Julia opened her eyes and looked at her husband's face lying next to her. She couldn't help smiling, William was so handsome. She'd never told him. She didn't need to. It seemed every other woman told him for her. She couldn't take her eyes off him. He had certainly been everything she had hoped for in a husband. He was kind and always thought of her comfort and had a deep inner passion. Whilst he didn't buy her gifts she didn't expect it from him. He'd grown up in a poor family and although he earned a decent salary it was nothing like what she could earn as a doctor. Despite all the money she had brought to the marriage he was still frugal. She accepted him as he was and she doubted he'd ever change in that regard; however he had changed a lot since she had first met him. He was a totally different man; she hardly recognized the man he used to be. He still went to church every Sunday but his beliefs had softened over the years. He now thought about things and made up his own mind. He was a true gentleman and always had been. The one thing she admired was his ability to see her side of things and never try to control her. They were partners in the marriage, though if she were to be honest with herself she would have to admit that perhaps she had the upper hand. Not that she would take advantage of the situation. She considered William's situation as much as he considered hers. It would appear though that he was quite content with the way things were. She was so lucky to have met a man like William. Why had she waited so long to be with him? What a fool she had been thinking that leaving and marrying someone else would assuage her guilt at not being able to give him the family he wanted. Instead she felt guilty for all the pain she had caused him. Throughout the whole ordeal he had never stopped loving her; but neither had she stopped loving him, and eventually the situation became untenable. She was sorry that Darcy had been murdered because of them but she couldn't be held responsible for the actions of a deranged young man. Darcy was a good man, just not the right man for her, as she soon realized. Ruby had tried to persuade her, in her own inimitable way, that she was making a mistake. Why had she not listened to her? It was all behind them now though and the two of them had finally made it to the altar. The last year had been the happiest she'd ever had. Her attention turned back to William's face; he looked so vulnerable when he was sleeping. He was of course far from vulnerable when awake; she pitied any criminal whose path crossed the Detective's.
