The next Tuesday, Mr Norrell was at dinner with them. He seemed to find the food surprisingly acceptable, and kept smiling nervously. Jonathan felt a little sorry for him: he must have been invited to so many dinners where the hosts did not think to ask him what he preferred, and he felt too awkward to say.
The servants cleared the dessert course briskly, Mr Norrell following them with his eyes as though he would have liked to ask for more, and Jonathan felt a pang of sudden sympathy. He had the idea that there must have been many things Mr Norrell was too shy or awkward to ask for, or simply uncertain whether he was allowed. He realised that he had always seen Mr Norrell at his own house, where he was in charge, but now he began to feel a bit protective toward the man. He also found it easier to picture what Arabella was about to suggest to Norrell as something that would go beyond a rather bizarre way of exchanging physical pleasure.
After dinner, they settled down with glasses of hot negus by the fire, always an enjoyable way to spend time on a winter's evening.
"I have a proposition for you, sir," said Arabella.
Mr Norrell wrung his hands nervously. "Without some planning, I cannot think of any spells suitable to make an impression on someone better-educated in magic than the usual dinner-party crowd. They are so easily delighted by the simplest of spells. Of a certainty, though, Jonathan will have told you a little about what we do. I should so like to work up something special for you, Mrs Strange, as you are such a gracious hostess."
Jonathan winced. Every since the resurrection of Lady Pole had suddenly made all London aware of Mr Norrell, people who invited him to dinner expected him to provide the entertainment after the meal. Having Mr Norrell doing his magic at one’s house had become the ultimate status symbol. Naturally he would assume that Arabella wanted to see magic. He felt a quick rush of sympathy for someone who had given up hope that anyone might want him for any other purpose than to use his skills. It occurred to him that he was sympathizing a good deal with his tutor tonight. Even if Mr Norrell did not accept Arabella’s request, he felt that he had at least gained some insight into the man.
"Be easy, sir, I have not invited you here to talk about magic. I talk about magic around the house so much that Arabella welcomes the chance to talk about different things. Very different things, in this case,” he concluded with a nervous grin.
Mr Norrell's eyes darted round the room a little wildly, as if wondering what was there to talk about besides magic.
She waited until he had put down his glass of negus. "Would you be interested in going to bed with my husband?"
"Bell, do you have rocks in your head?" burst out Jonathan, indignantly. "That is not the way to raise a delicate subject with poor Mr Norrell."
"Have you invited me here to make game of me, madam?" Mr Norrell lookt like the world's smallest and angriest hedgehog in a trying situation.
"I was never more serious in my life, sir," said Arabella. "It is obvious--not to everyone but to me at least--that you two want each other." That might be overstating it in my case, Jonathan thought, but then Norrell glanced up at him and oh! nobody had ever lookt at him that way, as if the sun rose and fell in his face, desperately hopeful and ashamed and eager all at once. He had (since his marriage) never doubted his wife's attachment to him, but she had often been collected and slightly amused.
"Is it really that obvious?" asked Mr Norrell. His adoring expression abruptly disappeared and he sounded slightly appalled.
"Does that mean you do want me?" said Jonathan.
"Well, er, that is, what I meant was, is Mrs Strange's assumption really likely to be something other people will also notice?"
To Jonathan's fascination, he seemed to be far more troubled with what people might think than anything else. But he was wringing his hands again, which Jonathan suspected might be one of his tells.
"I really think I'm the only one who has noticed," said Arabella quite gently.
"In any case, even if it were true, we are not free to pursue such an attachment," Mr Norrell said primly.
"Does that mean that if I were unmarried, you would?" said Jonathan.
"But you are married, and I... I am not sure if I can..."
"We are certain our marriage will hold together well enough," said Arabella.
"If you are a virgin, sir, you may rest assured I shall treat you very gently," said Jonathan.
