“We’ve all said things we later regret.”
“Yes, but not all of us say things that ruin a young woman’s career.”
“I doubt very much that you’ve done that. No offense, dear. I’m sure you have influence in the show business world, but probably notthatmuch.” Sylvia reached out to clasp her hand. “You’ll find a way to make amends.”
Julia could only hope so.
With Andrew leading the way and Sylvia by her side, Julia joined her colleagues on the front verandah to await the chartered shuttles to the airport. She wore her sunglasses despite the gloomy skies and clutched her tote to her side, shivering in the cold in her inadequate jacket, offering nods and murmuring good morning to anyone who came near and made eye contact. Sylvia remained by her side for a little while, but eventually she had to move on to bid farewell to her other guests. No one else spoke to Julia or offered anything more than the barest acknowledgment of her greetings. Paige kept her distance and avoided looking in her direction so vigorously that Julia might have been amused in any other circumstances.
“Did you try the cranberry scones?”
Julia gave a start and looked to her left. Edna was peering at her over the rims of her glasses. “Sorry, what?”
“Did you try the cranberry scones?” Edna repeated slowly. “At breakfast. They were excellent.”
“Oh. No. No, I didn’t. I had yogurt and fruit, and one of the mini bran muffins.”
“Your loss. They were fantastic.” Edna grinned and patted her purse. “I packed a half dozen for the trip home. Want one?”
In spite of herself, Julia laughed, though it got caught in her throat and came out like a strangled cough. “Thanks, but I’m still pretty full from breakfast.”
“Well, if you get hungry on the plane, all you have to do is ask. You know, you left breakfast so early that you missed Sylvia’s farewell speech. It was really quite inspiring. I might come back next summer and see what regular quilt camp is all about.”
“You really should,” Julia replied, forgetting herself for a moment. “If you have any questions—”
But the shuttles had appeared in the distance, emerging from the forest, and Edna was already moving toward the nearest staircase, eager to get into a van and out of the cold.
Julia hung back to allow everyone else to claim their seats first, hoping some of her colleagues would choose both front passenger seats so she could sit among them, the better to be drawn into a conversation. Perhaps Edna had broken the ice, and the others’ frostiness would soon thaw. But the front passenger seat of the lead van had been left unoccupied, perhaps because Julia had claimed it on the inbound trip and the company assumed she wanted it back.
She settled into it, resigned. As they drove off, she watched in the rearview mirror as Elm Creek Manor receded behind them until the forest concealed it from view. She longed to return next summer, in much happier circumstances.
On the way to the airport, the conversation in the two back rows seemed quiet but pleasant, with some subdued laughter and teasing mixed in. Julia was glad to hear it. Paige was in the other van, or the entire long drive might have passed in stony silence. Later, aboard the plane, it would be far more difficult to avoid each other, but Juliamade it easier by boarding first and settling down in an aisle seat in the last row.
She had just buckled her seat belt when Nigel came down the aisle. Too embarrassed to make eye contact, she pretended to study her watch, assuming he was heading to the galley. Instead, he halted in the aisle beside her. “May I?” he inquired, indicating the empty seat to her right. “I prefer the window.”
She glanced up, and for a moment she didn’t know what to say. “You have plenty of window seats to choose from,” she pointed out, gesturing to the one in the row ahead of her and the one across the aisle.
“Yes, but that’s the only window seat next to you.”
Her throat constricting, Julia could only nod, unbuckle her seat belt, and rise, stepping into the aisle to let him pass. After they had taken their seats, Nigel offered her a kind, encouraging smile before closing his eyes and settling back for the journey. He was asleep before takeoff, but she was grateful for his company all the same.
As soon as the jet was in the air, Julia too reclined her seat, put on her sleeping mask, and pretended to doze until at last, she drifted off—
Until she woke with a jolt as her stomach dropped. Alarmed, she fumbled to remove the mask and looked around wildly, clutching her armrests, heart thudding. Nigel was idly paging through a Harry Potter novel, and in front of them, the other passengers were sitting comfortably in their seats, chatting or reading or dozing. To her left, Lindsay was watching her sympathetically from across the aisle. “We’re passing over the Rockies,” she explained. “The pilot warned us that we might encounter some turbulence.”
“Some turbulence,” Julia echoed, pressing a hand to her chest and inhaling deeply to steady her pulse. “That felt like a minute of free fall.”
Lindsay allowed a smile. “Ten seconds, maybe.”
“It felt like sixty.” Julia realized she was cringing in her seat andmade herself straighten, shoulders back, chin up. “Did I ever mention how much I dislike roller coasters?”
“You have.” Lindsay leaned upon her right armrest, coming as close as she could with her safety belt fastened. “Listen, Julia. I know today was rough. Paige is hurt and she’s not really receptive to apologies at the moment. As for the others...” She hesitated. “Well, either they don’t want to take sides, or—”
“They’ve chosen Paige’s.”
Lindsay nodded.
“I can’t blame them,” Julia admitted. “She’s the wronged heroine, and I’m the villain.”
