Page 59 of Forget Me Not

Mr. Layton led her to the empty armchair and saw her seated before sitting as well on the sofa beside Mr. Barrington, flicking his coattails out of the way as he did.

“What is the topic of your dispute?” Julia asked.

“Dancing,” Mr. Barrington said quite matter-of-factly.

Julia looked over at Lucas. “Dancing?”

He nodded. “We found ourselves in a disagreement about which was the best dance. One of us said the minuet, another the allemande, and the last of us said the best dance was whichever one he was dancing.”

Julia turned to Mr. Layton with a smile. “That last one was you, I have no doubt.”

He smiled quite pompously. “I was speaking only the truth.”

“Which of you preferred the minuet and which the allemande?” she asked the others.

“No,” Mr. Layton said. “We want your opinion without undue influence.”

“Why are you debating the merits of dances? Is this a usual topic of conversation for gentlemen?”

“It is when those gentlemen are anticipating a very significant ball,” Lucas said.

“The one to be held at Falstone Castle?” she guessed aloud.

He nodded.

She had managed to put the dreaded event mostly out of her thoughts. The reminder was not particularly welcome. Still, this was a light and easy way to discuss it.

“I don’t know that I can speak to which is the best. Dances, after all, are not like mathematics formulas, where one correct answer exists. Icansay which of those two I prefer.” All three men watched her, each with a different variation of amused. “The allemande.”

“Capital,” Lucas declared with a grin. He looked to his friends. “I told you she would choose the allemande.”

Mr. Barrington shook his head. “I struggle to countenance the reality of one person preferring the allemande to the minuet, let alone two.”

“Ah, but Julia and I share a reason for preferring it,” Lucas said.

Did they? She hadn’t told Lucaswhyshe preferred it.

“I am the one who taught her the allemande,” Lucas said.

He remembered. He had also taught her to play cricket, to climb trees, to fish. Was he the reason she still enjoyed all those things? Was he the reason she preferred the allemande? Likely.

“You also taught her to trek up a mountain,” Mr. Barrington said, “yet I doubt she prefers that to, say, her mathematics endeavors.”

“Oh.” She rose and crossed to Lucas. “I finished my book on differentials. I worked out the final equation earlier today.”

“Did you?” He looked genuinely pleased for her. “What do you mean to study next?”

“I haven’t yet decided.”

“Once you have, let me know. If I don’t have a book on that topic in the book room, we can send to York or even to London.”

She shook her head. “I’ll not put the estate to such an expense, not when there are so many books here at the house.”

“How did we land on the topic of books?” Mr. Layton’s tone was one of annoyed boredom. “We have not yet settled the matter of dances.”

Julia faced him with her sternest expression. “I have made my opinion known. Consider the matter settled.”

Mr. Layton’s eyes danced with enjoyment. “Lucas and Stanley used to tell us tales of fiery little Julia. I am beginning to believe them after all these years.”

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