The Twelve Tables Ch. 14

Authors Note: Thank you to everyone left comments or sent me feedback about previous chapters of this story. Thank you to Margaret who proofread for me. I hope you enjoy this chapter. ~ellie

"I need to get away for a few days," Peri said watching Pete as he filled in her chart. "My face is almost better, and my shoulder seems fine." He turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"It will be at least another two weeks until your cast comes off, I think you should wait before doing any more travelling," He said cautiously. "Any reason you need to get away?" he asked putting emphasis on the word need.

"Forget I mentioned it," Peri sighed. She should have known better than to ask him, of all people, but she wanted to know that she was not going to get dizzy or faint anymore. She just wanted to drive up the coast for a couple of days and clear her head. She hadn't had a moment alone since coming back from Canberra to herself.

"Are you sleeping well?" Pete frowned. "Any more nightmares?"

"No the tablets you gave me work well," she lied. "Is that it?" she asked brightly, sitting up and resuming the mask she had shown to the world since Nik had been given a life sentence.

"Why don't you go to the farm if you're feeling claustrophobic in this room," he looked around at the clutter of her life. He didn't think she had thrown anything away since high school.

"No," she shook her head with a soft laugh, "I am not ready for that."

"I wouldn't be happy if you were to dash off somewhere alone, if that is what you are thinking," he said seriously. "You still need time to heal. You've been through a great deal of trauma both physically and emotionally."

"Yeah I had a front row seat for it," she said sarcastically. "No one is about to let me forget that for more than five minutes in a day, as if I could forget," she waved her cast at him.

"It's only because we care that we want to make sure you are healing," he said apologetically. "Have you given any more thought to seeing a counsellor?"

"It's fine. I'm sorry I wasn't thinking about all of that. I just want to to do my own thing instead of having people babysit me every moment of the day," she sighed softly.

"Think about the farm, only Antonia would be there at the moment, Carlo works from dawn til late so you would hardly see him and since Angelo lives on the other side of the property you would virtually be alone," Pete suggested again.

"I can't go there. Everyone says they don't blame me, but Antonia must be hurting about Nik being convicted," Peri said sadly. "I need to get away from that feeling, not run toward the centre of it," she said.

"Think about it," he suggested. "You might be surprised by how happy Antonia would be to see you," he smiled encouragingly and picked up his case. "Call me if you need anything at all, even just an ear to talk to that isn't strictly family."

"You and Charles might as well be," she laughed at the idea. "I'll think about it," she assured him and stood to walk him to the door.

"How'd it go?" Andie asked as she came back into the kitchen.

"No time off for good behaviour, two more weeks," she held up her cast.

"Best to let it heal properly," Andie consoled her.

"When are you going back to work?" Peri asked her mother, "You can't stay home with me forever."

"Tomorrow, Bianca asked me for some advice now that she is starting to show," Andie said with a smile. "I thought it wouldn't hurt to get back into it slowly since you seem so much like your old self."

"I'm glad I don't want you stuck here with me all the time," Peri sat on one of the stools that lined the kitchen bench. "Are you going into the city?"

"No, we're going to the DFO out near the airport, would you like to come," I'm sure Bianca wouldn't mind," Andie offered.

"No thanks, I am not sure I could manage a whole day of shopping," she laughed good-naturedly knowing how she still looked even four weeks after her injuries. "I could use a bit of pampering, though, if you could drop me off at the salon I can catch a cab home."

"Oh gosh what a great idea! Why don't we book a spa day for Friday and get the works done, hair, nails, waxing, massages? It's been forever since I've had a proper cleansing massage. That little place out near the bay did those wonderful whole body sea salt exfoliating treatments," Andie enthused. "I could use a bit of pampering too."

"Sure," Peri agreed enjoying Andie's enthusiasm. She had just wanted a leg wax because she had so much trouble showering with a cast and maybe a trim for her hair but she thought she could handle a day of forced relaxation somewhere other than here. "We can afford to go anywhere you want now, what about one of those places that have a salt room?"

