Lady Dallington nodded in approval before moving on to Bennett. “Son?”
Bennett grinned. “I do not have anything as interesting as facts about goat cheese, but pigs are excellent swimmers.”
“But they are so enormous,” Melody said.
“I can’t explain it, but my friend at Eton claims that he was saved from drowning by a pig,” Bennett responded.
Delphine smiled at the thought of a pig swimming. “Now I almost want to toss a pig into a lake to see it swim. Although, I truly doubt I could even pick one up.”
“What if that particular pig could not swim?” Elodie questioned. “You would have to jump in after it to save it.”
“That is all right. My mother taught me how to swim in the lake at our country estate,” Delphine said.
Elodie cast a frustrated glance towards her parents. “I was not allowed to learn how to swim. My parents said it wasn’t a skill that a genteel lady should possess.”
“What if you are in a boat and it capsizes?” Delphine asked.
“I suppose I will sink to the bottom and die,” Elodie responded in a dramatic voice. “It is a good thing that I am a twin so my parents will still have at least one daughter.”
Lady Dallington shook her head. “What nonsense are you spewing?”
“Delphine is a countess and she can swim,” Elodie said. “Maybe I can learn to walk along the bottom of a lake like a hippopotamus.” Her face lit up. “That is my interesting anecdote.”
“There we go,” Lady Dallington said. “I knew that Elodie would eventually get there. Melody?”
Melody put her spoon down and made a face. “I hate this game. I never have anything interesting to say.”
“Everything you say is interesting, Sister,” Bennett joked.
Delphine brought her fingers up to her lips to hide her smile at Bennett’s remark. Why did she find him so amusing?
“I was recently learning about the language of the fan and if you drop the fan in front of a gentleman it means you two are meant to be friends,” Melody said.
Winston yawned. “That was rather boring.”
“At least mine was practical,” Melody remarked. “When am I ever going to see a sheep sleeping on its back?”
“Sheep don’t sleep on their backs. That is how they suffocate to death,” Winston responded.
Bennett turned towards his mother. “It is Mother’s turn now. Although, another fun fact is that four of them have been about animals.”
“Mine is not about an animal, but rather a book,” LadyDallington said. “The title ofSense and Sensibilitywas originallyElinor and Mariannebut it was changed before being published.”
Delphine reached for her glass before saying, “I did enjoy readingSense and Sensibility. I loved the contrast between the two sisters and their different approaches to life and love.”
“It is a shame that it was written by A Lady,” Lord Dallington said.
Bennett looked heavenward, as if anticipating that his father’s words would undoubtedly provoke a reaction from the women at the table. “Why, Father?” he sighed.
In response, Lord Dallington’s lips curled slightly, making it appear that he knew precisely what he was doing.
“Some of the greatest books written have been by women,” Delphine declared. “Eliza Haywood, Mary Wortley Montagu and Mary Astell- just to name a few.”
“Yes, but there are more books written by men than women,” Lord Dallington argued.
Delphine sucked in a breath, knowing it was not the time or place to release her sharp tongue. She was a guest in Lord Dallington’s home, and although his opinions were offensive to her, they were not unfounded.
Lady Dallington gave her husband a pointed look. “Perhaps we should not say things that might offend our guest.”
