felt compelled to warn her. “With three older brothers, there’s never been any reason for him to marry, you see.”
“You don’t have to wrap it up prettily. I know he’s a rake.”
“He prefers ‘connoisseur of women.’”
“Then he likes to wrap it up prettily too.”
Regina laughed. Oh, she did like this woman. Roslynn might be feigning an indifference toward Tony, but she was refreshingly straightforward otherwise.
Roslynn stole another glance at Sir Anthony. She felt silly for having called him Mr. Malory, but how was she to have known then that he was a member of the peerage? The eldest brother the Marquis of Haverston, the second an earl, the third the black sheep of the family, and Anthony a close second. Oh, she had heard much about him tonight. Why couldn’t she learn as much about her potential “possibles”?
“He doesn’t dance?” Roslynn heard herself asking and wondered why she couldn’t leave it alone.
“Oh, he does, beautifully, but he doesn’t dare ask anyone here. If he did, he’d have to dance with a few dozen other women too, just to throw the vultures off the scent. But Tony wouldn’t go through so much bother just to dance with the lady of his choice. That’s why he can’t tolerate these affairs. They force him to discretion when the word isn’t even in his vocabulary.”
“Is he really so notorious that just to be seen dancing with him would fairly ruin a girl?”
“I have seen it happen, and it’s a shame really, because he’s not that much of a womanizer. Not that he ever lacks for female companionship. But he’s not out to seduce the whole of London either.”
“Just his fair share?”
Regina noted the grin and realized Roslynn was amused by Anthony’s reputation rather than scandalized. Perhaps she wasn’t interested after all. Or perhaps she wisely sensed that it was hopeless.
“Gossips can be cruel, m’dear.” Regina leanedcloser to whisper. “In fact, I don’t dare leave your side. He is misbehaving, staring at you like that.”
Roslynn avoided the other woman’s eyes. “He could be looking at you.”
“Of course he isn’t. But as long as no one here is quite sure which of us he’s ogling, you’re safe.”
“Ah, there you are, Ros.” Frances joined them. “Lord Grahame was just asking for you. He claims you promised him a waltz.”
“So I did.” Roslynn sighed. It was time to forget Anthony Malory and get back to work. “I just hope the fellow can loosen up and be a little more revealing this time.”
Too late, she realized how that must have sounded to Lady Eden, but Regina simply smiled. “It’s all right, m’dear. Frances has told me something of your situation. You might be amused to know I had the exact same problem when I was looking for a husband. But unlike yours, my choice had to be approved by my family, which only made it exceedingly difficult because, to them, no one was good enough for me. Thank God my Nicholas compromised me, or I still might be looking for a husband.”
It was Frances who appeared shocked. “But I thought you had been promised to him!”
“That was the general assumption after the announcement was made, but the fact was, he had abducted me, thinking I was his current mistress, and that little mistake got out. Oh, he brought me home immediately upon realizing his mistake, but the damage was done. And he came kicking and protesting to the altar, confirmed bachelor that he was. Yet he has settled nicely into marriage. It just goes to show that if someone seems unsuitable in all respects, theymight turn out to be the best choice after all. You just never know.”
The last was said for Roslynn’s benefit, but she forced herself to disregard it. Her chore was hard enough without adding to it the unsuitables. She wasn’t going to end up with a bad penny on the off chance that he could be reformed. A gambler she was not.
With that resolve firmly set in her mind, she went off in search of Lord
“You don’t have to wrap it up prettily. I know he’s a rake.”
“He prefers ‘connoisseur of women.’”
“Then he likes to wrap it up prettily too.”
Regina laughed. Oh, she did like this woman. Roslynn might be feigning an indifference toward Tony, but she was refreshingly straightforward otherwise.
Roslynn stole another glance at Sir Anthony. She felt silly for having called him Mr. Malory, but how was she to have known then that he was a member of the peerage? The eldest brother the Marquis of Haverston, the second an earl, the third the black sheep of the family, and Anthony a close second. Oh, she had heard much about him tonight. Why couldn’t she learn as much about her potential “possibles”?
“He doesn’t dance?” Roslynn heard herself asking and wondered why she couldn’t leave it alone.
“Oh, he does, beautifully, but he doesn’t dare ask anyone here. If he did, he’d have to dance with a few dozen other women too, just to throw the vultures off the scent. But Tony wouldn’t go through so much bother just to dance with the lady of his choice. That’s why he can’t tolerate these affairs. They force him to discretion when the word isn’t even in his vocabulary.”
“Is he really so notorious that just to be seen dancing with him would fairly ruin a girl?”
“I have seen it happen, and it’s a shame really, because he’s not that much of a womanizer. Not that he ever lacks for female companionship. But he’s not out to seduce the whole of London either.”
“Just his fair share?”
Regina noted the grin and realized Roslynn was amused by Anthony’s reputation rather than scandalized. Perhaps she wasn’t interested after all. Or perhaps she wisely sensed that it was hopeless.
“Gossips can be cruel, m’dear.” Regina leanedcloser to whisper. “In fact, I don’t dare leave your side. He is misbehaving, staring at you like that.”
Roslynn avoided the other woman’s eyes. “He could be looking at you.”
“Of course he isn’t. But as long as no one here is quite sure which of us he’s ogling, you’re safe.”
“Ah, there you are, Ros.” Frances joined them. “Lord Grahame was just asking for you. He claims you promised him a waltz.”
“So I did.” Roslynn sighed. It was time to forget Anthony Malory and get back to work. “I just hope the fellow can loosen up and be a little more revealing this time.”
Too late, she realized how that must have sounded to Lady Eden, but Regina simply smiled. “It’s all right, m’dear. Frances has told me something of your situation. You might be amused to know I had the exact same problem when I was looking for a husband. But unlike yours, my choice had to be approved by my family, which only made it exceedingly difficult because, to them, no one was good enough for me. Thank God my Nicholas compromised me, or I still might be looking for a husband.”
It was Frances who appeared shocked. “But I thought you had been promised to him!”
“That was the general assumption after the announcement was made, but the fact was, he had abducted me, thinking I was his current mistress, and that little mistake got out. Oh, he brought me home immediately upon realizing his mistake, but the damage was done. And he came kicking and protesting to the altar, confirmed bachelor that he was. Yet he has settled nicely into marriage. It just goes to show that if someone seems unsuitable in all respects, theymight turn out to be the best choice after all. You just never know.”
The last was said for Roslynn’s benefit, but she forced herself to disregard it. Her chore was hard enough without adding to it the unsuitables. She wasn’t going to end up with a bad penny on the off chance that he could be reformed. A gambler she was not.
With that resolve firmly set in her mind, she went off in search of Lord
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