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“Well, James, you made a mull ofthat,” he murmured to the empty room. “But at least she knows now.”
13: Intentions
Shock put wings on Julia’s feet, for she fairly flew home, her injured leg barely noticed. What was he thinking, kissing her like that, and then telling her, as cool as you please, that he was going to offer for her! And all the time she hadtrustedhim!
She took the front steps two at a time, wrestled with the doorknob for several moments before she could get the front door open, and then stormed into the hall. No one was in sight, but then she hadn’t expected it. In other houses, a footman or the butler would be lurking nearby, ready to sweep into action, and at Sagborough, Enoch would materialise. Here their servants were never where they were supposed to be.
She half ran up the stairs to the sanctuary of her room, slamming the door shut behind her. The nerve of the man! To talk about the house that way, and his income — as if she cared about that! And then to tell her calmly that he wanted her to be ready with her answer when he offered for her. Well, she’d be ready with her answer all right, and it wouldn’t be the one he wanted.
What did he want? That was an interesting question. He’d never made love to her or even flirted in the way that most men did, as if it was expected of them. He’d never given the least sign… although he had called several times, quite formally. She’d supposed he was there to support his brother’s tepid courtship of Rosie, but perhaps he’d come on his own account after all. Perhaps he really did want to marry her, but what on earth for? He’d taken pains to tell her that he had money of his own, but still, twenty thousand pounds was a substantial dowry. Even she, with her ungainliness and torn gowns, might be a prize worth having for the second son of a baronet.
Well, this was one prize he would not get into his insolent hands, for all his pretty little house and his fourteen hundred a year and his schemes for more servants and a carriage. Even his kiss, warm and gentle and enjoyable as it was, would not win her. That ithadbeen enjoyable she could not deny, and for a while she was lost in a pleasant reverie of a man with warm hands against her face and laughter lines round his eyes and hair waving softly round his face… and his lips on hers. She sighed. It made no difference, of course. One couldn’t marry a man just because he kissed one in a toe-curlingly delicious way. That would be too foolish for words, even if the memory of it was rather overwhelming and made one feel just a little sad that it would not be repeated.
Gradually her indignation melted away, and by the time Rosie and Angie appeared, and Sarah came to dress them for dinner, Julia was her usual composed self. Her leg was throbbing distractingly, and she was perhaps a little more thoughtful and less chatty than usual, but no one noticed. It was not until dinner was well under way and the soup was removed with some fish that she was roused from her torpor.
“Ah, excellent,” Pa said. “Mr Plummer delivered the fish not two hours ago, straight from the river, so it could not be fresher. No waiting for the weekly barge to make its way up the canal here, eh? Lizzie, will you try some? It looks beautiful.”
“He recovered his bag, then,” Julia said. “He had to abandon it when we were attacked by the bull.”
This casual remark caused cries of astonishment, and Julia was obliged to give a full account of the whole incident, which she did with dramatic enjoyment. But when she came to the events of the rectory, she could not hide her outrage. Concealment was not in her nature, so it never occurred to her that perhaps a kiss and a declaration of intent might be private matters, and not a subject for the dinner table in full view of the servants.
“And then hekissedme,” she squeaked, her voice rising. “Can you believe it? And when I asked him what he thought he was doing, he said he wanted me to be prepared for when he makes me an offer. I never thought he could be so foolish. I gave him a piece of my mind, I can tell you.”
Angie clapped her hands in glee. “Jules! You have an admirer! I do believe you will be married before any of us. Whoever would have thought it?”
But Pa frowned, and Mama said calmly, “We will talk about this later, Julia. Will, would you please pass me the lamb cutlets?”
Only then did it occur to Julia that it might have been better to say nothing about it.
Mama was not one to make a drama out of anything, so dinner was completed and the ladies removed to the withdrawing room as usual. Rosie was asked to perform on the pianoforte, and after a brief interlude when the music she had set aside for the evening could not be found, they all settled down to their usual pursuits. Any attempt by Angie to raise the interesting subject of Mr James Plummer was firmly squashed by Mama.
“It is not your concern, Angie,” she said repressively. “Mr Fletcher and I will discuss the matter at the appropriate time.”
Aunt Madge sniffed. “What did she do to encourage him, that’s what I’d like to know.”
“Thank you, Madge, that will do.” Mama never raised her voice, but there was a sharp edge to her tone that even Aunt Madge recognised. Not another word was said on the subject.
Will appeared shortly before the tea tray was expected. “Mama, Julia, Pa would like to see you in his office.”
Julia was certain she had done nothing worthy of censure, but even so she was nervous as she followed Mama down the hall. Will padded along behind them.
“Why are you here?” she said. “It’s not really your concern, is it?”
“It might be,” he said, then grinned at her. “If he has mistreated you, it will be my job to call him out.”
Julia laughed, but Mama spun round. “This is no laughing matter, Will,” she said frostily.
That only increased Julia’s gloom. Pa’s face was serious, too, when they entered the office.
“Well, puss, this is a pickle and no mistake. You’d better tell us exactly what happened at the rectory.”
“I’ve told you what happened — he kissed me, and despite what Aunt Madge says, I didnotencourage him.”
“It is not just the kiss,” Pa said. “It’s the whole thing — you being in the rectory with him, and your mama not with you, nor your sisters, not even a maid. Were there any servants there?”
“No, but… Pa, he behaved very properly, considering the circumstances. He didn’t remove my stocking, or anything like that.”
“Remove your stocking!” Will said, laughing. “Really, Julia, what a crazy girl you are.”
