Eleanor did not look at him, not immediately. The moment had passed, though not entirely. Even so, he did not want to be too strict with her. Perhaps, he reasoned, there could indeed be times where Lily could simply be a child.
The following morning was quieter than the last. Breakfast had been laid in one of the smaller rooms overlooking the gardens, the atmosphere far removed from the formality of the previous evening. There were no guests to observe, no expectations beyond the simple act of sitting across from one another.
Eleanor was already there when Julian entered. She looked up briefly as he approached, offering a small, composed smile before returning her attention to her tea.
"You rise early, I see," she said.
"It is a habit."
"I suspected as much."
Julian took his seat opposite her.
"And you? I had not thought you would be someone that woke early."
"I am not. For the moment, however, I am giving myself as much time as possible to adapt."
"To what?"
"To the household. There is a lot to learn."
Julian allowed the faintest pause. He had assumed that it had all come naturally to his wife, and he had not for a moment thought that she had struggled.
"And how do you find it?"
"Ordered," she said. "Predictable. Entirely in keeping with its master."
"That is the intention."
"I do not doubt it."
There was a slight shift in her tone, something lighter beneath the words, though not careless. Julian reached for his cup.
"I prefer to manage it when all is as it should be. I have had quite enough difficulty without it being added to."
"That sounds exhausting."
"It is, but it is worth it. Once one knows exactly what to do, it removes much of the work. Nobody needs to waste time and effort wondering if they should be doing something, because it is all very clear. It works best this way."
"For whom?"
There was a challenge in her question, a subtle but undeniable one. Julian noticed it. He also noticed that he did not step back from it.
"For all," he replied. "It is work, to start, but eventually it does make it easier. Even so, you appear determined to resist it."
"To resist what?"
"The structure you claim to find so limiting."
Eleanor considered that.
"I do not resist it, though I will admit that it is, indeed, limiting."
"You challenge it, do you not?"
"Occasionally."
"That suggests dissatisfaction."