Will You Love Me in September

For a long time I was to remember those first days at Hessenfield Castle. There were the conversations with Aimee-lighthearted, frivolous chatter-which enthralled me because with them came an aura of the past and they brought memories which I had long forgotten. Then there were my sessions with my uncle Paul, my interest in the castle, and the strange atmosphere of tension, which I did not understand at the time. It was a suppressed excitement and uneasiness which seemed to affect them all except Aimee. I believed she was aware of it and that it both amused and exasperated her.

She had made herself mistress of the castle, and it was quite clear that my uncle Paul was fond of her. She made him laugh, and anyone who could do that would be a favorite of his.

He talked about her to me. "She has the true Gallic charm," he said. "That comes from her mother. I must say we have been more lively in the castle since she came.

When the war was over and there was free traffic between the two countries, one summer's morning she presented herself at the castle, announcing who she was. She is a resourceful young woman. She gave me the ring, which she said your father had wished to be returned to me, and she brought his watch too, which he had presumably left to her mother, and there was a letter from my brother.”

"When did he write it?" I asked, even though Aimee had told me this.

'It must have been before he died. He must have given it to Aimee's mother as a sort of guarantee that the child would be cared for. He died suddenly, but living was precarious for him. He never knew from one day to the next when he would run into an ambush or someone would assassinate him. There was a price on his head, you know.”

" Could I see my father's letter? I have never seen anything he wrote.”

"Certainly you may. It clearly states that his daughter shall have a share of his estate.”

"Does he mention me?”

"Not in this letter. He had already written to me about you when your mother joined him in France. He said then that you should be his heiress.”

He took some keys from his pocket and gave them to me. "Go and open that desk," he said. "You will see some papers there ... just inside. Will you please bring them to me?”

I did as he asked and came back with the papers. He turned them over and brought out a letter which he handed to me. It had the address of the hotel embossed on the top right-hand corner.

I read: Dear Paul, We had an unpleasant scare today. It made me realize that I could be a dead man at any time. I know that applies to us all, but to some more than others-and I am one of those to whom it could happen suddenly.

I have involved myself in certain responsibilities, and I want this daughter of mine to have a share in my fortune. Her mother will get the letter to you somehow. I will write in detail later, but just in case something should happen before I have an opportunity to do so, I want to make sure this girl is cared for along with my other liabilities.

I'll be setting it all out clearly later. This child is one of us, Paul, and I know I can trust you. I'll send this over when I can work out how the money should be arranged.

Your affectionate brother John "And he gave this letter to Aimee's mother?" I said.

"Yes. That was how it was done, I imagine.”

"It is undated," I pointed out.

"Aimee said it was written a few days before his death. It seems as though he had a premonition of it ... or perhaps he was then feeling ill.”

"Then he must have been seeing Aimee's mother right up to the time of his death.”

"My dear," said Uncle Paul, "you must not be shocked. He was like that ... polygamous.

There were always women ... although your mother was the one he cared for in a very special way . and for you too ... as her daughter. But he had clearly been fond of Aimee's mother, and he certainly was of Aimee. He was a philanderer, but there was a very sentimental side to his nature. He had a strong sense of honor and would never shirk his responsibilities!”

I looked at the letter in his handwriting. Bold and flowing, typical of the man.

"You can imagine how moved I was when Aimee arrived," went on Uncle Paul. "She told me that her mother had preserved that letter with the ring and watch and that she had planned to come to England herself as soon as she could do so. But when the opportunity came, Aimee was of an age to travel and her mother' had married. It was only natural that she would not want to involve her new husband in a past love affair, so Aimee came alone. I trust you are pleased to have a sister. She is a charming girl, full of vitality. One would expect that from a daughter of my brother. You have the same quality, my dear. You must always keep it. I hope you two are going to be friends, as sisters should be.”

I was getting very fond of my uncle.