His Reluctant Lady (6 page)

“
I’ll never find anyone like
Lord Dabney,” Sophie said, letting out a mournful sigh as she
pressed her forehead against the carriage window. “My heart is
breaking with each breath I take.”

Agatha resisted the urge to roll her
eyes and pulled imaginary lint off her violet dress instead. She
should have known that taking her sister to this evening’s ball
would require much patience. How she wished she were writing
instead.

“
Lord Dabney had a
delightful way of laughing,” Sophie continued with a wistful smile
on her face.

“
Sure, if you enjoy a bunch
of wheezing,” she muttered.

She glared at her. “He didn’t
wheeze.”

“
No, he didn’t. It just
sounded like he did.”

With a huff, she ran her hands along
the ruffles in her dress and shrugged. “So he didn’t have an
elegant laugh. What does that matter? The important thing was that
he showed great merriment.”

“
Sophie, I know it’s hard to
believe, but things worked out the way they did for a reason. Now
you can focus on finding someone who’s better. Even if you must
bear the burden of the bedroom to give him an heir, it helps if
he’s the right kind of gentleman.”

Sophie stared at her for a moment and
despite her pink cheeks, she leaned closer and whispered, “Is the
bedroom really that awful?”

Agatha bit her tongue. She should never
have voiced that thought aloud. All she’d done was scare her poor
sister, and Sophie was far more delicate than she was. With a
smile, she ventured, “There’s nothing of interest in the bedroom
except your dresses. My advice is to let your husband do his
business while you think of all your lovely dresses.”

“
Is that what you
did?”

“
I was only married for one
day, so I only had to be with my husband one time and one time is
all I needed to realize how boring the whole process is.” Actually,
painful and humiliating. But she decided not to burden her sister
with that. Perhaps if her husband took the time to make sure she
was ready for consummating their union and had the decency to
respect her, her sister would only be bored. That would be a great
kindness on his part. Returning her gaze to Sophie, she said,
“Remember we’re here to find you a titled gentleman. That will make
everything else easier to accept.”

“
Lord Dabney was a titled
gentleman.” Sophie sighed and traced her ruffles. “I would have
been a countess and had a future earl.”

“
You can still be a countess
and give birth to an earl. You must stay focused. There’s no sense
in dwelling on the past or what might’ve been.”

She clasped Agatha’s hands and took a
deep breath. “You’re right. And wise.”

The carriage came to a stop and Agatha
couldn’t be more grateful that the long ride was at an end. She
followed her sister out of the carriage and into the large
townhouse belonging to Lord Clement. She knew so little of the host
but it was nice to see how many available gentlemen were
there.

She turned to Sophie and smiled. “You
have plenty of titled gentlemen to choose from. We just need to
find the one who has the most money.”

“
Is the amount of money he
has that important?”

Chuckling, she scanned the ballroom.
“Of course it is.” If she was going to be stuck in marriage, she
might as well surround herself with more money. “They say money is
a cold companion but don’t heed any mind to that nonsense. Money
will never run off to a mistress or demand more of your time than
you’re willing to commit. You get to tell it what to
do.”

“
Surely, there must be some
marriages that develop into love.”

This time Agatha did roll her eyes. She
shouldn’t be surprised by her sister’s naiveté, considering she
thought Lord Dabney was an impressive gentleman. Tapping her
fingers together, she studied the gentlemen who weren’t dancing and
finally spotted one who showed promise.

“
Sophie,” she began as she
nudged her sister, “what about Lord Sheldon? I hear he has a
carriage with gold wheels. Judging by his clothes, I’d say he’s
very comfortable, financially speaking of course.”

“
He looks old.”

“
Well, he did lose his wife.
He’s older than your typical bachelor, but he needs an heir and is
old enough where he’ll probably leave you alone most of the time.
Besides, thirty-four isn’t that old.”

“
I suppose…”

Agatha took her sister by the arm and
led her toward him. “Besides, all you have to do is dance. We have
other gentlemen here to consider.”

She nodded her consent and Agatha
arranged it so that they were dancing. Thankful for the reprieve,
Agatha found a vacant settee and sat down, mindful to examine the
other gentlemen.

“
Mind if I sit next to
you?”

She looked up at a lady who seemed
familiar. “I know you from somewhere.”

“
I’m Lady Roderick. I was at
Lord Edon’s dinner party.”

“
Oh, of course! I’m sorry I
didn’t remember who you were.” She patted the seat next to her.
“Sit, please.” It’d be nice to have a conversation with a lady who
wasn’t trying to find a husband. “You’re married to the gentleman
well noted for his expertise in politics.”

She smiled and folded her hands in her
lap. “Yes, that’s him. He loves to engage in political discussions
with other gentlemen.”

Agatha often envied the gentlemen for
their ability to speak their political opinions so openly. “Well,
he seems like an intelligent person.”

“
He is.” After a moment,
Lady Roderick asked, “Are you here to find a husband?”

“
Me?” She laughed and shook
her head. “Goodness, no. I have no desire to go through that
headache again. I’m here on behalf of my sister. She wishes for a
husband, hopefully one with a title and a substantial amount of
money.”

“
So you’re here as a
chaperone?”

“
Yes, and I never imagined
it could be so dull. I can think of many things I’d rather be
doing. But what about you? Are you here for pleasure?”

“
Yes, I am. My husband and I
like to attend a few balls, mostly so we can talk to our friends
and dance. But tonight, we’re also here to help our friend find a
wife.”

Her eyebrows rose in interest.
“Interesting. I’m seeking a husband for my sister and you’re
seeking a wife for your friend. Who is your friend?”

“
Lord Clement.”

“
The host of this ball?” She
tried to remember who Lord Clement was, but her mind drew a blank.
“Where is he?”

