Rebecca argues against obedience as the prime virtue

Rebecca smiles at the men, though the smile is a bit knife-edged. "I must admit, I am surprised that two gentlemen such as yourselves have to debate whether obedience is the prime virtue for all women. Surely you can see that that's not the case!"

Twilwell grins, and Vickery raises an eyebrow. "Indeed?" he asks. "Pray, expound."

Rebecca smiles. "Well, Mr. Vickery, let us take as given that your assertion is correct about some women. My family has a ward servant, Deborah - obedience is perhaps the only virtue required of her. And for any unbound servant, obedience is still one of the most important qualities. But one is tempted to wonder - what about your wife, when you get married, Mr. Vickery? Will you still believe that obedience is the most important quality for her?"

"It is important for a wife to obey her husband," Vickery says with a frown.

"Indeed, it is! But is it the prime virtue? What if you are in a terrible accident and unconscious? What if you die earlier than expected, and she must raise your children without your guidance? Do you still hope that she remains obedient to every person around her in such a situation?" Rebecca sips from her tea and smiles. "What about the Queen, or the Princess of Wales? No doubt they are obedient to their husbands - but do you think that is the only, or indeed the most important quality they possess?"

Vickery looks intrigued. "You seem to be arguing, Miss Foxhaven, that the importance of obedience diminishes as one climbs the social hierarchy. Is that accurate?"

"I'm not sure it's exactly as smooth and uneven a declension as that, Mr. Vickery, but in general - yes." Rebecca nods. "Yes, it seems to me that the more responsibilities a woman has - as a householder, the parent of the next generation of this nation's leadership, as a ruler, in those rare cases - the less importance obedience has per se and the more important other qualities, such as intelligence and adaptability, are."

"But without a level of obedience, society would dissolve," Vickery says. "A fundamental obedience needs to move within the less powerful to serve the more powerful, or things fall will fall apart, surely. Women must obey their husbands, subjects must obey the king, the king must obey God -"

"Ah, you can't really bring up the necessity to obey God as an argument for your case!" Rebecca exclaims with a laugh. "Yes, yes, we must all obey God, and perhaps that's the prime virtue indeed - but that's neither unique to women nor really germane in this case. We were speaking, were we not, of the virtues a woman must hold in the eyes of a man - and while I'm sure piety is among them, I can hardly believe that every man holds piety in such high esteem as for it to be the most important virtue." She tilts her head, thinking (and incidentally exposing, she knows, a lovely angle of her collarbone). "Were I a man - and equipped as men like you are - I should look, I think, for virtues other than submission in a future wife. Obedience may be important, but intelligence and forthrightness must be indispensable to men of your station. A man may have many servants, after all. But he will only have one partner in this life."

She sees the ghost of a smile flit across Vickery's face, and her heart soars - she thinks she's actually convinced him. Twilwell, however, breaks in.

"Scintillating though this discussion is, I must admit that I find it all rather involved and above my head," he says, looking bored. "If you'll excuse me, Miss Foxhaven, I think I'm going to go get some more tea." He gives her a short bow and wanders off, clearly relieved to be away from the conversation.

Vickery and Rebecca regard each other for a moment. Then he smiles faintly at her again. "You argue well, Miss Foxhaven."

"I believe what I say, which helps. And I admit that I argue, in some respects, in my own interests."

"That had occurred to me. And believe me when I say that my proposal comes from my own beliefs, as well. But you have given me a great deal to reconsider in this regard." Vickery gives her a courtly bow. "I'm afraid I must continue to accompany my friend, as he tends to drink nervously at functions such as these. But it was a pleasure to see you again, Miss Foxhaven."

"Likewise." Rebecca curtsies to him, and the dark-haired man stalks off. She lets out a short sigh of relief as she gathers her wits and looks about her. Not all men appreciate a woman who speaks her mind. But she's glad to have found at least one, it seems, who does.

The reception winds to its close, and the Foxhavens depart en masse for Wimbly Place. Each of the girls has been given much to think about during the reception - an eventful afternoon, indeed. When they arrive home, they each (even Alice) collapse into bed. The next few days pass in a blur, and by the middle of next week life has resumed its normal rhythm.