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even at tempt to gaze at these prospects as if they were the moon and the stars.”
He snorted in disbelief then narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
    “My goodness, do try to pay attention.” Marianne sighed in exasperation. “The opportunity for adventure is minimal; however, the opportunity to experience life is endless.”
    “What?” He halted in midstride and glared. Surely she wasn’t saying what he thought she was saying. “What on earth do you mean by that?”
    “You needn’t take that tone. Honestly, it’s not as if I’m about to squander my virtue willy-nilly on the first man to come along.” She thought for a moment. “Even though I do think virtue is an overrated quality.”
    “You do?” His voice had a stange, strangled quality about it.
    “Indeed I do.” She nodded vigorously. “If one is planning to marry I suppose it’s important, but if one has no interest in marriage, it quite loses it’s significance, don’t you agree?”
    “I most certainly do not,” he said indignantly, wondering at the irony of him, of all people, discouraging such an attitude in a woman.
    She studied him for a moment. “You know for a man with your rakish reputation you’re a bit stuffy.”
    “Stuffy!” He drew himself up and stared down his nose at her. “I’ll have you know I am not the least bit stuffy. In point of fact I am universally considered to be quite a rousing good time.”
    “You hide it well,” she said mildly. “Except when you’ve had too much to drink, of course. I can see how then you might be considered just the tiniest bit fun.”
    “I do not . . .  I have no need . . . ” He clenched his jaw, took her elbow and steered her back into the flow of foot traffic. “We cannot stand here arguing about my nature—”
“I wasn’t arguing—”
    “—we shall attract no end of attention,” he muttered. “The next thing you know all of London will be gossiping about the argument—”
    “Really more of a discussion.”
    “—in public between the Marquess of Helmsley and an attractive young lady—”
    “Attractive?” She glanced up at him, her brown eyes behind her glasses wide and enticing. At the moment he realized how very attractive she really was.
    “Yes.” He glared down at her. “Damn it all, attractive.” Quite pretty and very appealing and more than a bit provocative.
    She turned her gaze back to the walk before them and smiled a soft, private kind of smile. An urge to protect her that went far beyond the requirements of responsibility swept through him.
    “Now, then.” He pushed the feeling aside. “What precisely is your definition of experience life ?”
    “I’m not entirely certain.” She raised a shoulder in an offhand shrug. “I shall have to figure it out as I go along. Although I do believe kissing you was a first step.”
    “There shall be no more kissing,” he said with a no-nonsense tone that belied the realization that he would not be averse to kissing her again and again until she melted in his arms.
    “Perhaps not with you.”
    Only with me. “Not with anyone.” Damnation, he knew these sisters were going to be nothing but trouble, and this one dangerous as well, at least to him and his sense of honor. Getting them all off his hands and safely wed as soon as possible had never seemed a better idea. Marianne wanted to experience life , whatever that meant, and who knew what the other two had in mind.
Where were the other two? He glanced around with a mounting sense of unease. The footpaths were at their most crowded at this time of day; still he should be able to spot the girls.
    A knot settled in his stomach. Blast it all, if he lost them there would be hell to pay. He scanned the drive filled with slow-moving carriages and finely bred cattle. Swiveled and searched the walkers behind him. Turned and studied the backs of those strolling in front of him. All the world was awash with bobbing hats and parasols, swishing skirts and muted voices.