try to guide you as best I can, Augusta. What is troubling you?”
Augusta abruptly wished she had not started this. But it was too late now. She plunged into the matter that had disturbed her sleep so badly after last night’s ball. “Do you think ’tis true that a gentleman has the right to feel certain promises are made or implied by a lady simply because she allows him to kiss her?”
Claudia frowned, considering the matter closely. “Obviously a lady should not allow anyone except her fiancé or her husband to take such liberties. Mother made that very clear in her
Instructions on Behavior and Deportment for Young Ladies
.”
“Yes, I know,” Augusta said, growing impatient. “But let us be realistic about this. It happens. People do steal the occasional kiss out in the garden. We all know that. And as long as they are discreet about it nobody feels they have to announce an engagement afterward.”
“We are speaking hypothetically, I assume?” Claudia said with a sudden, sharp glance.
“Absolutely.” Augusta waved a hand airily. “The issue arose during a discussion with some, uh, friends of mine at Pompeia’s and we are all trying to form a proper conclusion as to what is expected of the woman in such a situation.”
“It would no doubt be best if you refrained from being drawn into that sort of discussion, Augusta.”
Augusta ground her teeth. “No doubt. But do you have an answer to the question?”
“Well, I suppose one could say that allowing a man to kiss one is an example of deplorable behavior but notprecisely beyond the pale, if you see what I mean. One could wish the lady had a nicer notion of propriety, but one would not condemn her completely for a stolen kiss. At least, I would not do so.”
“Yes, that is exactly my feeling on the matter,” Augusta said eagerly. “And certainly the gentleman involved has no right to think the lady in question had promised to marry him merely because he was such a cad as to steal a kiss.”
“Well …”
“Lord knows, I have wandered out into the garden during a ball and seen any number of gentlemen and ladies embracing. And they did not all rush back into the ballroom and announce their engagements.”
Claudia nodded slowly. “No, I do not think it would be fair of a gentleman to think the lady had made a firm commitment merely on account of a kiss being exchanged.”
Augusta smiled, pleased and relieved. “Not fair in the least. Just what I concluded, Claudia. I am so glad you agree with me.”
“Of course,” Claudia continued thoughtfully, “if there were a bit more than a kiss involved, that would put an entirely different light on the matter.”
Augusta felt suddenly sick. “It would?”
“Yes, definitely.” Claudia took a sip of tea as she pondered the nuances of the hypothetical situation. “Most definitely. If the lady in question responded to such behavior on the part of the gentleman with any degree of warmth at all—that is, if she allowed further intimacies, for example, or encouraged him in any way …”
“Yes?” Augusta prompted, dreading the direction in which this was going.
“Then I think that it would be quite fair of the gentleman in question to assume the lady did indeed return his affections. He would have every reason to believe she was plighting her troth by such actions.”
“I see.” Augusta stared glumly down at the novel in her lap. Her mind was suddenly filled with visions of herselflying in disgraceful abandon in Graystone’s arms on the floor of his library. She could feel the heat in her own cheeks and could only pray her cousin would not notice and remark upon it. “What if the gentleman had been a bit too warm in his advances?” she finally ventured cautiously. “What if he had more or less coaxed her into allowing intimacies she had not initially even considered allowing?”
“A lady is responsible for her own reputation,” Claudia said with a lofty certainty that reminded Augusta
Augusta abruptly wished she had not started this. But it was too late now. She plunged into the matter that had disturbed her sleep so badly after last night’s ball. “Do you think ’tis true that a gentleman has the right to feel certain promises are made or implied by a lady simply because she allows him to kiss her?”
Claudia frowned, considering the matter closely. “Obviously a lady should not allow anyone except her fiancé or her husband to take such liberties. Mother made that very clear in her
Instructions on Behavior and Deportment for Young Ladies
.”
“Yes, I know,” Augusta said, growing impatient. “But let us be realistic about this. It happens. People do steal the occasional kiss out in the garden. We all know that. And as long as they are discreet about it nobody feels they have to announce an engagement afterward.”
“We are speaking hypothetically, I assume?” Claudia said with a sudden, sharp glance.
“Absolutely.” Augusta waved a hand airily. “The issue arose during a discussion with some, uh, friends of mine at Pompeia’s and we are all trying to form a proper conclusion as to what is expected of the woman in such a situation.”
“It would no doubt be best if you refrained from being drawn into that sort of discussion, Augusta.”
Augusta ground her teeth. “No doubt. But do you have an answer to the question?”
“Well, I suppose one could say that allowing a man to kiss one is an example of deplorable behavior but notprecisely beyond the pale, if you see what I mean. One could wish the lady had a nicer notion of propriety, but one would not condemn her completely for a stolen kiss. At least, I would not do so.”
“Yes, that is exactly my feeling on the matter,” Augusta said eagerly. “And certainly the gentleman involved has no right to think the lady in question had promised to marry him merely because he was such a cad as to steal a kiss.”
“Well …”
“Lord knows, I have wandered out into the garden during a ball and seen any number of gentlemen and ladies embracing. And they did not all rush back into the ballroom and announce their engagements.”
Claudia nodded slowly. “No, I do not think it would be fair of a gentleman to think the lady had made a firm commitment merely on account of a kiss being exchanged.”
Augusta smiled, pleased and relieved. “Not fair in the least. Just what I concluded, Claudia. I am so glad you agree with me.”
“Of course,” Claudia continued thoughtfully, “if there were a bit more than a kiss involved, that would put an entirely different light on the matter.”
Augusta felt suddenly sick. “It would?”
“Yes, definitely.” Claudia took a sip of tea as she pondered the nuances of the hypothetical situation. “Most definitely. If the lady in question responded to such behavior on the part of the gentleman with any degree of warmth at all—that is, if she allowed further intimacies, for example, or encouraged him in any way …”
“Yes?” Augusta prompted, dreading the direction in which this was going.
“Then I think that it would be quite fair of the gentleman in question to assume the lady did indeed return his affections. He would have every reason to believe she was plighting her troth by such actions.”
“I see.” Augusta stared glumly down at the novel in her lap. Her mind was suddenly filled with visions of herselflying in disgraceful abandon in Graystone’s arms on the floor of his library. She could feel the heat in her own cheeks and could only pray her cousin would not notice and remark upon it. “What if the gentleman had been a bit too warm in his advances?” she finally ventured cautiously. “What if he had more or less coaxed her into allowing intimacies she had not initially even considered allowing?”
“A lady is responsible for her own reputation,” Claudia said with a lofty certainty that reminded Augusta
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