by Susan
Chapter 4
~~~~~~~~~~The Barrett Estate
Brenda groaned at the unpleasant interruption of her beautiful daydream. She stomped over to the door and flung it open. She gave Julia a none too polite glare and greeting.
"Geez, you act like I've upset your beauty sleep or something." Julia remarked as she stepped into the messy room. She eyed the rumpled bed, dresser covered with various makeup and hair care products, and clothes shrewn all over the floor and shook her head. Brenda, needless to say, didn't appreciate the gesture. She turned on her heel and flopped back down on the bed. Her sister, always the messy one. Never mind that they had servants. She had to admit though, Brenda didn't need much beauty sleep or the products on her dresser. She had lost the fat from her youth and inherited her mother's good looks, among other things.
"Is there a reason you graced your awe-inspiring presence to my side of the house?"
"You don't have to sound soo sarcastic Brenda."
"I wasn't. I was merely quoting our father." She made an extra point out of overpronouncing the word father.
"Why on earth do you say it like that ?"
"Say what like what ?"
"Daddy's name like that." Julia none too amused.
"The jury is still out on that one. He may be your father but he's not mine. I like to think my mother ran off with a group of gypsies and one of them is my father. It explains my looks, my bad reputation and my nomad existence."
"You earned your reputation by being thrown out of every boarding school in Switzerland and you are not alone in this world. You just choose to hide out in the stables all day."
"As opposed to what Julia, accompany you and Daddy all across the world learning the ropes to Barrett Industries, playing hostess? Daddy won't stand for stupid me to be within 500 feet of his precious company."
"I didn't think business interested you."
"It doesn't but that isn't the point. I would at least like to have a choice in the matter. I don't like being ignored. Maybe it's stupid but I would like to have a real life, a future. " Her eyes lit up when she said the word future. For some reason, a picture of Jax flashed before her when she thought of her life.
Julia eyed her sister. She believed that Brenda wanted to get away and live life. She was vibrant and lively.
"You aren't going to get that here. Make something of yourself."
The two sisters were interrupted by Harlan. He stood in the doorway and looked at Julia, barely giving Brenda a glance. He looked kind of uncomfortable, having never set foot in Brenda's room when she was there.
"Julia, there has been a change of plans. We are leaving for London now before dark. The butler is getting your suitcases. The jet is waiting."
"Okay Daddy. I'll be right there."
He shot her a look that said 'why are you wasting precious timet asking to tubbo ?' before leaving the room.
"Fine. I'll be in the limo." He walked stiffly out of the room.
Julia looked back at Brenda and apologized.
"I really have to go Bren. You know how Daddy doesn't like to be kept waiting."
"I wouldn't know. Bye Jules. Have a safe trip."
Julia gave her sister a half smile and left the room. Brenda sighed and sat
down in the middle of the room, on the floor. She hated to admit it but Julia
was part right. She wanted to make something of herself. To prove something
to herself, not her father or sister. The question was how ? She knew her
father would be happy to send her off to school again but she had always
hated it. Maybe she should have paid more attention. The only thing that
she could remember liking was photography. She had had a roommate who had
a thing for cameras. She had taught Brenda how to develop pictures. There
was a really good teacher on campus and she had signed up for the classes.
It was one of the few she had actually attended. She glanced at her clock.
She pulled herself up and went to the other side of the house, towards Julia's
room. It was bigger than hers. On one wall, there were shelves lined with
books. She fingered them lightly, stopping at the familiar Nancy Drew books
she remembered swiping when she was younger. She wondered why Julia kept
them. She bit her bottom lip and walked towards the bed. There was a trunk
at the foot of the bed. She carefully unlocked it with a key she had retrieved
from the jewelry box. She opened the lid and removed a small box of items.
They had belonged to her mother. Julia kept them for her, locked up and hidden
from their father. They were the only things that Julia had managed to salvage
when their father went on his rampage and threw out everything that so much
as reminded him of his second wife. She ran her index finger over the picture
in her mother's passport. She wiped the tear away forming in the corner of
her eye after putting everything back in its place. She glanced around the
pristinely clean room and went into her sister's walk-in closet. She went
to the back wall past the designer shoes and opened a drawer. She pulled
out a small case containing an expensive camera that Harlan had bought Julia
one Christmas. She took it out and examined it carefully. She put the
accompanying film in and closed the drawer before leaving. She went outside
and headed towards the stables but changed her mind at the last minute. She
was better off walking around the grounds by herself if she intended on taking
some pictures of the landscape. She walked briskly around the grounds that
she was very well familiar with. She got lost once or twice when she was
little but she managed to find her way back. When she didn't she often returned
with one of the servants under the disapproving glare of her father. She
came to her favorite spot on the estate. It was a secluded spot away from
the main house. Down by the stream. She used to stay there for hours to get
away from everyone else. She was used to being by herself. She was different
from the other girls in the area, especially her sister. The girls she had
known at boarding school were mostly rich kids whose parents had sent away
when they couldn't be bothered or as some disciplinary measure. Brenda could
sympathize with them but couldn't really connect.
