Live, Laugh, Love!

I want it on the record that THIS was his face when he was out in public for the first time with the love of his life.

Dangerous Liaisons (Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, 1782)

“Do you know why I never remarried, Vicomte?

Certainly not for lack of attractive offers; it was purely so that no one should have the right to criticize my actions.

It wasn’t even because I was afraid of not being able to continue behaving as I liked, because ultimately I should certainly have managed to do that; but it would have irked me for anybody even to have the right to complain of my behaviour; and finally because if I was going to deceive anyone, I preferred to do it for my own good pleasure and not because I had to.

And yet there you are, writing me the most husband-like letter possible!

You keep talking all the time of my wrongdoing and your forgiveness!