night. After a minute she indicated they should bear away what they had, to give the ladies a few moments to speak privately. When they were gone, she shook off any reproof from Emmeline and said, “I am thinking we should have a dinner party. Nothing much, but just a little showing off of the newlyweds. Under any other circumstances, it would be expected. We shall follow expectations.”
“I don’t know if Geoffrey would approve,” Alessandra said at once, the very idea of a party causing her to shudder. Geoffrey had just looked at her with annoyance; what look would he give her if he had to smile his way through a new social trial?
“I don’t care whether he approves or not. He entered into this matter with his eyes wide open, so he will just have to indulge me, for I know what is best.” Mama stood, adding sternly, “I will go and inform him and your father right this moment. I intend to have this party in two weeks’ time, so we will need their cooperation if we are ever to get ready in time.”
“Can I not talk you out of this?” Alessandra made the attempt even though she knew her efforts were doomed. Mama had that look in her eye, the one that said the more you fight, the less you’ll get.
“You cannot.”
“I thought not.”
“You thought correctly. Now, to bed, my girls. It will be busy days for us ahead, I am persuaded. Oh dear, is it nearly half past nine? I must speak to Cook immediately if we are to have time to prepare any sort of proper affair for the newlyweds.”
Alessandra dragged herself up to the Sapphire Room, a room that would host Geoffrey from now on as well, and put herself to bed, leaving one lamp burning for when he came up. She had noticed that the room had been put to rights, and Geoffrey’s things straightened from the floor of his wardrobe. Evidently his valet must have arrived. She might have known about that if she hadn’t hidden most of the day in the library.
She could not sleep, for she was not quite warm. It struck her as unfair that having Geoffrey there, on the other side of those thick pillows, they still shared enough heat to make sleeping comfortable and possible. Too, her thoughts were like little mice that streaked forward unexpectedly to nibble at her consciousness, leaving her restless and unable to relax into sleep.
It was more than an hour before he came up. He moved quietly through the room, only making a little noise when he removed his purse and belongings from his pockets to place them on top of the chest of drawers, obviously trying to be quiet because he thought she was asleep. He found his nightshirt, and dressing robe, and house slippers, and removed to the dressing room.
She felt the bed dip when he returned and after he blew out the lamp. As he settled in under the covers, she lay tense and unconvinced of what his expectations must be. And what about her own?
“Geoffrey?” she said timidly. Besides any ideas of intimacy, there were comments and questions that had come to her as she had lain there unable to sleep. Hadn’t she decided these issues should be raised when they were alone?
“You’re awake,” he said, not giving the impression he was disposed toward conversation. She thought that spoke also to a total lack of physical expectations this night.
“I just wanted you to know you are free to think of the house as your home while you are here. You may come and go freely, of course.”
“Oh. Er, yes,” he said. “That is very good of you.”
“You might need to ask Papa if you want to take out one of the carriages, but other than that I’m sure he means for you to make free use of the stables also.”
“Thank you.”
“Geoffrey?”
He turned over, facing her. His tone was a little exasperated as his voice drifted over the pillow. “Yes?”
“Where are we going to live?”
“I was going to talk to you about that tomorrow, since I thought you were asleep.”
“Well, I’m not.”
He sighed, and she felt the
“I don’t know if Geoffrey would approve,” Alessandra said at once, the very idea of a party causing her to shudder. Geoffrey had just looked at her with annoyance; what look would he give her if he had to smile his way through a new social trial?
“I don’t care whether he approves or not. He entered into this matter with his eyes wide open, so he will just have to indulge me, for I know what is best.” Mama stood, adding sternly, “I will go and inform him and your father right this moment. I intend to have this party in two weeks’ time, so we will need their cooperation if we are ever to get ready in time.”
“Can I not talk you out of this?” Alessandra made the attempt even though she knew her efforts were doomed. Mama had that look in her eye, the one that said the more you fight, the less you’ll get.
“You cannot.”
“I thought not.”
“You thought correctly. Now, to bed, my girls. It will be busy days for us ahead, I am persuaded. Oh dear, is it nearly half past nine? I must speak to Cook immediately if we are to have time to prepare any sort of proper affair for the newlyweds.”
Alessandra dragged herself up to the Sapphire Room, a room that would host Geoffrey from now on as well, and put herself to bed, leaving one lamp burning for when he came up. She had noticed that the room had been put to rights, and Geoffrey’s things straightened from the floor of his wardrobe. Evidently his valet must have arrived. She might have known about that if she hadn’t hidden most of the day in the library.
She could not sleep, for she was not quite warm. It struck her as unfair that having Geoffrey there, on the other side of those thick pillows, they still shared enough heat to make sleeping comfortable and possible. Too, her thoughts were like little mice that streaked forward unexpectedly to nibble at her consciousness, leaving her restless and unable to relax into sleep.
It was more than an hour before he came up. He moved quietly through the room, only making a little noise when he removed his purse and belongings from his pockets to place them on top of the chest of drawers, obviously trying to be quiet because he thought she was asleep. He found his nightshirt, and dressing robe, and house slippers, and removed to the dressing room.
She felt the bed dip when he returned and after he blew out the lamp. As he settled in under the covers, she lay tense and unconvinced of what his expectations must be. And what about her own?
“Geoffrey?” she said timidly. Besides any ideas of intimacy, there were comments and questions that had come to her as she had lain there unable to sleep. Hadn’t she decided these issues should be raised when they were alone?
“You’re awake,” he said, not giving the impression he was disposed toward conversation. She thought that spoke also to a total lack of physical expectations this night.
“I just wanted you to know you are free to think of the house as your home while you are here. You may come and go freely, of course.”
“Oh. Er, yes,” he said. “That is very good of you.”
“You might need to ask Papa if you want to take out one of the carriages, but other than that I’m sure he means for you to make free use of the stables also.”
“Thank you.”
“Geoffrey?”
He turned over, facing her. His tone was a little exasperated as his voice drifted over the pillow. “Yes?”
“Where are we going to live?”
“I was going to talk to you about that tomorrow, since I thought you were asleep.”
“Well, I’m not.”
He sighed, and she felt the
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