Sometime later, the lady asked, “Fitzwilliam, is it true that a ship’s captain can perform a marriage at sea?”
“I believe so.”
“How farout to sea?”
The man grinned like a schoolboy, and realised that his lady—he would never tire of that phrase… his lady—could not see it. Doubtless, she would devise a system for communicating such things—or more likely, just teach him Anne’s.
“I do not know, but to save the life of my valet, I suspect Captain Smyth will be satisfied with a few yards.”
His lady laughed with open glee. She reached up to cup his cheek, used her thumb as a guide to move her lips to his sans the traditional head-bashing, and kissed him soundly within an inch of his life.
Sometime later, his lady spoke again. “Fitzwilliam?”
“Are you planning to marry mesoon?”
“Yes, my love?”
“Captain Smyth was three sheets to the wind last time I saw him.”
“The least your valet can do is sober him up enough to say the words, what with the captain saving his life.”
The gentleman could not quite resist spinning his lady around just once, before tucking her hand carefully in his arm and leaving the room practically at a run, bellowing, “FOWLER! COFFEE!”
~~~
Unbeknownst to each other, two friends who had lost contact but would soon be reunited awoke at the same time, by the dubious light of a new moon. Neither lady could return to sleep, nor could either see anything at all, nor was it time to arise. Both being pragmatic sorts, they naturally decided to engage in the only productive activity left to them—exploring their new husbands’ forms in some detail.
Epilogue(Dialogue Only)
“Mrs Darcy, would you mind terribly talking to a lady who has applied for a position?”
“You do realise this is not my house, Mrs Jamison?”
“You jest, same as always, I see.”
“Did you expect otherwise?”
“Of course not. It would not be right.”
“How may I help?”
“A widow about your age applied for the position of governess without a character. Mrs Wilkinson believes we should scrutinise such cases, because much of the time the problem is with the old master, not the servant, so I did not dismiss her out of hand.”
“I am of the same mind.”
“Well, you see madam, there is something…amissabout this lady… but not enough for me to send her packing. I believe some of your skills might be called for, because I cannot quite make her out.”
“You may be giving me too much credit, but I will talk to her. What else can you tell me about her?”
“She seems like a woman coming down in the world, and it seems a precipitous decline. She was never of the first circles, but thought herself to be. Her clothes are expensive, and turned out neatly, but she clearly does not know how to care for them properly and does not have any help. Also, if I am not mistaken, she has missed more than one meal recently. She is at least half a stone underweight.”
“None of that seems overly problematic. It is a story as old as time. Why do you need me? You have hired women like that before, and with a governess you are just making the initial selection. The mistress will make the final choice.”
“I know, ma’am. I could not do it this time… not without some advice.”
“Pray, bring her to me.”
~~~
