Mouse Trap

Theft!

Half an hour later and Jane was still waxing lyrical about India and Harry was happily curled up with Mariam's tipsy head on her shoulder. Jane could always be counted on to spin a good tale and, egged on by only the faintest of hints, Jane had kept the ladies entertained with joyful recounts of visiting swamis on hillsides and riding elephants through the jungle to remote temples.

"...and the walls were decorated with the most magnificent paintings that shone in the evening sun as if they had been created just for us that day," Jane cast the image out and there were sighs from every quarter.

Harry smiled to herself: she had grown up on these stories when her Godmother had visited her parents and she never grew tired of them. Jane had been an adventurer, only settling down later in life when she had met James, and Harry took the woman as her inspiration. She knew her own mind, she would not be cowed by society's expectations and Harry was almost sure Jane had dabbled in at least one union with her own sex, although she could not prove it.

"What was in the paintings, Lady Jane?" Mariam asked, her tone in awe of the wonderful tales.

Jane and Harry shared a smile then. In the privacy of her mother's parlour, they had shared the details of the wall paintings, the like of which had made the school-girl's eyes go wide, but they were not the sort of murals for polite company.

"Men and women, my dear, worshipingShiva and Pavarti," Jane glossed over the details of what had been depictions of very literal rituals celebrating Shiva and Pavarti's union.

"My grandfather was in India," Mariam revealed the reason she had finally spoken up and Harry was glad to hear excitement, if some nerves in her voice as she became the centre of attention. "He told me about all the gods they worship. Shiva and Pavarti were husband and wife, weren't they?"

"That's right," Jane sounded impressed.

That encouraged Mariam and Harry was a little disappointed when the girl sat away from her, but the profile she could see was lit with more life than she had seen before and she was happy to watch as Mariam continued, "Pavarti was honoured when she was told she would marry Shiva, but she had to be persistent to attract him. And when they were finally married, they celebrated..."

Mariam fell quickly silent and her cheeks coloured. She shrank back next to Harry, watched by the assembled company of gentlewomen.

"How did they celebrate?" Dame Gracelin pressed.

Harry giggled as she remembered just how the couple had spent their time. Jane's smile was also twitching and, thankfully, she saved Mariam from dying of embarrassment by announcing, "They made love, Ladies, they made love."

There were a couple of gasps, but then Harry and Jane's eyes met and rather too much cocktail took over. Harry's giggle became a snort of laughter and then Jane joined in with a hearty chortle. Mariam looked from one to the other as did the other polite ladies, but her mouth was set in a rather desperate line. She put her hand up to her mouth and then it escaped, the first peep of laughter. Her cheeks were practically glowing, but she collapsed against Harry in a gale of giggles. It took a few more seconds for anyone else to find it funny, but then more titters joined in and even those who had gasped were laughing nervously as well.

It was not the most ladylike time for the gentlemen to join them in the drawing room, but Harry was rather satisfied when Tubby walked in and bristled at the way Mariam was lying up against her.

"Well, well, Darling, what have you ladies been discussing?"James enquired with an open smile.

That caused a moment's pause as all the ladies looked around at each other, but then they dissolved into another peel of laughter.