Mr Norrell's mouth twisted. "Rather the reverse," he muttered, "that is to say, there is an attachment, but neither of us has spoken about it, and without that, I have not the least idea whether it is exclusive of others, or what, in fact, it is."
"Well, I got that wrong!" exclaimed Arabella. "I was quite certain your feelings for Jonathan are rather passionate."
Mr Norrell blushed. He lookt a little pained. "They are, madam. My...companion has had very little time alone with me since I took up my duties for the country, and I cannot help it if your husband reminds me of the pleasures of the bedchamber."
"Well, you may tell him that if he so wishes my invitation extends to him, said Arabella.
"Mrs Strange!" said Mr Norrell.
"Arabella!" said Jonathan.
“If not conventionally handsome," said Arabella, "he has a certain charm, and if both of you would like it, he's welcome to go to bed with you--both of you."
"Have I been indiscreet?" said Mr Norrell.
"By no means, sir," said Arabella. "But it is not difficult to work out whom you would have conceived a tendre for, given that it is unlikely to be Mr Lascelles--or Mr Drawlight--or any lady whatsoever."
"And," said Jonathan, catching up, "before I appeared on the scene, you really did not become close to very many people, did you?"
Mr Norrell relaxed fractionally. "And I would not have to...have relations with you, Mrs Strange? That is, I beg your pardon, I am sure that many people would consider it quite desirable to do so. But in that case I cannot conceive what your purpose is in making this suggestion."
Jonathan's un-embarrassable wife quickly explained how many gentlemen were pleased to consider two (or more) ladies together, because they found it exciting, and that a few ladies had similar views on gentlemen.
From Mr Norrell's expression, it was clear that he was having difficulty visualising what two ladies could do together, but to the extent to which he could, he was trying desperately to expunge the image from his mind. He lookt quickly at Jonathan, as though trying to replace the thought with a more favourable one, breathing noticeably faster, before returning his attention to Arabella.
Apparently the implications of what she had just said sank in. “Mrs Strange, do you mean that you would be present in the room while we … while such activities were occurring?” he asked in utter shock.
Arabella replied with a little laugh, “Oh, I’m so sorry! I forgot to mention that part of it, didn’t I? Yes, indeed I would.”
Mr Norrell stared at her as if dumbfounded. He glanced at Jonathan, who regarded him with what he meant as an encouraging smile. Mr Norrell glanced around the room and seemed to conclude that this was simply one more of the many things about this proposal that he did not comprehend. "What would you be doing while we were...engaged?" he asked her, with one of those surprizing flashes of practicality he occasionally had.
She explained. Mr Norrell lookt as though he was considering falling into strong hysterics, and Jonathan was caught between protectiveness for Norrell and pride in his strong, independent wife.
"Do women actually do that?" asked Mr Norrell.
"I dare say as often as men," said Arabella, meeting his eyes so boldly he developed a strong interest in the carpet. His face was quite pale.
Jonathan stared at him and found himself hoping that Mr Norrell would not lose all interest in the proposition as a result of Arabella’s candour. As they discussed it, the whole thing had become more real to him. He was quite distracted by the image of Arabella sitting on a chair in the corner, touching herself, while he and Mr Norrell--and perhaps Childermass too, good lord!--lay on the bed, touching each other. What was the etiquette for a ménage-a-trois? Did one apologise if unexpectedly bumping elbows or knees? Was it sequential or at the same time? If it was at the same time, how did one avoid leaving someone out? Maybe it would be a good thing to have Childermass involved. If any of them would know, it was he.
"Mr Norrell?" said Arabella.
Mr Norrell lookt at her. He gulped. He appeared entirely to lose the faculty of speech.
Jonathan decided that the time had come for him to have a quiet conversation with Mr Norrell. Arabella had a charming directness, but the man could only take so many disturbing revelations without some cajoling to back them up.
“Arabella, would you mind if I had a word alone with Mr Norrell?”
