“Of course I am your friend,” Patience said.
Lady Alice very prettily blushed. “I will speak to my mama about the dinner your father hosts. I am certain she will approve and my papa leaves such judgments with her to decide.”
“Excellent. Oh, by the by, if they say anything about my father being unusual in any way, just explain that he really is not. If one does not know him, he couldseemmad, but he is as sane as you or I.”
With that helpful advice, Patience took her leave of a rather startled Lady Alice.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Marcus was not at all fond of musical evenings. Especially not Lady Jenner’s annual musical evening. A usual evening might consist of some performers thought to be very good. The problem was not that he did not enjoy the music, it was the endless sitting and listening. If he could read a book he’d be happy to sit all night. As it was, simply staring at the musicians was tiring. He always ended working to keep his eyes open.
Lady Jenner’s evening took the torture another step further. They were not to hear from professionals, but rather a slew of young ladies who would demonstrate their musical talent. Such as it was.
Last year, Miss Raynard played the pianoforte for so long that her father finally walked forward and tapped her on the shoulder. Lady Rose’s hands shook to such a degree that there had been just as many wrong notes as right.
At the conclusion of each performance, it was necessary to applaud as if one had just heard from a famous proficient. After every hopeful lady had finally gone her turn, compliments of the most overblown sort were handed all round.
Nevertheless, he would attend. For one, Lady Jenner had known him long and would notice his absence. For another, he suspected that Lady Alice would attend to showcase her talent.
From everything he’d heard of the lady, it felt a duty to get to know her. As she had been described—quiet, thoughtful, and measured—she fit the description of precisely what he looked for in a wife. Not at all like Lady Patience, who stared him down and made direct, and probably mocking, comments.
Of course, he could not deny that Lady Patience was lovely to look at. As well, there had been something moving in her description of her family life. There had been an ease and warmth to it. Her father, she said, was the best of men.
It was endlessly intriguing to Marcus that there were people who enjoyed spending time in their family home with doting parents. He could not quite imagine how it would be.
As he and Radler dismounted their horses and handed them over to a groom, Radler said, “Did you bring your looking-for-a-particular-sort-of-wife checklist in your coat pocket?”
“Very funny.”
“Say Stanford, in the interest of efficiency, why don’t you make up a form of inquiry and then you can hand out a copy to any lady you encounter. Gather all the facts, as it were.”
“Still not funny,” Marcus said. He was beginning to feel as if he were the only man in London who wished to proceed carefully before committing himself in marriage forevermore.
“I only say,” Radler pressed on, “you are looking at this from every angle but the right one. In the end, your heart will not be denied. The heart is never defeated in such matters. The heart rules all.”
“Thank you for the sage advice, Mr. Shakespeare,” Marcus said drily.
They entered Lady Jenner’s great hall and the lady herself beamed at them. She was a tall and broad matron with a fondness for damask. She had such a fondness for that heavy material that at times she appeared a walking pair of curtains. Nobody would hold it against her though, she was a very genial personality.
“Ah,” Lady Jenner said, “two of my favorite bachelors have not let me down.”
Marcus bowed. “I look forward to the invitation each year, Lady Jenner.”
Lady Jenner laughed and smacked his arm with her fan. “Nicely said, and I do not believe a word of it. Now, in compensation for your kind attendance, I believe you will find an excellent claret waiting for you on the sideboard.”
Marcus nodded, as indeed it would be one of the highlights of the evening. Lady Jenner always made certain that her audience was well-watered to withstand the performances to come.
They made their way into the music room. It had been set up with narrow rectangular tables each having four chairs lined on one side. This was another of Lady Jenner’s clever arrangements. One could take what was wished for from the sideboard and have a place to set it down. And, there was quite a lot someone might wish for—baskets of grapes, rolls, herbed butter, cold meats, pickled vegetables, baked chickens quartered, pastries, cakes, bottles of ale, a tea and coffee service, and dozens of wine bottles all scrupulously labeled with bottle tickets.
“Ah, there is Lady Alice,” Radler said. “Grab your list of questions of suitability and let us make our way over.”
“I do not have a list,” Marcus said. “I merely intend to proceed in a rational and cautious manner. You would do well to do the same.”
“I would if I could,” Radler said. “But my heart will rule me. I will be as Romeo pining after Juliet. Once I find my Juliet, obviously.”
Marcus snorted derisively. “Have a care you don’t both end up dead then, Romeo.”
And then he saw her, Lady Patience. She looked positively glorious in a dark blue silk dress with an elegant cut, done in a restrained hand. Her only adornment was a string of pearls round her slim neck.
