"Bel, your excitement is unseemly," scolded Henrietta.
"Leave her be. When I was her age I had a special fondness for the histories of treasonous criminals and their subsequent executions," said Darcy.
Henrietta turned to her cousin with a look of exasperation. "Yes, but you were a boy," she explained carefully as if this information might be news to him. "Boys are allowed to be disgusting."
"So they are," he agreed. "Have you ever been to the Tower to see the Royal Menagerie?"
The girls shook their heads. "Would you take us?" Belinda asked hopefully.
"If your mother agrees."
"She won't," said a crestfallen Henrietta. "She will say it is not refined to gawk at beasts with common people."
"I believe I could convince her it was educational."
"Oh, would you?" said Belinda.
"Tom Jonesmight be said to be educational," Henrietta wheedled.
"Hush. Let him get us to the Tower first and then you can worry about your stupid book."
"Anything for you Miss Hopkins?"
The governess, finding Mr. Darcy's attention suddenly upon, her took interest in her lace once more.
"Oh, I shouldn't."
"You have already read all of the histories in the collection, I should think."
"Well, I do not know aboutthat."
"Perhaps you would like a novel this time."
"Oh, I shouldn't," she said again, "So frivolous," she added in a murmur.
"A little diversion on occasion is acceptable. Necessary even."
"Well, perhaps."
"I have just the thing. I have recently acquired Mrs. Brunton's debut which everyone seems so enraptured by."
It was clearly a great feat of Miss Hopkins's self-control not to seize the book and run off with it gleefully. She accepted it daintily enough however, and even managed to look Darcy in the eye for a full second.
"Is it as exciting as people say?"
"I haven't read it yet. You will have to tell me."
Miss Hopkins nearly dropped the book in horror. "I couldn't read it first!"
"Why ever not?"
"Not proper . . . the family should. . . ." I could not fully hear her breathless explanationfrom my hiding place.
"The wonderful thing about books is they lose nothing by being read no matter how many readers peruse them. Provided none of those readers get jam on them," Darcy said with a glance to Belinda.
The girl defended herself primly, "That book didn't lose anything. I left it perfectly intact."
"Yes, I suppose it gained something in that case. Stickiness," said Darcy dryly. "I believe I can trust you not to spill your tea on it or give away the ending, Miss Hopkins."
