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Jennette looked away, knowing she couldn’t keep the guilt from sweeping over her face. Since marrying Matthew was out of the question, assisting him might be the only way to help her forgive herself.
A few hours later, Elizabeth and Jennette sat in the salon of Miss Susan Whitmore, waiting for the younger woman to join them. Nervous energy filled Jennette as the time dragged. She tapped her foot on the floor, keeping time with the clock.
“What is the matter?” Elizabeth asked. “You’re as jumpy as a toad.”
“You haven’t told me how we will get them together.”
Elizabeth waved a hand at her. “At the literary salon. It won’t be a large gathering so we shall introduce them and hopefully they will sit next to each other.”
“But what if she doesn’t agree?”
“Then we will find someone else. Why are you so concerned?”
Jennette looked away from her friend’s prying eyes. “I feel rather sorry for him.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “Why would you feel anything save contempt for the man?”
“What happened that day was a complete accident.”
Before Elizabeth could meddle any further, Mrs. Whitmore sailed into the room with Susan following directly behind her.
“Lady Elizabeth, I’m honored to have you here.” Mrs. Whitmore glanced over at Jennette and smiled tightly. “Good afternoon, Lady Jennette.”
Damn. She hadn’t counted on Mrs. Whitmore to be with them. Elizabeth flashed Jennette a cautious look.
Mrs. Whitmore and her daughter sat together on the sofa. Susan graciously poured tea into delicate china cups, then handed them to everyone. At twenty-one, Susan had a refined beauty. How was it that she had not married yet? She’d been out for three Seasons and was quite well-liked.
“Susan, we came on a delicate matter,” Elizabeth, the more decorous of them, spoke first.
“Oh?” both Susan and her mother said and then looked at each other.
“It’s nothing dreadful.”
Both Susan and her mother sighed and leaned back in the sofa. Jennett
e watched every move they made while Elizabeth talked. Susan’s hands trembled as she lifted her teacup to her mouth. Perhaps she was shy and that was the reason for her lack of a husband.
“I know a man whose reputation isn’t the best but he would like an introduction,” Elizabeth said. “He is an earl and looking for a wife. Preferably, one with an excellent reputation.”
Susan’s eyes grew large as she glanced over at her mother. Her mother patted her daughter’s hand.
“Exactly whom are we discussing?” Mrs. Whitmore asked before taking a bite of her biscuit.
“Lord Blackburn.”
The silence in the room almost made Jennette laugh. It wasn’t as if they were trying to introduce Susan to the devil. The Whitmores exchanged odd looks as if having a private conversation without words.
Finally, Mrs. Whitmore smiled and said, “I think my daughter would be most pleased to be introduced to such a fine gentleman.”
Jennette almost dropped her teacup. What the bloody hell was going on? No one had that reaction to him. Even Elizabeth sent her a curious look.
“Very well,” Elizabeth said, still looking puzzled. “I will be hosting a literary salon Thursday evening. He will be in attendance.”
“Then so shall we,” Mrs. Whitmore replied with a very satisfied look on her face.
A sudden chill crossed Jennette’s arm, raising gooseflesh. She had the singular feeling that this meeting was a very bad idea.
“Come along, Jennette,” Elizabeth said as she stood.
