Malcolm stammered quite badly with many people, but he never had with her. They had been playmates as children. The first summer after Simon’s death, when they hadmet at Primrose Park, he had sympathized with her andheld her, and his own eyes had been not quite dry when hereleased her.
“We will let the children run and play,” she said, smiling.
“There is no harm in it,” he said as they strolled away toward the wood. “I like to see them enjoying themselves as they always used to do despite the fact of Uncle’s death anddespite the fact that they are all grown up now—evenViola—and are expected to behave soberly.”
“I think Julia will see to it that they never do that,” she said.
“I admire Julia,” he said. “I hope she never allows people like Aunt Sarah to dampen her spirits. Oh, sorry, Camilla.”
“Mama is sometimes harsh in her judgments,” she said. She looked up at him with interest. “You want to marryJulia, Malcolm? Are you going to try to win her hand during this month?”
He looked a little alarmed. “I don’t think she would look twice at me, Camilla,” he said. “But I suppose I should try.My parents expect it of me and it is time I married.”
“Just because of your age and who you are?” she asked.
“No,” he said. “I want to marry.”
“But it does not have to be to someone you feel obliged to offer for,” she said. “There must be many women whowould love to marry you, Malcolm, and whom you wouldwish to marry.”
“But I would have to meet them and get to know them,” he said. “That is more easily said than done in my case.What about you, Camilla? Are you getting over yourgrief?”
“Yes and no,” she said. “I will always look back on Simon with regret. We had so little time together. But lifecannot be lived in the past. Or it would be dreadfullywasted if it were. I am ready to live again.”
“And love again?” he asked. “And marry?”
“If I were to meet the right man,” she said with a smile.
“But he would have to be very special. After knowing Simon, I could not settle for less.”
“You will find him, Camilla,” he said. “There must be many men who would love to marry you.”
“There. Now we have flattered each other and made each other feel good,” she said with a laugh. “Should we picksome bluebells, do you think? Aren’t they glorious? Butthey will not last all the way back to the house, will they? Isuppose we might as well let them live out their span in theplace where they belong and look best.”
7
Nobody else had taken up Augustus's challenge to race up the hill. It was most wise of them, Julia thought as she collapsed, panting and laughing at the top. Itwas far too hot a day to do anything more strenuous thancrawl.
“I wish you would not do that, Gussie,” she said, the crossness of her voice belied by her laughter. “How manytimes have I told you not to? If you are going to pass me,do it early enough that I will not get my hopes up. I shall goto my grave with the ambition of beating you in a raceblighted.”
“I would let you win, Jule,” he said. “But the only time I tried that you hurled yourself at me, fists and feet flying,teeth gnashing, and tongue wagging. It seems I was a littletoo obvious about it.”
“I was ten years old,” she said, “or thereabouts. Perhaps you should try it again, Gussie.”
“No thanks,” he said cheerfully. “Your feet and hands and teeth are bigger and your tongue longer. Besides, I offered to give you a head start.”
She got to her feet and brushed herself down. “Let’s go into the courtyard,” she said. “I have just realized what ashocking display that was, Gussie. Aunt Sarah has probablyswooned quite away, and Daniel is probably wishing thatGrandpapa were still alive so that he could recommend mefor a spanking as he always used to do.”
“No, no, Jule,” he said. “Be fair. He only used to tell you that you deserved a walloping. He never bore tales to Uncle.”
“Grandpapa would just have laughed anyway,” she said. “Oh, those were the days, weren’t they, Gussie? I wish wecould have them back. Don’t you wish we could be children again?”
“Not particularly, Jule,” he said. “On the whole I prefer to be an adult.”
She sighed. “Well, that is where men and women differ,” she said. “Men grow toward freedom while women growinto captivity. Life is the unfairest thing there ever was.”
The others came straggling into the courtyard too after a few minutes. Only grass and a few stubborn mounds ofstones remained of what must have been a bustling community in Norman times. But the shell was almost intact. Afew round towers still stood among the battlements. And asalways they were irresistible.
“Let’s go up,” Julia said. “I want to see the countryside.”
