"The scarlet of the maples can shake me like a cry of bugles going by," Juliet Kent quoted, from her place on the porch where she was observing the maple trees that surrounded her own dear home of New Moon. "Bliss Carman put it just right, didn't he? Oh, Bea, are you sure you're going to be happy with an autumn wedding?"
"No," Beatrice Miller--soon to be Walsh!--laughed. "Sometimes I think that I should have four weddings--one for each season. I could be a springtime bride, with a wreath of wildflowers on my hair--a winter bride with a cape of ermine and snowflakes for attendants--a summer bride with a bouquet of wild strawberries and the sun smiling down on me on my happiest day. But I can't go another day without being David's wife, so it's an autumn bride I'll be. There, Juliet, I so poetic now that even you and your mother would approve! Something about this--place--does that to a person."
Juliet smiled tenderly at her best friend. In her own mind, Bea's David Walsh was just ordinary--and he was old--almost fifteen years older than Bea! He had gray hair for goodness' sake! Juliet, with all the wisdom of her twenty years, thought it would be almost impossible to feel romantic over a man with gray hair. Unless, of course, that man was Allan. But if Bea was happy, than Juliet was happy, too--and Bea was, deliriously happy.
"I never thought of you as an autumn bride," Juliet said tipping her head back to feel the distant rays of the sun on her forehead. "But I suppose--now that I think of it--it's perfect for you. Colorful--and vibrant--with a tang."
"Well, I never thought of you as a college-girl!" Bea shot back. "I've been thinking of it all day and it still doesn't seem possible. Juliet, you were never very ambitious, were you? Or did I miss it?"
"No," Juliet laughed. "I liked school, I suppose, but I never thought of going to university until Uncle Dean put me through that course of history in the summer. Bea, I'm not going to Guelph because I like school--I'm going because I want to get my B.A. I'm going because I want to learn the history of the world, backwards and forwards. Oh, I do hope I like Guelph."
"You're lucky--you'll have Bella and Doug nearby," Bea said morosely. "But Juliet--I'll miss you so much!"
Juliet gave her friend a squeeze and wisely refrained from saying anything except, "It will be nice to have Doug near again." She missed her twin so much at times with an ache that felt as if a palpable part of herself had been torn away. But truthfully, Juliet didn't think Bea would miss her at all. She would be too busy easing into her position as the new Mrs. David Walsh--too busy setting up the little house that had just been finished and stood waiting over in Harmony.
"Besides, it's only for two years," Juliet reminded Bea. "I passed the qualifying exam that lets me take the short course, thank goodness! I'm so lucky to have Uncle Dean--I couldn't have done any of this without his help. Oh, college! You, Bea--you're getting married! How left out I feel! Everyone is getting married--it seems as if you're all being initiated into a secret tribe of womanhood and I'm being left behind. Gilbert Ford and Cathy Douglas were married last week-end--it was just a small, subdued affair, because of old Dr. Blythe's death last month. But I saw Cathy in town today and she was glowing from the inside out with happiness and love. And Joy Meredith--I mean, Penhallow--is expecting a baby. Did you ever hear anything that made you feel so old?"
"I think it's wonderful," Bea breathed, her eyes astar with secret dreams that would soon--very soon--have the chance to be fulfilled. "And Juliet, it's not as if you're going to be an old maid! Allan would marry you tomorrow if you wanted him to."
"No, Bea, he wouldn't! You know your brother better than that. Allan doesn't want to go to college but he is doing that banking course in Charlottetown this winter. Then he'll come home and get some experience in the bank in Shrewsbury. Allan is determined we shan't get married until he's able to provide for me--and I'm determined we shan't until I'm able to do the same for him."
"Speak of the devil," Bea said, as Allan opened the New Moon gate and ambled lazily down the lane.
Juliet's breath caught in her throat the way it did each time she saw Allan. How handsome he was! The sun glinted off of his blond hair--still cut close to the scalp from his time in the army. He was tall--but not so tall that she got a crick in her neck looking up at him--and he moved with the easy, careless grace of a tiger. His face was speckled boyishly with freckles but his strong jaw showed that he was a man--her man--her Allan! Juliet leapt from the porch swing where she and Bea had been lazily rocking and flew to him, meeting him in the lane with a kiss.
