*Tarquin*
As I allow my valet to dress me this morning, I am happily aware that whatever madness possessed me last night has been washed away by a few hours of good sleep.
Actually, more than a few hours of sleep, given that it is very nearly time for luncheon.
I feel like myself again, a man who values reason and the intellect above all else. Obviously, I’d have to keep my distance from the nubile Miss Darkwoods. There is something about her that brings out my least reasonable side. I would go so far as to describe myself as being in the grip of a somewhat compulsive lust.
I’d even dreamed about her during the night, and it was the kind of dream I haven’t had in years. Not since the early days of my marriage.
In my dream, I entered a room to find Isolde, her back to me, reading a boo
