Truly I do (20 page)

Julie-Anne
couldn't hold back the tears. "You idiot!" She hissed, smiling
through her anger, "What ever made you go and do a stupid thing
like this?"

"Actually," he
said caustically, "I was in too much of a hurry to get to the
solicitors' office. I thought I'd at least got some kind of
contract that would bind you to me - even if it isn't a marriage
contract! So I wasn't paying proper attention to the road. Stupid
wasn't I?"

"Oh Russell,
I'd had exactly the same thought, about the contract I mean." she
breathed.

"Well, stop
crying will you - I"m fine, and you're fine. So no need for
tears!"

At that moment
the nurse came back and said "I shall have to chase you ladies out
now. Please do come back at nine o'clock won't you."

Della reached
out and squeezed Russell's good hand. "I'm so glad you're all
right." she told him, "You're going to be such a good boss to work
for - I didn't want to have to start all over again!"

"No." he
agreed, looking tired. "Sorry to be such a nuisance."

"Oh stop it -
you'll get no sympathy from me by keeping on apologising you know!"
Della smiled brightly at him and started to leave the room.

He turned his
attention to Julie-Anne again. "See you in a little while then." he
said.

"Hmmn!" she
mumbled, still sobbing from the tears of relief.

Della took her
elbow and guided her out from the room.

*

When they
reached the hospital canteen Julie-Anne was reminded of the few
days she'd spent in New Zealand. She occupied their time by talking
about it, over hot strong tea at Della's insistence. "Too much
coffee at a time like this isn't a good idea!" Della had
instructed.

She was right,
the tea was strong and crisp, helping Julie-Anne to get over the
shock of the last few hours. As she recovered her demeanour she
talked more animatedly about Ben, the nurse in New Zealand and
their pact to remain friends come-what-may.

"Well," Della
shifted in her seat, "I think you'll be inviting him over for your
wedding in the not too distant future!"

"Della! How
can you think of such things at a time like this?" Julie-Anne
admonished.

"Why not?"
Della insisted, "I'm willing to bet that you two are thinking about
it. There's nothing like a near fatal accident to make people stop
wasting their time and get on with life and love, is there?"

Julie-Anne
managed a half smile. She hoped that Della was right. She hoped
that this event, awful as it was, would be the trigger that caused
Russell to take her back into his life.

*

When they went
back to Russell's room at none o'clock he was still sitting up in
bed, looking somewhat disgruntled.

"They're going
to make me stay here until tomorrow morning!" He announced
grumpily. "I was unconscious when they brought me in last night and
they want to make sure there's no hidden damage, concussion or
anything like that."

"Cheer up."
Offered Della, "Could be worse!" She made a lopsided grin.

"I could come
and collect you - take you out to the house if you like."
Julie-Anne suggested.

"Would you?
That'd be good." Russell accepted. "I'm so sor -"

Della
interrupted him, "If you apologise to us once more I'll black your
other eye to give you a matching pair!" she announced.

Russell
winced. He opened his mouth to say something, then thought better
of it and just shrugged. The shrug obviously hurt his shoulder and
he yelped.

"Oh, dear!"
Della said without an ounce of sympathy. "You shouldn't do that, I
shall be needing you to sign some papers later on and you don't
want to go aggravating that arm in the mean time if you don't
mind."

Julie-Anne
looked from one to the other. "I can see who's going to be the real
'boss' in this relationship!" she declared. "Russell would you like
me to bring you anything or come back and visit later on today?"
she asked.

He considered
for a moment before deciding "No, thanks. I think I'd better just
rest up for the day. I'll see you again in the morning."

"Well, Della's
got to drive home and we've both been up all night worrying about
you. So I think it would be wise if we all got some rest for the
rest of the day." She concluded. She could see Russell's energy
beginning to waiver and Della had dark circles under her eyes.

"For goodness
sake drive carefully!" she told the woman after she'd been dropped
off at her hotel.

