Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The following days passed as though in a dream – for Alexander, at least. He had been nervous at the thought of extending the invitation to Juliette, fearing she might refuse it. But to have her there, in the place he called home, and where he felt most at ease, was the greatest of pleasures. They picnicked on the beach, rode horses across the estate, walked in the gardens, and played games and read to one another in the evenings.

Juliette painted, and she even allowed Alexander to see some of her work – much to his delight. Gregory had arrived a few days after Juliette and Emily, and there was no doubt as to his intentions towards Juliette’s cousin. They were very much in love, and in seeing his friend falling in love, Alexander realized with ever growing certainty his own feelings towards Juliette.

“I’m going to ask her to marry me,” Gregory said, after he and Alexander had been out riding one morning, a few days after his arrival.

“There’s nothing to hold you back. You’re in love with her, and she’s clearly in love with you, too,” Alexander replied, and Gregory nodded.

“She’s the most wonderful creature. I can’t describe it – everything about her, everything she is… I don’t think I could love anyone as I do her,” he said, and Alexander smiled.

He understood what Gregory was saying – he felt the same way about Juliette. If he had had any doubts, they were gone, replaced by the certainty of feelings he had never expected or intended. He had held back, fearing rejection, even as he was now convinced Juliette no longer had feelings for Nicholas.

She had not mentioned in the past few days, and it was as though she and Alexander had existed in the pleasantness of a couple, just as in love as Gregory and Emily. Outward appearances said as much, but so did those inward feelings Alexander had not expected. Love had blossomed, but as for sharing his feelings, Alexander still felt hesitant.

“Then ask her the question, Gregory. Don’t hold back. You’ll regret it if you do,” Alexander replied.

His friend smiled.

“And what about you and Juliette? Are you going to ask her to marry you? Your mother’s convinced of it. As are your sisters. They told me as soon as I arrived,” Gregory said, and Alexander laughed.

“Oh, so that’s what you were whispering about in the drawing room that day. I see. Well… it’s not as simple as that. She’s just lost her grandmother. I don’t want to upset her,” he said.

“Emily’s lost her grandmother, too – the same grandmother. Besides, I’ve seen the way Juliette looks at you. She couldn’t be happier to be here. It’s been a panacea. That’s what Emily told me,” Gregory said.

Alexander was curious. He wondered what else Emily might have told Gregory about her cousin’s feelings, and now he wondered if that was the key to discovering how to proceed.

“Did Emily say anything else?” he asked, trying to make his enquiry sound as innocent as possible.

Gregory smiled.

“She said she’s never seen Juliette so happy as she is now – despite the loss of their grandmother. When Nicholas was away for all that time, Juliette pined for him. She was always waiting – not living. But now, thanks to you, she’s come alive again,” Gregory replied.

To hear these words – to know they came from Juliette’s closest confidante – was remarkable, and if any further proof was needed as to Juliette’s feelings towards Alexander, it was now given. He felt as though a weight had been lifted – the self-doubt, the questioning, his own sense of failing to live up to what she deserved.

“Really? She actually said that?” Alexander asked, sounding more surprised than he meant to.

Gregory smiled and nodded.

“According to Emily, she did, yes. They’re the closest of friends, after all – and cousins,” he said.

Alexander nodded. He felt elated, even as he now wondered what to do with this newly discovered information. He had hoped it was the case – dreamed it to be so. But to know he made Juliette happy was the most wonderful thing to think, and he, in turn, now felt a new sense of happiness at knowing it.

“Then… do you think I should ask her to marry me?” he asked, and Gregory nodded.

“Why would you hold back?” Gregory replied.

Alexander smiled. But despite Gregory’s words, he knew he had to hold back — if only for a while longer. Juliette was still in mourning, and it would hardly do to make her believe he had invited her to Norfolk for the sole purpose of seduction.

He had wanted to offer her a safe haven – a place to recover from all that had been, and to get to know her better, too. There was still so much for them to discover about one another. But now, buoyed up by the knowledge of Juliette’s happiness, Alexander was resolved to make it their happiness, too.

***

“Pigs?” Juliette said, raising her eyebrows, and Alexander smiled.

“That’s right – Norfolk’s famous for pigs. We breed them here – the best meat you could ever imagine tasting,” he said.

He and Juliette were making a tour of the estate, and Alexander had brought her to one of the swineherd’s cottages to see the animals he was so enthusiastically describing.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pig up close before,” Juliette said, and Alexander smiled.

“Well… I won’t expect you to get too close,” he said, but as they rounded a corner on the path leading to the cottage, a sudden noise erupted up ahead – the sound of the pigs oinking and snorting, and shouts, too, as someone tried desperately to control them.

“Oh, darn these fences. I told that useless lout of a boy to repair them. The fat lump never gets anything right. Come back here, Portia… don’t you eat those cabbages, Martha. I’ll make you into bacon as soon as I get my hands on you…” a voice called out, as suddenly a scattering of pigs appeared up ahead.

They were charging in each and every direction – trampling the planting of a neatly laid out vegetable patch in front of them as behind came the swineherd, an elderly man, his face tanned by the sun and his hair wispy and white. At the sight of Alexander and Juliette, he threw his hands up in despair and let out an anguished cry.

“What’s happening, Mr. Jones?” Alexander called out, as one of the pigs almost collided with him in its charge.

“They broke through the fence, my Lord – it’s chaos back there. I told my farm hand to fix the fence, but the lazy little…” he began, but before he could finish his words, one of the pigs charged right into him from behind, knocking the swineherd to the ground.

He let out a cry, cursing, as Alexander now tried to herd the pigs back towards the cottage.

