The Orchid House (63 page)

‘I am too,’ responded Julia as she returned the kiss. ‘Do you think that perhaps Nong could call me a taxi?’

‘I’m sure he already has,’ smiled Lidia.

‘The same time tomorrow?’ Julia asked.

‘Yes.’

‘Goodbye, Lidia.’ Julia gave a wave and, escorted by Nong, made her way through the house and out to a waiting taxi.

59

In the following week, Julia visited Lidia every day. They talked for many hours, each discovering more about the other’s life. Julia learnt how Lidia had helped her husband build a small silk-weaving business into a multi-million-dollar company, exporting all over the world. Lidia’s designs and unusual colourways had been ahead of their time and proved popular in the West. Her soft-furnishing fabrics now graced some of the most beautiful houses around the world.

‘Of course, the business gave me what I wanted most – the opportunity to travel,’ added Lidia. ‘I sold it when my husband died and it left me a very wealthy woman … but I still miss the excitement of it.’

‘Did you ever come to England?’ asked Julia.

‘Oh yes, and I always stay at the Oriental in Knightsbridge. They give me a good discount! But,’ she shivered involuntarily, ‘I do not like the English weather. Harry called me a hothouse flower and he was right: I could not have lived there. Which is why I always come back to my homeland. This country, this small house where I first live with my husband, is where I belong.’

‘I wish I knew where I belonged,’ Julia said wistfully.

Lidia patted her hand. ‘Julia,
Ka
, you are at a point many people reach; where all the signposts telling you where to go next have vanished.’

‘Exactly,’ Julia agreed, thinking how cathartic these days had been, as she learnt to trust Lidia and opened her heart to her. The old lady’s gentle, wise words had soothed and comforted her. ‘I will miss Kit for the rest of my life, but I just can’t see a way back to him. He would feel he’d never be able to trust me again. Somehow, I’ve got to find a different signpost and follow it.’

‘Do not worry, Julia. I know it is already there inside you. Perhaps you simply need a little help to see it,’ Lidia smiled.

‘I only hope you’re right,’ she replied sadly.

Julia knew her time in Bangkok must now come to an end and she had to reach some form of decision about where to go next, so that evening she booked herself on to a flight to Paris for the following night. Olav was there for a few days and she wanted to see him to discuss her future. She was also concerned that, having had no piano at her disposal, her fingers would be stiffening, hampering the progress she had made in the past few months. She could rent a practice room in Paris and catch up on the time she had lost.

Unable to face another lonely supper on the terrace, Julia ordered room service and ate on her balcony. She watched the to and fro of boats on the river below, enjoying her vantage point for the last time. She knew she would miss the tranquillity she felt in Thailand; from its people and the place itself. But even Lidia, with all the experience of her eighty years lived to the full, could not show her where to put the next stitch in her own tapestry. That was something Julia knew she had to discover for herself.

She spent her last afternoon by the pool, where many of the attendants now knew her by name. She had called Lidia to let her know she was leaving, and Lidia had insisted on coming over to the hotel for a farewell dinner. She would arrive at seven, and Julia had to leave for the airport by nine thirty.

At six, Julia showered, finished her packing and checked out of her room. As she walked past the Bamboo Bar and down towards the terrace for dinner, Thanadol greeted her with his customary smile.

‘Good evening,
Khun
Julia, how are you tonight?’

‘Sad,’ she admitted, following him across the terrace. ‘It is my last evening here. Has my grandmother arrived yet?’

‘No, she has not. She has asked that you wait for her here.’ Thanadol indicated a table that was already taken.

As they drew nearer, Julia recognised the figure at the table.

And her heart began to hammer against her chest.

He turned round, sensing her presence.

‘Hello, Julia.’

‘Hello, Kit.’ Her voice didn’t seem to belong to her.

He smiled and indicated the chair opposite him. ‘Won’t you sit down?’

‘But … what on earth –?’

‘Please, for goodness’ sake, sit down and I’ll explain.’

Julia did so abruptly, feeling her legs might buckle beneath her if she didn’t.

‘There,’ Kit put a glass of red wine in front of her. ‘Drink up, don’t want you wilting from the shock.’

Julia took a large gulp of her wine. ‘What are you doing here?’ she managed.

‘Oh well, you know how it is: thought I’d just pop across the world and visit Bangkok on a whim,’ he replied, laughter in his eyes. ‘What the hell do you think I’m doing here, Julia? I’ve come to see you, of course.’