Della just
gave her a tired smile and made her way back to the house.
Julie-Anne had discovered she'd been right, Della did live in the
white gate house, and that was quite far enough for a weary woman
to have to travel after the night they'd had.

*

Julie-Anne
couldn't think of sleeping just yet. She showered and changed and
decided to go and look at the castle next door.

Apparently the
same family had lived in the castle for hundreds of years. They
still had private quarters there now, but they also let the public
wander around and look at the art and furnishings from days gone
by. Julie-Anne bought a ticket from the gift shop and made her way
in through the entrance hall.

The place was
a wonderful mix of tromp l'oiel and ancient family possessions.
Julie-Anne found herself drawn to a large nineteenth century
portrait of a winsome lady. She stepped past the Doric colonnade in
the entrance hall, into an oval inner hall with a secret servants
door on one side and stared at the portrait which was taking up
most of the wall on the other. The lady was said to have lost both
her children to meningitis, although one little blonde haired boy
was shown playing at her heels in the portrait. It was also said
that the lady was so broken at the loss of her children that she'd
never stopped looking for them and that her ghost walked the castle
to this day.

Julie-Anne
looked cynically at the porcelain coloured face of the sad woman.
'You must have loved your babies very much indeed,' she thought
quietly. 'How sad that we all have to bear such losses in our
lives. I'm so grateful that Russell's going to be okay.' The face
in the painting carried on staring into middle distance above
Julie-Anne's head. 'She looks as if she knew she was in for a life
of heartbreak and sorrow.' Julie-Anne decided. Thoughtfully she
returned to the two Kentian mirrors on either side of the
neo-classical fireplace in the large drawing room and looked hard
into her own tow brown eyes. Her face was vibrant, if tired. There
was nothing in her eyes to suggest that she was a woman set up to
spend her life in abject misery. Having had her fill of the
portraits and furnishings she made her was out towards the front
door. This time she paused at the foot of the stairs to look up at
the tall arched window which lit the intermediate landing over the
turn half way up the stairs. The frame of the window was exactly
the same design as that on Russell's stair case. It afforded the
same flood of light into what could otherwise be a very dark
corner. 'Must be a Yorkshire thing!' she mused, idly.

Yawning she
wandered back to her hotel room to sleep and recuperate until it
was time to go and get Russell the following morning.

When she awoke
at first light she felt better than she had done for months. Her
sleep had been deep and deeply restful. This morning she was
excited. She got up quickly, moving lightly around the room,
getting herself ready for the day.

The drive to
the hospital was not difficult. She found a parking space and went
in with a soft step and a light heart. He was already up and
dressed, ready to be collected. In time honoured tradition the
nursing staff insisted on taking him out to the exit of the
hospital in a wheel chair.

"There's
nothing wrong with my legs dammit!" he protested. Julie-Anne
laughed at him and made no comment when he leaned on her shoulder
for the walk from door to car.

By now she
knew her way to his house and was relieved that she did not need to
tick off the landmarks or refer to her route planner for
assistance. He sat quietly beside her, watching her drive. When
they pulled up outside the house he leaned toward her before
opening the door to get out of the car. "I really am sorry to have
put you through this Julie-Anne," he said in a husky voice. "I do
realise how terrible it must have felt when someone called you to
tell you I'd been involved in a car accident - after Andrew and
everything, well . . . " His apology trailed off, he was unsure of
what to say.

She looked at
him, glad to see his lovely blue eyes shining in the daylight; glad
to see his curly blonde hair framing his handsome face and neck;
glad that he was alive and that she loved him. What ever would
happen between them now, she would never wish him ill. "It's okay -
you're okay. We can't undo it now it's happened so let's just move
on, eh?"

He smiled and
for a moment she caught her breath as she thought he was going to
kiss her. Instead he turned to the door and said "Could you give me
hand to climb out. I"m still feeling a bit wobbly to tell you the
truth." She rushed around to help him and once again let him lean
on her as they walked to Della who was waiting by the open
door.

