by Fiona Miers
Wondering what could have been was not something Julia wished to experience. She also did not wish to lose the only man she’d ever loved due to fear. She had to be brave and decide what she wanted.
She wanted Robert.
“Do not allow yourself to take love for granted, my dear Julia. It can be taken away in an instant. Living with the regret of not taking a chance is certainly not worth it. That is no life to live. Be brave, as I know you are. Embrace the feelings inside your heart and seek the courage inside to listen to it,” Arabella said.
Julia’s heart bled for Arabella. For her pain and suffering, her regrets and the sadness of her past. She had not expected her great-aunt’s words, but it made everything perfectly clear. Arabella had lost the love of her life, the only man she had ever loved.
There was nothing more painful than that. She now understood why her daughter’s death had been so painful to her, as Arabella’s daughter had been the only thing she had left of Raymond. The only physical reminder of his existence. Julia could not imagine what that felt like, nor did she ever wish to find out.
Julia lowered her gaze for a moment. “I will, Great-aunt.”
“Be brave, Julia,” the vicar said. “You must make a decision.”
“There has certainly been a series of events that culminated into this moment we are in. And while some might find it rather overwhelming, perhaps it was necessary,” Arabella said, and looked at Julia. “Sometimes, things happen in our lives that we cannot control, however we can control how we react to the situation. We must, at times, think of our own happiness, as that is what matters most. And of course, do so with kindness and grace.”
“Indeed,” the vicar and his wife said in agreement.
“What is it that you want, my dearest Julia?”
“Although I have not known him for very long, I do enjoy Robert’s company. He makes me feel at ease and I feel safe in his presence. He is a kind and caring man. When I am in his company, I feel accepted, and not judged for my past, or my family. I can, indeed, see a future with him. If he sees a future with me, of course,” Julia said.
“That is lovely,” Mrs. Jeffery said with a smile.
“And you are certain Robert is who you want?” the vicar asked.
“As sure as there are stars in the sky, Vicar Jeffery,” Julia said. “Robert is the one I want.”
She didn’t need to say it, though it was on the tip of her tongue, that Freddy was the last man on the planet that she would marry.
“I have known the family for many years, and the Melton brothers their entire lives. They are all polite and well-mannered men. They are a good family, and I have no objection to Julia’s interest in Robert. He is a fine man and would make a wonderful husband to her.”
“I spoke nothing of marriage, Great-aunt,” Julia said and frowned at her aunt’s assumption.
“I am aware. I am merely stating my opinion, if it would ever come to such a point,” Arabella said and winked at Julia.
“Thank you.” Julia embraced Arabella with a contented smile and the old woman patted her on the shoulder lovingly.
“You are most welcome, child.”
“Is this matter settled?” the vicar asked.
Arabella rose to her feet and nodded stiffly. “Indeed. You may allow Robert into the sitting room to speak with Julia. And while we give them their privacy, I suggest we speak to my grandson. His behaviour and threats toward Julia and me have reached a climax and will no longer be tolerated.”
“Very well. We shall have a word with him, together,” the vicar said.
The vicar and his wife rose to their feet as well, and much to Julia’s surprise, Mrs. Jeffery approached her.
“Julia, may I be so bold as to say that I admire your courage,” she said.
“Thank you, Mrs. Jeffery, although it did not always feel as if I had much at the time.”
Mrs. Jeffery took her hands and squeezed them lightly. “Do not ever doubt the courage you possess, young lady. It is a fire inside you that cannot be extinguished, which frightens and deters the unworthy.”
Julia nodded quietly and Mrs. Jeffery released her hands before exiting the sitting room.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Robert glanced at Freddy, who sat with a clenched jaw, lightly touching his lower lip. The insolent cad leaned against a stone pillar, his brown curls falling over his face. He cringed at the tear in his lip where Freddy had punched him.
