Bea's wedding the next day was a miserable ordeal for Juliet. But Bea was so glowing and radiant that she didn't notice. Juliet had lain awake all night after her fight with Allan and the terrible shadows under her eyes showed. Her face above the frilly pink bridesmaid dress Bea had chosen looked tired and worried and drawn. Aunt Ilse had nearly attacked her with face powder and rouge.
David Walsh's own brother lived in California and at the last minute hadn't been able to come out and see his older sibling marry his girl-bride. So Allan served as David's best man. That meant he and Juliet had to walk down the aisle together--side by side. They stared straight ahead, like statues, the tips of Juliet's fingertips just barely touching the crook of Allan's arm. When she did look over at Allan she saw his face stubborn and serious in profile and her own features wrinkled in anger. He hadn't apologized--and he'd said once that he'd be damned if he were ever the one to apologize first. Juliet remembered those words and hardened her heart a little bit more. Well, she wouldn't apologize first, either! She'd done nothing wrong. Why should she be expected to give up her studies when she became Allan's wife? If she became Allan's wife. It wasn't fair. Men could do both--why couldn't she?
They two of them looked so unhappy that people in the congregation who watched them were amazed. Most people assumed correctly that they'd had a lover's quarrel, but horrible Rhonda Perlman went around saying that Juliet Kent was angry as a bear that Bea beat her to being married. When the last thing Juliet wanted at that moment was to get married! To anyone, much less to Allan. She'd stripped her left hand of his little diamond ring and left it sitting on her dresser at home. When Allan saw her naked, slender hand holding the little bouquet of mums his face darkened visibly but he wisely said nothing.
Some people were oblivious to anything wrong. "What a lovely couple," said sweet old Mrs. Myra Gray of Shrewsbury, coming up to them after the service where Juliet and Allan were standing in the receiving line, shoulders barely touching. "You two will have such beautiful children one day!"
The maid-of-honor and best man stared at her and each other with such fury and loathing that Mrs. Gray wondered to her dying day if she'd said something she shouldn't have.
Bea and her new husband--husband! Bea had a husband?--took to the dance floor and waltzed, gazing happily into each other's eyes. The twinkling lights in the spacious hall glittered on her honey-colored hair and Juliet felt herself relax, watching them. Until she looked over and saw Allan dancing with Betty Walsh, the groom's cousin! How--dare--he! Juliet herself had been asked to dance by several men but had said no. Why had she never noticed how pretty Betty was? That shade of blue was really right with her reddish hair and the velvet ribbon she'd tied around her throat made her neck look long and kissable. Juliet bit back a flush of angry tears. She was mad at Allan--terribly mad--but he was still her Allan. Wasn't he? For all that had happened she was still his Juliet.
Even so, the next time that Rob Lewison asked her to dance, for old times' sake, Juliet said yes and put her slim white hand in his. And made sure that Allan saw them.
* * *
But Bea hadn't noticed any coldness. That was the best thing. "This is the best day of my life, darling," she'd said, holding Juliet close as the guests threw handfuls of rice at the bride and groom. "Thank you for being so wonderful!"
Wonderful! Juliet immediately felt terrible. She'd done nothing but sulk since she'd seen Allan that morning, looking cheerful and unconcerned with anything! A wave of remorse washed over her. She'd been so furious she hadn't gotten a chance to enjoy Bea's wedding. Juliet squeezed Bea back and said, "I'm so happy for you, darling! May God give you many good years together!" She meant it with every bone in her body.
And this morning Bea was gone--she and David had gone to New York to visit his Mother for a month and see the city while they were at it. And soon Juliet would be gone, too. Father was driving her to the airport at noon. Juliet opened her bags and did one last check--she wanted to make sure she had everything with her that she wanted to take to Guelph.
It all was there. Juliet zipped her suitcases and stacked them by the front door. But she still felt something was missing. She went slowly back up to her room and picked up the little diamond ring that still lay on top of her dresser.
She slipped it on her finger. No, that wouldn't do. It felt bulky and heavy, like an anchor holding her down. But she wouldn't--couldn't--leave it behind. Sighing, Juliet tucked the ring into her pocket. She went back downstairs and picked up the telephone and dialed Aunt Ilse and Uncle Perry's number. If Allan wouldn't apologize she would. She couldn't go away without making everything good between them--without one last kiss--!
Like it or not--and Juliet didn't--she couldn't leave without saying goodbye Allan.
* * *
The phone rang and rang. Finally the operator came on the line.
"Caller, it looks as if no one's home," she said. "Would you like me to disconnect you?"
