Julia slept surprisingly well considering the events of the previous night. No doubt the laudanum had something to do with that. In any case she awoke with a start when she heard rumblings in the next room. Glancing to her side, she saw that Ruby was no longer there and assumed it to be her, but listening more closely, realized there was a man speaking!
If she let some strange man into my apartment, so help me...
She forced herself to get up even though she'd rather sleep all day and quickly threw a robe over her nightgown. Another thought crossed her mind and she grabbed a candle holder, ready to use it if necessary. Then she flung the door open and prepared to strike.
Ruby and William blinked up at her with confusion and surprise. They were sitting on the ground beside a little Christmas tree, hanging ornaments on the lowest branches. There were a few presents wrapped in brown paper beneath.
Because of what had happened yesterday, neither of them laughed, though William raised an eyebrow.
"Ah!" said Ruby gayly, "There you are sister! We were hoping to be finished before you awoke but it seems you beat us to it!"
"Oh," was all Julia could muster. She placed the candle holder on the table and went over to them.
"Care to help us decorate?" asked William.
"I'd be delighted to."
So they got to work, covering every inch of the four foot fir beauty. Julia and William tried to work methodically, in a continuous spiraling line, but Ruby just threw them on haphazardly, ruining whatever they put together. Julia could tell that she was fast becoming bored with this exercise, just like she had as children, just like she did with everything. That got her thinking back to happier times when her mother had still been alive and she and father had lifted both of them up high in order to decorate the middle branches of the always gigantic beasts. It required half a dozen servants on long ladders to reach anything higher. As such, she had never gotten to put the star on top of the tree as they had forbidden her from climbing so high. Of course she had tried once or twice, but had been caught red handed and severely punished. Which is to say that they had given her some of those dreadful dolls as presents instead of things she had asked for.
With the decorations complete, save for the star, things might have gotten out of hand if not for William. Both sisters had reached for it at the exact same time, likely thinking the exact same thing, and now sharing the exact same annoyed expression as they tugged on it between them.
"I'm the youngest," complained Ruby, "and besides, I'm your guest!"
A guest who insinuated herself into my life without so much as a word of thank you!
"And this is my home, I think I should reserve the right for this honour." Muttering darkly, "Especially after last night."
"Now ladies," began William but stopped short when they glared at him.
"Stay out of this, William!" snapped Julia.
"Yes, this is between my sister and I!"
He worked up more courage and said quickly, "If it weren't for your sister, Julia, we wouldn't even have a tree to put a star on. This whole thing was her idea."
She stopped struggling momentarily and said, "Is this true, Ruby?"
"Yes. I wanted to make it up to you so I contacted Wil-" Julia glowered at her, "Mr. Murdoch early this morning and we managed to find this exquisite specimen in the woods nearby." With that thought in mind Ruby relented and let her big sister have the star. "I'm sorry, Jules, this isn't really the best way to smooth things over, now is it?"
Julia sighed, "Don't apologize, Ruby, I quite understand your thinking." She smiled. "I have a compromise. How about we both put the star on together?"
Ruby smiled too and together the silver star was lifted into place, sparkling faintly in the sunlight streaming through the curtained window.
All three of them stood back to admire their handiwork, William's arm draped loosely across her waist. With so little material between the two of them, she felt his touch all the more keenly. While it would have been nice to have just been the two of them, it was also nice to see her sister again, as long as she continued to behave herself. She thought of her father then and wished it were possible to call him from such a long distance. If anyone could accomplish such a feat, it would likely be the man standing next to her, but he was rather preoccupied with James and his vision of ocean domination. But maybe someday...
After some blissful silence she said, "Well, shouldn't we open the presents now?"
The other two nodded and she went into her bedroom to grab William's gift, only to find that it wasn't there!
"Looking for this?" asked Ruby from across the room, holding up a familiar looking package with some difficulty.
"Ruby," she said with a forced calm, "did you go snooping through my things while I was asleep?"
"Only to find this," her sister said warily. "I didn't think you would mind-"
"I most certainly do mind!" Julia snapped. "How would you like it if-"
William cleared his throat and she glared at him again. His expression seemed to say, 'can't you let bygones be bygones just this once and enjoy this time together?'
