“Don’t let the thought provoke you,” she said. “I am not really a relative, remember? Is that not a blessing beyondbelief?”
“Yes,” he said curtly. “I am going to go down first, Julia. Gussie will be behind you. Put your hands on my shouldersto steady yourself if you wish.”
“I can manage on my own, thank you,” she said.
But when he stepped down to the stair below her, moved her in against the wall, and finally let go of her, her handscame up to take his shoulders in a death grip, and she kepthold of them until a turn in the stairs finally brought themin view of the ground.
“Well,” she said, “that was quite an adventure. And that is the very last time I will wear these slippers out of doors.Women’s footwear is remarkably foolish. What I shouldhave worn, knowing we were coming to Culver Castle, wasboots and breeches.”
Augustus snorted. “Aunt Millie would have been prostrate with shock,” he said.
‘There you are wrong,” she said, setting her feet finally on firm ground and drawing a deep breath. “Aunt Milliehas seen me in my breeches and she thinks them very sensible. One has to ride sidesaddle when wearing a skirt, youknow. Now if anyone wants to talk about dangerous doings, let’s talk about riding sidesaddle. I would prefer towear breeches and ride astride and feel safe.”
Good Lord, the earl thought. Good Lord!
“Oh,” she said, “it was so cold inside that tower. My teeth will not stop chattering. And there is somethingwrong with my knees.”
“It is called shock,” the earl said. “You need to walk it off, Julia. Take my arm and we will stroll about the courtyard. Everyone might guess that you took fright on thestairs if you join them right away.”
“I did not take fright,” she said indignantly, “It was just these silly slippers.”
“You might as well take a well-earned rest in the sun, Gussie,” the earl said, nodding toward the group of cousinssitting a short distance away. “My arm, Julia.”
She took it.
* * *
His arm felt blessedly solid. Her legs felt anything but. She was ready to scream with the humiliation of the lastseveral minutes.
“Say it,” she said. “Don’t keep me in suspense, Daniel. And please don’t feel that you must play the gentleman.Just say it and get it over and done with.”
“Say it?” He looked down at her, his eyebrows raised.
“ ‘I told you so,’ ” she said.
“Ah.” He was maddeningly cool. He had been maddeningly cool in the tower too, directing operations just as if he were an army general in the midst of battle. “I told you so.”
“I knew you were longing to say it,” she said. If only it had been anyone but Daniel. Any of the uncles. Any of thecousins. But it had had to be Daniel. Good heavens, shecould suddenly remember his hands on her legs and herknees. Herbarelegs and knees. If she could only die ofmortification, she thought, she cheerfully would. “Youhave been just waiting for something to go wrong with meso that you could gloat, haven’t you? Well, gloat on.I shallwear different slippers next time.”
“Next time?” he said quietly.
She had burrowed her head against his neckcloth and pressed herself against him as if he were the only solid andsafe thing in an infirm and dangerous universe. Good heavens. Oh, good heavens, a man’s thigh muscles were evenfirmer than they looked gripping the sides of a horse. Andhis chest muscles. At least Daniel’s were. Oh, graciousheaven, what an idiot she had made of herself. The weaktrembling female having to be comforted in a man’s arms.
“Next time I shall wear the proper attire,” she said, “and not have to trouble you over the small and stupid matter ofslippery slippers, Daniel. Slippery slippers. It sounds like avery long snake, does it not?”
“Julia,” he said, “you are regaining confidence by the second, aren’t you? I know what is going to happen whenwe rejoin the others. Someone—probably Freddie—isgoing to mention the dungeons. A few men are going to decide to go down there, right into the bowels of the hill sothat they might have the dubious pleasure of peering outthrough the grate at the bottom onto the river and thenclimbing all the way back up again.”
“It is slimy with wet moss down there,” she said.
“I know,” he said. “I remember. Before they go, Julia, someone—without a doubt Freddie—is going to dare youto go down too.”
“A dare,” she said wistfully. But her knees threatened to turn to jelly again at the very thought of being on any moreof those winding stone stairs.
“If you accept,” the earl said conversationally, “I shall throttle you. After which I shall sling you over my shoulderand carry you back down the hill to the picnic site. Do Imake myself clear?”
Oh, dear, Julia thought, bristling inwardly, she did not have the energy or the stamina at present to take him on. Itwas a dreadful shame since the combination of a dare fromFreddie and a prohibition from Daniel would normally ignite her into any adventure, however hair-raising. But no,she was going to have to let this one pass.
“How foolish you are,” she said disdainfully. “Who would want to descend into dungeons when the food mustbe arriving and it is well past the normal time for tea?”
