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Authors: Victoria Alexander
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ago.”
“I suppose not,” she murmured. Even though she had already realized much the same thing herself, hearing the admission from Robert twisted her heart.
“In many ways one might say we have gone our separate ways.”
“Do you think so?”
“You have the children and your charitable pursuits. You run a large household and have become an accomplished hostess as well as an accomplished guest. You’re an excellent conversationalist. It’s quite impressive the way you keep up on the affairs of the day. Most wives don’t, you know.” He glanced at her. “You’ve become the perfect wife for a man in my position.”
“Have I?”
“Indeed you have.” He sipped his champagne. “Idaresay I haven’t told you, or shown you, for that matter, how very proud I am to have you as my wife.”
She swallowed past the knot that abruptly lodged in her throat. “No you haven’t, but then I haven’t told you that I too am proud of the man you have become.”
“Although I am scarcely perfect.”
“I’m not at all sure I would like perfect.”
“In that respect, we remain well suited. Now then.” He nodded. “We need to determine who else might suit.” He cast her a chastising smile. “You have extremely high standards.”
She raised a shoulder in a casual shrug. “My current lover is difficult to replace.”
“Let me see.” He scanned the crowd. “We’re looking for a gentleman who is charming and handsome, with polished skills at both conversation and seduction.”
“Surely we can find one or two who will do.”
“No doubt,” he muttered, and Amelia struggled to keep her expression serene. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Robert had no intention of truly finding her a lover. If she knew nothing else about her husband, she was fairly confident of that. Although he was a clever beast and obviously had some sort of plan in mind. Still, she could play this game as well as he. Probably better. He nodded at a point off to one side of the ballroom. “What about Lord Burwell? He seems to meet all the requirements.”
“Indeed he does, if one of the requirements is advanced age, the onset of gout, and a lecherous way of leering at anything female.”
“He has a reputation, you know, with the ladies.” A tempting note sounded in Robert’s voice. “I’m sure he could provide excellent references.”
“I believe he had quite a reputation, once, a very long time ago, and I fear most of his references can no longer be relied upon because, as I understand it, the ladies in question are of such an age where they can barely recall their own names, let alone his.”
Robert chuckled. “There is a price to be paid for experience. Well, perhaps he is a little old for you.” He studied the crowd. “What about Mr. Washburn?” Amelia followed her husband’s gaze to a portly figure trying to balance a plate of food and a glass of wine. “He’s a healthy specimen of a man.”
“Healthy indeed.” She snorted. “Good Lord, Robert, I could scarcely get my legs around him.”
“Amelia!” Shock sounded in Robert’s voice, then he laughed. “Yes, well, that would be a problem. Let us consider Lord Helmsley over there then. He’s well on his way to making a name for himself with the fairer sex.”
“That doesn’t speak well for his sense of discretion. Especially as I am looking for a secret lover.” She shook her head. “Besides, he’s entirely too young. No, I think someone more like…” She scanned the ballroom, then nodded. “I’ve always found Lord Elkins to be rather charming. He would do well, I think.”
Robert scoffed. “He’s too tall for you.”
“How lax of me to have overlooked such a flaw,” she murmured. “Well then.” She glanced around the room. “Sir Randolph is extremely handsome, and he’s not at all tall.”
“No, he is of a perfect height, but have you ever heard him laugh?” Robert shook his head in a mournful manner. “The man sounds like a
“I suppose not,” she murmured. Even though she had already realized much the same thing herself, hearing the admission from Robert twisted her heart.
“In many ways one might say we have gone our separate ways.”
“Do you think so?”
“You have the children and your charitable pursuits. You run a large household and have become an accomplished hostess as well as an accomplished guest. You’re an excellent conversationalist. It’s quite impressive the way you keep up on the affairs of the day. Most wives don’t, you know.” He glanced at her. “You’ve become the perfect wife for a man in my position.”
“Have I?”
“Indeed you have.” He sipped his champagne. “Idaresay I haven’t told you, or shown you, for that matter, how very proud I am to have you as my wife.”
She swallowed past the knot that abruptly lodged in her throat. “No you haven’t, but then I haven’t told you that I too am proud of the man you have become.”
“Although I am scarcely perfect.”
“I’m not at all sure I would like perfect.”
“In that respect, we remain well suited. Now then.” He nodded. “We need to determine who else might suit.” He cast her a chastising smile. “You have extremely high standards.”
She raised a shoulder in a casual shrug. “My current lover is difficult to replace.”
“Let me see.” He scanned the crowd. “We’re looking for a gentleman who is charming and handsome, with polished skills at both conversation and seduction.”
“Surely we can find one or two who will do.”
“No doubt,” he muttered, and Amelia struggled to keep her expression serene. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that Robert had no intention of truly finding her a lover. If she knew nothing else about her husband, she was fairly confident of that. Although he was a clever beast and obviously had some sort of plan in mind. Still, she could play this game as well as he. Probably better. He nodded at a point off to one side of the ballroom. “What about Lord Burwell? He seems to meet all the requirements.”
“Indeed he does, if one of the requirements is advanced age, the onset of gout, and a lecherous way of leering at anything female.”
“He has a reputation, you know, with the ladies.” A tempting note sounded in Robert’s voice. “I’m sure he could provide excellent references.”
“I believe he had quite a reputation, once, a very long time ago, and I fear most of his references can no longer be relied upon because, as I understand it, the ladies in question are of such an age where they can barely recall their own names, let alone his.”
Robert chuckled. “There is a price to be paid for experience. Well, perhaps he is a little old for you.” He studied the crowd. “What about Mr. Washburn?” Amelia followed her husband’s gaze to a portly figure trying to balance a plate of food and a glass of wine. “He’s a healthy specimen of a man.”
“Healthy indeed.” She snorted. “Good Lord, Robert, I could scarcely get my legs around him.”
“Amelia!” Shock sounded in Robert’s voice, then he laughed. “Yes, well, that would be a problem. Let us consider Lord Helmsley over there then. He’s well on his way to making a name for himself with the fairer sex.”
“That doesn’t speak well for his sense of discretion. Especially as I am looking for a secret lover.” She shook her head. “Besides, he’s entirely too young. No, I think someone more like…” She scanned the ballroom, then nodded. “I’ve always found Lord Elkins to be rather charming. He would do well, I think.”
Robert scoffed. “He’s too tall for you.”
“How lax of me to have overlooked such a flaw,” she murmured. “Well then.” She glanced around the room. “Sir Randolph is extremely handsome, and he’s not at all tall.”
“No, he is of a perfect height, but have you ever heard him laugh?” Robert shook his head in a mournful manner. “The man sounds like a
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