that he always protected Simon, made excuses for his behaviour, when Simon should have been made responsible for his own actions.’
‘William knew that,’ Janet said wearily, suddenly looking old, her shoulders stooped, her face lined with grief. ‘In the end he knew that only too well, Liam.’ She straightened slightly. ‘And he paid a high price for loving Simon too much and turning a blind eye to his behaviour. Everyone did. Including Juliet,’ she added, with a regretful look in her direction.
Juliet paled, her eyes darkly pleading as she returned the other woman’s gaze.
Liam’s mouth twisted. ‘From what I can see Juliet was very well…rewarded for turning a blind eye to Simon’s behaviour,’ he said insultingly.
Janet shook her head. ‘Liam, you don’t know what you’re talking about,’ she said. ‘And perhaps it’s time you did,’ she added, with another regretful look in Juliet’s direction.
Juliet’s eyes were huge in the paleness of her face. ‘Please, Janet, don’t,’ she pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes.
‘Juliet, I’ve always understood how you felt about this subject.’ The other woman gently touched her arm. ‘And it isn’t something the two of us have ever discussed. I told William I thought you needed to talk it over with another woman rather than building it all up inside you, but he didn’t seem to think you would welcome the intrusion.’ Janet sighed. ‘In retrospect I think he was wrong.’
‘It’s all in the past, Janet.’ Her voice was pained.
The older woman shook her head. ‘It affects the present.’ She glanced across at Liam. ‘And if I’m not mistaken it’s causing a problem between the two of you.’
Juliet gave a slightly bitter laugh. ‘There’s no problem between Liam and me, Janet; we just don’t like each other!’ She knew that, for her own part, it was a lie, but if she salvaged nothing from this situation she at least needed her pride to be able to walk away.
‘You see, Janet,’ he bit out caustically, ‘there’s no problem; Juliet and I both know where we stand.’
‘Utter nonsense,’ the housekeeper dismissed impatiently. ‘I’ve watched the two of you together; you like each other well enough—more then well enough, from the little I’ve seen!’ she added knowingly, causing Juliet’s cheeks to blush with embarrassment. ‘It’s time for the truth, Juliet,’ she told her gently. ‘Past time, I would have said,’ she added firmly.
‘What good will it do?’ Juliet reasoned agitatedly. She didn’t want Liam to know about the past! It was over, gone forever; talking about it would change nothing.
Janet shook her head. ‘Perhaps none,’ she conceded heavily. ‘But it’s time the ghosts in this house were laid to rest.’
Juliet looked at her, at the pain in Janet’s face, knowing that this woman had her own share of pain from the past to cope with. Maybe it was time all the truth was told. Then they could all move on, Liam back to his own world, Juliet in search of hers. Because the truth would push her and Liam even further apart…
‘If we’re going to have this talk I suggest we all go into the sitting-room,’ Liam said briskly. ‘We may as well at least be comfortable.’
Juliet didn’t think being comfortable was going to make the next few minutes any easier. Quite frankly, she would rather not have this conversation at all!
‘So,’ Liam prompted when they were all seated. ‘What is this momentous revelation you want to make concerning my brother, Janet?’ he said mockingly. ‘Believe me, nothing you could tell me about him would surprise me!’
The housekeeper frowned. ‘Probably not,’ she agreed. ‘But before I talk about Simon I want to dispel one other myth you seem to have made up in your mind. Juliet and your father were never anything more than friends. I know that,’ she added firmly as Liam would have made some scathing comment, ‘because your father shared my bed every night for the last twenty years of his life. Yes, Liam.’ She gave him a rueful smile. ‘I know you always suspected. Well, now I’m telling you that your suspicion was correct. I loved William. And he loved me.’
Liam frowned. ‘Then why…?’
‘Didn’t we marry?’ Janet finished knowingly. ‘Because I wouldn’t marry him. Oh, not because I didn’t love him enough. Never that,’ she added emotionally. ‘But I was the housekeeper here, not the mistress.’
Liam stood up forcefully. ‘From the sound of it you were mistress in everything but name! My father should have—’
‘Your father respected my decision, Liam. He never understood it, but he respected it,’ Janet said quietly. ‘I was happy with the way things were; to have changed them would have put added pressures on us—pressures I felt were unnecessary. So you see, Liam, I do know what I’m talking about when I say William was only ever like a father to Juliet.’ She smiled ruefully at him again.
Juliet could see that Liam found the relationship between his father and Janet difficult to understand, and she had to admit that it wasn’t something she could have accepted in a relationship herself. But, as Janet had rightly made clear, it had been their relationship, and they had obviously both been happy with it.
Liam frowned across the room at the housekeeper. ‘But when he died you were left with nothing,’ he pointed out impatiently. ‘A wife in everything but name!’ He shook his head disgustedly. ‘It may have been your decision, Janet, but the outcome is totally unacceptable. To me, at least.’ He looked frowningly at Juliet.
She swallowed hard. ‘I—’
‘Now don’t either of you feel concerned about the way William’s will was worded,’ Janet interrupted dismissively. ‘I knew about it, we talked about it; he wanted you both to have what was left to you. And William provided for me a long time ago,’ she explained softly. ‘I’m well taken care of, believe me,’ she added as Juliet still looked concerned and Liam frowned darkly.
‘But—’
‘This isn’t what’s important, Liam,’ Janet said firmly, cutting into his protest. ‘That situation was dealt with long ago, to the satisfaction of everyone involved. I only mentioned it because it’s relevant to Simon. And the night he died,’ she added quietly, giving Juliet a concerned look.
Juliet stiffened as Simon was brought back into the conversation. She didn’t want to talk about him now—wasn’t ready to talk about him. Would never be ready to talk about him. Especially to Liam!
She stood up abruptly. ‘Janet, I—’
‘Liam has to know the truth, Juliet,’ the older woman told her regretfully. ‘Too much damage has been done already. Both of you have to let the past go. And the only way to do that is to talk about it.’
Juliet was having trouble breathing. To talk about the past would bring it all back, and it had taken her such a long time to control the pain that it gave her.
‘William, as usual, was with me the night Simon died,’ Janet continued determinedly. ‘We both heard the screams,’ she added emotionally.
Liam frowned. ‘What screams?’
Juliet
