see you.”
Dautry sprang to his feet with the speed of a racehorse.
“You must forgive me for not rising,” Lala’s mother told him. “My health is a constant concern to those who love me, and I do my best to conserve my energy in order to cause them less worry.”
It wasn’t until after Dautry had departed that Lala realized she hadn’t uttered a word the entire time, other than “hello” and “goodbye.” Her heart sank. So much for being clever and funny.
She’d done it again.
“You’re such a pea-goose,” her mother said, confirming the thought. “How can a man be expected to spend a lifetime with a woman who doesn’t make an effort to entertain him? That’s the least a wife can do, you know. They feed us, clothe us, take care of us, and in return, we entertain them.”
“Yes, Mama,” Lala said.
“We charm them with our beauty and our conversation, soothing away the cares of the day.”
Lala wished her father were there to hear this lecture. It might be the first thing he’d laughed at in weeks.
“Yes, Mama,” she said.
Dear Mr. Dautry,
I have bought silk for the drawing room walls. The cost is approximately £300, but they will send the invoice to you directly.
Lady Xenobia India St. Clair
Dear Lady Xenobia,
The invoice for silk arrived, asking for £350. I also received an invoice from an Italian painter by the name of Marconi, who is charging £150 for painting swallows. Where are these swallows? They must be formed from liquid gold, so I want to make sure I notice them.
Thorn
Dear Mr. Dautry,
The swallows will be on the dining room walls. As you seem to be worried about costs, I had your statues assessed. You will be happy to know that the bronze was indeed sculpted by Benvenuto Cellini, and may be worth a great deal of money. I can arrange to sell the piece, if you wish.
Lady Xenobia India St. Clair
Dear Lady Xenobia,
Offer it to the vicar. If for some strange reason he doesn’t want it, I might give it to you as a wedding present.
Thorn
Dear Mr. Dautry,
The vicar would be gravely offended, and I shall not do such a thing. Nor do I desire a wedding present of that nature.
Lady Xenobia
Dear Lady Xenobia,
I think I’ll call you Lady X. It has such an exotic sound to it; I feel as if I am writing to the madam of a prosperous brothel. (I’ve never done that before, in case you’re wondering.)
Thorn
Dear Mr. Dautry,
I am named after a queen who conquered all of Egypt, not after a brothel owner. Had you paid attention to your history lessons, you would presumably know that.
Lady Xenobia
Dear Lady X,
Please do remember that you are my temporary wife, in other words, at my beck and call for the next three weeks. I begin to see a spiritual purpose in all the money I’m spending to tame the Queen of Egypt. My first command is that you address me as Thorn.
Thorn
Dear Mr. Dautry,
We all know you were born on the wrong side of the blanket, but you needn’t have called yourself after a bush. It seems unreasonably humble.
Lady Xenobia
Dear Lady X,
You will have to imagine my response. I cannot put it in writing.
My given name is Tobias, a self-effacing name that doesn’t suit. I was informed of it when I was twelve, at which point it was already inappropriate.
Thorn
Dear Mr. Dautry,
I like Tobias. It has an intellectual ring. A man with that name should be able to recite ancient Greek poetry.
Lady Xenobia
I rest my case.
Thorn
Chapter Eleven
June 27, 1799
Evening
Starberry Court
I ndia had never been so tired in her life. The house had been gutted and scoured, and the interior walls replastered, the hardest physical labor completed in record time by crews paid treble their usual wages.
What was left now was the more nuanced work of making Starberry Court into a luxurious residence, with a patina of refinement and respectability. That would start tomorrow, when tradesmen would begin arriving with furnishings. But at the moment she could only think about
Dautry sprang to his feet with the speed of a racehorse.
“You must forgive me for not rising,” Lala’s mother told him. “My health is a constant concern to those who love me, and I do my best to conserve my energy in order to cause them less worry.”
It wasn’t until after Dautry had departed that Lala realized she hadn’t uttered a word the entire time, other than “hello” and “goodbye.” Her heart sank. So much for being clever and funny.
She’d done it again.
“You’re such a pea-goose,” her mother said, confirming the thought. “How can a man be expected to spend a lifetime with a woman who doesn’t make an effort to entertain him? That’s the least a wife can do, you know. They feed us, clothe us, take care of us, and in return, we entertain them.”
“Yes, Mama,” Lala said.
“We charm them with our beauty and our conversation, soothing away the cares of the day.”
Lala wished her father were there to hear this lecture. It might be the first thing he’d laughed at in weeks.
“Yes, Mama,” she said.
Dear Mr. Dautry,
I have bought silk for the drawing room walls. The cost is approximately £300, but they will send the invoice to you directly.
Lady Xenobia India St. Clair
Dear Lady Xenobia,
The invoice for silk arrived, asking for £350. I also received an invoice from an Italian painter by the name of Marconi, who is charging £150 for painting swallows. Where are these swallows? They must be formed from liquid gold, so I want to make sure I notice them.
Thorn
Dear Mr. Dautry,
The swallows will be on the dining room walls. As you seem to be worried about costs, I had your statues assessed. You will be happy to know that the bronze was indeed sculpted by Benvenuto Cellini, and may be worth a great deal of money. I can arrange to sell the piece, if you wish.
Lady Xenobia India St. Clair
Dear Lady Xenobia,
Offer it to the vicar. If for some strange reason he doesn’t want it, I might give it to you as a wedding present.
Thorn
Dear Mr. Dautry,
The vicar would be gravely offended, and I shall not do such a thing. Nor do I desire a wedding present of that nature.
Lady Xenobia
Dear Lady Xenobia,
I think I’ll call you Lady X. It has such an exotic sound to it; I feel as if I am writing to the madam of a prosperous brothel. (I’ve never done that before, in case you’re wondering.)
Thorn
Dear Mr. Dautry,
I am named after a queen who conquered all of Egypt, not after a brothel owner. Had you paid attention to your history lessons, you would presumably know that.
Lady Xenobia
Dear Lady X,
Please do remember that you are my temporary wife, in other words, at my beck and call for the next three weeks. I begin to see a spiritual purpose in all the money I’m spending to tame the Queen of Egypt. My first command is that you address me as Thorn.
Thorn
Dear Mr. Dautry,
We all know you were born on the wrong side of the blanket, but you needn’t have called yourself after a bush. It seems unreasonably humble.
Lady Xenobia
Dear Lady X,
You will have to imagine my response. I cannot put it in writing.
My given name is Tobias, a self-effacing name that doesn’t suit. I was informed of it when I was twelve, at which point it was already inappropriate.
Thorn
Dear Mr. Dautry,
I like Tobias. It has an intellectual ring. A man with that name should be able to recite ancient Greek poetry.
Lady Xenobia
I rest my case.
Thorn
Chapter Eleven
June 27, 1799
Evening
Starberry Court
I ndia had never been so tired in her life. The house had been gutted and scoured, and the interior walls replastered, the hardest physical labor completed in record time by crews paid treble their usual wages.
What was left now was the more nuanced work of making Starberry Court into a luxurious residence, with a patina of refinement and respectability. That would start tomorrow, when tradesmen would begin arriving with furnishings. But at the moment she could only think about
Similar Books
