"Friends, I'm back!" cried a happy Juliet as she unlocked the door to the tower room and burst in. She was glad--gladder than glad--to be back at school. It was her final year of study--she wanted to throw herself into her work--to get lost in it--to prove to all of them, and herself, that a she, a woman, could be a worthwhile student. "I will make something of myself," she vowed, as she dropped her bags and let her eyes adjust to the dim surroundings.
And then Juliet heard two gasps of surprise at her hectic arrival. One was Trudy's--Juliet saw her creamy face coloring in embarrassment--and the other must have belonged to the tall, dark man bending over her. They were in each other's arms.
"Trudy--and Blair!" Juliet cried, amazed. "What--what--who--?"
"Dearest of friends, close your gaping mouth," Trudy said, recovering, and giving a small laugh. "Sit, rest from your journey, and I'll explain it all. I'll see you at chow time, darling."
The last part was tossed off handedly at Blair, who grinned and departed with a kiss. The moment the door closed behind him Juliet sprang from her seat and danced around the room, laughing and clapping her hands.
"I knew you had a thing for him--I knew it--I knew it!"
"The mystic Madame Juliet sees all," Trudy said impishly, rolling her eyes. "If you can contain yourself I'll tell you how it happened."
"What about Hannah?" Juliet wanted to know. "Oh, Trudy, you're a bad sister!"
"Hang Hannah," Trudy mock-growled. "She can't have my man--what's more , she doesn't even want him. She wrote at the end of last term that she's been seeing Jonah Davis all year. He works for Father, over at the House of Dreams, doing odd jobs, and because Hannah was on house arrest because of her grades, he's the only contact she had with the outside world. They fell madly in love and will be married next August. But she won't beat me. I'm going to be married in July. Look at this!" Trudy flaunted her tiny diamond for Juliet's approving eyes.
"You--and Blair--it's too funny," said Juliet, who was giggling helplessly. "Tell me what happened."
"Of course I've loved him all along," said Trudy, like a child reciting her lessons. "Blair got his letter from Hannah and rang the House of Dreams immediately--to speak to me. He told me that now he was free, and he wanted nothing more than to come right over and tell me so in person. I told him he'd better come over and do more than that--I've waited for him long enough. He said he'd loved me all along but didn't want to break poor Hannah's heart. When Hannah hadn't cared a whit for him for months! Oh, Juliet, I'm going to be Mrs. Blair King--and you're going to be Mrs. John Lester! Let me see your ring--it's huge! Don't you feel old, darling--gloriously grown-up and mature?"
"Yes--and Alice wrote this summer that she's engaged to a boy back home," Juliet giggled. "Dear Alice--did you ever think you'd hear me say those words?"
"We must be very kind to Greta," said Trudy, caressing her ring, "And careful not to rub it in. Oh, it's wonderful to be engaged, isn't it, Juliet? I feel like I've got my whole life stretched in front of me to the horizon--and all things are possible."
Juliet nodded and gave her friend a hug, but she secretly envied Trudy her enthusiasm. She didn't feel like all things were possible, she felt like a door had closed quite suddenly in her face. She almost come to terms with things on the way to the airport--John had been so nice and romantic when he left her the week before. He'd said things that made her knees knock with pleasure . Juliet was beginning to muster up a bit of enthusiasm for their union--she met Mrs. Lester and John's sisters, Doreen and Kate, and they were all beautiful and loving and good. Yesterday she was sure she could be quite happy with John. But today, as she went to place her bags on the luggage check, she thought she saw a familiar shaggy blond head--a well-known freckled face--and she would always know that easy walk--
"Hello, Juliet," said Allan Miller, looking as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Allan!" said Juliet, her be-ringed hand going reflexively deep into her coat pocket, where it could not be seen. "What are you doing here?" Oh, of all the luck! Allan was the last person Juliet wanted to see--yet she was strangely elated to see him.
"I'm seeing off a friend. Carol Weatherby's going to Quebec City. You?"
"Going back to school, of course. It's almost the beginning of the term but I couldn't bear to leave lovely New Moon. Who's Carol Weatherby?" The words were out in a rush before Juliet could stop them. She could have bitten the end of her tongue off. She had promised herself time and time again that when she and Allan met she would be calm and aloof. Not stampeding over him with curiosity, all flustered and hot-faced.
"You don't know him," Allan said, with a slight grin. "Yes, Juliet, him. C-A-R-R-O-L-L, short for Carrollton. His father owns the bank I work in."
"Oh," said Juliet, flushing even more crimson. "I just assumed"
"It's my turn now," Allan said, and looked at her. "Who's John Lester?"