Admittedly, their fight had gotten out of control, and even though Freddy deserved every single blow delivered, Robert was ashamed of his own behaviour.
He was not a brutal person and had always believed that violence did not solve anything. His altercation with Freddy in the foyer had been something else entirely.
The years of anger Robert had kept inside him, the feelings of disdain for all those who had wronged him, his clients and society, had risen to the surface when Freddy began to taunt him about Julia. Robert had not expected that it would enrage him as much as it had.
Perhaps it was due to his irrevocable feelings for Julia, or perhaps the fact that Freddy represented everything Robert despised. He was the very definition of what was wrong in the world, and he’d grown tired of merely standing idly by and doing nothing.
Which, of course, in retrospect, was not the correct way to go about it.
Robert glanced down at his aching knuckles, the skin bruised and tender, and he wondered what Julia would think of him if she were to see him. She had come to know him as a calm and reserved man, although his confidence was greatly boosted by her presence. He also wondered what she had been feeling in her heart, not only of the abrupt way he left her in the sitting room at Finlay Hall, but prior to that. Did she still have feelings for him, or were they obliterated by his foolish and cowardly escape from her embrace? He hoped that was not the case.
They sat on chairs, staring down the hallway.
The door to the sitting room opened and he rose to his feet. The vicar and his wife entered the hallway first and were rather calm as they glanced at Robert despite the state he was in. He could only imagine what the vicar thought of him and he stepped back with embarrassment.
However, the vicar approached him and extended his hand to Robert. He shook the vicar’s hand but did not utter a word.
“Robert, you are a very honourable man, from a very good family. Do not allow the minions of evil to turn you into something you are not meant to be.”
“I will not, Vicar Jeffery. Thank you,” Robert said as his hand dropped to his side.
Arabella stepped out of the sitting room also and Robert wondered where Julia was. He approached Arabella and smiled apologetically at her.
“I know what you must be thinking,” he said, motioning to himself.
His hair was still damp and dishevelled from the water that the butler had thrown on him and Freddy. His shirt was also damp, and the redness on his skin from Freddy’s blows made him look worse for wear. This was certainly not the way Arabella knew him to appear or behave.
“I could not stand idly by while he insulted the woman I love,” Robert said bluntly.
A smile formed on Arabella’s face and she nodded. “Julia will be glad to hear this. She is waiting for you in the sitting room. You may go to her and speak amongst yourselves. Although, I will not tolerate fornication of any sort on my sofa.”
Robert’s cheeks flushed. He had not expected Julia to share details of their encounter, but she may have only done so to explain the situation and the state she was in.
“Understood, Arabella,” Robert said. “And I do hope you can forgive me for forgetting to ask your permission to marry Julia, which I still have every intention of doing.”
“Good, because it would be a pity for me to waste my blessing if you were not to carry through with it,” Arabella said with a wink, which made Robert smile.
“It will not go to waste. I assure you of that.”
Arabella nodded and patted him once more on the s
houlder. “I am pleased to hear that. Now if you would excuse me, Vicar Jeffery and I are to have a word with Freddy regarding his behaviour. I trust the legal documents you received are in order?”
“They most certainly are,” Robert said.
“Wonderful. It’s time that my grandson the reprobate learns his fate. I dare say he’s not going to be pleased, but he has no other choice,” Arabella said as she patted Robert on the shoulder.
She turned gracefully towards Freddy and approached him, flanked by Vicar Jeffery and his wife.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Robert strode along the short hallway and stepped into the sitting room and saw Julia standing by the window. As she turned towards him, her frown eased, and she rushed to his side.
“Goodness gracious. What on earth happened to you?” she asked, her face filled with concern as she placed her hands against his chest.
“I was defending your honour.”
“Painfully so, it seems,” she said with a chuckle.
Robert chuckled as well and lightly touched her cheek. “I must apologise, first and foremost, Julia. I acted like a fool and there is no excuse for it. Leaving you in that sitting room in Finlay Hall was one of the biggest mistakes of my life.”
