She unlatched the door and using all her might, pulled it open. Ruby shot out like lightning, ran across the distance and threw herself at the tall woman standing on the gravel drive next to a shining burgundy Bentley.
“My gorgeous baby!” Julia Fairfax cried. Wrapping her arms around the child, she lifted her up and swung her around in a full circle.
Mrs. Kilpatrick took in the scene. Carter had moved to the boot of the Bentley and was watching it too. It was hard not to smile with relief and Mrs. K felt the easing sigh tremble through the very air around Sommersgate.
* * * * *
Mrs. Margaret Kilpatrick had known Julia Elizabeth Fairfax for fifteen years. She’d watched her grow from a young, naive, headstrong girl of twenty-one to a beautiful, sophisticated, even more headstrong woman (so headstrong as to be described as stubborn).
Julia stood in the drive by the gleaming Bentley, which sat next to a glamorous circular fountain. She was swinging her niece, smiling and laughing, looking like she’d been born to stand in the drive of a palatial estate, even though she most definitely had not.
She was very tall, slim but rounded in all the right places. Julia wore an elegant suit of chocolate brown with a fitted pencil skirt and a feminine jacket nipped in at the waist. Her blonde hair was swept up in a chic twist. She was wearing a pair of leopard print, spike heeled pumps and a tawny pashmina dripped casually from her elbows. She didn’t look like she’d spent the last fourteen hours travelling through crowded airports, stuffy airplanes and close cars. She looked fresh and rested, as if she was just headed out to lunch.
“I’m not a baby,” Ruby exclaimed through her giggling struggles.
“You’re my baby, always were, always will be,” Julia stated and kissed the child loudly on her cheek.
Julia bent to let Ruby down and noticed Mrs. Kilpatrick.
Walking forward hand extended, she murmured, “Mrs. K.”
The muscles worked in Mrs. Kilpatrick’s throat as she tried not to cry and she steeled herself for what was to come. Julia Fairfax, and her mother Patricia, were American and didn’t stand on ceremony and had no sense of, or more likely didn’t care much for, the firmly hierarchical way things were at Sommersgate. The lady of the house, Baroness Monique Ashton, hated it when her daughter’s American in-laws would come to visit. They were far too familiar with the servants, amongst other things, many other things.#p#分页标题#e#
Julia put her hand on Mrs. Kilpatrick’s arm, squeezed gently and kissed the older woman’s cheek with familiarity and kindness.
“How’s it going, Mrs. K?” she asked, trying to read Mrs. Kilpatrick’s face. At that distance, Mrs. Kilpatrick saw that Julia was not nearly as fresh and relaxed as she’d looked from afar. Her skin was pale and drawn and her green eyes, normally alight with mischief, good humour, or stubborn resolve, looked immensely tired, as if she’d not only been travelling for fourteen hours but as if she hadn’t slept in weeks.
“I’m well, Miss Julia, how was your flight?”
Mrs. K referred to both Julia and Patricia in a less formal way at each woman’s demand. Lady Ashton would never allow Mrs. K any kind of familiarity which would include using their Christian name. Mrs. K firmly refused to call them Jewel and Patty, as she’d been asked to do many a time. In return, Julia and Patricia had firmly refused to answer to Miss Fairfax or Mrs. Fairfax. In the end, they had an unspoken compromise and “Miss Julia” and “Miss Patricia” were born.
Mrs. K disengaged her arm with her own friendly but fleeting squeeze of Julia’s hand and walked the woman into the house as Ruby danced ahead of them. Julia hesitated and looked back at the Bentley. Neither Julia nor Patricia had ever been comfortable with being waited upon, having their bags carried for them, unpacked for them, their laundry done or doors opened for them.
“Don’t worry, Carter will see to your bags,” Mrs. K assured her. “Your flight?”
Julia smiled wearily, giving in gracefully to the gentle reminder of how things were at Sommersgate.
Even though Mrs. Kilpatrick had pulled away from Julia’s grasp, the younger woman linked her arm through Mrs. K’s elbow and walked forward. “I’m glad it’s over, I hate flying.” She looked around her and trembled dramatically. “How’s this dusty old pile of rocks keeping? I see it hasn’t fallen down around your heads… unfortunately.”
Mrs. Kilpatrick shuddered a bit at Sommersgate being talked of like that. On a day as tense as today, a body needed to be careful.
Julia had been a guest on dozens of occasions, dating from before Julia’s brother Gavin had married young Lady Tamsin Ashton and through to last Christmas. Julia had brought her (rather despicable, Mrs. K always thought) husband there before they were married and came back after they were divorced. Mrs. K believed fully in the sanctity of marriage but she’d said a little prayer on the day she found out Julia had become legally untied to that horrible man.