‘How did you know I was here?’

‘I hardly need to put Interpol on the case if I want to find you, Julia. I mean, your sister does live just down the road from me,’ Kit grinned. ‘But, actually, it was Lidia who alerted me to your whereabouts. She gave me a call, suggesting I tip up here before you buzzed off elsewhere. And just in the nick of time, it seems. I hope you don’t mind.’

The lightness with which Kit was handling the situation was an instant reminder of everything he was. Julia smiled. ‘No, of course I don’t.’

‘Could I take that one step further, perhaps, and ask if you’re actually glad to see me?’

‘Yes. I am.’

‘Phew!’ Kit wiped his brow dramatically. ‘Lidia assured me you would be, but when I was somewhere over the Himalayas I broke out in a cold sweat, wondering whether this was some weird re-enactment of an old woman’s fantasy. Which, to be fair, it may well be. There’s quite a parallel between her past situation and our current one.’

Julia fingered her glass, studying it intently. Her heart was beating so hard she felt breathless. ‘I know.’

‘Not really in my line to chase across the world after a woman who happened to have left me
.
But, under the circumstances, I decided you were worth a punt.’

Julia raised her eyes. ‘Kit, I didn’t want to leave you, I …’

Kit put a finger gently to her lips. ‘I’m teasing you, Julia, there’s no need to say any more. Lidia, in her role as Fairy Godmother, has explained everything. And then she waved her magic wand and there was a First Class ticket to Bangkok on the doormat at Wharton Park. Not a return, I might add, so you’ll have to lend me a few bob if you want me to go away.’

‘Oh, Kit …’ Julia’s eyes filled with tears as she realised Lidia had gone to great lengths to provide her with a signpost. ‘Sorry,’ she said, quickly wiping a tear from her cheek.

‘Don’t be. It really was no hardship, especially in First Class … but mostly because I happen to love you.’

‘I love you too,’ Julia whispered.

Kit drew nearer to her and studied her face. ‘Don’t tell me that was actually a furtive vocal admission of the fact you might reciprocate my feelings?’

‘Yes, it was.’ Julia smiled.

‘Right.’ It was Kit’s turn to look down, suddenly unsure what to say next. ‘Do you really, Julia?’ he asked quietly.

‘Yes, Kit, I do. I love you … horribly, and I’ve been miserable every day since I last saw you.’

‘Then your old Thai granny isn’t the mad box of frogs I thought she was,’ he replied in wonder.

‘No, she isn’t. She’s completely in possession of all her marbles.’

‘Unlike me,’ admitted Kit, ‘who’s just made a mad dash halfway across the world, not knowing what reaction to expect. Until now,’ he added softly. He reached for her hand and Julia gave it to him willingly. ‘I can’t bear to fall into clichés but, God, you look beautiful tonight, sweetheart,’ he whispered. ‘And I don’t think I’ve ever been quite so glad to see another human being in my entire life.’

He kissed her, full on the lips, and Julia responded with equal passion.

‘Whilst I’ve got you here, and just in case you disappear again, I also thought I might as well get it all out of the way in one go and ask you whether you fancied marrying me?’ Kit indicated their surroundings. ‘Given the history, can’t think of anywhere more perfect to ask you, really.’

‘Oh, Kit, I’d love to say yes,’ Julia chuckled at how ridiculous this was going to sound, ‘that is, just as soon as I’ve got divorced!’

‘Ah, that’s not really in the script is it? But hey-ho, nothing’s perfect.’ He smiled at her and rubbed his nose against hers.

Their fingers entwined.

‘Oh, by the way, I’ve brought you a present.’

‘Really?’ said Julia.

‘Yes.’

Kit reached beneath his chair and brought up a strange-looking black plant. He put it in front of her. ‘There. It’s for you.’

Julia studied the ink-black petals in surprise. ‘I didn’t think you could get black orchids.’

‘You can’t. God forgot to get round to them, so Kit gave him some help. Don’t worry, darling, all you need do is pour water over it. Then it’ll go back to the beautiful pink it was before I started painting it.’ He indicated the small scroll tucked into the side of the pot. ‘That fable will explain it. One way and another, I thought it was rather apt.’

Julia reached for the scroll, but Kit stopped her. ‘Read it later, my very own Hothouse Flower, and please, when you have, don’t be getting any ideas above your station. Remember, this is the new millennium, and all the rules governing male and female behaviour have changed. Except for one,’ he added as an afterthought.

