“Yes, it would,” she said. “Perhaps, Freddie. I need time.”
“Granted,” he said, smiling at her. “You are lovely, Jule. Lovely to look at, lovely to hold, lovely to kiss and totouch.”
Even when one could recognize flattery for what it was, it was easy to be warmed by it, she thought. “Thank you,Freddie,” she said, smiling back at him.
And then Uncle Paul was calling him to help steady one of the boats so that Aunt Millie could climb safely in, andhe hurried away. Julia stood looking after him. What apleasant hour it had been, she thought. It had quite restoredher spirits, which had been severely bruised that morning.She felt quite genuinely cheerful again.
Until she saw the Earl of Beaconswood walking her way—obviously with deliberate intent.
12
At first when he saw the boat return with only two passengers instead of four, the Earl of Beaconswood had the horrid suspicion that she had gone swimming. Probably her pretty white muslin dress—for once she had looked like a lady that afternoon—was folded neatly atthe bottom of the boat with her slippers and parasol. Ormore likely, tossed into the bottom of the boat. Freddie—hecould see that Malcolm was rowing—had gone with her.He shuddered at the thought of her appearing on the bank,in full view of the uncles and aunts and cousins—and hismother—as she had appeared to him early on a certainmorning.
It was an enormous relief—for a while—to find out from Camilla and Malcolm that they had only gone walking, thetwo of them, having disembarked at the opposite side of thelake. Except that at the opposite side of the lake the woodswere dense and in fact there were trees all around. Thewalk from the point at which they had disembarked must beat least two miles long. It would take them over half anhour even if they walked without stopping.
She would be alone with Freddie for more than half an hour—unchaperoned. The foolish, foolish woman. Hecould only hope that no one would notice, that everyonewould assume that she was off walking somewhere withplenty of company. Did she care nothing for her reputation?
Freddie would not try anything with her, he thought, pacing the bank of the lake and smiling whenever he caught someone’s eye and trying to look as if he were enjoyinghimself immensely. Freddie had some sense of what was right and proper, surely. But he himself had lost that sense during the morning and he had not even set out to fix herinterest. Indeed, he did not even like her. But Julia had thateffect on men. It was not just her prettiness. There were anynumber of pretty women around. She was just so damnedattractive—and so recklessly available.
And then it happened.
“Daniel,” his mother said, “where is Julia? Did she not go out in one of the boats? I did not see her return.”
“Oh,” he said, looking about him to see who else was absent at that particular moment. “She is off walking somewhere with Stella and Les, I believe, Mama. And Freddie.”
“Well, that is strange,” she said “I did not see her come back. I hope this having power over the future of five gentlemen has not gone to her head. Julia does sometimes havea tendency to imprudence.”
“She is strolling, Mama,” he said. “As several other people are.”
He hoped that she was. Half an hour had passed and there was no sign of her. He damned well hoped she wasstrolling. He hoped she was not... He had an unwillingimage of her flat on her back by the stream, helping himundo her buttons, both pairs of hands fevered, and guidinghis hand beneath her shift to her breast. As mindless withdesire as he had been. And she was with Freddie. God!
And now she had caused him to lie to his mother. To cover up for her indiscretion. He stared broodingly outacross the water until a boat cut across his line of visionand he was forced to smile and wave at two uncles and twoaunts. Why had he lied? Why would he even want to coverup for her?
He looked to where she and Freddie would emerge from the trees when they came. There was still no sign of them.He was going to give them two more minutes and then hewas going to go in search of them. If he found them in acompromising position, he would... He drew a deep,steadying breath. If Freddie had touched her, he would killhim. It was as simple as that. And if Julia had allowed herself to be touched, he would—he would do something to her. It alarmed him that he seemed so often to be contemplating violence against Julia. He was not a violent man. Inparticular he disapproved very strongly of using violenceagainst women.
And then just when he was about to stalk off, they came. They were strolling arm in arm, looking perfectly cheerfuland amiable. And looking remarkably tidy and unrumpled.But it had taken them almost an hour to walk two miles.Almost an hour.
Freddie was summoned almost immediately to help Aunt Millie overcome her jitters and get safely into one of theboats. Julia stood looking fondly after him. The earl felt theold familiar welling of irritation and even anger, especiallyknowing what he must say to her, what he had planned topostpone until the next day. He had learned from experience, though, that there was no point in putting off until another day what could just as easily be done today. Itbecame no less difficult the next day, but sometimes moreso.
She turned her head and saw him coming. He watched her smile disappear to be replaced by wariness and hostility. Her glance slipped away from his eyes to his mouth orhis chin. She looked at him and yet she did not look.
“Where have you been?” he asked her. Not an amiable question. He could hear the iron in his own voice.
“Don’t be tiresome, Daniel,” she said.
“You were set down at the opposite side of the lake,” he said. “The distance from there to here must be no more thantwo miles.”
“If you knew the answer,” she said, “why did you ask the question?”
“It took you all of an hour to walk those two miles,” he said. “Longer. It is an hour since Malcolm and Camillabrought the boat back. What is the explanation?”
She lifted her eyes coolly to his. “Daniel,” she said quietly, “if you expect me to be unladylike, I will be unladylike. You may go to hell.”
He felt rather as if his face had been slapped. Except that blood seemed to be draining from it rather than rushing toit.
“Oh, good,” a voice said from close by—too close by, “here come the picnic baskets. I am starved. Henry, dear,do let us go and be first in line. Julia and Daniel, you mayfall in behind us.” Aunt Roberta laughed.
“We will have this discussion somewhere else,” the earl said, taking Julia’s arm in a grasp that was not meant to begentle.