Della led the
way into the drawing room and fussed over cushions to settle him
down before she went off to get lunch organised. "You can have an
early lunch and perhaps a rest this afternoon," she instructed as
she walked away.

Russell looked
at Julie-Anne with his eyebrows raised. "No wonder she's good at
managing this huge house - she's very bossy!" he remarked.

"Hah!"
Julie-Anne laughed. "She is good, and she knows what's best I'm
sure."

"Does she?"
his question was accompanied by a serious expression.

"What do you
mean?"

"Well, - she
seems to think we should be back together doesn't she?"

Julie-Anne
blushed. "Yes," she admitted, "she does."

"Well after
what's happened, I think we'd better stop messing about, don't
you?"

Unsure of
herself Julie-Anne searched Russell's countenance for the depth of
meaning in his question.

"Come here!"
he ordered her.

She slipped
from her chair and knelt in front of him. He cupped her chin in his
good hand, tilting it up so that he could inspect her face.

Being forced
to look at close quarters at the damage to Russell's face upset
Julie-Anne. She longed for him not to be hurt, he was so precious
to her. A big tear escaped from her eyes but she smiled through it.
"Hello you!" she whispered.

"Hello."
Russell replied, "I don't seem to have seen you for some time."

"No. It does
seem that we've been strangers for a while doesn't it."

"But we're
both back now aren't we?"

"Yes Russell.
Here we are. . . . Russell?"

"Yes?"

"Truly?"

He breathed
out a long sigh as if he'd been holding his breath throughout their
intimate conversation. Wincing, but determined he leaned forward
and she raised her face up to his as he uttered "Oh yes my darling,
I do love you, truly I do."

She closed her
eyes as his mouth took possession of hers. Her corporeal body
seemed to melt away and nothing existed except the presence of
Russell and the warmth and passion of his kiss. His hand slipped
around to cradle the back of her head and she put her hands gently
on his chest so as not to hurt his shoulders. The kiss and the
comfort of it lasted until Della came back into the room with an
indiscreet cough to announce her presence.

It was not yet
midday but Della insisted that Russell should eat some soup and
bread and then be taken upstairs to rest. He and Julie-Anne looked
at one another like tow naughty children, sharing their
thoughts.

They ate their
soup and when Della came back for the plates she brought some
papers for Russell to sign. They were household accounts for
contract cleaners, kitchen supplies and some of the staff wages.
Julie-Anne hadn't even been into the gardens or given them any
thought. She learned now that there were three gardeners, each
drawing a weekly wage from the estate. Russell let her look through
the papers as he signed them. "Well, you're not going to turn down
my proposal again - are you?" he half questioned and half stated to
Julie-Anne.

Playfully she
pretended to be considering her options before she answered him. He
reached across with a sheaf of papers and swatted at her with them.
Laughing she ducked out of his way. "Less of this Mr.
Bryson-Steinar!" she exclaimed. "We've got to get you to bed for
some rest!"

"Hmmn." he
rumbled. "I think you'd better come up with me, I still need you to
assess the room for those two tapestries."

"Okay." She
agreed easily. She got up and helped him to his feet. Della had
tactfully withdrawn from them, leaving it to Julie-Anne to ensure
that Russell did as he was told.

They stopped
beside the big window on the stairs for Russell to catch his breath
and to look at the magnificent views of the Yorkshire dales. "It's
beautiful." Julie-Anne realised.

"You'll be
happy here?" Russell asked her.

"As long as
I'm with you, I'd be happy anywhere," she smiled up at him. He
brushed a light, tingling kiss across her lips and turned to carry
on up the rest of the stairs.

The bedrooms
were as spacious and beautiful as Julie-Anne had suspected. The
master bedroom suite had a carved wooden fireplace, double aspects
giving more magnificent views and walk in dressing room wardrobes
fit for a queen. Julie-Anne inspected the room with glee while
Russell visited the en suite. When he came back she informed him
"I'm afraid you couldn't really hang the tapestries in here.
There's much too much light, they get ruined."