Julia huffed and remained silent, arms crossed tightly against her chest.
"Forgive me, Jules, I-"
"Save it!" she barked.
An uncomfortable silence ensued for far too long, neither sister looking at the other.
Finally William shrugged and took Julia's present out of Ruby's clutches, gently unwrapped Julia's arms from her bosom and handed her his present. She stared at him then.
"I believe you have something for me."
"William-"
"It's rude to keep people waiting, Julia." He smirked, "Especially such handsome ones."
She tried not to smile then but failed. "Oh take the blasted thing then," she said thrusting it into his waiting hands.
"Why thank you, Julia."
He dispensed with the paper in seconds and revealed a medium sized wooden box. It was quite nicely varnished and shined a little from time to time. William opened it to reveal a wide variety of tools that would be very useful for his current profession.
"I love it," he said quietly, catching her eyes.
Somehow she knew he wasn't just talking about the present and couldn't help but smile again.
"I thought you might."
They shared the look for a few seconds more and then he put his present aside, and led her by the hand, past Ruby and to the sofa. He bent over to pick up her present and she stared at his firm backside for a moment before she realized her sister was standing right there. As she glanced away, she caught Ruby's smirk and their eyes met. Julia was embarrassed until William stood up again and handed her the gift.
"I won't claim it to be as nice as what you got me but I hope it will suffice."
"I'm sure I'll love it, whatever it is."
Unwrapping quickly, she found herself struggling not to frown. He had given her a book. That in itself would have been fine for she loved to read but it was a book of poetry, bad poetry by none other than the infamous McGonagall! She hid her disappointment as best as she could, plastering a fake smile across her face. This might have sufficed to fool him if not for Ruby.
"Oh dear! McGonagall! How dreadful!"
Julia scowled at her and Ruby clamped a hand across her mouth. William's own smile vanished as well.
"It's lovely, William," said Julia hastily. Glaring at her sister, "Ruby doesn't know what she is saying."
"Really?" he asked unbelieving, downtrodden, "Because I can always get you something else. It's just, I know how you like a good laugh and the man at the bookstore said-"
Before he could get another word out she had grabbed him and kissed him full on the mouth, not caring that her younger sister was still present.
"Well all right then," he breathed out afterwards. "I believe you."
They both started to laugh and Ruby joined in and the rest of the day went by in a happy blur.
A few days later when a kind of equilibrium had been reached between the two sisters, Julia broached a sensitive topic.
"I'm not sure how to say this delicately Ruby, but I will do my best." Her sister looked at her expectantly...and later reluctantly. "That first night when you arrived...you...well, you made it seem as though you had something to hide..."
Confusedly, "What on earth are you talking about, Jules?"
Julia thought her sister probably knew exactly what she meant.
"Well, when I mentioned that you kick in your sleep, you were quite adamant that you did not in fact do that anymore. I asked how you knew this and well...your response was rather strange I thought."
For a split second she hesitated and then smiled. "Oh, you thought-" she laughed. "I had a sleepover with Rebecca recently and we shared her bed. She's the one who informed me that I am no longer afflicted with that particular foible."
If that was the case, then why had she behaved so strangely?
Raising an eyebrow, "Ruby, I want you to tell me the truth."
"That is the truth," she muttered, crossing her arms against her chest, eerily reminiscent of her sister on Christmas morning.
"I won't be mad and I won't tell father. I promise."
No response.
Julia sighed and said, "If you are going to be sexually active, there are certain precautions you should take."
Ruby started to blush faintly and avoided all eye contact with her sister.
"I just want you to be safe and remain healthy. And as I am studying to be a doctor, I have a pretty good idea of the best ways."
Still no response.
Sighing again, "When you are ready we can discuss this further. Just know that I am always there for you and always will be."
Julia got up to leave but Ruby called her back. And so commenced an extremely lengthy, awkward conversation between the two sisters but by the end of it, they were both better for it and their relationship was stronger than it had been in many years. So it was that when Ruby left again just after new years, Julia was quite sad to see her go.