“Was the mistake not what we both did?” she asked.
“Not at all. It was not a mistake. I was merely overwhelmed. I was afraid that you did not reciprocate my feelings, and that you would think I was taking advantage of your vulnerability,” Robert said.
“I could never think such things of you, Robert. You showed me kindness and understanding at a time when I needed it the most. You did not push more than I was ready to be pushed. You are unlike any other man I’ve ever met,” she said to him. “Admittedly, I was hurt when you so abruptly exited the room. It brought forth feelings of rejection. Perhaps because I was not of a noble family like you and having such intimacy with me would bring shame upon you and your family.”
“That cannot be furthest from the truth. Titles and nobility mean nothing to me. You, of all people, should be aware of this.”
Julia nodded. “I know.”
“I am truly sorry. It was never my intention to make you feel that way. All I wish for you is to be happy, content, and safe.”
“You make me all those things and more, Robert. There are not enough words to adequately explain or express how much you mean to me. I have completely and utterly lost my heart to you, and there is no coming back from that.”
“Then allow me to ask you this,” Robert said, and knelt before her, holding her hands in his. “Julia Gould, you captured my heart from the very first moment I gazed upon your beautiful face. Getting to know you and spending time with you simply confirmed what I had already known all along. I am truly and utterly in love with you, and I wish to bestow my heart unto you for all the days of my life.”
“Are you asking me...”
“To marry me, yes.”
Julia sank down onto the floor in front of Robert, who still held her hands. “Nothing would make me happier than to be your wife, Robert.”
Robert brought his hands up and cradled her face. “I love you with my whole heart and my entire being.”
“And I love you with every shred of my soul,” Julia said as Robert gazed at her.
Robert leaned in and their lips touched in a tender and loving moment. Shivers of delight ran down Robert’s spine, as he’d never thought he would have the opportunity to kiss her again, or that she would agree to be his wife.
Behind them, someone cleared their throat and Robert pulled away, as not to appear inappropriate in front of Arabella. He looked over his shoulder and saw the old woman standing in the doorway.
“Arabella,” he said, and rose to his feet.
He held out his hand to Julia, assisting her off the floor.
“Pardon the interruption,” Arabella said. “I do realise that this moment is very significant for a young woman and the man whom she agreed to marry.”
“There is no need to apologise.”
“Are you all right, Great-aunt?” Julia asked.
“Indeed,” Arabella said with a nod. “It feels rather liberating now that I spoke my heart.”
Julia smiled and approached Arabella. “I am proud to call you my great-aunt. The pain you carried inside yourself for such a long while is not easy, and you did it with such grace. I do hope that you find peace within yourself.”
“Thank you, my dear,” Arabella said.
Robert shifted his weight, as he had was not certain to what exactly Julia and Arabella referred, but he assumed it had something to do with Freddy or Arabella’s daughter and her death.
The old woman held out her closed hand to Julia. “There is also something I wish to give to you, Julia.”
Julia stepped closer and Arabella opened her hand. An exquisite pearl necklace lay in the palm of the old woman’s hand and Julia gasped softly.
“Great-aunt, that is your pearl necklace. I cannot take it.”
“It is my gift to you, my dearest Julia. For the past few years you have kept me company, willingly. We shared many laughs, many late night conversations. Consider this my way of thanking you for tolerating an old woman such as myself.”
“My summers here at the estate have been truly unforgettable, Aunt Arabella. Thank you for inviting me into your home. You are very dear to me, but I still cannot accept—”
“Please. I wish for you to have it.”
Julia nodded and carefully lifted the delicate necklace from Arabella’s hand. “It is beautiful.”
“Perhaps you can even wear it on your wedding day,” Arabella said.
“Of course, I will. I cannot not think of a more perfect occasion to wear it,” Julia said with a smile and embraced Arabella. “And, of course, you will be there, as you are an important part of my life.”
