countries. But why should I spend my youth obeying my father, my adulthood obeying my husband, and then likely my dotage obeying my children? When then, should I be able to do what I choose?”
Since this was unanswerable, since indeed the entire concept was so ... yes, Lady Mary thought dazedly, revolutionary, she could not speak at once. But looking at Faith, who stood waiting for a reply, and seeing how her eyes flashed even in the unreliable candlelight and how her long straight hair gleamed when it caught that unsteady glow, even bound as it was in its single bedtime braid, and how her nightshift drifted against her as she spun around, outlining her high breasts against her graceful, slender form, Lady Mary (who had read quite a few novels) said only, rather pitiably, as though she was holding on for dear life to the one sure thing she knew even as she’d hold on to a raft in a raging floodtide, “But what about love?”
“Ah,” said Faith.
After a moment, when her words were carefully chosen, she said thoughtfully, “I’m sure it’s delightful. I’ve never been ‘in’ love, and I daresay if I were, I’d wish to marry. But,” she said at once, as Lady Mary began to grin in triumph, “I firmly believe that one doesn’t ‘fall’ in love, as one falls into a pit, or a hole in the street, all unawares. One has to want to be in love, or need to be, to feel love for someone. Only look at all the old bachelors this old world holds! I don’t see them tripping about, ‘falling’ in love, or apologizing for having not done so. No, they’re far too concerned with their own comforts to be susceptible. And as I don’t wish to love anyone either, I don’t think that will be a problem.”
“My nurse,” Lady Mary giggled, “would say you’ve just dared the elves. She always told me to never say ‘never,’ since there are elves that live in cracks in the ceiling who listen to you and take you up at your word. She’d say that now you’ve guaranteed that you’ll fall in love with the first fellow you see when you leave the room.”
“Good heavens,” Faith gasped in great mock horror. “And with the way my luck’s been running, I’ll wager it will be Charlie Bryant!”
At that, both girls began laughing, for Bryant was a houseguest and though as well blooded as a brood stallion and twice as high on his own high horse, he was famous for having almost as long a nose as one of those fine steeds, and absolutely no chin at all. After they’d shushed each other for making so much din at such an advanced hour, and then promptly went off into more fits of smothered laughter, they smiled at each other. For though Lady Mary was more than a little shocked by her outspoken American guest, and Faith thought her hostess charming but more childlike than was good for her, each thought she’d found a good friend. The late hour, the shared laughter and stealth had united them.
And so when Lady Mary finally crept off to her chambers, with Faith keeping watch at her own door and barely suppressing her giggles when Mary stubbed her toe and hopped a pace, Lady Mary thought that though a great deal of what her American guest had said was absolutely terrifying and certainly seditious, it was, like everything else about her new friend, interesting, nonetheless.
And Faith, tumbling into her bed at last, and noting that it had begun to feel like her own bed at last, and moreover that now she hadn’t the slightest desire to dampen that pillow with so much as one tear, thought that in all, Lady Mary was a very good sort of girl, and perhaps this visit wouldn’t be as onerous as she’d believed.
But before sleep could come, Faith felt a twinge, because she hadn’t been completely candid with her hostess. She’d told her the bare facts, of course. But since she was basically a straightforward person, she wondered drowsily as she sank into sleep whether she ought to have mentioned certain details. Such as, for example,
Since this was unanswerable, since indeed the entire concept was so ... yes, Lady Mary thought dazedly, revolutionary, she could not speak at once. But looking at Faith, who stood waiting for a reply, and seeing how her eyes flashed even in the unreliable candlelight and how her long straight hair gleamed when it caught that unsteady glow, even bound as it was in its single bedtime braid, and how her nightshift drifted against her as she spun around, outlining her high breasts against her graceful, slender form, Lady Mary (who had read quite a few novels) said only, rather pitiably, as though she was holding on for dear life to the one sure thing she knew even as she’d hold on to a raft in a raging floodtide, “But what about love?”
“Ah,” said Faith.
After a moment, when her words were carefully chosen, she said thoughtfully, “I’m sure it’s delightful. I’ve never been ‘in’ love, and I daresay if I were, I’d wish to marry. But,” she said at once, as Lady Mary began to grin in triumph, “I firmly believe that one doesn’t ‘fall’ in love, as one falls into a pit, or a hole in the street, all unawares. One has to want to be in love, or need to be, to feel love for someone. Only look at all the old bachelors this old world holds! I don’t see them tripping about, ‘falling’ in love, or apologizing for having not done so. No, they’re far too concerned with their own comforts to be susceptible. And as I don’t wish to love anyone either, I don’t think that will be a problem.”
“My nurse,” Lady Mary giggled, “would say you’ve just dared the elves. She always told me to never say ‘never,’ since there are elves that live in cracks in the ceiling who listen to you and take you up at your word. She’d say that now you’ve guaranteed that you’ll fall in love with the first fellow you see when you leave the room.”
“Good heavens,” Faith gasped in great mock horror. “And with the way my luck’s been running, I’ll wager it will be Charlie Bryant!”
At that, both girls began laughing, for Bryant was a houseguest and though as well blooded as a brood stallion and twice as high on his own high horse, he was famous for having almost as long a nose as one of those fine steeds, and absolutely no chin at all. After they’d shushed each other for making so much din at such an advanced hour, and then promptly went off into more fits of smothered laughter, they smiled at each other. For though Lady Mary was more than a little shocked by her outspoken American guest, and Faith thought her hostess charming but more childlike than was good for her, each thought she’d found a good friend. The late hour, the shared laughter and stealth had united them.
And so when Lady Mary finally crept off to her chambers, with Faith keeping watch at her own door and barely suppressing her giggles when Mary stubbed her toe and hopped a pace, Lady Mary thought that though a great deal of what her American guest had said was absolutely terrifying and certainly seditious, it was, like everything else about her new friend, interesting, nonetheless.
And Faith, tumbling into her bed at last, and noting that it had begun to feel like her own bed at last, and moreover that now she hadn’t the slightest desire to dampen that pillow with so much as one tear, thought that in all, Lady Mary was a very good sort of girl, and perhaps this visit wouldn’t be as onerous as she’d believed.
But before sleep could come, Faith felt a twinge, because she hadn’t been completely candid with her hostess. She’d told her the bare facts, of course. But since she was basically a straightforward person, she wondered drowsily as she sank into sleep whether she ought to have mentioned certain details. Such as, for example,
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