"It's beautiful," he assures me. "I like it."
A smile stretches over my face at his compliment. "I'm glad."
"Though I didn't come to find you to ask about your drawing," he says.
"Oh? Is everything all right?"
"I wanted to check how you were feeling after last night," he says.
"I think it's too early to know if there is a baby on the way, if that's what you mean," I quip.
He chuckles. "I'm well aware of that. I wanted toknow if you were all right. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."
"Oh, Philip." I reach out to touch him, only to realise my fingers are covered in charcoal smudges and I don't want to ruin his shirt with them.
He seems to catch my thoughts as he picks up the cloth I've been using to clean my fingers and carefully draws it along them, his touch gentle and caring.
"I assure you, I'm perfectly well after last night."
"I'm glad."
"In fact, if you are available this evening, I wouldn't be opposed to a repeat," I say hopefully.
He chuckles. "Why Lady Cygnus, how inappropriate of you."
"Inappropriate would be to suggest that we could put one of the retiring rooms at the next ball to better use than before," I respond.
"Hmm, now there's a proposition I can entirely get on board with."
"The way I see it, being caught alone isn't a scandal anymore," I say.
"Ah, my wife isn't only beautiful, she is intelligent too."
"I'd say you did a good job at choosing me, but we both know it was an accident."
He chuckles. "That isn't true. We attracted oneanother for a reason. Your quick wit was definitely one of those things."
"It seems like so long ago that we met at that garden party."
"Yet I still remember it fondly."
"And here I was worrying that you would think of it as the day your life changed forever."
"Oh, that it was, but in the best way." He reaches out and pushes a strand of loose hair behind my ear. "Without that day, perhaps I wouldn't have the most beautiful wife I could have imagined."
"You didn't even want a wife," I remind him.
"I didn'tthinkI wanted a wife. But that is simply because I hadn't met you yet."
"You certainly know how to charm a lady."
"Only you," he promises, leaning even closer.
I place my hand on his chest, smoothing it over the shirt there. "We both know that isn't true."
"Then now there is only you."
"I'll agree to that," I murmur.