She looked reluctant at first but seemed to see his point. “Certainly. It’s rather late, and I shall leave you two gentlemen alone. Thank you so much for coming! It has been a delightful evening, and I hope you enjoyed the meal.”
Mr Norrell politely stood up and murmured his thanks, good-night wishes were exchanged, and Arabella departed with an encouraging nod to Jonathan.
Mr Norrell sat back down and looked at Mr Strange warily.
Jonathan decided to appeal to the man’s predilection for logical thinking by tabulating the various possibilities. Pulling his chair close to that of his tutor and sitting down, he said, "Now, sir, there are three clear possible outcomes."
Mr Norrell relaxed minimally.
"One. If we don't agree to do what my wife wants, she will, for some bizarre reason, be annoyed."
Mr Norrell jumped.
"Not with you, sir. In domestic affairs, the husband is always to blame. So I will please both you and her if both of you are interested. Two, if we do it and she doesn't like it...then I don't know what will happen."
“Well, it will be her own fault. She can hardly blame us," said Mr Norrell, sounding quite interested. Evidently the idea of getting the chance when nobody could condemn him for it sounded good to him.
"Yes, unless we are unable to, ah, perform in front of her," said Jonathan. "One or the other or both of us might not be aroused enough.”
“Well, that would be her fault, too,” said Mr Norrell. He looked at Jonathan long and thoughtfully, up and down. There was a noticeable tightening in his breeches. "And I hardly think I shall have any difficulty."
“We come to the last possibility," said Jonathan. "Three, we do it and she does like it. Possibly enough that she even wants us to do it again sometime.”
“If that is the full set of options available to us, I like that last one," said Mr Norrell sagely.
"Really, Mr Norrell? Could you possibly take off your clothes in front of a woman, let alone perform intimate acts with her watching?”
“Perhaps not," said Mr Norrell with a sigh. "I don't think I'd have any difficulty with you, but I might find her distracting. What about you?”
“Well, of course, I’ve been naked in front of Arabella many times!" said Jonathan. "But hardly in such a situation. I frankly doubt that I could get an erection.”
Mr Norrell lookt as though he would rather like to try anyway.
Jonathan thought for a moment and realised that so far, the proposed actions sounded as if they were entirely Arabella’s idea and intended largely for her benefit. Well, of course they had been her idea, but they were certainly not only for her benefit. He looked into Mr Norrell’s admiring eyes and said, “Mr Norrell, I want you to know that I was initially surprised and a little shocked when Bell brought up this subject. But I was also flattered to think that you would consider me desirable, and I now find myself wanting very much to grant all three of us our desires. Possibly four, if Childermass finds the notion, um, intriguing.”
Mr Norrell listened to him, his face registering his surprise and increasing delight. “Mr Strange, if you desire this, too, then I … I am willing to try it. I would rather wish that Mrs Strange were not present, but that seems to be the basic condition of such an event happening at all.”
"Anyway," said Jonathan, "before anything can be decided, you need to go home and talk to Childermass about it, whenever you have the privacy. He may or may not feel he has a prior claim, he may or may not feel it is a good idea for you to do it, he may or may not want to join in. But it makes good sense for you both to talk it out."
Mr Norrell nodded. "You are right. I believe he would have an opinion in the matter. He is better than I am at understanding social things, and I would not want to do something that would hurt his feelings." He hesitated. “Mr Strange, I can grasp the fact that Mrs Strange would get … some sort of pleasure from watching us. Still, her willingness, even desire to see you and me in … in such an intimate situation puzzles me. Would not she be terribly jealous?”
Jonathan thought perhaps a simpler explanation would be more convincing to Mr Norrell. “You see, sir, Bell loves me and she likes you very much. She wants us both to be happy, and she is convinced that this will make us so. Seeing us happy would make her happy, and so she wants to be there to witness it.”
“Well, it all seems quite odd to me, but I know that I do not understand women and undoubtedly never will. He hesitated before asking, “Are all wives like that?”
