Double Trouble: Forty One; Midnight at last...
by Cariad
 
 
 

Double Trouble
~Forty One~
Noah turned Julia around in a slow circle. “I see them!” he whispered in her ear, stopping their dance like all the other couples to watch the newly engaged pair ascend the stairs. Julia watched in disbelief as Holly clung to Johnny, the skirts of her dress cascading over his arms. People around her raised their champagne glasses and held a giant toast to the couple, and those near Johnny kept patting him on the back.

“This is wrong!” Julia muttered under her breath. “Something is wrong with Holly.” Julia’s stomach twisted in knots. “I won’t let him take advantage of her like this!” She stormed, and began to stalk off. Noah stopped her with a hand.

“I doubt if he’ll take advantage of her.”

“Bull,” Julia challenged. “She’s obviously distraught. Damn him, this was his plan the whole time, and I bought it like a fool!”

Noah shook Julia gently. “He’s not that kind of person,” Noah insisted.

“How do you know?” Julia demanded darkly.

Noah seemed caught for a moment. “Look,” he began to explain. “When we were going up to your house for your little decoration party, Jonathan and I both realized that this would be our first New Year’s Eve when we were twenty-one. In the spirit of that vein, between us—well, Jonathan mostly paid for it—we rented a room tonight, so we both could get quite drunk and enjoy ourselves without having to worry about driving home at the end.”

Julia’s lips narrowed into a straight line.

“Of course,” Noah continued. “That was before I was saddled with chaperone duty of my little sisters and my cousin.”

“Of which you are quite negligent,” Julia reminded him.

“Not really,” Noah said, “I can see them quite well right now. They’re all over there in the corner, giggling with Reese and Simone. Look, if it will make you feel better, I’ve got a key, so you can find them and make sure he’s not taking advantage of your sister. As if anyone could take advantage of either of you!”

Julia held out her hand. “I don’t mean to be a bitch, Noah, but I’m worried about my sister.”

Noah fished in his pocket. “I know,” he said, finding the key and dangling it above Julia’s hand. “I guess this means I won’t see you at midnight.”

“I don’t think so,” she replied sadly.

“Well then,” Noah said nervously, looking down at her. He lowered the key towards Julia’s hand, but suddenly moved his hand behind her back and pulled her close to him. Julia knew the instant his lips touched hers, the way the fire leapt from her lips and pooled in her loins, spreading slowly through her veins. Tenderly, his tongue tasted her lips, and Julia eagerly opened them to admit his searching tongue. Of their own volition, her hands crawled behind his neck, binding him to her as surely as she was bound. For an instant, time stood still and all Julia knew was Noah’s body hard against her, Noah’s hands on her back, and Noah’s mouth against her own.

And then the world intruded.

Julia reluctantly opened her eyes as the kiss ended. Noah pressed the key into her nerveless fingers.

“Happy New Year,” Noah whispered in a breathless husky voice.

“Nappy Yew Hear,” Julia stumbled, her tongue, remembering the touch of his, unwilling to work properly.

Noah smiled, unaware of her social gaff. “Room 225,” he said, cupping his hand over her hand holding the key. And with a wink, he turned away.

“Thank you,” Julia whispered. She stood for a moment, unthinking, as she watched his slow gait. Then she shook her head. What was she thinking? He was a Bennett. How was he supposed to provide her with the lifestyle she wanted to live—especially since she would be disowned the moment she showed an inkling in his direction? She sighed and turned towards the stairs. She knew not how long she had been in Noah’s arms. Her lips tingled at the memory and a contented smile stole over her lips.

She ran up the stairs, and began searching for the correct room. After several wrong turns, she found herself in the hallway outside of Diana O’Leary’s—or Sheridan Crane’s—dressing room. Hearing some low voices, she ducked into the shadowed recess of one of the doorways nearby.

“Sheridan,” a male voice said, the tone deep and filled with emotion, “please stay here. Stay with me.”

“No Luis,” Sheridan replied, her voice cracking with tears. “I’m not safe here. Besides, I’m married to Brian.”

“Divorce him,” Luis urged. “Stay here with me!”

Julia gritted her teeth. What a hypocrite, she thought. His family can’t associate with the Cranes, but he can?

“No!” Sheridan countered. “I remember that I loved you,” she said quietly, “But Luis, I’m different now. I like being Diana O’Leary. I like singing and dancing in front of an audience. I like earning a living.”

“You could do that with me,” Luis snarled.

“No, I couldn’t,” Sheridan said rationally. “With you, I’d still be Sheridan Crane. And Sheridan Crane could not earn a living. She could volunteer at several charities, but she could never get up in front of a crowd. I’m sorry Luis. I won’t forget you again, but Brian and I are leaving tonight. It’s not safe for me to stay.”

