Wilson played an introduction, certainly something from Bach’s Requiem. As the last note faded, Mr. Garrett raised the book and began.
“Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay
To mould me man? Did I solicit thee
From darkness to promote me?”
The anguish in his voice spoke of such deep suffering that Cecilia found herself hoping that the Reverend was simply a talented actor and was not drawing from his own experience.
“But that’s from Paradise Lost,” Miss Wilson said, sounding confused and not particularly entertained.
“Indeed.” The countess’s word and Mrs. Wilson’s “Hush” hung in the air together. Miss Wilson blushed. Cecilia could see that the girl did not know whether to be upset at her mother’s rebuke or pleased at the countess’s approval.
“Yes, it is,” Mr. Garrett confirmed. “The author uses it on the title page of Frankenstein, I think to encourage sympathy for the monster, who after all did not ask for his humanity.”
“But none of us have asked for our humanity,” Lord Belmont countered. “That is no excuse for his brutal behavior.”
“You have read the book, my lord,” Mrs. Kendrick reminded him. “What do you think is the explanation for his murderous rampage?”
“God save us,” Destry whispered to both of the sisters, “this is a much too literary conversation for me.”
“Stop pretending that you’ve never read a book,” Beatrice admonished him. Cecilia was shocked at her sister’s familiarity and could think of nothing to say.
“As rarely as I can manage,” Destry insisted.
“My lord,” Beatrice said, “I do believe you would enjoy this one. There is all the action even you could wish for.”
“Have you read it?” He addressed his question to Cecilia and she could tell that Beatrice was not going to answer for her.
“My brother Ellis brought the first volume to us,” she said in a quiet voice, looking down at her hands.
Beatrice did no more than touch her elbow but Cecilia knew what that meant. Don’t be such a moon face, Ceci. Look at him and tell him what you think of the book.
Beatrice was right, Cecilia decided, and looked up, smiling at Lord Destry. “It’s an amazing story and I do so wish to read the other two volumes.”
BEATRICE WAITED FOR the marquis to answer her sister, but he had apparently been struck dumb. It was Cecilia’s smile that had done it. Pure sweetness, it had stopped more than one man in his tracks. Unfortunately Beatrice also knew that the silence would not inspire confidence in her sister, who would be sure she had said the wrong thing. Beatrice chose not to come to the rescue.
Cecilia looked down at her hands again. Now that he was not spellbound by her smile, or maybe it was her eyes, the marquis found his voice. “Shall we ask the countess if we can borrow her copy and read it aloud together?”
“You would ask her? Oh, that is a fine idea!”
They were the first spontaneous words Beatrice had heard Cecilia say to the man who would be a duke.
The marquis’s “Excellent” confirmed his own enthusiasm for spending more time together. How long would it take, Beatrice wondered, for her sister to see that Lord Destry was just like all the other men she knew? Besotted by her beauty.
Was there any chance that in the next ten days the marquis would come to appreciate where Cecilia’s truest beauty lay?
“Yes, I do have some strong opinions on this book,” Lord Belmont said, drawing Beatrice’s attention back to the more general discussion of the last excerpt. “But please let us see what other passages have been chosen before we discuss it further.”
Mr. Garrett read on. The conversation was amusing and occasionally silly, but once or twice some intriguing ideas came to the fore.
“I think the essential question is whether the monster became so because of the lack of a proper upbringing or because of some natural flaw in his creation.” Lord Belmont spoke carefully and then waited for the company to answer.
“The author, then, is prompting a discussion of the concept that at birth we have a clean slate and our lives are formed by what we experience.” Mr. Garrett smiled. “The marquis is looking perplexed.”
“Miss Brent has just assured me that this book is very entertaining and full of adventure. Now I am wondering if we are talking about the same book.”
“Ah, yes, but do not the best books entertain and encourage thought as well?”
Lord Destry looked unconvinced, but ventured an opinion anyway. “It seems to me that all children need guidance to understand