lashes, then shrugged. “But that is neither here nor there. It is certainly the last thing I would ever wish to happen, so it would be useless to conjecture.”
Marcus knew he should have been glad to hear such words of wisdom tumbling from Miss Baker-Sneed’s lips. But somehow it was almost a slap in the face to be dismissed so quickly. “Miss Baker-Sneed—”
“More tea?” The teapot was poised over his already full cup, steam wafting from the arched stem.
“No, thank you. Miss Baker-Sneed, what did you mean by suggesting matrimony for a trade if you didn’t mean you and I? Who did you mean?”
“My sister, Cassandra—although not for you. I wish my sister to have all of the advantages of a good marriage, but I find that I have far too few acquaintances in London to arrange such a thing.”
Marcus leaned back on the settee. “Oh?”
“Yes. Originally my aunt Caroline was going to chaperone Cassandra and see to it that she was presented as she ought. But something happened…”
He waited, brows raised.
“Aunt Caroline’s daughters are not—and Cassandra is very—Well, she would have quite overshadowed them as she is… shall we say ‘taller’?”
“Your cousins are plain and your sister is not.”
She gave an obviously relieved sigh. “Yes! I am so glad you are of a quick wit. I did not know how to say that without sounding— For my cousins are sweet natured, if nothing else. Not that it matters, for there are few women as beautiful as Cassandra.”
She said it proudly, though he had to wonder. Everyone thought their sister worthy of notice, and while he did not doubt that Cassandra was an attractive female, he doubted she was anything above the ordinary. “I see,” he said, and rather thought he did. But still it would not do. “I have neither the time nor the interest to launch your sister onto society, even to save seven thousand pounds.”
“Of course, you must do as you see fit. I am not forcing you to do anything,” Honoria said coolly, not even having the grace to look flustered. “But you should consider my request before you reject it. It is not as if you would have to do much.”
“No?”
“How much effort was it to launch your sister, Sara? I believe most of the work went to your aunt.”
“You know quite a bit about my family.”
“I was presented the same year as your sister and I saw her frequently for a short period of time.”
Marcus wondered if he had known that. “I don’t seem to recall seeing you at any events—”
“My mother died less than a month into the season and I withdrew. Not that it mattered… there wasn’t much to remember. I wasn’t all that amused by the trappings of society. Cassandra, meanwhile, thrives on them.” Honoria brightened. “Would you like to meet my sister? I can assure you that she is very prettily behaved and would be a credit to your name.”
“No. I do not need to meet anyone, thank you. For I am not going to agree to such an asinine idea.”
“No? It wouldn’t be much work for you. I am not asking for a ball or any entertainments, at least not at first.”
“Thank you so much,” he said dryly.
She grinned. Not smiled, but grinned, her soft mouth widening impishly, her eyes crinkled with mirth. Marcus tried to remember when he’d last seen a woman smile so widely—something other than the meek, polite folding of lips most women permitted themselves.
He felt his own lips soften a bit in return. “You seem to find that very amusing.”
“Well, I certainly don’t expect you to put yourself out too much.” Her grin faded and an earnest look entered her eyes. “I am, of course, perfectly willing to pay your aunt for whatever costs she—”
“Let me say this once more: I cannot and will not sponsor your sister, if for no other reason than it would give rise to rumors that would quite kill any hope you have of settling her respectably.”
Honoria’s cheeks pinkened. “Oh! I never thought— That is,
Marcus knew he should have been glad to hear such words of wisdom tumbling from Miss Baker-Sneed’s lips. But somehow it was almost a slap in the face to be dismissed so quickly. “Miss Baker-Sneed—”
“More tea?” The teapot was poised over his already full cup, steam wafting from the arched stem.
“No, thank you. Miss Baker-Sneed, what did you mean by suggesting matrimony for a trade if you didn’t mean you and I? Who did you mean?”
“My sister, Cassandra—although not for you. I wish my sister to have all of the advantages of a good marriage, but I find that I have far too few acquaintances in London to arrange such a thing.”
Marcus leaned back on the settee. “Oh?”
“Yes. Originally my aunt Caroline was going to chaperone Cassandra and see to it that she was presented as she ought. But something happened…”
He waited, brows raised.
“Aunt Caroline’s daughters are not—and Cassandra is very—Well, she would have quite overshadowed them as she is… shall we say ‘taller’?”
“Your cousins are plain and your sister is not.”
She gave an obviously relieved sigh. “Yes! I am so glad you are of a quick wit. I did not know how to say that without sounding— For my cousins are sweet natured, if nothing else. Not that it matters, for there are few women as beautiful as Cassandra.”
She said it proudly, though he had to wonder. Everyone thought their sister worthy of notice, and while he did not doubt that Cassandra was an attractive female, he doubted she was anything above the ordinary. “I see,” he said, and rather thought he did. But still it would not do. “I have neither the time nor the interest to launch your sister onto society, even to save seven thousand pounds.”
“Of course, you must do as you see fit. I am not forcing you to do anything,” Honoria said coolly, not even having the grace to look flustered. “But you should consider my request before you reject it. It is not as if you would have to do much.”
“No?”
“How much effort was it to launch your sister, Sara? I believe most of the work went to your aunt.”
“You know quite a bit about my family.”
“I was presented the same year as your sister and I saw her frequently for a short period of time.”
Marcus wondered if he had known that. “I don’t seem to recall seeing you at any events—”
“My mother died less than a month into the season and I withdrew. Not that it mattered… there wasn’t much to remember. I wasn’t all that amused by the trappings of society. Cassandra, meanwhile, thrives on them.” Honoria brightened. “Would you like to meet my sister? I can assure you that she is very prettily behaved and would be a credit to your name.”
“No. I do not need to meet anyone, thank you. For I am not going to agree to such an asinine idea.”
“No? It wouldn’t be much work for you. I am not asking for a ball or any entertainments, at least not at first.”
“Thank you so much,” he said dryly.
She grinned. Not smiled, but grinned, her soft mouth widening impishly, her eyes crinkled with mirth. Marcus tried to remember when he’d last seen a woman smile so widely—something other than the meek, polite folding of lips most women permitted themselves.
He felt his own lips soften a bit in return. “You seem to find that very amusing.”
“Well, I certainly don’t expect you to put yourself out too much.” Her grin faded and an earnest look entered her eyes. “I am, of course, perfectly willing to pay your aunt for whatever costs she—”
“Let me say this once more: I cannot and will not sponsor your sister, if for no other reason than it would give rise to rumors that would quite kill any hope you have of settling her respectably.”
Honoria’s cheeks pinkened. “Oh! I never thought— That is,
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