“It’s chaos,” Juliette exclaimed, as two more of the animals charged through the cabbage patch.

“I’ll wring that boy’s neck when I get hold of him,” Mr. Jones exclaimed, scrambling to his feet.

His already dirty clothing was now covered in mud, and he continued cursing as he tried desperately to steer the pigs back towards the cottage, where Alexander now saw the broken fence leading into the pigsty. The pigs had broken clean through it, leaving a trail of destruction behind.

“We’ve got to do something,” Juliette said, and Alexander nodded.

“Do you know anything about repairing fences?” he asked, and Juliette looked at him in surprise.

“Repairing fences? Well… no, I don’t,” she said, and Alexander grinned at her.

“Then now’s the time to learn. Come along. We’ll do it together,” he said, and before she could object, Alexander had led her in the direction of the pigsty, where several of the piglets were still wallowing in the mud.

The hem of Juliette’s dress was still caked in mud, but she seemed not to mind, and now the two of them pulled back the broken pieces of fence between the two posts.

“It’s all rotten,” Juliette exclaimed, and Alexander shook his head.

“I’m not sure Mr. Jone’s unfortunate farm hand is as much to blame as he makes out,” he replied, shaking his head and smiling.

There were fence posts and beams leaning up against the wall of a barn to their right, and having instructed the swineherd to fetch some tools, Alexander and Juliette set about their work. Alexander was impressed with the manner in which Juliette did not hold back and complain – if anything, she appeared to relish the task, even though her dress was gradually getting dirtier and dirtier – as were Alexander’s boots and breeches.

“Is that all of them, Mr. Jones?” Alexander called out, as the swineherd came into view, shooing the drove of pigs before him.

“There’s still some missing, my lord–they go after the chestnuts, the greedy little…” he began, but Alexander interrupted him.

“Thank you, Mr. Jones – the fence was rotten. It’s no wonder they broke through,” he said, shaking his head.

“I told that boy…” the swineherd replied, shaking his head.

Alexander had almost finished repairing the fence, with Juliette’s help, but as he straightened up, looking up at her and grinning, one of the pigs let out a loud snort and charged forward, knocking Juliette straight into the mud. She let out a cry, and Alexander leaped forward, catching her as she fell. They rolled together in the mud, each of them now covered from head to toe, and Juliette roared with laughter.

“Oh, goodness me. What will my mother say?” she exclaimed, as the swineherd now rushed forward to help.

“What will my mother say?” Alexander said, as now he helped Juliette to her feet, the two of them totally covered in the filth of the pigsty.

The pigs now – of their own accord, and having had their fun – returned behind the fence, and Alexander nailed the final length of wood in place, before straightening up and leaning on the fence post next to Juliette.

“What a day,” she said, and Alexander laughed.

“I’m sure neither of us expected it to end like this,” he said.

“No… certainly not,” she replied, raising her eyebrows.

But she was not cross. Indeed, she appeared to relish this unexpected adventure, and Alexander could not have wished for a more willing companion. It was not every woman – or man – who would so readily launch themselves into such an exercise, and without any regard to themselves or their appearance.

“I think we did rather well together, don’t you?” Juliette said, and Alexander smiled.

“I think we did, yes,” he replied, and now he offered her his arm, thinking just how pretty she looked – even when covered in mud.

“I can’t thank you enough, my lord,” the swineherd said, and Alexander smiled.

“You’re welcome, Mr. Jones. But I don’t want to hear anything about your blaming your farmhand – do you understand? The wood was rotten. That’s why the pigs broke through. Check your fences regularly, Mr. Jones,” he said, and the swineherd nodded.

“Yes, my Lord. I will do. And thank you again,” he said, shaking his head and sighing.

Alexander and Juliette made their way slowly back towards the main house, and Alexander hoped they could enter unseen and change. But as they were crossing the lawn from the eastside, hoping to slip in through a side door, Emily and Gregory appeared, walking arm in arm.

“Juliette! What on earth happened to you?” Emily exclaimed, and the look on Gregory’s face posed the same question.

“Pigs,” Alexander replied, and Emily and Gregory looked at one another in astonishment.

“Pigs? But what did they do?” Gregory asked, and now the story was recounted, much to the amusement of Juliette’s cousin, who could not stop laughing – particularly at the mention of Juliette being knocked to the ground by the charging swine.

“Oh, it’s too wonderful. I can’t get the thought out of my mind. Oh, you poor thing, Juliette,” Emily exclaimed, almost bent double with mirth.

The sounds of her laughter had attracted the attention of Juliette’s mother, who appeared from the direction of the rose garden and reacted just as Alexander and Juliette had expected her to. The story was recounted for a third time, and afterwards Juliette insisted on going inside to change.

“I smell… like a pigsty,” she said, laughing as Alexander followed her inside to do the same.

“Well, you can’t say I don’t lead you into adventure,” he said, and Juliette turned to him and smiled.

“No, that’s certainly very true,” she replied, smiling at him, as now she got a fit of the giggles.

“What’s so funny?” he asked, as Juliette gasped for breath, hardly able to control her laughter.

“It’s just… we both look ridiculous… all covered in mud like this. Imagine the wagging tongues of the ton if they’d seen us together in the pigsty,” she said, as Alexander, too, began to laugh.

“You look worse – you’re covered,” he said.

“Go and look in the mirror – it’s you that’s covered,” Juliette replied, as now they stepped out into the hallway, where a horrified maid stared at them in astonishment.

“It’s all right, Mary – we’ve just… been rolling in the mud,” Alexander said, and now the two of them could not control their laughter, caught up in the simple joy and pleasure of a shared experience, one they would certainly never forget…