Jonathan considered for a moment. “Um … no, not all.”
FILL: Ménage à Quelques (Norrell/Strange/Childermass, Arabella watching), 3 of 7
The servants cleared the dessert course briskly, Mr Norrell following them with his eyes as though he would have liked to ask for more, and Jonathan felt a pang of sudden sympathy. He had the idea that there must have been many things Mr Norrell was too shy or awkward to ask for, or simply uncertain whether he was allowed. He realised that he had always seen Mr Norrell at his own house, where he was in charge, but now he began to feel a bit protective toward the man. He also found it easier to picture what Arabella was about to suggest to Norrell as something that would go beyond a rather bizarre way of exchanging physical pleasure.
After dinner, they settled down with glasses of hot negus by the fire, always an enjoyable way to spend time on a winter's evening.
"I have a proposition for you, sir," said Arabella.
Mr Norrell wrung his hands nervously. "Without some planning, I cannot think of any spells suitable to make an impression on someone better-educated in magic than the usual dinner-party crowd. They are so easily delighted by the simplest of spells. Of a certainty, though, Jonathan will have told you a little about what we do. I should so like to work up something special for you, Mrs Strange, as you are such a gracious hostess."
Jonathan winced. Every since the resurrection of Lady Pole had suddenly made all London aware of Mr Norrell, people who invited him to dinner expected him to provide the entertainment after the meal. Having Mr Norrell doing his magic at one’s house had become the ultimate status symbol. Naturally he would assume that Arabella wanted to see magic. He felt a quick rush of sympathy for someone who had given up hope that anyone might want him for any other purpose than to use his skills. It occurred to him that he was sympathizing a good deal with his tutor tonight. Even if Mr Norrell did not accept Arabella’s request, he felt that he had at least gained some insight into the man.
"Be easy, sir, I have not invited you here to talk about magic. I talk about magic around the house so much that Arabella welcomes the chance to talk about different things. Very different things, in this case,” he concluded with a nervous grin.
Mr Norrell's eyes darted round the room a little wildly, as if wondering what was there to talk about besides magic.
She waited until he had put down his glass of negus. "Would you be interested in going to bed with my husband?"
"Bell, do you have rocks in your head?" burst out Jonathan, indignantly. "That is not the way to raise a delicate subject with poor Mr Norrell."
"Have you invited me here to make game of me, madam?" Mr Norrell lookt like the world's smallest and angriest hedgehog in a trying situation.
"I was never more serious in my life, sir," said Arabella. "It is obvious--not to everyone but to me at least--that you two want each other." That might be overstating it in my case, Jonathan thought, but then Norrell glanced up at him and oh! nobody had ever lookt at him that way, as if the sun rose and fell in his face, desperately hopeful and ashamed and eager all at once. He had (since his marriage) never doubted his wife's attachment to him, but she had often been collected and slightly amused.
"Is it really that obvious?" asked Mr Norrell. His adoring expression abruptly disappeared and he sounded slightly appalled.
"Does that mean you do want me?" said Jonathan.
"Well, er, that is, what I meant was, is Mrs Strange's assumption really likely to be something other people will also notice?"
To Jonathan's fascination, he seemed to be far more troubled with what people might think than anything else. But he was wringing his hands again, which Jonathan suspected might be one of his tells.
"I really think I'm the only one who has noticed," said Arabella quite gently.
"In any case, even if it were true, we are not free to pursue such an attachment," Mr Norrell said primly.
"Does that mean that if I were unmarried, you would?" said Jonathan.
"But you are married, and I... I am not sure if I can..."
"We are certain our marriage will hold together well enough," said Arabella.
"If you are a virgin, sir, you may rest assured I shall treat you very gently," said Jonathan.
Mr Norrell's mouth twisted. "Rather the reverse," he muttered, "that is to say, there is an attachment, but neither of us has spoken about it, and without that, I have not the least idea whether it is exclusive of others, or what, in fact, it is."