“And mine,” Robert said.
Arabella’s eyes filled with tears and she nodded. “I would be honoured.”
A smile formed on Robert’s lips as he placed his hand on Julia’s shoulder, content that, in the end, things did in fact turn out precisely as they ought to.
Epilogue
Robert had never visited Cornwall, despite being someone
who had travelled much as a young man. Most of his cases were in London, and that did not give him much time to visit the countryside except during the off season. The first few weeks in London after his and Julia’s wedding had been nothing short of wonderful, but he soon realised his beautiful wife longed for the winding roads and rolling hills of the country.
She had also, in fact, mentioned that she wished to introduce Robert to her mother, who was unwell enough to not be able to attend their wedding. He’d promised her that they would travel to see her, and as he noticed the sadness in her eyes one evening as Julia spoke of her mother, he knew that it was time.
Julia enjoyed London very much and had made many lady friends with whom she spent time while Robert worked, but it was an atmosphere to which she was not accustomed. She had spoken of memories from her visits to London as a child that were not very pleasant. She would certainly not expect Robert to relocate, but he wanted to see her happy, which was why he suggested a trip Cornwall. Of course, Julia was overjoyed, and it warmed Robert’s heart to see his wife happy.
Having never been to Cornwall, Robert was pleasantly surprised by what he saw when they arrived. Cornwall was beautiful, with rolling hills seen for miles. The lush countryside with its green grass and scattered wildflowers was the perfect setting to spend a fortnight with Julia.
The room at the inn where they stayed was lovely and spacious, but nothing compared to the sight of Julia on the bed, clothed only in a thin, cotton nightdress, motioning him to join her.
Robert swallowed hard as he approached the bed, pulling his shirt from his trousers. It was certainly not the first time being intimate with his wife, but every time held the sacredness of the first time.
Julia seductively ran her fingertips
along the curve of her breasts, luring him closer with her sultry eyes.
Robert pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor. His urgency caused Julia to chuckle.
“I have never seen you undress so slowly, my love,” she said.
“Perhaps I am merely enjoying what I see before me. Allow me to bask in the beauty that is you, my wife,” he said.
“Very well.”
Robert slowly approached the bed, his eyes focused intently on Julia. Her eyes sparkled in the dimly lit chambers and as he came to a stop, she untied the ribbons of her nightdress. Robert’s breathing became laboured as his cock swelled in his trousers. Julia was the perfect woman for him and made his blood pound through his veins.
He joined her on the bed, took her in his arms and kissed her tenderly. Her lips parted, permitting him access to her mouth, and their tongues danced together.
Her body was warm against his, which was pleasantly welcome in the middle of Autumn.
Her leg curled over his side, her heel resting on his buttock, as though she urged him to move things along quicker, but he did not want to. He wished to take his time with her, explore her body, every part of it.
His lips left a trail of kisses from her mouth to her neck and down to her breasts. A moan escaped Julia’s mouth as Robert kissed and sucked her nipples, her back arching.
Shivers of delight ran down his spine as her hands fondled with the front of his trousers, and he ran his fingers up her thigh. Her skin quivered at his touch, her fingers grasping at the soft linen underneath her. His fingers slid inside her, which made Julia moan with pleasure.
His lips found their way back to Julia’s mouth and he kissed her hungrily. Her lips were sweet and delicious, and Robert would be happy to kiss her the entire day.
Julia’s hands slid inside his trousers and stroked his hard cock, slowly at first, but gradually picking up the pace until Robert didn’t want to go slow any longer.
He tugged at her nightdress, sliding it upwards, revealing her naked body and for a moment, he revelled in her beauty. She slipped the garment over her head and threw it on the floor. Julia then expertly loosened his trousers and slid them down. Robert’s erect cock sprang free from its constraints and Julia tenderly grasped the shaft, her touch hinting urgency.