Julia's response to the red roses.

The scene in the book is almost exactly the same as what is shown in the miniseries. Julia has been established as a character who treats the people in her life with "an air of possession" and even "disdain." In this scene she's essentially behaving the same way with Charles, making it clear to him she's not impressed by grand gestures or ostentatious displays - like his impulsive gift of red roses. Of course, she immediately confesses that she's guilty of the same type of "film star" behavior, citing her impending session with a masseur. It's a game she plays: Simultaneously placing herself on a pedestal while at the same time reassuring those she cares about that she's really down to earth.

Actually, her games reveal a good deal about her character; Julia chides Sebastian after his encounter with the law, but not because he got arrested - no, she's peeved because he didn't take her along with him on his wild, madcap adventure. And despite her regal appearance, she doesn't wilt like the other ladies of society when the ship encounters rough seas; instead, she weathers the storm like a sailor with a cast-iron stomach.

Naturally it's odd she would dismiss the red roses from Charles with the words "How unlike you" - especially since, at this point in the story, she doesn't know what Charles is "like" at all.

But needless to say, she's about to find out.

Thanks murph24 for the well reasoned out reply. It does clear up her odd reaction when you factor in the nature of Julia's character.

It seemed odd that she greeted Charles in a manner at odds with their real relationship up to that point. In the book, during the sea voyage, she told Charles that when she met him through Sebastian, it was as if he was a book on a shelf that she thought she would read at a later time