eye an image of lessons given and received, naked bodies entwined. She swallowed hard against the yearning that rose up in her throat, mute and warm.
She had to fight to get the words out. "How can you possibly know until you have tried the alternatives?" She could hear how strangled her own voice sounded.
"I believe I have an instinct for such things. You were about to tell me what cannot occur outside of marriage without the participants becoming depraved."
"I was not."
"Are you depraved, Miss Preston?"
"I should think not!"
"Then kissin g is permissible," he said with a firm nod, as if setting down a new law. "Also intimate touching. Intimate, naked touching."
"I said no such thing," she declared hotly.
"But you participated in the same."
"Rubbish. Never."
"You did. I was naked, and you touched me. Let your body lie on mine. Don't fret. We have agreed that it was not depraved."
"I think it was."
"Oh? Then how is it you engaged in such behavior and yet are not depraved?"
"Because I did not wish to engage in the behavior."
"Yet you did not protest. I didn't hold you against your will. There was no struggle. You acquiesced."
"I did not."
"You most certainly did. I am very particular about such things."
"I was dazed. When I was once again thinking straight, I removed myself from the situation. "
"So you weren't thinking straight? How did that come about?"
"I think you know full well."
"Explain it to me."
"I don't think so."
"Miss Preston," he said in a tone of discovery, "are you implying that you were dazed and not thinking straight because of me?"
"You are very vain. Also misguided."
"What other cause can there be?"
"Rack your brains. I'm sure you will think of something. You seem to be perfectly inventive. Also deluded."
"Depraved and deluded. What a combination. Such a burden to struggle under. Yet I will take comfort that even so encumbered, still I can daze a woman of your caliber."
"Don't flatter yourself."
"No flattery. My powers of deductive reasoning are perfectly sound."
"I beg to differ."
"There is no need to beg. I prefer my women assertive."
"What on earth makes you imagine your preferences are of any interest to me?" she demanded, freshly thrilled to think she met his preferences, freshly revolted by her overheated nature.
"I don't. That was merely offered in the nature of general information."
"It is completely unnecessary."
"It appears I like sharp-tongued women more than I ever realized." She pressed her lips together, refusing to rise to the lure. "Who would have thought it? I had always imagined joyful compliance to be the most attractive trait. Now I discover I was deceived."
"You cannot expect me to imagine you find conversation with me more attractive than any other trait?"
"Why not?"
"What happened to discerning? You sound like a fool. Ranking either joyful compliance," she stammered over the evocative term, recovered then continued, "or a sharp tongue over any other consideration."
"What do you think I should choose?"
"How on earth should I know?" She threw up her hands.
"But you clearly have some id ea. Tell me, how should I choose?"
"You ask me for advice on how to choose bed partners? You boggle the mind."
"Clearly I have been doing it wrong, if it leads to the charge I am indiscriminate and depraved."
"Depravity has nothing to do with the choice of bed partner-"
"Oh, now it is I who begs to differ."
"Mr Holbrook-"
"Miss Preston. Help me to be more discriminating."
"You should only bed a woman with whom you are certain you could spend the rest of your life."
They walked several strides in silence, an d she realized she was panting from the effort of walking quickly and talking at the same time. She slowed a trifle. Where were those children? They knew the park too well, hid too well. They could be anywhere by now, could even have circled around at the end of the wilderness, and be back at the house. The entire park was designed to conceal, to delight
She had to fight to get the words out. "How can you possibly know until you have tried the alternatives?" She could hear how strangled her own voice sounded.
"I believe I have an instinct for such things. You were about to tell me what cannot occur outside of marriage without the participants becoming depraved."
"I was not."
"Are you depraved, Miss Preston?"
"I should think not!"
"Then kissin g is permissible," he said with a firm nod, as if setting down a new law. "Also intimate touching. Intimate, naked touching."
"I said no such thing," she declared hotly.
"But you participated in the same."
"Rubbish. Never."
"You did. I was naked, and you touched me. Let your body lie on mine. Don't fret. We have agreed that it was not depraved."
"I think it was."
"Oh? Then how is it you engaged in such behavior and yet are not depraved?"
"Because I did not wish to engage in the behavior."
"Yet you did not protest. I didn't hold you against your will. There was no struggle. You acquiesced."
"I did not."
"You most certainly did. I am very particular about such things."
"I was dazed. When I was once again thinking straight, I removed myself from the situation. "
"So you weren't thinking straight? How did that come about?"
"I think you know full well."
"Explain it to me."
"I don't think so."
"Miss Preston," he said in a tone of discovery, "are you implying that you were dazed and not thinking straight because of me?"
"You are very vain. Also misguided."
"What other cause can there be?"
"Rack your brains. I'm sure you will think of something. You seem to be perfectly inventive. Also deluded."
"Depraved and deluded. What a combination. Such a burden to struggle under. Yet I will take comfort that even so encumbered, still I can daze a woman of your caliber."
"Don't flatter yourself."
"No flattery. My powers of deductive reasoning are perfectly sound."
"I beg to differ."
"There is no need to beg. I prefer my women assertive."
"What on earth makes you imagine your preferences are of any interest to me?" she demanded, freshly thrilled to think she met his preferences, freshly revolted by her overheated nature.
"I don't. That was merely offered in the nature of general information."
"It is completely unnecessary."
"It appears I like sharp-tongued women more than I ever realized." She pressed her lips together, refusing to rise to the lure. "Who would have thought it? I had always imagined joyful compliance to be the most attractive trait. Now I discover I was deceived."
"You cannot expect me to imagine you find conversation with me more attractive than any other trait?"
"Why not?"
"What happened to discerning? You sound like a fool. Ranking either joyful compliance," she stammered over the evocative term, recovered then continued, "or a sharp tongue over any other consideration."
"What do you think I should choose?"
"How on earth should I know?" She threw up her hands.
"But you clearly have some id ea. Tell me, how should I choose?"
"You ask me for advice on how to choose bed partners? You boggle the mind."
"Clearly I have been doing it wrong, if it leads to the charge I am indiscriminate and depraved."
"Depravity has nothing to do with the choice of bed partner-"
"Oh, now it is I who begs to differ."
"Mr Holbrook-"
"Miss Preston. Help me to be more discriminating."
"You should only bed a woman with whom you are certain you could spend the rest of your life."
They walked several strides in silence, an d she realized she was panting from the effort of walking quickly and talking at the same time. She slowed a trifle. Where were those children? They knew the park too well, hid too well. They could be anywhere by now, could even have circled around at the end of the wilderness, and be back at the house. The entire park was designed to conceal, to delight
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