"Don't tease me," said Juliet furiously. "How dare you ask me that? You have no right to know--you didn't want me--and he does."
"I didn't expect you to go out and get engaged to the first man who came along!"
Juliet gasped. "Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, Allan!"
Allan asked, very quietly, "Are you really going to marry him, Juliet?"
The two stared at each other hotly, neither moving. Then Allan told hold of Juliet's left hand and pulled it gently out of her pocket. The huge diamond that John had given her glittered and twinkled on her finger.
"We are," said Juliet miserably. "We're going to be married in May, I think. John's going to buy his aunt and uncle's farm in Avonlea. They want to go West. I'm glad--Avonlea is beautiful--and I couldn't bear to be too far from New Moon. Oh, Allan"
"Don't say you're sorry," said Allan, something loosening in his shoulders. "You haven't done anything wrong. Well, you're right, I really have no call to be jealous. Except that I'll always love you. I'm sorry, Juliet. Congratulations, and I hope that he's good enough for you."
"He is," Juliet said, through a veil of tears. "He's wonderful."
"I hope he can make you as happy as I couldn't." Allan gave her a small kiss on the cheek. "Have a good term--good bye, darling."
"Allan--you did make me happy!" Juliet cried suddenly as he made his way through the crowds. She couldn't let Allan leave without knowing that. She saw him wave over his shoulder, without looking, in response, but then he disappeared.
* * *
"What are you thinking of, darlingest of girls?" John asked as he puller her closer. Juliet let her head rest on his shoulder as they swayed to the music that was pouring from the speakers of Alice's new record player, set up in the brand-new Student Union building. They'd organized an impromptu dance to celebrate.
Juliet sighed. What had she been thinking of? She'd been wondering if John liked her new dress. It was a rose colored cotton with denim trim. She'd been reasoning how long it would be before she could pretend to be tired and ask John to leave. She'd been thinking about all the other dances she'd been to in her life--so many of them, and she was still so young! Hundreds of them--maybe thousands. Or so it seemed. There were Trudy and Blair, dancing so close that it looked as if they'd melted into each other. All of the campus gossip was focused on them--they were such an unlikely couple! Juliet was glad it was not focused on John and her.
"I was thinking about how much I love you," Juliet lied, but when she said it it almost became true. "And how much I love dancing with you--but I need a break. Why don't you ask Allan to dance--I'm going out for some air."
"Ask who to dance?" John was looking at her queerly. "You said 'Allan.'"
"Did I?" Juliet laughed frantically. "I meant Alice. There she is, over by the refreshments. Be right back."
She burst out onto the porch with a great, whooshing sigh of relief. One more moment in there and she would have screamed--or suffocated. Juliet sat down on the porch with a thump.
"Oh, stop feeling sorry for yourself!" came a voice from the shadows.
Juliet looked over and gasped. "Greta! I didn't know you were out here."
"Well, I am," said Greta coolly, coming over to sit beside her. "And I know just what you're thinking--stop. "
"You couldn't know what I was thinking," Juliet laughed. "I was thinking about Trudy's grandmother. How wonderful it must be to be her age and have all of your big decisions behind you. I wish you could know Mrs. Blythe, Greta--she radiates such peace. But then, she always has. I wonder if she's ever been unsure of a decision she was making? I was thinking now that I would like to ask her how she knew that what she was doing was right."
"There are dozens of girls--hundreds of them--who would give their right arms to have John Lester looking at them the way he looks at you," Greta said seriously. "I know--because I'm one of them."
"Greta! You--you--"
"Yes, me," Greta laughed. "I love him. And you've got him, and it burns me up to see that you don't appreciate him--no pun on my name intended. "
"Oh, I wish there was something I could do," said poor Juliet, the wheels in her head spinning.
"Don't you dare use me as an excuse to make this decision for you," Greta laughed. "If you do, I'll kill you. I won't be anyone's scapegoat. I only want him if you decide for yourself that you don't."
"I don't know what to do," Juliet confessed. "I know I should want him, Greta--but I want someone else entirely. Someone I can't have."
"Let's go in," Greta said. "I love this song. You'll let me dance with your beloved for just this one dance, won't you, Juliet? I promise not to put the moves on him and this one encounter will give me enough fodder for daydreams to last until Christmas. Oh Juliet, remember--'what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive'--even ourselves. Come on, dearie. Try to cheer up--you'll know what to do when you have to do it."
"Love affairs are horrible, aren't they?" Juliet murmured to the night after Greta had gone in. The night had no response except for a small breeze in the treetops, so Juliet answered herself: "They really, truly are."