Megs frowned. “That does sound like quite a good idea…especially the bit about none of us having to see Sir Julian again. He gives me the shivers. But how do we persuade her to do it? After all, she seems to have made up her mind that you should marry him, Lissy. It could be awkward.”
Mims nodded. “It could indeed. We’re going to have to be subtle and clever and cunning, which I’m sure we all can be. Plus he’s bound to prefer Mama to Lissy.”
Lissy scowled, but held her tongue, not wanting to deflect from Mims’ good idea.
Mims nodded. “It’s helped by Mama being so pretty though.” A rather wicked smile slid over her face. “I think you’re going to have to make yourself as unattractive as possible to him, Lissy, because Mama can’t do that to save her life. She’s nice to everyone. You will just have to convince him he doesn’t want to marry a girl as horrid as you.”
Lissy scowled. “But I’m not horrid.”
“You are sometimes,” Megs said. “So it shouldn’t be too hard to belike it all the time when you’re with Cousin Harry. You’ll just have to try harder.”
“I wouldn’t even know where to start being horrid to a man. And I’m not sure I want him to think that about me.”
Mims sighed. “Yes you do, or he might fall in love with you by mistake instead of Mama, and you don’t want that, do you?”
Lissy slowly shook her head. “No. I don’t. But what is horrid like when it’s to do with a man?”
“Pick your nose,” Megs said, not very helpfully. “Betsey told me ladies should never do that.”
Lissy wrinkled her own dainty nose. “Good heavens, were you picking your nose in front of Betsey?”
Megs gave a shrug. “It was a long time ago.”
Mims shook her head. “Definitely don’t pick your nose. Although I think that would be enough to put any man off. We want him to like our family not think we’re devoid of good manners. He might think Mama had allowed us to do that if you did it in front of him.”
Lissy gave a shudder. “Don’t worry. I have no intention of picking my nose in front of anyone at all, still less Cousin Harry.”
Megs opened her mouth to make another suggestion, but as it was likely to be equal to or more abhorrent than her first, Mims interrupted her. “I know. Be demanding. Tell him you don’t like things. Be bossy. Act spoiled. I’m sure that will come easily to you. Make a big fuss about everything. In other words, be like you are with us. That should put him off nicely.”
Lissy bristled. “I’m not like that with you at all.”
“Yes, you are,” Mims and Megs sang together.
“I don’t mean to be,” Lissy muttered, flushing with embarrassment that her sisters saw her in such an unflattering light. “But I am the oldest and you should do as I tell you.”
Mims shrugged. “This time you’re going to need to do what I tell you if you don’t want to end up a married lady at eighteen.”
Lissy nodded, mindful of the yearly chore she imagined all women had to endure. “Very well. I’ll have a think about what I can do to make him be sure to not like me.” She frowned. “But it might be hard.”
Megs burst out laughing. “You can add being horribly big-headed to your list of things that will put him off. What makes you think it’ll be hard to stop him liking you?”
Mims giggled. “You have to admit, Megs, that our dear sister is quite pretty. Pretty enough for a man to fall in love with.”
Megs wrinkled her nose. “I suppose she’s passable. Archie the stable boy seems to think so. I’ve seen him go beetroot red every time he sees her. But she’s not nearly as beautiful as Mama. And you seem to have forgotten that if we try to make Lissy unattractive, we’re also going to have to make Mama more attractive and push her into Cousin Harry’s way.” She beamed. “However, I think I’d much rather he became our stepfather than our brother-in-law.”
“Me too,” Lissy said, a trifle gloomily. “Me too.”
Megs, ever ebullient, scrambled to her feet. “And now I’ve had enough of matchmaking. Let’s all go for a ride.” She ran to the ladder and was down it in a trice.
Her sisters followed behind more sedately.