‘And what’s that?’

Kit looked into her eyes and answered simply: ‘Love.’

60

Wharton Park

January

Despite hours of debate at the kitchen table, and weeks spent sweating over reams of figures, Kit finally decided that the Wharton Park Estate had to be sold.

‘With the best will in the world, we just can’t do it, sweetheart,’ Kit said as they drowned their sorrows with a bottle of wine in the library. ‘I know it’s going to break your heart, but I really can’t see any other way. Even with a grant from English Heritage, we still can’t afford what needs doing. It’s a drop in the ocean.’

‘I know,’ Julia replied miserably. ‘If only Xavier hadn’t come back from the dead, and wasn’t angling for half of everything I’ve earned, we could probably just have done it.’ She shivered and huddled closer to the fire. The house was freezing as the boiler had packed up, yet again.

Kit stroked her hair. ‘Julia, even if you did have the money, there’s part of me that’s still Neanderthal and would find it difficult if my future wife were providing the funds that Wharton Park needs. And we must think of the house: hand it over with grace to someone who does have the wherewithal to put everything right.’

‘I know, but it doesn’t make parting with it any easier. Wharton Park
isn’t
just a house. It’s where we met. And it’s in my blood. If there was anything I could do to save it, I would.’ Julia banged her fist on the hearth. ‘Damn Xavier! The one time in my life I’ve actually needed all the money I’ve never spent! I can’t believe he’s being such a –’

‘You don’t need to say it,’ Kit replied sympathetically. ‘Anyway, I’m going to speak to the estate agent tomorrow and put it back on the market. I’m sorry, Julia, but we really don’t have a choice.’

Ten days later, the agent called to say there was a foreign buyer who had put in a bid to buy the entire estate at the asking price. If they accepted the offer, the buyer would fly immediately to England to sign on the dotted line.

It was an offer they both knew they could not refuse.

Julia stoked the fire in the library and arranged a few snowdrops on the table. It was a paltry and reluctant effort to make for the buyer, who was due to arrive in the next half hour.

‘Probably some ghastly Russian oligarch and his platinum-haired mistress,’ Julia commented as she slammed some coffee cups on to a tray.

Kit watched her petulance, knowing it was masking her sadness. Losing Wharton Park would be a far greater blow for Julia than for him.

At eleven thirty, the bell rang and Kit answered it, opening the door. A liveried chauffer was standing behind it.

‘Madam is here,’ he announced, indicating a limousine parked in the house. ‘She wonders whether you would escort her into the house?’

‘Of course.’ Kit looked at Julia and raised his eyebrows as the chauffeur returned down the steps towards the car.

‘Christ!’ exclaimed Julia. ‘Who does “Madam” think she is? The Queen?’

‘Come on, sweetheart, let’s grit our teeth and get this over and done with, okay?’ Kit squeezed her hand and led her down the steps to the car.

They stood together, waiting uncomfortably by the car door as the chauffer opened it to reveal the passenger behind the tinted windows.

Julia did a double-take and then shrieked in pleasure.

‘Lidia! What on earth are you doing here?’

‘Surprise!’ Lidia stepped out of the car and hugged her granddaughter warmly. ‘Oh, it is a wonderful thing to be so old and so rich, and use both to play magical tricks on people!’ Her tinkling laugh filled the still Wharton Park air.

Then, holding on to Julia, she turned and looked up at the house for the first time.

‘So, this is Wharton Park. Many times in my life I have imagined it, and yet it is far more magnificent than I dream.’ She turned to Julia with a twinkle in her eye. ‘No wonder it won over me! Now,’ she tucked her free arm into Kit’s elbow, ‘take me inside and show me around. And then, afterwards, I explain everything.’

Once Lidia had taken a guided tour of the main parts of the house, declaring herself too exhausted to look any further, they returned to the library and Lidia had her chauffeur produce a bottle of the best champagne from inside the limousine.

‘I would like to toast the house that has affected all our lives: to Wharton Park.’

Julia and Kit clinked their glasses against hers. ‘To Wharton Park,’ they repeated.

‘Now,’ said Lidia, sitting down. ‘I wish to explain my plan to you. As I tell to you in Bangkok, Julia, my husband leave me very rich woman. And by rich, I mean very rich,’ she underlined. ‘Of course, before I meet you, Julia, I think I will share this money out amongst members of my family and the charities I support. But then, suddenly, I have direct heir, so I change my will when you leave Bangkok last time to leave most of my money to you.’