Sliding off the bed, she got to her feet and headed for the walk-in closet to change out of the sweater dress she’d chosen for the day, that hadn’t been up to her mother’s standards.
Once she was in a pair of leggings and an oversized sweater, she pulled on a pair of thick socks and left her room, grabbing her phone as she went.
“What’s up?” Kiara asked when she opened her door in response to Angela’s knock, also having changed into comfier clothing.
“Let’s do something,” she said. “I need a distraction.”
“And you don’t want to bake?”
“No. Not today.”
Kiara leaned a shoulder against the doorjamb. “So what are you thinking?”
“Maybe we can see if Benji and Annie want to watch a movie or something.”
Kiara smiled. “That sounds like a plan.”
Angela knew all the mess of feelings would still be there later to deal with, but she needed something to buoy her up right then. And spending time with her siblings—minus Julian—seemed the way to do it.
Later, when everything wasn’t so fresh, she’d spend some time in prayer asking God to help her figure out how to sort through it all.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Jude watched as Angela climbed the stairs and disappeared without looking back at him. He wished that he could have gone up with her and just spent some time letting her talk through how she felt.
It was clear that she had mixed feelings about the meeting with Jill. As he’d told her and Duncan, he thought she’d done well. But he understood why she didn’t feel the same way.
He put a foot on the lowest step and gripped the railing. The pull to go get her and find a quiet corner in the house to talk was strong.
But it wasn’t his place. And if he took the time to do what he wanted, Duncan would wonder why his request that Jude return to the office had been ignored.
Turning from the staircase, Jude told himself he would check on her later. At the very least, he could send her a text to make the offer to talk if she needed it.
With a deep sigh, Jude returned to Duncan's office, his footsteps echoing in the empty hallway. Angela's words still lingered in his mind—her gratitude, her uncertainty. The way her eyes had clouded with something he couldn't quite name when he'd called them friends.
When he entered the office, Duncan was standing by the window, hands clasped behind his back as he gazed out at the estate grounds.
"How is she?" Duncan asked without turning around.
"Processing," Jude replied, closing the door behind him. "It was a lot to take in."
Duncan nodded, finally turning to face him and moving to his imposing chair behind the desk. "Tell me everything that happened. I want to hear the details Angelica might have left out."
Jude moved to the chair he'd occupied earlier, settling in as he recounted the meeting with Jill—her dismissive attitude toward Kiara, her thinly veiled criticisms of Angela, and the remarkable way Angela had stood her ground.
"She didn't mention how Jill tried to dismiss you from the room," Duncan noted when Jude finished.
"It wasn't really a surprise,” Jude said. “So it wasn’t important."
"It shows Jill's character hasn't changed." Duncan shook his head. "And Julian? How did he handle all this?"
"Mostly stayed silent. He didn't defend his mother, but didn't stand up for Angela either."
Duncan's expression darkened. "That sounds like Julian. Always trying to walk the middle line." He sighed. “Do you feel that I should have a meeting with her myself?”
Jude considered the question for a moment, appreciating that Duncan was interested in his opinion.
“You should probably be open to that,” Jude said. “But I’d wait to see how things unfold over the next couple of days before requesting a meeting with her.”
