure. Their faces were on a level for once and it gave Julia a feeling of confidence. Hugh looked as calm as ever, but Julia sensed that he was braced against attack, the grey eyes wary. ‘I demand to know what is going on here!’
The corners of his mouth turned down. ‘I’m taking my case up to my room. Any objection?’