"Yes--please," Juliet said dully. So Allan had already left for his banker's course in Charlottetown--or he'd forgotten that she, too, was leaving. She remembered the plans they'd made only days ago: Allan would take her out for a big breakfast before she left for Guelph, and give her one kiss for every day she'd be gone. That was over a hundred kisses to Christmas. Her knees had felt weak anticipating them and trembled at the memory of it now.
"Juliet!" Father called from downstairs. "It's time to go--we don't want to miss your flight."
Well, if Allan had forgotten about her, then Juliet would forget about him.
But she couldn't help blowing a surreptitious kiss in the direction of the Miller home as they pulled out of the driveway.
* * *
The Charlottetown airport was a bustling, noisy whirl of people. Father and Juliet checked her bags and then Teddy Kent walked his girl to the boarding gate.
"It makes me nervous, the thought of you getting into that big flying machine, Jewel," he said. "But I wouldn't be surprised if you could sprout your own wings and flew over there. Nothing you do surprises me--yet everything does. College girl--college girl! How proud my Mother would have been to know you, Juliet."
"Grandmother Aileen?" Juliet wondered. At New Moon they talked often of Aunts Elizabeth and Laura and Mother's own Mother, whom Juliet had been named for, but they seldom talked of Father's Mother. The only thing Juliet knew about her was that she had died before the twins were born--before even Teddy and Emily were married.
"Yes, Grandmother Aileen. She was a strange woman, Juliet, but one of her great joys was reading--absorbing--learning! I do hope you'll remember her while you're studying--that she would have given everything she loved in the world to be where you are now."
"I will remember," Juliet said, fighting back tears.
"And remember her, too, when you're going out to sock hops and parties." Father's eyes twinkled mischeviously. "She didn't have much fun in her life, Juliet, and I think she'd appreciate if you had some in remembrance of her!"
"I will that, too," Juliet promised. "Oh, Father, I'll try to make you and Mother proud!"
"You have already," Father said, and took his girl up in a warm embrace.
"A strange girl," Teddy Kent reflected as his daughter walked toward the gate where her flight was boarding. "A hearty, strong girl--and yet so delicate and ephemeral. So much like her mother--but there's a little of me, there, too. Oh, I hope the world will treat her well! I hope it does!"
* * *
Juliet's gloved hand fished in her bag for her ticket. She could see the colored corner of the paper folder it was in peeking up but it was buried beneath her wallet and her books and everything else. "Just one minute," she laughed to the stewardess, who looked bored and slightly annoyed, her hand outstretched.
"Juliet!"
She whirled and the ticket was forgotten. "Allan! Oh, I thought you had forgotten me!"
"Never," Allan avowed, holding her and pulling her close. "I almost didn't come out of sheer stubbornness but I wouldn't have forgotten. My stomach was gnawing all morning with nervousness at the thought of not seeing you again before you leave! You darling girl I didn't sleep a wink at all last night. What call had you to look so cozy with Rob Lewison?"
"Me!" Juliet giggled. "You were looking so love-sick over Betty Walsh that I thought you'd been struck dumb. I danced with Rob as a little payback--what call had you to be so jealous?"
"I never had a love affair with Betty Walsh," Allan said hotly, but he was smiling. "As I remember it, Rob Lewison once, in the not too-distant past, asked to marry you! Imagine him thinking he could have my Juliet! When all my life you've been promised to me--and I to you."
Their lips met in a sweet kiss. The last boarding call for Juliet's flight was announced over a loudspeaker.
"Darling," said Allan, gathering her hands in his own and kissing them. "Go get on your plane and go to Guelph and learn all you can from the hallowed halls of history. And then come and teacher them to your ignorant, banker husband-to-be. I'm sorry about what I said. You can do anything you want when we are married--you can teach--you can write books like your mother--you can be a banker, too, if you want! The one thing you cannot do is run away and join the circus because I'd shrivel up and die without you. I just--didn't want you to go. I'll miss you--too much."
"I'll miss you, too," Juliet said. She reached into her pocket and gave her little ring to Allan, who grinned and slipped it on the proper finger.
"One day we'll fight and you'll take this off and lose it," Allan grinned. "But no matter--I'll be a rich banker and be able to buy you a new one."
"I wouldn't want a new one," Juliet said firmly. "I wouldn't want a horrendous monstrosity of a ring like Bea's. How does she keep her hand up? Oh, Allan, I love this ring--and I love you!"
They kissed again and the impatient flight attendant who had been waiting for Juliet all this time clucked her tongue in annoyance. They broke apart and Juliet fished her ticket out of her bag, finally, and was led down a long corridor to her seat on the waiting plane. She touched her lips and smiled all through the safety lecture and didn't even notice as the plane soared up through the magnificent clouds.
"I hate fighting with Allan," she murmured to herself. "But oh, he does make it up beautifully. If only we could make up all the time--without the fighting!"