The three men were walking along beside the stream, enjoying the shade from the hot rays of the sun that the trees afforded. Though their minds were not really on their physical comforts. They were deep into a discussion of the desirability of parliamentary reform and the possibilities of itsever happening when the government was made up of menin whose interest it was to keep things as they were.
“Of course,” Uncle Paul said, “there is always the danger of revolution along the French lines if the governmentproves quite implacable.”
“I think not,” Uncle Henry said. “Look what happened in France when it was tried, Paul. Englishmen are more sensible.”
“Let’s hope English gentlemen are too,” the earl said, “and do something in the name of justice and fair play before it is too late. Reform must come, I believe.”
But their discussion was broken into by the sound of a wild shriek and they all turned their heads to look up thehill.
“The children at play,” Uncle Henry said with a chuckle.
“Juliaat play,” Uncle Paul said, laughing outright. “There is not another child in sight.”
She was hurtling down the hill, quite alone, at a pace that was going to have her either losing her balance and tumbling down the steepest part of the slope at the bottom orelse plunging headlong into the stream. The earl sprintedback the way he had come to save her from the latter fate,at least.
She almost bowled him off his feet. If he had not caught her by the waist and lifted her and twirled her right about,he would have been flat on his back and she would havebeen spread-eagled on top of him. She was laughing whenher feet touched the ground again. Until she looked up andsaw who her savior was.
“I might have guessed it,” she said breathlessly. “It could not possibly have been anyone else but you, could it,Daniel?”
A small, soft, warm waist. Those breasts heaving against his chest again. If he dipped his head a mere few inches, hewould he able to taste her lips. She would taste sweet. Hewould be able to taste the inside of her mouth with histongue. And he could easily part company with his sanityaltogether during what remained of the month at PrimrosePark, he thought, coming back to his senses in the nick oftime. He put her firmly away from him and dropped hishands. The uncles, he noticed, were walking on afteryelling some witticism and doing a deal of laughing.
“I know what it is,” Julia said, frowning up at him. “You have an identical twin, don’t you? No, there have to bemore than two. Quadruplets? Sextuplets, maybe? That’sright. There are six of you, Daniel, aren’t there? I have discovered your secret. For most of my time—oh, a little morethan most—I am busy doing, the most blameless, mostdecorous things. But whenever I do, on the rarest of occasions, decide to kick up my heels and show a little enthusiasm for life, there is one of the six of you to confront mewith compressed lips and contemptuous eyes and a lecturetwo yards long and inches thick with dust. It is quite disgusting.”
“If there are six of me,” he said, “there must be twelve of you, Julia. Don’t you realize how covered with bruises andcuts you would be if you had lost your balance?”
“But I did not,” she said.
“Or how wet you would be if I had not caught you?”
“But you did,” she said, “more is the pity. Did you have to be just here at just this moment, Daniel?”
“Didyou?”he asked, glowering at her.
“Camilla rescued me at the top of the hill,” she said, “bless her heart. And I was so relieved that I had to dosomething quite—”
“Reckless?” he said. “Dangerous?”
“Those are the words,” she said, flashing him a smile.
“What did she rescue you from?” he asked. “A wildboar?”
“A very tame bore, actually,” she said, laughing. “Though it is dreadful of me to say so and I feel quiteashamed for not being able to resist the pun. I am sure Malcolm is not really a bore. He reads and studies a great deal,does he not? He must know all sorts of interesting things. Ifhe could only talk about some of them! I could get nothingout of him except stammerings and fixed stares. And yet hesought me out. I caught Camilla’s eye and yelled out ‘Help’silently. She came, and I rewarded her by abandoning them.Poor Camilla. It was dreadfully mean of me. Especiallywhen she had to suffer his company all the way from thehouse.”
“I take it, then,” he said, “that Malcolm has not made you an offer yet?”
“Oh, dear, no,” she said. “Though I am sure that was why he came to talk to me. Why else would he have doneso? He never has before. But he could not get the wordsout. That water looks very inviting. I suppose you would beoutraged if I removed my slippers and stockings and paddled in it. Wouldn’t you?”
And find himself subjected to the view of her bare feet and ankles? Yes, he would be outraged. Very.
“Silence, just as with Malcolm,” she said. “Though your answer speaks loudly from your eyes. Very well, I shallstroll with ladylike decorum at your side, Daniel, since I amsure you are too much the gentleman to go striding off andleave me alone here. I shall even take your arm since youare offering it. There. The thing with Malcolm is that onegets the feeling he is thinking all sorts of profound things,which he forgets to put into words. It is very disconcerting.”
“So you have not made your choice yet?” he said. “I thought perhaps you were settling things with Gussie up onthe parapets of Culver Castle a few days ago.”
“Oh, don’t remind me of that,” she said. “I suppose you plan to do so every time we are alone together, don’t you,Daniel? My great humiliation. I gave those slippers to mymaid, by the way. They are a size too large for her, but shewas quite delighted. No, I really could not marry Gussie,though he was quite willing to give it a try. He is far toogood a friend to be my husband.”
“Is it not desirable to be friendly with your husband?” he asked.
‘‘Friendly, yes,” she said. “But not bosom pals, Daniel. I would die of embarrassment when we . . .”
