After they left, Gabriel stood in the entrance hall with Clara, the other servants having discretely disappeared.
“That was profoundly disagreeable,” he remarked.
“Yet, you did remarkably well.”
“By a narrow margin.”
“Miss Ashworth seems to regard you with some partiality.”
“Miss Ashworth feels pity for my plight, and is merely engaging with me to dishearten other unwanted suit.”
“A thoughtful young woman.”
“Too discerning, I fear. She apprehends all.”
"Then we need to be more careful."
"Or less careful. Maybe if we're obvious enough, everyone will accept our predicament and leave us be.”
"That's not how society works."
"I dislike society."
"I am aware."
He pulled her into his arms. "Come to bed."
"Gabriel…"
"Just to sleep. I promise. I just need to hold you after tonight."
"You can't keep promising 'just to sleep' when we both know it's getting harder to maintain that boundary."
"I can try."
"Your trying is notably unsuccessful when it comes to restraint."
"Then help me. Be my restraint."
"That's unfair to put it all on me."
"You're stronger than I am."
"I'm really not. I'm just better at hiding my desperation."
"Then we're doomed."
"We've been doomed from the start."
They went upstairs together, and Clara changed into his shirt while he turned his back, though the pretense of modesty was increasingly absurd given how aware they were of each other's every movement.
When they lay down together, Gabriel pulled her back against his chest, burying his face in her hair.
"Two and a half weeks," he said.
"Don't count."
"I can't help it."