She was happier roaming the fields and wading in the stream. It was warm
beautiful day. It was late in the afternoon when she decided to head back
to the house. She could take Sunbeam out for a late ride and grab something
from the kitchen when she was hungry.
~~~~~~~~~Jax's house
Jax was sitting in his office staring off into space. He couldn't barely sit still let alone concentrate. He flipped off his laptop and twirled his pen in his hand. What was going on with him? He was getting restless. Maybe it was time to move on. He could call the airport and have them fuel up his jet. It wasn't too late to fly to London or maybe Monte Carlo maybe catch up with Jerry. He could take the Isabella sailing in the Mediterranean with a beautiful...brown-eyed brunette. He sat up straighter in his chair. Where did that come from ? He softly whispered the name Brenda. He dropped the pen back on the desk and got up, grabbing his coat and keys as he rushed to the front door.
~~~~~~~~~~~ The Barrett Estate
A short while later,
Jax was walking up the pathway to the main house. He knew that Harlan and
Julia were out of town. He would just ask if they were in and make up an
excuse to take a walk around the grounds, hoping to run into her again. He
didn't have the faintest idea of what he would say if he did meet up with
her. Probably come off as a tongue-tied idiot. Maybe if he was in her company
for more than a few short minutes, the spell she had put him under would
disappear. Lilttle did he know it would only grow into something much stronger
and bigger than even he could have imagined.
Jax was halfway to the front door when Brenda appeared. She looked up and
saw him standing there. He saw her before she looked up. He thanked his lucky
stars for running into her. Her hair was flowing loosely around her face
and she didn't have any make-up on. She stuck a rose she had picked from
the garden in her hair. She looked even more beautiful than before.
"Hi." He spoke first.
Brenda greeted him with a small smile.
"Wow. Twice in one day. I think someone might be trying to tell us something."
"Maybe." He responded.
"Looking for someone ?"
Yes, and I think I've found her.
"I wanted to talk to Harlan about a business deal." He lied.
"You just missed him. He and Julia flew to London."
"Oh. Well, I guess I'll catch him when he gets back then."
Brenda was trying to think of a way to keep him there or anything to make
him stay longer. She didn't know he was trying to do the same thing. She
opened her mouth to say something when a gust of wind blew the rose out of
her hair. Jax bent down to pick it up immediately.
He moved closer to hand it to her. He was less than a foot away from her.
She took the rose from him. Her fingers brushed against his. A warm current
flowed between them. She made the mistake of looking up at him. Right into
his deep blue eyes. She was so close that she could see the flecks of green
in them. Jax lifted a hand and brushed her
hair away from her face. He took the rose back and replaced it above her
left ear, amidst her silky hair. Her eyelids fluttered closed momentarily.
God, she was so beautiful, he thought to himself. He wondered if she knew
what he did to him. If she looked into his soul, would she be frightened
by what she saw there. If anyone could see to the depths of his soul to his
innermost feelings, it would be her.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"You don't have to thank me." He whispered back. He wanted to ask her what she was thanking him for. In his heart, he knew she was feeling exactly the way he did. He inspired the same feelings in her that she did in him. That was payment enough. He took her hand in his. The electrical currents only increased.
"Have dinner with me."
"Excuse me ?" She thought she was dreaming or hadn't heard him right.
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. He had a boyish grin on his face. She wanted to melt into a puddle right then and there.
"Would you do me the pleasure of dining with me tonight ?"
She couldn't help but smile back. God, could he be even more perfect ?
"Does that smile indicate a positive answer ?"
"Yes. I'd love to." It was a far cry from screaming yes and doing a little
dance which is what she wanted to do. Aside from fainting from shock.
He started walking back to his Jaguar and gently tugging her along. She was
still floating on a high but managed to pull herself together to remind herself
to move her legs. She stopped midstep when they had reached the car. Jax
looked over at her questioningly. She ran a hand down her outfit. It was
te same one she had been wearing earlier in the restaurant. She was going
back into the house to change into shorts to ride Sunbeam. She had only channged
into more comfortable shoes.
"Do I look okay ?"
"You look beautiful."
She gave him a little smile for the compliment then bit her bottom lip nervously.
"Um, I mean. Should I go change or do I look okay for where we're going ?"
"Is that a subtle way for you to try and get me to tell you where we are going ?"
Her eyes lit up.
"No. I love surprises."
"I'll have to remember that." He said, temporarliy mesmerized by the display of emotions running across her face. "Oh, and you don't ned to change but if you want to, you can."
She quickly glanced back at the house and decided against going back in. He was opening the passenger side door for her and she slid in. He got in the drivers seat and sped off.
Andrew, the butler was watching the scene with amusement from the main house. Luckily most of the servants had the rest of the day off since Harlan had left with Julia. It was just him and a maid. He was only mildly concerned. The youngest Jacks boy had quite the reputation about him. He was wild and adventurous at heart but he was also a gentleman. Aside from business that was. His parents were fine people. Besides, if anyone could hold their own against him it would have to be Brenda.
Sorry for the long wait. Please leave a reply and let me know how I'm doing.
Susan