“So you’re just walking out?” he pleaded, “You’re just walking out on everything we had? Everything we could have again?”

“Luis, I’m sorry. But even if I was to give up the persona of Diana, I would still be married to Brian, and he’s given me no reason to break my vows. I am content, Luis. Find someone else. I remember some of what was between us, and not all of it was good.”

“Damnit, Sheridan!” he yelled.

“Let me make my own decision, Luis. I’m going with Brian, and that is final. Don’t follow us.”

Julia heard a door shut, and flattened herself further as Luis stormed by. “I will get you Cranes for this,” he steamed at Julia. Suddenly, she felt very small against his anger.

The door opened again. “Threatening my nieces will not change my mind, Luis,” Sheridan’s voice said from her door. “Now please leave. You are not the man I remember.”

Luis punched a wall, his hair falling into his eyes.

Sheridan held out her arms for Julia. “That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Sheridan whispered into her niece’s ear. “Now what are you here for?” she asked, composing herself.

Julia glanced at the key in her hand. “I’m trying to find room 225.” I need to check on my sister.”

“Back the way you came, and make a left-hand turn. Those are the lower numbers,” Sheridan said.

“Have a good trip,” Julia whispered, and hugged her Aunt.

“We will,” Sheridan replied. “And I promise I’ll write sometime. It won’t necessarily be under my name though.”

They embraced one last time, and Julia, walking slowly and turning around a lot, left her Aunt to depart in peace. Making the left-hand turn into numbers closer to the room she was trying to find. Finally, she found 225 and slipped the key into the lock. Opening the door, she found her sister nearly asleep in Johnny’s arms. Jonathan looked up and met her eyes.

“How’s she feeling?” Julia whispered.

“I think she had some sort of shock before I found her,” he replied softly, stroking her hair.

“Where was she?”

“Out on the balcony, freezing herself. I wouldn’t have thought to look there, had I not opened the curtains to press my head against the glass. And there she was.”

“Jules?” Holly asked in a weary voice.

“I’m here, Hollis,” Julia replied.

“That’s good to know,” Holly said wearily. “Was I so stupid?” she asked.

“You’re never stupid,” Julia replied.

“But I had a crush on someone who I knew would never want me,” she protested. “I’m stupid. I knew how it would end, but my heart said otherwise. It’s like my heart and my head stopped talking…” her voice trailed off in a sniff.

Julia put a hand on her older twin’s head, gently moving it through her hair. “If I knew how to make your heart and your head talk, I would be even more rich than Grandfather Crane. But I’d give it all away, Hollis, just to see you happy.”

“I love you, Jules,” Holly mumbled.

“I love you too, Hollis,” Julia replied.

Jonathan wisely, for once, stayed silent.

“I’m tired, Jules.”

“Then go to sleep, silly,” Julia said.

Holly smiled wearily and closed her eyes. Once more, Julia and Jonathan shared a knowing glance, and all of Julia’s momentary fears about Johnny were calmed. After all, he was the same person who arranged for safe retreats from the dirty old men Grandfather Crane wanted to set her up with.

Through the open door, the strains of the orchestra stopped playing. After a long pause of relative silence, they heard in the distance the countdown to midnight.
 

Ten!
Nine!

Eight!

Seven!

Six!

Five!

Four!

Three!

Two!

One!

Happy New Year!

The orchestra began to play Auld Lang Syne and the cheering crowd drunkenly roared along with it, soft in the relative seclusion of the room, yet Julia was sure that had they been in the middle of the ball room, they would have been assaulted by the raucous off-key rendition of the traditional song. Nothing could be heard over the lusty singing.
 
 

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Not even the piercing scream of someone chilled to the bone in fright.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What was that?” Julia asked Jonathan.
He glanced around, his eyes wide in the darkness. “That sounded like my sister,” he said, shifting Holly’s weight off his lap.

“You stay here, I’ll check on Gwen,” Julia said, springing to her feet. “Take care of her,” she told Jonathan.

“We’ll be there in a second,” he said as Holly woke up in his arms.

“I had a nightmare,” Holly said, clinging blindly to his neck. “I dreamed someone was killed, and they made this terrible scream as they died!”

“That wasn’t a nightmare,” Jonathan said tersely, hauling himself and Holly to their feet.
 

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Julia had already left the room, turning down the hallway, farther away from the ballroom, towards the place where she thought she heard the scream. She saw the light of an open door spill onto the floor. She found Gwen frozen in the doorway, a hand clamped over her mouth, her eyes wide with terror. Julia gently tapped her on the shoulder. Gwen turned and stumbled into the room. Julia, getting the first look at the inside of the room had to put her hand over her mouth to stifle her own scream.
Rebecca Hotchkiss was dead.