"Do you think we could? Let's look online and see what we can book?" She came out of the kitchen and sat at the table where her laptop was. Peri was enjoying Andie's enthusiasm. She had been so good to her through everything that had happened. She had gotten Peri out of the Battaglia hospital, and stayed by her side night and day without complaint. She had helped her bathe and eat and do everything and anything the first week. She had put her life on hold to come to Canberra and be with her during Nik's trial. She had run interference between her and Josh, which couldn't have been easy and she had gone above and beyond anything she had ever done for Peri before.

Peri knew she owed her mother much, much, more than a spa day. As soon as the guilty verdict had been delivered Peri's lawyer had filed for damages, it had been settled out of court and Peri had been awarded more than she had asked for. All she had wanted was the money to pay her lawyer and any ongoing medical costs, so she wasn't reliant on Josh, who had not given her a choice but to accept the medical treatment he had organised for her when she was first injured. Her lawyer though had taken into account loss of income and asked for damages for mental and emotional distress caused as well as the hardship to her family who had to accompany her interstate for the trial. She had become a millionaire overnight, and she knew that if she invested it wisely, she would never have to work again.

"Wow, look at this place!" Andie said delightedly turning the laptop so Peri could get a better look at the exclusive spa's web page.

Peri read aloud, "Opal Rasul Steam Temple, includes Skin Brushing, Three Signature Muds, Detoxifying Steam Rain Shower and Hydration. This is a popular experience for friends to enjoy together, the temple can accommodate up to three adults and is a sultry one-hour journey of mud therapy, warm steam, and tropical rain showers. This ancient cleansing ritual involves covering the body in mineralised body masks to powerfully detox and purify your skin throughout the spa journey. Perfect for up to three people."

"Doesn't it sound divine?" She asked.

"It does but do they do the other stuff there, like waxing? I am starting to look like a yeti," Peri laughed and held up one of her legs.

"The only thing I can see that they don't do is hair, but if we went to the one in the city we could do that as well," Andie grinned. "This is going to be so much fun!" She was happy about the idea of a spa day, but she was overjoyed that Peri was willing to start going out again.

They spent some time going through the website and choosing the treatments they might like before Andie finally made a phone call to see if they could book in to get the things done that they wanted. Peri lay on the couch listening to her mother on the phone and smiled. It felt good to be making some plans to do something fun. She was tired of being wrapped in cotton wool.

She may not be able to get away for a few days alone, but perhaps with Andie going back to work she could start doing a few of the things she wanted to do on her own. Starting with getting something fun to read. She'd enjoyed a manuscript Josh had let her read by a first-time author. For a fiction book, the story seemed unbelievably real to her as she recovered from her injuries. She had downloaded several books to her tablet, but she missed the smell and feel of a solid book and turning real pages.

She could catch a taxi to where she wanted to go, but she knew that while she still bore the bruises on her face to remind every one of her injuries that they would not let her go alone in case, she got dizzy and fainted again. It hadn't happened for over a week, but she knew she had scared Andie and Josh when it had occurred last time.

"Andie," Peri said rolling to her side and craning her neck to look at her mother who still sat at the table. "Where did the drivers come from in Canberra? The ones who drove us to and from the courthouse?"

"The lawyers organised them I think," Andie said uncertainly. "It was much better than taking a cab."

"I was thinking about doing a few things by myself, nothing important just going to the library and hairdresser, it might be handy to have a driver, more reliable than a taxi and I don't think I could handle the bus just yet."

"I can take you," Andie said frowning.

"You and Josh have put your businesses on hold long enough for me," Peri said. "I just want a little more freedom. Sometimes I just want to go and get some Fro-Yo. If I could just call a driver, I could do that even when you're working, and you wouldn't have to worry about leaving me stranded here at home."

"Why don't you talk to Josh about it, see if he says it's a good idea. If he thinks it would be okay then I'll agree," Andie said to compromise but not liking the idea.

"You both realise I'm a grown woman and can do whatever I want, right?" Peri rolled her eyes and huffed turning onto her back ending the conversation. She brooded for a few minutes her mind wandering. It wouldn't hurt to talk to Josh about wanting to get out and do things to make herself feel normal again. She looked at her watch and sighed loudly, it would be hours before he finished work. Feeling normal would mean being able to look after herself again. She knew he wanted that as much as she did.

