Dear Jess. He could not resist the temptation to kiss her lightly on the nose. She opened her eyes immediately and smiled dreamily at him.
'Have I been sleeping?' she asked.
'Amazingly, yes,' he said. 'I wonder what we would find if we opened this mattress, Jess. A couple of wooden crates and several lumps of coal, do you think?'
'Don't complain, my lord,' she said. 'You have me in here and I have you. What more could we ask for?'
'A few tons of goose feathers, perhaps,' he said. 'But your point is well taken, love. If I had to choose between you and the goose feathers, I don't suppose I would choose the feathers.'
'Thank you, my lord,' she said, smiling sleepily.
'Jess,' he said, 'I know the force of habit is strong, but do you think that at some time during the next fifty years or so you will be able to bring yourself to call me Charles?'
'Yes, I think so,' she said, 'Charles.'
He kissed her on the nose again.
'Charles,' she said, 'are you going to make love to me again tonight?'
'Another free gift, love?' he asked, eyebrows raised.
'No.' She shook her head. 'One precious gift each is enough for one night. No, Charles, just for the sake of mutual pleasure?'
'That sounds fair enough,' he said. 'Very fair indeed, in fact. Well, my little gray governess, so this is the sort of activity that gives you pleasure, is it? You are not at all worthy of your calling, you know.'
'I know, Charles,' she said, wriggling over onto her back as he lifted himself above her. 'That is why I am retiring, you know. I am going to be a lady of leisure. A countess, in fact.'
She lifted her face to find his mouth in the darkness.
