Page 44 of Save Us
“When I said ‘anywhere,’ I meant it,” I say after a while. “But I’d have no objections to kissing in a library. Surrounded by books, in secret, but in public at the same time…Yeah, I think that’s an idea.”
“Hmm.”
“Doesn’t sound like that was the right answer.”
“I was just kind of expecting you to say something like ‘on a yacht, in a meteor shower,’ or something.”
“On a yacht, in a meteor shower? Are you kidding?”
She gives me a gentle punch on the upper arm. “How do I know what goes on inside your head?”
“So, what would you answer?” I ask.
She thinks for a moment, and I can tell the very second when she decides on her answer. The atmosphere in the car is suddenly highly charged.
“I’d like another kiss in Oxford,” she says quietly.
At once, my mind goes back to our night together there. The way Ruby screamed at me, then grabbed me. Us stumbling through the door and falling onto the bed. The way she dug her hands into my hair.
I clear my throat. “A kiss in Oxford,” I croak. “Duly noted.”
And there and then, I resolve to make that wish come true for her.
12
Ruby
“We played tag around here when we were little,” James says as we get out of the car and walk up the broad gravel path to the front door.
“You could train for a marathon around here,” I say, looking around in amazement.
We’re in the middle of a huge meadow that stretches for miles on either side, dotted with cherry trees. Most of them are bare, but a few green leaves are peeking out here and there. Ophelia’s place in the country has massive grounds, and the house itself is pretty impressive. It’s eighteenth-century and more of a stately home, really. The layout of flower beds and shrubs around it reminds me of James and Lydia’s home, but the overall effect is much friendlier and more inviting.
“We used to spend loads of time here, but we’ve been less and less in the last few years,” James says. “Mum once told me that Ophelia was really miffed at being left this place, because it signaled that she had to keep out of Beaufort’s business from then on. I remember her coming for dinners and trying to convinceMum and Dad to let her be involved again. Once, things escalated so much that she ended up leaving the room in tears. After that, we barely ever came here and we’ve only seen her at ours, or in London for business meetings.”
I glance sideways at him. “It must be really hard if you want to be part of something but just get relentlessly sidelined like that.”
For a moment, we walk side by side in silence, and then James exhales audibly. “On one hand, I have really great memories of this place, but then it also reminds me of all the times Dad and Ophelia got into fights. I don’t know how to feel about being here.”
James stares straight ahead, lost in thought. I can see that he’s trying not to let me see how much this whole situation bothers him. But he can’t fool me, and he knows it.
As we come to stand at the imposing front door, I take his hand and give him an encouraging smile.
He smiles back, takes a deep breath, and rings the doorbell.
In that moment, as I hear the deep clang echo through the house, I realize how keyed up I am. I’ve spent the whole time thinking about James and Lydia, and totally forgotten that I’ve never met their aunt before.
I hope she’s nice, I think.
Every time James has spoken about his aunt Ophelia in the last few days, it’s been clear that she means a lot to him. I don’t think I could bear it if yet another member of the Beaufort family couldn’t stand me—especially someone whose opinion is important to James.
The door opens with a loud creak, and I hold my breath.
“James, Ruby!” exclaims a woman in a dark green jumpsuit,beaming at us. She looks almost identical to Cordelia Beaufort. You have to look closely to spot the differences from James’s mother. Her face is softer and younger looking, especially given the broad smile she’s greeted us with. “How lovely that you made it up here.”
James takes a step forward and gives Ophelia a quick hug. “This is Ruby,” he says, putting a hand on my lower back. “Ruby, this is my aunt Ophelia.”
“I’m so pleased to finally get to meet you, Ruby,” Ophelia says, holding out her hand.
