“You should not mock politeness,” she said. “It’s our best defense against killing each other.”
“Our best defense against killing each other would be to return to our separate lives. We’ve gone a whole two years without even being tempted to kill each other, which is more than other married couples can claim. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Mrs. DeWitt, trying to ruin our perfect marriage.”
I’m here all day for this kind of banter and sparring. A tricky feat to get that tone right while dealing with heavier subjects too. It did other things that are rare to read in regency: a self-made tradesman, a sister with a penchant for brandy and bawdy pub songs. I bought the book based on the opening page, and I don’t know when I last did that, but those instincts paid off.