*****

"Lawrence has informed Nik that the family won't fund an appeal against the conviction, and all her funds have been frozen by the courts," Romey informed his brothers. "She has no choice but to accept the verdict."

"She had very little money in her name when they caught her anyway," Jules shrugged.

"So she stays in Canberra? She doesn't have to come up here to face the other charges?" Josh asked.

"The paperwork has been filed, but the judgement deferred. If she ever gets out on parole the Queensland authorities will pick her up, and she will go on trial again," Romey said.

"They could sentence retrospectively if she pleads guilty and behaves while she is imprisoned," Jules added putting a slightly positive spin on the news.

"So life goes on," Dante said. "It's not going to do anyone any good to keep going over the details. It's over, time to move on. At least, we've got some celebrations to look forward to. A couple of new nephews, and a proper engagement party. You can get Peri to invite all her single hot friends for Carlo to make a fool of himself over and add to the entertainment."

"Shit D. let the girl recover," Ben said saving Josh from having to admit that Peri hadn't wanted to talk about the future. She hadn't given him the ring back, but she refused to talk about the plans they had made before the trial whenever he brought it up.

"She's gotta be going crazy being stuck in that house twenty-four seven," Dante said. "Things will get back to normal pretty soon. I'll call her tomorrow and ask her when she's coming back to work," he grinned. "That should cheer her up, the thought of spending all day with me again."

"She'd probably quit if you remind her about that, better to focus on the artefacts if you want her back," Josh chuckled not wanting to be drawn into a conversation about his and Peri's relationship.

"When are the babies due?" Maryann asked happy to change the subject.

"July," Ben and Jules replied in unison.

"What about you Josh have you set a date yet?" She asked with a grin.

"Dates have been the last thing on our minds lately," Josh said evasively.

"You're all mean you know that," Maryann pouted, upset that no one had asked her why she was worried about the timing of family events.

"They're men you have to spell it out for them," Lucia rolled her eyes at her brothers. "They still think your twelve and at school."

"It's okay," Maryanne shrugged. "I just won't invite them to my wedding, and they can go on believing that." She grinned at her big brother's waiting for them to become the overbearing, overprotective men she loved.

For the next half hour, Maryanne enjoyed the interrogation they gave her despite being outwardly petulant at being treated like a child. It was Josh who hugged her tightly first and congratulated her.

"I'm happy and don't worry about me you pick whichever date you like, we'll work around you, it's your turn to shine. I don't know that they can change the babies' minds about being born in July though," he chuckled.

"Have you tried telling one of my kids what to do?" Jules grumbled. "The dog is the only one in my house that listens to me, and that's only when I have a handful of treats!"

"Now if it were my wife, there would be no problem," Romey said seriously. "Carmen would die rather than miss a family wedding. She would just command that child not to come until the time was right."

"I imagine mine will be early if that helps," Ben said, "Emily's listening to Pete though and resting as much as she can so you never know."

"At least, one of my patients is listening to me," Pete chuckled walking in and taking a seat. "What did I miss?"

"Let me help you out," Josh said with a smile and began pointing at his siblings, "Baby on the way, baby on the way, wedding, best-selling author," he smirked at Lucia, "And the three most boring men on earth. He is harbouring delusions of grandeur, though," Josh indicated Dante.

"So nothing interesting then," Pete nodded ignoring Maryanne's dramatic sigh and hiding his smile.

"Honestly, I don't know why I tell you guys anything, at least, Lucia was excited for me," she complained.

"You remember that nervous dude at the vineyard on New Year's Eve?" Ben asked Pete. Then they all began to start teasing Maryanne again.

"How'd it go with Peri?" Josh asked Pete.

"She's healing faster than expected. I think she wants to start getting out and doing things for herself which is always a good sign," Pete said easily not wanting to betray Peri but having enough concern about her need to get away to want to warn Josh. "I think she may be ready for a change of scenery. I asked her to hold off on making any plans until her cast comes off before doing more than a short outing."

