honor me with a dance?” he asked immediately.
“With pleasure, my lord,” Amanda said, just as Juliana had taught her. As she went off on the man’s arm, she glanced back to meet Juliana’s gaze, her own eyes filled with wonder. “They’re falling at my feet,” she mouthed silently.
Of course they were. Hadn’t Juliana told her that would happen?
It looked as though they’d be able to find a man willing to compromise Amanda, after all. Now all Juliana had to do was find the right man—a man who would make her friend happy.
At least a dozen men were showing keen interest in Amanda. The fact that Juliana herself had rejected each and every one of them had no bearing whatsoever. Sheand Amanda were very different women, with very different requirements in a husband. And half of the dozen men met Amanda’s foremost requirement—that is, they were young men, or significantly younger than Lord Malmsey, at least.
One of them ought to do just fine.
Without Amanda at the center of it, the group slowly dispersed. But Lord Malmsey still stood there, gazing toward the dance floor dejectedly. Although Juliana didn’t know him well, he’d always seemed a kindly man. If he wasn’t precisely handsome, at least he was pleasant-looking, even now, with his mouth set in a straight line. But his pale green eyes seemed haunted.
Quite suddenly, Juliana realized there was a flaw in her perfect plan. In seeing to Amanda’s happiness, she was making Lord Malmsey un happy. And that would never do.
“What are you plotting now, Juliana?”
She looked over to see Corinna and Alexandra. “Nothing,” she told them both.
“I recognize that look on your face,” Alexandra said.
Juliana never had been able to fool her older sister. “Oh, very well,” she admitted. “I am trying to find a match for Lord Malmsey.”
Looking startled, Corinna glanced to the melancholy man and back. “Holy Hannah, what put that thought into your head?”
Juliana had no answer for that—at least no answer that wouldn’t reveal her friend’s predicament.
“Something is going on.” Corinna narrowed her eyes. “Something to do with Amanda.”
Juliana sighed. She should have known Corinna would weasel the truth out of her one way or another. “Can you keep a secret?”
“Of course we can,” Alexandra said, looking a little hurt. “Have we broken a confidence ever?”
Well, no, neither of them had. Not to Juliana’s knowledge, anyway. She leaned in closer and lowered her voice. “Amanda’s father has betrothed her to Lord Malmsey.”
“I knew it!” Corinna exclaimed at the same time Alexandra said, “That’s dreadful.”
“Quite. Amanda is understandably upset, but Lord Wolverston will hear nothing of it. He has told her that if she refuses to go through with the wedding, he will disinherit her.”
Corinna gasped. “Then no one else will ever offer for her.” Of the three of them, she always had been the most blunt.
“Precisely,” Juliana said. “Which is why I am engaged in helping Amanda entice a younger man, in the hopes that he will offer for her before it is too late.” While that wasn’t the complete plan, it was close enough. She wasn’t about to admit that they’d also have to persuade the man to publicly compromise her friend in order to force Lord Wolverston’s hand. “But I cannot find love for Amanda at Lord Malmsey’s expense. That would be terribly unfair.”
“Juliana always wants to see everyone happy,” Alexandra reminded their sister.
“In all his many years,” Corinna pointed out, “Lord Malmsey has never proposed to anyone before Amanda. He’s too shy to approach another woman.”
“Then a shy spinster will be a perfect match.” Juliana’s gaze wandered the ballroom. Miss Hartshorn was too old; Lady Sarah Ballister was too young; Miss Ashton was entirely too outgoing. She scanned past her chaperone, then back. “Aunt Frances,” she said, nodding to herself with more than a little
“With pleasure, my lord,” Amanda said, just as Juliana had taught her. As she went off on the man’s arm, she glanced back to meet Juliana’s gaze, her own eyes filled with wonder. “They’re falling at my feet,” she mouthed silently.
Of course they were. Hadn’t Juliana told her that would happen?
It looked as though they’d be able to find a man willing to compromise Amanda, after all. Now all Juliana had to do was find the right man—a man who would make her friend happy.
At least a dozen men were showing keen interest in Amanda. The fact that Juliana herself had rejected each and every one of them had no bearing whatsoever. Sheand Amanda were very different women, with very different requirements in a husband. And half of the dozen men met Amanda’s foremost requirement—that is, they were young men, or significantly younger than Lord Malmsey, at least.
One of them ought to do just fine.
Without Amanda at the center of it, the group slowly dispersed. But Lord Malmsey still stood there, gazing toward the dance floor dejectedly. Although Juliana didn’t know him well, he’d always seemed a kindly man. If he wasn’t precisely handsome, at least he was pleasant-looking, even now, with his mouth set in a straight line. But his pale green eyes seemed haunted.
Quite suddenly, Juliana realized there was a flaw in her perfect plan. In seeing to Amanda’s happiness, she was making Lord Malmsey un happy. And that would never do.
“What are you plotting now, Juliana?”
She looked over to see Corinna and Alexandra. “Nothing,” she told them both.
“I recognize that look on your face,” Alexandra said.
Juliana never had been able to fool her older sister. “Oh, very well,” she admitted. “I am trying to find a match for Lord Malmsey.”
Looking startled, Corinna glanced to the melancholy man and back. “Holy Hannah, what put that thought into your head?”
Juliana had no answer for that—at least no answer that wouldn’t reveal her friend’s predicament.
“Something is going on.” Corinna narrowed her eyes. “Something to do with Amanda.”
Juliana sighed. She should have known Corinna would weasel the truth out of her one way or another. “Can you keep a secret?”
“Of course we can,” Alexandra said, looking a little hurt. “Have we broken a confidence ever?”
Well, no, neither of them had. Not to Juliana’s knowledge, anyway. She leaned in closer and lowered her voice. “Amanda’s father has betrothed her to Lord Malmsey.”
“I knew it!” Corinna exclaimed at the same time Alexandra said, “That’s dreadful.”
“Quite. Amanda is understandably upset, but Lord Wolverston will hear nothing of it. He has told her that if she refuses to go through with the wedding, he will disinherit her.”
Corinna gasped. “Then no one else will ever offer for her.” Of the three of them, she always had been the most blunt.
“Precisely,” Juliana said. “Which is why I am engaged in helping Amanda entice a younger man, in the hopes that he will offer for her before it is too late.” While that wasn’t the complete plan, it was close enough. She wasn’t about to admit that they’d also have to persuade the man to publicly compromise her friend in order to force Lord Wolverston’s hand. “But I cannot find love for Amanda at Lord Malmsey’s expense. That would be terribly unfair.”
“Juliana always wants to see everyone happy,” Alexandra reminded their sister.
“In all his many years,” Corinna pointed out, “Lord Malmsey has never proposed to anyone before Amanda. He’s too shy to approach another woman.”
“Then a shy spinster will be a perfect match.” Juliana’s gaze wandered the ballroom. Miss Hartshorn was too old; Lady Sarah Ballister was too young; Miss Ashton was entirely too outgoing. She scanned past her chaperone, then back. “Aunt Frances,” she said, nodding to herself with more than a little
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