Chapter 11
"There we are, my darling," said Caroline as she lay Kim in what she knew was going to be the biggest bed she had ever slept in. She could only hope the kids would all have a good lie in she thought as she looked at Roman who was sleeping next to his sister.
She had a feeling that they were going to need it. And if they did not then they were going to be terrors the next day.
Roman was the only one of the kids who had woke up to get off the plane himself when they had got to Greece. He had been the only one to feel the immense hear as he had walked down on to the tarmac on the runway.
As for Kim, her mother had carried her down and Kayla had been carried by Victor.
Caroline was not sure what her little son had make of the house as they had driven up to it. She was not sure what she had made of it – it had been rather dark. All she knew was there were those who would call this a palace compared to the market - not that she was one of them. The Market had been her palace.
Yet here, there were high ceilings and marbled floors and if they were here on holiday then she was sure she would be delighted but this was no holiday - this was their new life. It would be a pretty cage to be sure.
They had walked upstairs to a comfortable guest room where Caroline could tuck her children in for the night – that was the only task she had to think of right then.
She could think about the house tomorrow.
She did not remember when she had last been this tired.
"I thought given what a long day it was for all three of them they did very well," said Victor from behind her and she shut her eyes. For just a moment she wished she could be on her own with her baby.
That was what she needed.
"They did," she said as she brushed a strand of her hair out of Kim's face. She could ask no more of her baby girl. She had been so brave – all of them had.
Victor looked at Caroline. It was quite clear to him that the strain had not only been on the kids that day and it was always at the forefront of his mind that she was with child. He had to take care of them both. It was his duty and his honour.
"Now the two of them are settled, why don't the two of us retire to bed. You look exhausted," he said to her in what he hoped was a comforting time. Now they were here, they should be rekindling them he thought. They had died a death of late, that was for sure…
Now they were truly together he wanted to bring them back to where they should be.
"No – no, I think I am going to stay here and be with the children tonight," She knew he was not going to like that but there was not a lot about that she could do.
Victor bit his tongue and felt as if he should have seen something of this ilk coming – and he was not sure if he could blame her for that. This was for now a strange place for them and no doubt if they awake and their mother was gone, they were going to be upset.
She was such a good mother and she was going to be that kind of good mother to their baby as well.
That was his comfort for that night. Their baby was going to be lucky to have her.
"Very well – then we can make our plans tomorrow," he said to her as he rubbed the back of her shoulders for just a moment. She nodded but did not show a lot of other acknowledgement which he thought was a shame – all he wanted to do was give her some comfort. But that would come in time.
"I will see you in the morning," she said to him and he could not help but think there used to be a bit more warmth in her voice when she spoke to him.
But they had all had a long day – and tomorrow was a new one. A night's sleep was going to reset them all. That was all she needed, wasn't it?
"Goodnight sweetheart," he said as he kissed her forehead and then left her to her vigil by the children's bedroom. He turned just as he was about to leave – there was something on the tip of his tongue which he wanted to say to her – he only wished he knew what it was.
He therefore made his way down the corridor to his own bedroom, which he had hoped that evening to be 'their bedroom' and hoped for a better day tomorrow.
X x x
"Mama," all it took was a word from her daughter and Caroline was wide awake. She felt as if she was on alert all night waiting got her children to wake up. But they had slept all night and now the sun was streaming into the room they had slept in.
They must have been exhausted.
However, here they were on a new day. And it was time for it to begin.
"I am here," Caroline said as she got up and kissed her forehead.
It was then she heard Kayla stirring and a quick look over the bed told her Roman was waking too.
"Where are we?" asked Kimberly. If she had not been asleep on the plane, then she had been in tears and none of it had sunk in.
Not really.
"We are with your Uncle Victor on holiday in Greece, do you remember?"
Kimberly nodded and Caroline felt the need to jump in for fear she was going to talk about Shawn.
"Why don't we go and find him and see if we can get a bit of breakfast?" she said as she looked at the two kids and then at her little baby.
"I am hungry," admitted Roman as he jumped out of bed and his mother picked up Kayla. Caroline did not think it was a big surprise.
They had had a big day and a long night behind them.
"Come on then my darlings," she said.
"Are we going to see daddy today?" Kimberly asked with hope in her eyes.
So, they were not going to get to breakfast until they had had that question after all thought her mother.
"No – not today we're not," Caroline admitted as she kissed the top of her little one's head. Both of her big siblings looked as if they had follow up questions to ask on that one, but their mother rushed them out the room.
Until she had had a coffee, she did not think she was in any state to talk to them about their father.
"Come on then," she said as she held out her hand to Kimberly.
And off they went to the dining room, making their way down the vast staircase to get there and having to ask a maid on the way what way it was.
Caroline had maids now. She did not think she could quite believe the way her life had changed. And she did not think she was ever going to get used to it.