"Well, I got that wrong!" exclaimed Arabella. "I was quite certain your feelings for Jonathan are rather passionate."
Mr Norrell blushed. He lookt a little pained. "They are, madam. My...companion has had very little time alone with me since I took up my duties for the country, and I cannot help it if your husband reminds me of the pleasures of the bedchamber."
"Well, you may tell him that if he so wishes my invitation extends to him, said Arabella.
"Mrs Strange!" said Mr Norrell.
"Arabella!" said Jonathan.
“If not conventionally handsome," said Arabella, "he has a certain charm, and if both of you would like it, he's welcome to go to bed with you--both of you."
"Have I been indiscreet?" said Mr Norrell.
"By no means, sir," said Arabella. "But it is not difficult to work out whom you would have conceived a tendre for, given that it is unlikely to be Mr Lascelles--or Mr Drawlight--or any lady whatsoever."
"And," said Jonathan, catching up, "before I appeared on the scene, you really did not become close to very many people, did you?"
Mr Norrell relaxed fractionally. "And I would not have to...have relations with you, Mrs Strange? That is, I beg your pardon, I am sure that many people would consider it quite desirable to do so. But in that case I cannot conceive what your purpose is in making this suggestion."
Jonathan's un-embarrassable wife quickly explained how many gentlemen were pleased to consider two (or more) ladies together, because they found it exciting, and that a few ladies had similar views on gentlemen.
From Mr Norrell's expression, it was clear that he was having difficulty visualising what two ladies could do together, but to the extent to which he could, he was trying desperately to expunge the image from his mind. He lookt quickly at Jonathan, as though trying to replace the thought with a more favourable one, breathing noticeably faster, before returning his attention to Arabella.
Apparently the implications of what she had just said sank in. “Mrs Strange, do you mean that you would be present in the room while we … while such activities were occurring?” he asked in utter shock.
Arabella replied with a little laugh, “Oh, I’m so sorry! I forgot to mention that part of it, didn’t I? Yes, indeed I would.”
Mr Norrell stared at her as if dumbfounded. He glanced at Jonathan, who regarded him with what he meant as an encouraging smile. Mr Norrell glanced around the room and seemed to conclude that this was simply one more of the many things about this proposal that he did not comprehend. "What would you be doing while we were...engaged?" he asked her, with one of those surprizing flashes of practicality he occasionally had.
She explained. Mr Norrell lookt as though he was considering falling into strong hysterics, and Jonathan was caught between protectiveness for Norrell and pride in his strong, independent wife.
"Do women actually do that?" asked Mr Norrell.
"I dare say as often as men," said Arabella, meeting his eyes so boldly he developed a strong interest in the carpet. His face was quite pale.
Jonathan stared at him and found himself hoping that Mr Norrell would not lose all interest in the proposition as a result of Arabella’s candour. As they discussed it, the whole thing had become more real to him. He was quite distracted by the image of Arabella sitting on a chair in the corner, touching herself, while he and Mr Norrell--and perhaps Childermass too, good lord!--lay on the bed, touching each other. What was the etiquette for a ménage-a-trois? Did one apologise if unexpectedly bumping elbows or knees? Was it sequential or at the same time? If it was at the same time, how did one avoid leaving someone out? Maybe it would be a good thing to have Childermass involved. If any of them would know, it was he.
"Mr Norrell?" said Arabella.
Mr Norrell lookt at her. He gulped. He appeared entirely to lose the faculty of speech.
Jonathan decided that the time had come for him to have a quiet conversation with Mr Norrell. Arabella had a charming directness, but the man could only take so many disturbing revelations without some cajoling to back them up.
“Arabella, would you mind if I had a word alone with Mr Norrell?”
She looked reluctant at first but seemed to see his point. “Certainly. It’s rather late, and I shall leave you two gentlemen alone. Thank you so much for coming! It has been a delightful evening, and I hope you enjoyed the meal.”
