With a shake of her head, Elodie replied, “I knew of your uncle, Lord Wythburn, but I had never met him or any of his wives.”
“Well, he had only two wives,” Mattie said, knowing her friend was just trying to lighten the conversation, for which she was most grateful. “The first one died within their first few years of marriage and then he married my Aunt Edith.”
Elodie sat down and reached for a biscuit on the tray. “If I ever choose to marry, I think I would like to haunt my husband, assuming I died, and he remarried.”
Mattie giggled. “Why would you haunt your husband?”
“For fun,” Elodie replied with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “After all, surely I will be bored in the afterlife. What else would I be doing but haunting someone?”
Lady Dallington did not look amused. “I am pleased that you have resigned yourself to the fact that you will marry… at least someday.”
Elodie waved her hand dismissively in front of her. “If I do marry—and do not hold me to that—it will be for love, just as Delphine and Bennett have.”
“May I ask what changed your mind?” Lady Dallington asked, her tone softening with curiosity.
Elodie paused, a thoughtful look on her expression. “Seeing Delphine and Bennett together, witnessing their genuine affection and partnership, made me realize that loveis not a weakness. It can bring two vastly different people together and bind them together in unison.”
Lady Dallington smiled in approval. “Love is indeed a powerful incentive. I am glad that you recognize its importance.”
“Well, I suppose if I’m going to be bound to someone for life, it might as well be someone I love,” Elodie declared. “But don’t expect me to get married anytime soon. I did, however, compile a list of attributes that I want in a husband.”
Lady Dallington sighed. “Dear heavens,” she muttered.
Mattie couldn’t help but ask, “What is on that list?”
Elodie retrieved the paper from the folds of her gown and held it up. “The usual attributes, I suppose. I want him to be tall, dark and handsome.”
“That sounds rather vague,” Mattie said.
Elodie continued to read the paper. “I will not tolerate someone with bad breath, overindulging in alcohol or nonstop chattering.”
“But you tend to chatter constantly,” Mattie pointed out.
“Yes, but it is a fine quality to have in a woman, not a man,” Elodie countered. “Everyone knows that.”
Mattie puckered her brow, knowing the list was rather straightforward and her friend was anything but predictable. “Any other unusual traits that we need to be aware of?”
“Oh, yes,” Elodie replied. “I cannot tolerate a slow blinker or someone that eats their peas one at a time. Both are non-negotiable.”
Lady Dallington gave her daughter a long, disbelieving stare. “Where did I go wrong with you, Child?”
Unfazed, Elodie responded, “Marriage is not something that I am going to happen upon. It will only happen after serious contemplation.”
“Love is not something you can plan,” Lady Dallington argued. “It just happens.”
“Nothing happens by chance,” Elodieasserted.
Lady Dallington frowned. “We shall continue this conversation later. Right now, we need to console Mattie. Her life has changed considerably.”
Mattie glanced between the two women, a small smile forming. “You do not need to worry about me. This conversation has been most riveting and has helped me forget my troubles—if only for a moment.”
“You are most kind, but Elodie should put that list away and focus on ensuring our guest feels welcome,” Lady Dallington insisted.
Elodie returned the paper to the folds of her gown. “Done,” she said, her eyes drifting over to the window. “I think a game of pall-mall might lift Mattie’s spirits.”
“As much as I would love that, shouldn’t I be in mourning?” Mattie asked.
Lady Dallington’s eyes held compassion. “It might be just the distraction you need,” she replied. “Besides, we would never tell anyone.”
