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“Nicholas!” Elizabeth cried and then came running into his arms. “I have missed you so much these past few months.”
The rest of the occupants of the room all murmured his name and said some endearing remark. But the only one he heard was Jennette. She smiled at him as she sat next to her husband, Lord Blackburn.
“It’s so good to see you again, Nicholas,” Jennette said with a genuine smile.
“And you, Jennette.”
“Sit down, Ancroft,” Selby said, pointing at a chair far too close to Jennette’s seat.
Instead, Nicholas moved to the chair closer to Somerton. “Evening, Somerton.”
“Nicholas,” Somerton replied. “How was your trip?”
“Yes, Nicholas,” Elizabeth said. “Tell us all about your trip. Was Florence as beautiful as everyone says?”
Nicholas told them all about his trip to Florence. The museums that he saw, the operas he attended and the churches he visited.
“And Venice?” Victoria added. “I have always wanted to see Venice.”
“And so you shall, my dear,” Somerton said, leaning closer to his bride.
Victoria blushed as she smiled back at her husband. It warmed Nicholas’s heart to see them so happy. He doubted he would ever have a love like any of the people in the room. His father’s patience had run out with regards to marriage. Nicholas knew he had to start searching for a wife.
“Venice was lovely,” Nicholas finally responded. “It is a beautiful city with the water surrounding you. A bit warmer than London in winter. Though people say, the city can become very odorous during the warmer months.”
He noticed the women all glancing at each other with a strange look of confusion on their faces.
Finally, Jennette spoke up, “It seems rather odd that one of the most beautiful cities in the world gets described more by its weather than its splendor.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing at all,” Jennette murmured with a shake of her head.
A footman entered the room and announced dinner. Thankfully, there were no name cards so Nicholas chose to sit near Somerton and Victoria. Nicholas felt far more comfortable with the married couple than the woman who only considered him a friend.
“Nicholas,” Jennette said before sipping her lemonade. “I heard a rumor that you planned to seek the assistance of Miss Reynard to find you a wife.”
Nicholas tensed and slid a glance to Somerton who only shrugged. “Perhaps. I have not thought about it much since leaving town.”
“But now that you have returned, you really must see her,” Avis commented. “She is the best in London at finding people their perfect husband or wife.”
“I just haven’t decided if now is the right time,” he bit out, trying to constrain his growing frustration. The last thing he needed was his friends’ wives attempting to marry him off. That was his father’s job.
“Oh,” Elizabeth said with a smile. “She won’t match you unless the timing is exactly right. So there really is no reason not to pay a call on her.”
“I will think upon it, Elizabeth,” Nicholas said.
“Don’t be angry with us, Lord Ancroft,” Victoria finally said. “You are a dear friend and we want to see you happy, that is all this is about.”
Nicholas breathed in deeply. After meeting Sophia in Venice no other woman had crossed his mind. Not once. And the idea of visiting a matchmaker held no appeal. “I realize that. As I said, I will consider paying a call on Miss Reynard.”
Somerton and Selby started to chuckle while Blackburn and Kendal stared at the women in amazement.
As dinner finished, the men stayed behind to have a glass of brandy. The conversation went from staid politics to questions about the women in Italy.
“Are they as beautiful as everyone claims?” Selby asked with a laugh.
“I did not get much chance for such activities,” Nicholas responded.
