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Authors: Sally Mackenzie
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breaching whatsoever.”
“Oh.” Meg blinked at her, and then grinned. “Well, if no breaching occurred, your life is not ruined. You’ve been somewhat indiscreet, yes, and if word of your activities gets out, you’ll certainly be compromised, but since Robbie is the only witness to your indiscretion, you should have no worries.”
“No worries?” Lizzie contemplated smothering Meg with her pillow. “How can you say that? I’ve loved Robbie forever.”
“Well, yes, I understand that. And I really did think he loved you, but if he won’t offer for you—you are sure about that?”
“Of course I’m sure. I’m not completely beetle-headed.” No, not completely beetle-headed, just beetle-headed enough to have spent the last six years or more in love with a man who didn’t care the snap of his fingers for her. Beetle-headed enough to turn down marriage offers from a duke, two marquises, and an assortment of earls, viscounts, and other men because she was certain Robbie would ask for her hand eventually.
She could not fool herself any longer. If Robbie’d had any intention of wedding her, he would have spoken today in the shrubbery. He would not have looked horrified and then hid behind his society manners.
She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes closed. She would not cry.
“Well, if you are quite certain,” Meg said, “I suppose there is little to be done about it. Unless you want James to force Robbie to wed you? He could, you know.”
“No!” Lizzie leapt off the bed and wrapped her arms around her waist. “No, I do not want James to compel Robbie. That would be horrible.”
“I agree. A reluctant bridegroom would not be pleasant.” Meg pushed back a strand of hair that had fallen over her eyes. “You could try to make him jealous, of course. Sometimes men don’t realize they are interested in a woman until they think they can’t have her.”
“How do you know that?”
Meg shrugged. “I observe more than plants. And unlike you, I have not had my attention focused solely on one gentleman.”
“I have not been focusing solely on Robbie.”
“If you say so.”
“Does Emma know you’ve been studying biology as well as botany in the neighboring fields?”
Meg grinned. “Just the biology of lower animals, Lizzie. I have not come upon any examples of human biology.”
“I should hope not.”
“But I have observed human social behavior in detail, especially since Emma married and decided finding me a husband was one of her goals in life.” Meg wrinkled her nose. “I have been to more dinners and dances in the last three years than I can count. The prospect of another minuet with old Mr. Ruttles was enough to get me to come with you to London.”
“Mr. Ruttles is showing interest in you? Surely not! The man must be seventy.”
“Seventy-four last November,” Meg said. “And you’ll be happy to know that his gout is much improved.”
“I will?”
“Indeed. I actually have quite the stable of admirers. Besides Mr. Ruttles, there is Mr. Gordley, Mr. Farrell, and Mr. Nunn.”
“Meg! That’s terrible. Not a one of them is under sixty. Why didn’t you come to London before?”
“Because Emma hadn’t gotten so persistent before. And when Charlie was born, she got distracted for a while. But now that she’s increasing again, she is even more determined to see me happily settled with my own children.”
“That’s understandable.”
“No, it’s maddening.”
Lizzie grinned. “All right, it’s maddening. You will just have to find yourself a husband this Season.” She sat back down next to Meg. “Now about making Robbie jealous…I’m not certain I want a man who is only interested in me because he thinks someone else wants me.”
“No, no—you’re missing the point. Yes, there are men like that, and if Robbie turns out to be one of them, you will have to discard him. In this case, our goal is merely to wake him up. Make him realize what he really
“Oh.” Meg blinked at her, and then grinned. “Well, if no breaching occurred, your life is not ruined. You’ve been somewhat indiscreet, yes, and if word of your activities gets out, you’ll certainly be compromised, but since Robbie is the only witness to your indiscretion, you should have no worries.”
“No worries?” Lizzie contemplated smothering Meg with her pillow. “How can you say that? I’ve loved Robbie forever.”
“Well, yes, I understand that. And I really did think he loved you, but if he won’t offer for you—you are sure about that?”
“Of course I’m sure. I’m not completely beetle-headed.” No, not completely beetle-headed, just beetle-headed enough to have spent the last six years or more in love with a man who didn’t care the snap of his fingers for her. Beetle-headed enough to turn down marriage offers from a duke, two marquises, and an assortment of earls, viscounts, and other men because she was certain Robbie would ask for her hand eventually.
She could not fool herself any longer. If Robbie’d had any intention of wedding her, he would have spoken today in the shrubbery. He would not have looked horrified and then hid behind his society manners.
She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes closed. She would not cry.
“Well, if you are quite certain,” Meg said, “I suppose there is little to be done about it. Unless you want James to force Robbie to wed you? He could, you know.”
“No!” Lizzie leapt off the bed and wrapped her arms around her waist. “No, I do not want James to compel Robbie. That would be horrible.”
“I agree. A reluctant bridegroom would not be pleasant.” Meg pushed back a strand of hair that had fallen over her eyes. “You could try to make him jealous, of course. Sometimes men don’t realize they are interested in a woman until they think they can’t have her.”
“How do you know that?”
Meg shrugged. “I observe more than plants. And unlike you, I have not had my attention focused solely on one gentleman.”
“I have not been focusing solely on Robbie.”
“If you say so.”
“Does Emma know you’ve been studying biology as well as botany in the neighboring fields?”
Meg grinned. “Just the biology of lower animals, Lizzie. I have not come upon any examples of human biology.”
“I should hope not.”
“But I have observed human social behavior in detail, especially since Emma married and decided finding me a husband was one of her goals in life.” Meg wrinkled her nose. “I have been to more dinners and dances in the last three years than I can count. The prospect of another minuet with old Mr. Ruttles was enough to get me to come with you to London.”
“Mr. Ruttles is showing interest in you? Surely not! The man must be seventy.”
“Seventy-four last November,” Meg said. “And you’ll be happy to know that his gout is much improved.”
“I will?”
“Indeed. I actually have quite the stable of admirers. Besides Mr. Ruttles, there is Mr. Gordley, Mr. Farrell, and Mr. Nunn.”
“Meg! That’s terrible. Not a one of them is under sixty. Why didn’t you come to London before?”
“Because Emma hadn’t gotten so persistent before. And when Charlie was born, she got distracted for a while. But now that she’s increasing again, she is even more determined to see me happily settled with my own children.”
“That’s understandable.”
“No, it’s maddening.”
Lizzie grinned. “All right, it’s maddening. You will just have to find yourself a husband this Season.” She sat back down next to Meg. “Now about making Robbie jealous…I’m not certain I want a man who is only interested in me because he thinks someone else wants me.”
“No, no—you’re missing the point. Yes, there are men like that, and if Robbie turns out to be one of them, you will have to discard him. In this case, our goal is merely to wake him up. Make him realize what he really
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