“What you want is the thrill of danger, Jule,” Augustus said. “You could see the countryside from the top of thehill.”
“You want the romance of it, Jule,” Frederick said. “You want to picture yourself as the lady of the castle gazing outat her lord’s domain.”
“The stairs are crumbling away quite badly,” the earl said, strolling toward the group from one of the towers.“They look even more dangerous than they used to be. Iwould recommend not taking the risk of climbing them.”
“Ah,” Stella said, “then we had better stay down here. What a pity.”
“I used to love going up there,” Viola said. “But I always hated coming down. The stairs are so steep and winding.”
“Gussie?” Julia looked at him eagerly. If anyone else had pointed out the danger of the stairs, perhaps she would havelistened. Perhaps. But it had been Daniel.
“Yes, Jule,” Augustus said, squinting up at the battlements. “I know you can’t resist. Neither can I, actually. Let’s go.”
Julia was almost disappointed that the earl made no further attempt to stop her from going. She and Augustus went alone. The stairs, winding up inside one of the towers,fairly wide at the outside wall, narrowing to nothing at thecenter column, were indeed in bad repair. In one place thewider part of three successive stairs had crumbled away tolittle more than a heap of loose stones. They had to scramble up, using hands as well as feet. It would be very easy tolose one’s footing and fall and fall and fall. One would bedead before hitting the bottom. Julia shuddered.
“Oh,” she said, coming out into daylight at the top and flinging her arms wide, “this is wonderful.” She peereddownward over the stone parapet to the courtyard below.“This is wonderful,” she yelled down. “You do not knowwhat you are missing.”
“It is going to be devilish tricky on the way down,” Augustus said.
“We’ll think about going down when the time comes,” she said, and they strolled together around the battlements,gazing out over river and trees and fields into a hazy distance.
“Jule,” Augustus said.
“Ah.” Julia’s shoulders slumped. “Reality intrudes. I can tell by the tone of your voice. What did you think of it then,Gussie? Stupid, was it not? Grandpapa did some very foolish things in his life but this must beat them all. I thought Ihad lost you for good. You have scarcely looked at mesince yesterday afternoon.”
Augustus coughed.
“Daniel is not in the hunt,” she said. “Even the lure of owning Primrose Park will not induce him to take me on.There never has been any love lost between the two of us.And that is putting the case mildly. Freddie is a differentstory. He needs the rents. Daniel says he is dipped—is thatthe correct expression? The foolish man likes to play toodeep. He says his debts aren’t bad ones and that he is fondof me. I don’t know, though. He is a rake, isn’t he? I don’tthink I could share a man, even someone gorgeous likeFreddie. But I am fond of him, you know. What do youthink, Gussie?”
“I don’t think Freddie is the one for you, Jule,” he said.
“Don’t you?” She looked at him briefly. “I have notheard anything yet from Les or Malcolm. But has anyoneever heard anything from Malcolm? I don’t believe therecould be a more silent man. And I can’t imagine Les’sbeing very interested in matrimony. Can you, Gussie?”
“Les doesn’t have the brains,” he said.
“For marriage?” she said. “Does one need brains for marriage? He is not exactly an imbecile, is he? Just a littleslow. He gets where he is going eventually if one can justgive him time. I am fond of Les. He is invariably sweet.”
“He would drive you silly with boredom in a week,Jule,” he said. “Or with impatience. You wouldn’t be ableto bear a man who would not stand up against you.”
“No, I wouldn’t, would I?” she said. “What would you suggest then, Gussie?” She flashed him a smile. “You?Shall I marry you?”
“I think it might be a good idea, Jule,” he said. “We have always dealt well together, haven’t we?”
“Yes,” she said, “we always have, Gussie. But marriage? Can you seriously imagine us married?”
“I don’t see why not,” he said. “It must be an advantage to marry a friend.”
“Must it?” She frowned. “Kiss me, Gussie.”
“What?” He flushed.
She looked outward over the wall behind her and down toward the courtyard. “We are out of sight of everyone,”she said. “Kiss me.”
“Now?” he said, aghast. “Here, Jule? Shouldn’t there be moonlight and—and a-atmosphere or something?”
“No,” she said. “Only two people who are private together and who are considering marriage together. You don’t want to, do you?”
Augustus stared at her.