"I'm off," Bea said with a smile. "I know when three's a crowd. You'd think you two were the ones getting married tomorrow, not me!"
"Oh, Bea," Juliet said. "Don't go--I'm sorry--we've gotten all of the kissing out of our system. If you stay we'll be good, old, platonic, friendly Allan and Juliet."
"Speak for yourself!" said Allan in a mock growl, coming up behind Juliet and circling his hands around her waist.
"No," Bea laughed. "I really must go. Mother's taking me to the dressmaker's for one last fitting. Bye-bye, you two. Allan, see you later at home."
Bea banged the front gate and skipped home, looking for all the world like a girl half her age.
"I can't believe that this time tomorrow Bea will be someone's wife!" Juliet marveled.
"Never mind that," Allan said seriously. "We have more important things to talk about."
"Like what?"
"Like have you really gotten all the kissing out of your system?"
Juliet smiled. "Never."
* * *
Juliet and Allan hopped into his car and drove down the shore road. Juliet loved the feel of the wind in her long, loose hair and the sharp tang of the sea that was heavy in the air. "Let's stop!" she cried to Allan, and he pulled off the road. Slipping and sliding and hand in hand they made their way down the sandy cliffs into a little cove among the dunes, a hollow, sturdy place that had been carved out by the buffeting of the wind.
Allan took his fisherman's sweater and wrapped it around Juliet's shoulders. Then he drew her near to him. They stayed that way for a long while before Allan finally spoke.
He said, "I can't believe it."
"That Bea's getting married tomorrow?" Juliet queried.
"That you're leaving in two days." Allan's handsome face was troubled. "It seems like I just got back and already we're being separated again."
"You're leaving in two days, too," Juliet reminded him. "For Charlottetown."
"But it's only Charlottetown, not Guelph. If you stayed home I could see you on the weekends."
"Allan!" Juliet pulled roughly away from him. "We've been over this a thousand times. I want to go to school. If you want to be near me, come to Guelph and take classes there."
"They don't offer those classes at Guelph, Juliet."
"Well, study something else! No one says you have to be a banker!"
"And no one says you have to go to school! What are you going to do with a degree in history? We'll just get married--and have children--and it'll sit on a shelf and gather dust. All that money and time apart--and that's what will come of it!"
Juliet gasped. "You can't mean that! Is that what you think? That all women get married and have children and everything else they aspired to goes right out the door? Is that what you think of me? Of my mother? Of your mother? You think all women should only be interested in their home and nothing else?"
Allan's face was very red--except for the streak of white over his left eye that was the scar he'd gotten in the war. "No, I don't really think that about all women. But I think it's a damn fool thing to for you to go to college--and a waste of money," he said. "You're fickle, Juliet--you have a thousand different interests and you start a thousand different projects and none of them get done. This is the same thing--you'll be home by Christmastime with another big plan."
"Then why do you care if I go?" Juliet shouted, standing. She threw his sweater at his feet and pulled her way back up the sand cliffs. She ran to the car and started it, dashing hot tears from her eyes. She couldn't believe Allan would do this. What had gotten into him?
It was their first fight since he had come home from the war, and so it was an especially pointed, bitter thing. And Allan had started it! Juliet drove all the way home to New Moon, leaving him behind on the shore. Her mind whirled in a thousand different directions at once. Only one thought was clear: she was glad--glad--she was leaving. If this is the way Allan was going to be, then Juliet didn't want to be around him anymore!
* * *
A/N: she's baaaaaaaack!
I missed Juliet so much! I really love this character and wanted to continue her story. So I'm going to be working on this and Christmas at Ingleside. School's ending this week so I should have enough time to get both done and update them regularly. As always, please read and review!
I'm going to dedicate this story to those of you who gave me such confidence and helpful criticism in my first Juliet story, especially Terreis, anonymous327, marzoog and Miri. Also faerie5, Flailersrule and Gufa. And, well, ALL of you! Thanks so much!