"Good morning sweetheart," said Victor as they all came into the room. Like the rest of the house the breakfast room was large, light and airy, not dark at all mused Caroline. The sort of room which should encourage relaxation. But Caroline did not think she had ever been so tightly wound.
Victor thought the children looked as if they were brighter than they had been the night before, but he was not sure if his love was. Caroline could not have, he thought to himself, got a good night's sleep when she had been in the chair next to the children all night but – but he had known he was not going to get her to leave the children the night before.
"Good morning," she said to him as she put Kayla in the highchair which he had ensured was ready for her.
Caroline sighed. He really had worked all of this out she thought to herself.
"Children," Victor smiled as he greeted them.
"Morning Uncle Victor," Roman replied whilst Kimberly shut her eyes and tried to hide in her mother's skirt.
Yes, thought Victor, he was going to have to work for the girls trust.
But he was going to get there. They all were. He was not going to make a thing of it.
"How did you sleep Roman?"
"Good!" the lad replied.
"Well that is good," Victor nodded.
Before Caroline knew it the children had eaten and were getting fidgety. If Kimberly left gaps in the conversation, then her brother was more than willing to fill the silences, but once his bowl of cereal was empty, it was apparent the lad didn't want to sit there anymore. But nor did he want to go off on his own.
"Mama, can Kimmie and I go and explore?" Roman asked with a big grin.
"Well, I do not mind at all if the two of you go and play," said Caroline as she smiled at her son and daughter.
If anything, she thought that was going to be a good thing as it was going to give her and Victor the time, they needed to make some plans. It would give them time just to talk. She didn't think they had had that since they had left America.
And she knew they did need to do that.
"But stay in the house," she said to the two of them as they run off. She did not want them to go outside – especially not with the pool there.
"We will mama," said Roman as they left the room. As they did so, for the first time since they had got here, Caroline thought she saw a smile on her daughter's face. The little girl had seemed as if she was still somewhat subdued to her mother, despite the smile but that might change in time now.
It was going to take time to settle in here, something they had not even begun to do really and Caroline knew they could not rush anything.
So, asides from Kayla, Victor and Caroline were left alone for the first time since they had got to Greece. Yes, she was quiet and no it was not as Victor had thought it was going to be – but he had been right when he had thought this was going to be so much better for them than it was to be apart. He was sure he was right when it came to that.
"How did they sleep?" he asked. Roman may have already answered – but he felt as if the two of them needed to break the ice on this conversation.
"Well," she said as she leaned to get another bit of toast. Better than she had thought they were going to.
"That's good. I hope they can do so tonight as well. We can settle them in to their rooms before this evening," he said to her. Somehow, he felt as if it was important for them to get going settling them quickly – and that meant they could establish something like a routine as fast as possible.
"Rooms?" asked Caroline.
"There are plenty here – there is no need for the two of them to share anymore." He said to her by way of explanation. "Do you not want them in their own rooms?"
They always shared when they had been at home.
And if she was honest, she was not sure that she wanted them to go through any more change right then than they had already. But it was a big house. And they were not going to stay young forever. So, there was a voice in her which said they should start as they mean to go on.
"I – I think maybe it is a good idea," she nodded. If they were going to deal with this then it was time to do so head on.
She did not want to settle them and then change the routine for a further time. That would not be right or fair.
"And what about Kayla? Do you want her to be in with us?" he asked. He was trying hard to do the right thing, to say and do the right thing. But suddenly she knew she was not as ready to deal with things head on as she had hoped.
Victor and Kayla could not share a room. It wasn't right.
"I think – I think until they are settled here – the children – Kayla and I should have our own room. I do not want them to come and find me in the night if they should need to and –" her voice died.
But he heard what she meant.
See me in the bed with you.
The only man they should see her in bed with was their real father and she did not want that to change. She knew they were not going ready for it to change.
Victor had to admit this was not what he thought life in Greece was going to be at all. He had thought when they got here, they were going to live as man and wife. It seemed as if it was not the case, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt that if he put more pressure on then he would never get where he wanted.
He would be lying if he said he was not frustrated...
"You do understand?" she said to him with hope in her eyes – that they would not argue in front of Kayla. He had to understand.
"Yes – yes, I do but I do want us to be in our own room in the end," he said measuredly. But time he could give her – though it would not be unlimited forever.
She nodded. "We will be." She assured him.
Eager to move along the conversation, she cleared her throat and changed the subject to another part of the children life which needed to be arranged so the children could get used to the new normal.
"We need to find new schools for the children."
"I've looked into it – and I have some recommendations." He said to her and the only thought in her head was of course he had.
He felt as if he had done the research so she did not have to. And the truth of it was he intended to keep offering and getting her help until she had all she needed.
"I am going to look after you darling – all of you." He said and for the first time their eyes met.
She was reminded off the fact he loved her. And he was a family man. And they were going to be ok.
"I know you are," she murmured and reaching out, she took his hand in her own.
And there they stayed for a while, with Kayla babbling in the background…
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