“Well,” he said, looking about him as they descended the horseshoe steps outside, “we seem to have lost Malcolmand Camilla without even having to try.” He patted Julia’shand before raising it to his lips and looking down intentlyat her. “Put me out of my misery, Jule. What have you decided?”
“That I am going to marry no one,” she said quickly. “This competition, or whatever it might be called, was not agood idea of Grandpapa’s. I cannot choose a husband insuch haste merely to save myself from being at the mercyof my father’s relatives, whom I scarcely know. And Idon’t think any of you should be in competition with oneanother for my hand and for possession of this property.There is something sordid about it, Freddie. I am going tosend for Mr. Prudholm tomorrow and get him to put a stopto it all even before the end of the month. My mind is madeup.”
“Ah,” he said quietly as they strolled along the terrace, “you have saddened me, Jule.”
“Because you have lost Primrose Park?” she asked.
He smiled down at her, his eyes lazy beneath drooped eyelids. They were quite devastating eyes in the moonlight,Julia thought. “Yes, because of that,” he said. “I cannotdeny that it was the initial attraction of this whole thing,Jule, though I was never sorry that you would come alongwith it. But as the days have passed I have come to realizethat my priorities were wrong. To hell with Primrose Park.It is you I want.”
“You love me?” The trouble with Freddie was that she knew him only as a cousin and former playmate. She knewnothing of him as a lover except that he was very accomplished and very successful. It was impossible to knowwhat was sincerity and what was flirtation or even seduction. Not that it really mattered to her decision. But shewould like to know. Was she hurting him?
“You will force me to say the words, Jule, won’t you?”he said. “The most difficult words in the English language for a man to say. And you will force me to say them whenthey are useless, when you have already rejected me. Yes,my dear, I love you, I am afraid.”
“Oh, Freddie,” she said, frowning, “are you telling me the truth? Don’t tease me if you are not. I would not hurtyou for the world. I am far too fond of you.”
They had come to the end of the terrace and had stopped walking.
“Will it make a difference,” he asked, “if I pour out my heart to you, Jule?”
She shook her head.
“Then I’ll not do so,” he said gently. “And if it will make you feel better, I will tell you that my words were all charade, that in fact I feel nothing for you but a deep affection.There. Better?”
“No,” she said, turning so that they could stroll back again. “But I am sorry if I am hurting you, Freddie, andsorrier still if you are making me feel bad for nothing. Whatwill you do for the summer?”
“I have not thought of it,” he said. “Go to Brighton, perhaps. But what about you, Jule? Have you really rejected all of us? Dan too?”
“Daniel?” Her brows shot together as she looked up at him.
“I thought perhaps he was a contestant after all,” he said. “He has spent a considerable amount of time with you inthe past few days, Jule.”
“I hate him,” she said vehemently. “You know that, Freddie. I always have. I would rather be dead than marriedto Daniel.”
“ ‘The lady doth protest too much,’ ” he said quietly.
“Freddie!” She withdrew her arm from his so that she could punch it. “Don’t be horrid. Oh, don’t please.”
“I must admit,” he said, “that I will be able to endure losing you far more cheerfully if Dan doesn’t get you instead. You would not enjoy life a great deal with Dan, Jule. Icould give you far more fun.”
“I know,” she said. “But I have to put an end to this dreadful game, Freddie. As soon as possible. It seems thatMr. Prudholm has gone home to Gloucester for the month.I hoped he would have stayed at the village as he did duringthe last weeks of Grandpapa's life. 1 hoped to be able tosummon him tomorrow and get this all behind me. But itwill be a few days before I can send a message to him andbefore he can come. I just hope he does not delay. Each dayis going to be an agony to me, and I suppose it will not bepleasant for you or Les either. Perhaps not even for Malcolm.”
They came to a stop again at the foot of the horseshoe steps.
“Gloucester is only twenty miles or so away, is it not?” he said. “It would be quicker to go to him and explain inperson rather than send a letter by messenger, would it not,Jule?”
“I suppose so,” she said. She laughed suddenly. “Can you imagine Aunt Sarah’s face and the faces of the otheraunts if I went galloping off to Gloucester on Flossie?Wearing my breeches? And can you picture Daniel’s face?”
Frederick took both her hands in his. “You don’t need to go alone, Jule,” he said. “There are plenty of people here togo with you. I’ll go with you. If we leave early in the morning, we can be back by nightfall. Perhaps with Prudholm intow. The next day all this unpleasantness could be over foryou.”
“You would do that for me, Freddie?” she said, squeezing his hands. “Even though you will be the loser? You are kind.”
“Not really, Jule,” he said. “I know better than to argue with you once you have made up your mind. And if it is tobe all over, then I would prefer to have done with it as soonas possible too. Every day spent in company with you nowthat I know I cannot have you will be something of anagony to me too, you know.”
“Oh, Freddie,” she said, “don’t say things like that. Besides, we cannot do it. For riding off in a carriage with you will be seen as even worse than riding off alone—inbreeches.”
He clucked his tongue. “Of course,” he said. “Even I realize that, Jule. You did not think I meant you and I alone, did you? Les or Gussie will come and one of the girls. I’llarrange it all tonight and we can be ready to leave early. Aprivate little excursion for four to Gloucester. We had better keep quiet about it, though, or everyone will want tocome and the whole thing will become rather unwieldy.And some of our relatives may try to persuade you out ofcalling Prudholm back early. Just leave it all to me.Agreed?”
She thought for a moment. But it really was a splendid idea. She wanted to be away from Primrose Park, awayfrom all the people who had been family to her throughmost of her life. Away from Daniel. She could not bear towait longer than necessary now that she had realized shewas going to have to leave them all soon enough anyway.Better to get it over with as soon as possible.
