Page 10 of Lady Mariel’s Scandalous Love

“I see that you have grasped the core of it – yes, that is exactly what I am suggesting.”

Dash took a careful swallow of the brandy, head spinning.

“But… but I couldn’t even talk to her about such subjects! And even if I could, if anyone found out that she had seen such a thing, had understood, and translated it – she would be ruined – the scandal would be enormous! This isn’t about what I want – and I do, desperately, want that book translated – this is about a young woman’s reputation!”

“Perhaps. But who is going to know, except us, Mariel, and Selina? And we are certainly not going to tell anyone else. We are deep in the countryside, it’s the end of winter, and no-one is likely to ‘come upon her looking at it’ accidentally.”

“Whether that’s true or not – the content of it, Alex, think of the content! A young woman her age, unmarried, shouldn’t, wouldn’t, even know such things existed! How can I corrupt the innocent like that? What must you think of me, to suggest it?”

Alex laughed, and Dash took another large swallow of the brandy.

“I think that you are a man who can see past the irritating prejudices of society. You’ll be surprised, too, at just how much Lady Mariel knows. She has her own little collection of rather explicit books, I believe. And she knows exactly what’s involved, between a man and a woman – after all, she conspired with Selina and I, in the scandal that freed us from our previous, parentally arranged, commitments, and allowed us to wed.”

“Alex, what are you talking about?”

“We planned it with her. She waited in a side chamber of the library, whilst Selina and I made sure that Selina was completely ruined, in the most pleasurable of ways, then, at the right time, Mariel walked in on us, and set up a great wailing, so that we were caught, and forced to marry.”

Dash felt his head spinning, utterly. His friend was far more outrageous than he had ever realised – obviously.

“Walked in on you… while you were still… pleasuring her?”

“Yes – it had to be real, and convincing. Lady Mariel does not quail at things which might stop most young women. It seems that she has made a point of becoming educated on such matters – as far as is possible without actually carrying out the physical acts – to the extent she can manage, when the world thinks that all young women should be kept ignorant of such things. She most definitely meets your criteria of ‘not easily shocked’.”

“But the risk of scandal…”

“Is getting your book translated worth that risk? I assure you, Lady Mariel will most likely be utterly intrigued by its contents, rather than horrified – I think that, given the chance, she could be as much a scholar of these things as you are. Anyway – what if it did end in scandal? Won’t you displaying these things – as I assume you eventually intend to – cause scandal anyway? I have become rather fond of scandal, myself, since it was what allowed me to marry the woman I love, rather than Lady Phyllida.”

Dash sat there, considering. He wanted that book translated. There was no question of it. This might be the only chance he ever had, to achieve that. Perhaps he was as mad to consider it, as Alex was to suggest it. But he could not, simply could not, allow this chance to escape him.

“All right, I’ll talk to her – if she doesn’t run screaming when I intimate what the content of the book is, we will see.”