Lady Roderick stood up and scanned the
room before pointing to him. “He’s talking with my husband. He’s
the one with the cane.”

Agatha rose to her feet and looked in
the direction she indicated. She smiled. He was young enough for
Sophie and, better yet, he had money. Her gaze traveled the room.
“Does he own this townhouse?”

“
Yes.”

Perfect. He didn’t rent the townhouse.
He owned it. And he had a gold handle on his cane and dressed in
fine clothes. “I have a terrific idea. You say your friend is
looking for a wife?”

“
Has been for a couple
years.”

“
Why don’t we give fate a
little nudge? Perhaps my sister and your friend will make a good
match?”

“
Where is your
sister?”

Agatha motioned to Sophie who was
finishing her dance with Lord Sheldon. “She doesn’t fancy him. She
thinks he’s too old for her. Lord Clement, however, is younger so
he might be more to her liking.”

“
There’s no denying she’s
pretty. I think he’ll like the match.”

Agatha gestured for her sister to join
her. This might just be the break she needed. If she could secure a
husband for her sister tonight, then she didn’t need to waste
another evening at a ball.

Sophie reached them and shook her head.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t bear to spend the rest of my life with him,
even if he has a title. He’s absolutely dull.”

Agatha resisted the urge to tell her
Lord Dabney was worse and said, “Lady Roderick happens to know the
gentleman who is hosting tonight’s ball and he’s available. We’re
going to introduce you to him.”

“
Does that mean I don’t have
to talk to Lord Sheldon?”

“
There are plenty of
available gentleman here. All you need is one.”

With a look of relief, she nodded. “All
right. Where is this gentleman you wish to introduce me
to?”

“
This way.” Agatha slipped
her arm around her sister’s and followed Lady Roderick. “I have a
good feeling about this one,” she whispered to her sister. “I want
you to be on your best behavior. He’s exactly the kind of gentleman
you’re looking for. Make sure you tell him that you’re having
trouble deciding which gentleman to dance with next. That should
prompt him to ask you for a dance.”

They reached him and waited for him and
Lord Roderick to turn their attention to them. Once they got
acquainted with each other, Agatha told Lord Clement, “My sister is
in her first Season.”

“
How are you enjoying it so
far?” Lord Clement asked Sophie.

“
It’s a little overwhelming
but I’m enjoying it immensely. Everyone’s been so kind,” Sophie
glanced around the room, “which makes it difficult to pick which
gentleman to dance with.”

Agatha silently congratulated her
sister for slipping in the hint so well. There just might be hope
for Sophie yet, as long as she could keep her focus where it needed
to be.

“
I wish I could suggest a
dance,” Lord Clement began, motioning to his cane, “but I’m afraid
my limp prevents me from doing so.”

Agatha cleared her throat so he’d look
at her. “Perhaps we might talk for a bit on the
veranda?”

“
That’s a good idea,” Lady
Roderick agreed. “Besides, it’s awfully warm in here. Some fresh
air would be nice.”

Since Lord Clement indicated his
agreement, the group headed toward the veranda. On their way
outside, Agatha saw that Mister Robinson was at the ball. At the
moment, he was talking to Ethan. She told herself that her heart
raced because she hoped he wouldn’t see her, not because it
thrilled her to catch a glimpse of him. Before he realized she was
there, she slipped between her sister and Lady Roderick to block
her from his view. All she needed was for him to distract her from
her mission.

When they reached the veranda, Lady
Roderick sat on one of the benches and opened her fan. Her husband
sat beside her and asked, “Are you feeling better?”

“
Much.” With an apologetic
smile, she looked at the others and explained, “I do fine for a
while, but being around a lot of people in a closed space can make
me uncomfortable. I need a reprieve now and then.”

“
Or it could be an excuse to
get your husband to dote over you,” Lord Clement joked.

Agatha shot Sophie a meaningful look. A
gentleman who had a title, wealth and a sense of humor! Her sister
would do well to marry him. It might even be an amiable marriage.
Noting there were only two benches and there was room on the bench
where the Rodericks sat, she hurried to sit on Lady Roderick’s
other side. “I have smelling salts in my reticule should you feel
faint,” she said before anyone could ask questions. “I hope you
don’t mind sitting with my sister,” she told Lord
Clement.

“
I’d be delighted,” he
replied and settled next to her, setting his cane aside.

Agatha winked at Lady Roderick who
grinned, and Agatha had a newfound respect for the lady. Perhaps
Lady Roderick wasn’t feeling so weak after all.

“
May I ask why you have a
cane?” Sophie asked Lord Clement.

Agatha turned her startled gaze to her
sister and gave a curt shake of her head. Asking a gentleman such a
personal question upon first meeting him wasn’t a wise move, and
had she thought her sister would venture to ask it, she would have
warned her not to.

Fortunately, Lord Clement didn’t seem
upset by the inquiry. “I was born with one leg shorter than the
other.”

“
Really? How much
shorter?”

“
An inch.”

Before Sophie could ask anything else,
Agatha clapped her hands. “This is a wonderful ball, Lord Clement.
I’m especially impressed with your music selection. What made you
decide to go with it?”

As he answered, she politely nodded and
smiled, hoping her sister now understood the kind of questions she
should be asking an earl and how she ought to respond when he
answered.

“
I like to try new things,”
Lord Clement concluded. “Sometimes it’s nice to see what else is
out there.”

“
That’s a lovely sentiment,”
Agatha replied. “My sister has a passion for adventure, for trying
new things.”

“
Do you?” He turned to
Sophie in what Agatha hoped was sincere interest.

“
Yes,” Sophie slowly
replied.

When her sister didn’t continue, Agatha
added, “She also rides horses.”