I was undeterred by threat of punishment. "I want another book."
"You have your book."
"It does not count!"
"You have your book and now you must fulfill your half of the bargain," said Darcy as he gathered the other end of the coverlet which guarded me.
I clung tighter to my shield. "I will not forget you perfidy."
"Dearest, I am going to make you forget your name."
That sounded most promising. I released the coverlet.
24thDecember 1811
Morning
"You have crumbs on your Mountains of Ecstasy," said Darcy as we feasted on a decadent (and rather messy) breakfast in bed.
"My what?"
"If you call your nether regions your Garden of Delight I can only assume those are your Mountains of Ecstasy," he said with a gesture towards my poorly covered bosom. The late morning sun was blazing through the windows and he could see me quite clearly, but I had overcome my maidenly modesty during the night.
"I think it would be a bit presumptuous to call them mountains. Hills of Ecstasy, perhaps. No, to say hills is still too much an exaggeration. They are Knolls of Ecstasy, and deficient ones at that. "
"Do not denigrate your knolls, I rather like them."
"I rather like you, Mr. Darcy," I replied unthinkingly, surprising myself.
"Fortunate. You may never be able to rid yourself of me now. Last night's proceedings greatly reduced your likelihood of an annulment. You would have to perjure yourself to claim I am impotent. Madness is all that is left to you."
"Madness may claim me yet. With this ball and Lady Whisperton to attend to I do not know how I shall cope."
"I do not think you could plan better for the ball than you already have, and as for Lady Whisperton I am certain that matter will resolve itself."
I turned to him, shocked by his nonchalant attitude. Visiting my Garden had clearly mellowed him. Or possibly addled him.
He further astounded me by saying, "I have been thinking perhaps you should invite your family to stay. It would give them the chance to enjoy the masquerade and me a chance to get to know them properly."
"There is such a thing as going too far in an apology."
"I do not suggest it merely for the sake of apology."
"Apology would be the only sensible reason to suggest such a thing. You cannot understand. Mama and my younger sisters will be unbearable. I love them. And they have many fine qualities—a few fine qualities—but with a ball on the horizon, no. I could not bear it. Not right now. We will have to invite them sometime, of course. But not now."
Certainly not now. Getting Mama to leave after she had worn out her welcome would be difficult, I knew. I wanted to enjoy my marriage before enduring Mama. Darcy and I were only just starting to like each other. I could not risk it now.
"All right. Some other time, then."
"Perhaps instead I might invite my Aunt and Uncle Gardiner to the ball."
"Your mother's brother. The one in trade?" he asked. To his credit he did not allow his tone to sound at all haughty.
"He is nothing like Mama. You will actually like them. They are a credit to me, the only civilized family members I have to offer beyond Jane. I should like to see them. I have called on them since I arrived in town, of course. But they will not return the call. They were not certain you would find it proper."
"Of course you should invite them to the ball. And invite them to dine with us at the earliest date they are available. Snobbish arse I might be, but I hope you never thought me so cruel as to bar your relations from visiting?"
"Only for a short while. It quickly became apparent to me one of the most kind and generous gentlemen I had ever known. Yet still oddly a snobbish arse—it is very confusing."