Mr Norrell politely stood up and murmured his thanks, good-night wishes were exchanged, and Arabella departed with an encouraging nod to Jonathan.
Mr Norrell sat back down and looked at Mr Strange warily.
Jonathan decided to appeal to the man’s predilection for logical thinking by tabulating the various possibilities. Pulling his chair close to that of his tutor and sitting down, he said, "Now, sir, there are three clear possible outcomes."
Mr Norrell relaxed minimally.
"One. If we don't agree to do what my wife wants, she will, for some bizarre reason, be annoyed."
Mr Norrell jumped.
"Not with you, sir. In domestic affairs, the husband is always to blame. So I will please both you and her if both of you are interested. Two, if we do it and she doesn't like it...then I don't know what will happen."
“Well, it will be her own fault. She can hardly blame us," said Mr Norrell, sounding quite interested. Evidently the idea of getting the chance when nobody could condemn him for it sounded good to him.
"Yes, unless we are unable to, ah, perform in front of her," said Jonathan. "One or the other or both of us might not be aroused enough.”
“Well, that would be her fault, too,” said Mr Norrell. He looked at Jonathan long and thoughtfully, up and down. There was a noticeable tightening in his breeches. "And I hardly think I shall have any difficulty."
“We come to the last possibility," said Jonathan. "Three, we do it and she does like it. Possibly enough that she even wants us to do it again sometime.”
“If that is the full set of options available to us, I like that last one," said Mr Norrell sagely.
"Really, Mr Norrell? Could you possibly take off your clothes in front of a woman, let alone perform intimate acts with her watching?”
“Perhaps not," said Mr Norrell with a sigh. "I don't think I'd have any difficulty with you, but I might find her distracting. What about you?”
“Well, of course, I’ve been naked in front of Arabella many times!" said Jonathan. "But
hardly in such a situation. I frankly doubt that I could get an erection.”
Mr Norrell lookt as though he would rather like to try anyway.
Jonathan thought for a moment and realised that so far, the proposed actions sounded as if they were entirely Arabella’s idea and intended largely for her benefit. Well, of course they had been her idea, but they were certainly not only for her benefit. He looked into Mr Norrell’s admiring eyes and said, “Mr Norrell, I want you to know that I was initially surprised and a little shocked when Bell brought up this subject. But I was also flattered to think that you would consider me desirable, and I now find myself wanting very much to grant all three of us our desires. Possibly four, if Childermass finds the notion, um, intriguing.”
Mr Norrell listened to him, his face registering his surprise and increasing delight. “Mr Strange, if you desire this, too, then I … I am willing to try it. I would rather wish that Mrs Strange were not present, but that seems to be the basic condition of such an event happening at all.”
"Anyway," said Jonathan, "before anything can be decided, you need to go home and talk to Childermass about it, whenever you have the privacy. He may or may not feel he has a prior claim, he may or may not feel it is a good idea for you to do it, he may or may not want to join in. But it makes good sense for you both to talk it out."
Mr Norrell nodded. "You are right. I believe he would have an opinion in the matter. He is better than I am at understanding social things, and I would not want to do something that would hurt his feelings." He hesitated. “Mr Strange, I can grasp the fact that Mrs Strange would get … some sort of pleasure from watching us. Still, her willingness, even desire to see you and me in … in such an intimate situation puzzles me. Would not she be terribly jealous?”
Jonathan thought perhaps a simpler explanation would be more convincing to Mr Norrell. “You see, sir, Bell loves me and she likes you very much. She wants us both to be happy, and she is convinced that this will make us so. Seeing us happy would make her happy, and so she wants to be there to witness it.”
“Well, it all seems quite odd to me, but I know that I do not understand women and undoubtedly never will. He hesitated before asking, “Are all wives like that?”
Jonathan considered for a moment. “Um … no, not all.”