"I guess that's good then," Josh said thoughtfully. He looked up at Lucia, who had been listening in on their conversation. They'd become a great deal closer through all of the drama of the trials.

"Maybe it's time I invited her to lunch, had a little girl bonding time with my future sister-in-law," she smiled. "Wouldn't hurt to give her a change of scenery and people," she laughed. "We could get a car from Al's for the day and maybe go up to Paragons near the winery. I know Marisol has been sick with worry about her."

"I'm not sure she would accept," Josh said cautiously, "But no harm in asking."

"I need to get back to work," Josh said with a smile and farewelled his family. Now that everything had settled down he was enjoying the challenge of taking on a new business. The company he took over offered a range of services from ghostwriting to manuscript editing, typesetting, book cover designs, ebooks, as well as printing and binding for paperback and hardback books. Now in addition to this, he would add book marketing and distribution packages which would include national and global distribution channels.

He'd done his homework on the company he bought and was pleased with the way the staff had handled the transition to new ownership. They were all good people who excelled in their specialities and were looking forward to the breath of fresh air that Josh promised to bring to their workplace.

Louisa had been a godsend. She had been steadfastly loyal and handled a constant stream of communication between the staff and himself during Nik's trial. She had stepped up into the executive assistant role as if she had been doing it for years and he was beyond grateful for the long hours she had been putting in with him and for him. He'd make it up to her once everything was put in place.

*****

Peri had surprised even herself with how quickly she had agreed to a lunch date with Lucia. She had prevaricated at first saying that she couldn't even cut her food by herself let alone contemplate going to a restaurant. Lucia had just laughed and told her about a wonderful risotto that she knew Peri would love. She had made a couple of feeble excuses about her appearance which Lucia shut down easily with a wine soaked laugh and Peri had agreed to a day out.

Peri woke early and dressed in jeans to hide her unkempt legs and a loose shirt she could pull on easily despite her damaged arm and shoulder. She hadn't been anywhere since returning from Canberra where her mother had still had to help her dress each morning, and she had worn nothing but a wide array of comfortable pyjamas since then. It felt good to be getting ready to leave the house. She slipped her cast through the padded loops of her sling and went to see if Andie was awake to help with her hair. She desperately wanted to be able to do it for herself, but she still had trouble reaching back to put it up, and it was in bad condition, so she didn't want to leave it down as she had been doing.

It wouldn't have been so bad, she thought, if it had been her left arm and shoulder that were incapacitated. She was constantly frustrated by having to use her left hand to try and do the normal things. Andie was also up early, and Peri could smell breakfast before she got to the kitchen.

"Good morning, how did you sleep?" Andie smiled and slid an omelette onto a plate.

"Fine," Peri said and took a seat at the table with her mother.

"That's a pretty shirt. Did you want to see how some makeup feels? It might soften the bruising a little bit," she asked trying to say it lightly, so Peri didn't become even more self-conscious about the damage that still showed on her face.

"That would be good if you have time," Peri said lifting her hand to her face. "It doesn't hurt much anymore, if we use a soft sponge, I think it will be okay. Not too much, though," she warned her mother out of habit.

"I know baby, I have learned a thing or two about you over the last six months," Andie gave a small laugh.

An hour later Peri took a last look in the mirror, amazed at how much better she felt just from a little makeup and having her hair put up properly. The idea that she could start getting her life back on track and doing normal things seemed more real somehow. She picked up her handbag and hugged her mother goodbye before walking out to the waiting car with Lucia.

"You're looking so good," Lucia said enthusiastically. "I haven't seen you since that morning I ran into you in Canberra."

"I think I am feeling better just from getting out for the day, thank you again for the invitation," Peri said with a smile as the driver helped her into the car. "I didn't realise we would have a driver," she said curiously.

"I don't drive anywhere," Lucia admitted. "I enjoy a glass of wine with lunch too much," she said acknowledging the fact that she drank to excess quite often.

"I wanted to thank you for what you said to me the first morning of the trial," Peri said after they had driven for a for minutes. "I wasn't ready to hear it, and I reacted badly at the time, but I appreciated what you tried to do."