 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Chapter 1
Mason asked Dr Merrick out, as Julia figured, to ask him some questions concerning Mary's problems and
her own perspectives. She did not know how long it took him; she must have dozed off. When she woke up
Mason was standing there, watching her; his lips were set, his face dark.
Julia understood how complicated the situation was for him. She was grateful Mason did not seem aghast
when he learnt about her pregnancy; but really, she could not expect him to jump for joy, either. They were
not as intimate as to plan a baby together - but if they could handle the situation with dignity, probably they
still had a chance.
"Are you ready to take me home?" Julia said as cheerfully as she could.
Mason gave a start. He seemed to have woken up, too.
"What?"
"Can I go home, Mason?"
"No, not today. You're staying here tonight, tomorrow I'll come for you. - Speaking of home. Will you move in
with me, Julia?"
Julia was amazed, and for a moment speechless.
"No," she said when she recovered.
Mason came closer and sat onto the side of her bed. "Why not?" he inquired.
"Because!"
She sighed. "Because - why don't you move in with me."
"I don't because in your pretty house there's nothing Matt might need. Why don't you move in with me - with
us, I mean?"
Julia knew Mason and Mary had not planned their baby either, but also she knew he had been happy when
Mary told him she was pregnant. Well, that was not possible for him any more, was it? What Julia could do
for him now was to let him see only the bright side of her pregnancy (if there was any).
"Because," she said patiently. "Because in the morning I'm sick, and sometimes during the day, too. I feel
dizzy at times, and worried all the time, and usually hungry but I am sick and can't eat. And panicky, too.
Those hormone changes make me so - weepy and whiney. And at night, I'm always rolling and rolling, and
getting up, and running to the lavatory, and - I'm not moving in with you."
Mason seemed to give it some thought. "Okay," he said then, "whatever works best for you." He leant and
kissed her tenderly. "Try to get some rest. See you in the morning."
"Thank you, Mason." She squeezed his hand, and he got up.
*
Next week, when Mason and Julia were back to work, a catastrophe broke out.
Mr Smith announced Counsellor Wainwright was to fly to Eureka to meet a client. Of course Mr Smith did not
know Julia was to go to Dr Merrick for an examination, and he had no idea pregnant women were not
recommended to travel by air. To be honest, he did not know Julia was pregnant.
Julia tried to explain she could settle all the question very well staying in Santa Barbara. Mason was keeping
silent. He interfered only when he saw Julia was losing it.
"Let me do that, Mr Smith," Mason said in his feline manner. "We've been working on the case together with
Julia, and--"
It was all a pack of lies and nothing more, for it was the first time Mason'd ever heard of the case and the
client. But bluffing was one of the pastimes Mason was best at; so he quickly persuaded Mr Smith that he
could see to the matter much more successfully than Julia herself.
"Thank you, Mason," she said again when Smith left. There were tears in her eyes as she spoke, and Mason
looked up with suspicion.
"Have I done anything wrong?"
"No, I'm just so grateful--"
"Oh okay, then stop it please," he grumbled. He felt uneasy which was quite evident. "We don't have much
time: you must tell me all I need to know about the case."
Julia made an effort and fought back the tears. "Of course."
*
Before going to Eureka, even for two days or so, Mason had to make lots of arrangements: Matt, his own
cases, his siblings, his mother... He knew it was his duty, but it's easy to imagine what Mason felt when,
entering the hotel hall in Eureka, he saw Julia rising to greet him!
Mason asked Dr Merrick out, as Julia figured, to ask him some questions concerning Mary's problems and
her own perspectives. She did not know how long it took him; she must have dozed off. When she woke up
Mason was standing there, watching her; his lips were set, his face dark.
Julia understood how complicated the situation was for him. She was grateful Mason did not seem aghast
when he learnt about her pregnancy; but really, she could not expect him to jump for joy, either. They were
not as intimate as to plan a baby together - but if they could handle the situation with dignity, probably they
still had a chance.
"Are you ready to take me home?" Julia said as cheerfully as she could.
Mason gave a start. He seemed to have woken up, too.
"What?"
"Can I go home, Mason?"
"No, not today. You're staying here tonight, tomorrow I'll come for you. - Speaking of home. Will you move in
with me, Julia?"
Julia was amazed, and for a moment speechless.
"No," she said when she recovered.
Mason came closer and sat onto the side of her bed. "Why not?" he inquired.
"Because!"
She sighed. "Because - why don't you move in with me."
"I don't because in your pretty house there's nothing Matt might need. Why don't you move in with me - with
us, I mean?"
Julia knew Mason and Mary had not planned their baby either, but also she knew he had been happy when
Mary told him she was pregnant. Well, that was not possible for him any more, was it? What Julia could do
for him now was to let him see only the bright side of her pregnancy (if there was any).
"Because," she said patiently. "Because in the morning I'm sick, and sometimes during the day, too. I feel
dizzy at times, and worried all the time, and usually hungry but I am sick and can't eat. And panicky, too.
Those hormone changes make me so - weepy and whiney. And at night, I'm always rolling and rolling, and
getting up, and running to the lavatory, and - I'm not moving in with you."
Mason seemed to give it some thought. "Okay," he said then, "whatever works best for you." He leant and
kissed her tenderly. "Try to get some rest. See you in the morning."
"Thank you, Mason." She squeezed his hand, and he got up.
*
Next week, when Mason and Julia were back to work, a catastrophe broke out.
Mr Smith announced Counsellor Wainwright was to fly to Eureka to meet a client. Of course Mr Smith did not
know Julia was to go to Dr Merrick for an examination, and he had no idea pregnant women were not
recommended to travel by air. To be honest, he did not know Julia was pregnant.
Julia tried to explain she could settle all the question very well staying in Santa Barbara. Mason was keeping
silent. He interfered only when he saw Julia was losing it.
"Let me do that, Mr Smith," Mason said in his feline manner. "We've been working on the case together with
Julia, and--"
It was all a pack of lies and nothing more, for it was the first time Mason'd ever heard of the case and the
client. But bluffing was one of the pastimes Mason was best at; so he quickly persuaded Mr Smith that he
could see to the matter much more successfully than Julia herself.
"Thank you, Mason," she said again when Smith left. There were tears in her eyes as she spoke, and Mason
looked up with suspicion.
"Have I done anything wrong?"
"No, I'm just so grateful--"
"Oh okay, then stop it please," he grumbled. He felt uneasy which was quite evident. "We don't have much
time: you must tell me all I need to know about the case."
Julia made an effort and fought back the tears. "Of course."
*
Before going to Eureka, even for two days or so, Mason had to make lots of arrangements: Matt, his own
cases, his siblings, his mother... He knew it was his duty, but it's easy to imagine what Mason felt when,
entering the hotel hall in Eureka, he saw Julia rising to greet him!