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Felicity’s frown darkened. “No. Lady Rose is too sweetforhim.”
“It is a wonder,” Peasemore drawled, “that I came to Lady Staveley for assistance instead of coming to you,Felicity.”
“She doesn’t know you as well as I do. A girl of Rose Ratcliffe’s nature would crumble beneath you. And your usual choice of opera singers would hardly appease the duke and duchess.” She shook her head once more. “You’d need someone somewhere in between. Someone with a backbone to stand up to you. And someone proper enough to be a duchesssomeday.”
“Most girls fall all over themselves at the thought of being a duchess,” Peasemore said. “I’m certain I can have my pick of whomeverI’dlike.”
“And most girls are idiots,” Juliet replied. Then she heaved a sigh of her own. “Honestly, my lord, you are talking to the wrong group of ladies to say something as silly as that. Four different young ladies, including your cousin Pamela, married our father because of his dukedom. And not one of them led a happy existence from that point until their deaths. I saw it with my own eyes. So did Felicity. And don’t even get me started on fortunehunters…”
“I have my own fortune,” Peasemore said. “Or I will,” he amended a moment later. “I’m not looking for an heiress. I’m just looking for a pleasant girl whowilldo.”
“If you are dead set on marriage,” Felicity began, “then you should be looking for love, Sebastian. Nothing else matters at the end oftheday.”
“She is right,” Juliet added. “Marriage is not always easy, but with a foundation of love, it canthrive.”
“Well, my dear Lord Peasemore,” Caroline said with a grin. “You may have only bargained for my assistance, but I do believe you now have all threeofus.”
“Cordie’s ball is tonight, isn’t it?” Julietasked.
The Clayworth ball was that very evening. Caroline nodded in response. “Shall we allattend?”
“I may even be able to drag Fin away from politicking thisevening.”
Chapter9
Well,Staveley House was certainly lively today, wasn’t it? A peel of laughter spilled out onto the front stoop as Simmons opened the door and greeted Marc with a nod ofhishead.
“Milord, do come in,” thebutlersaid.
Marc stepped inside the townhouse and handed his hat to the butler. “Is sheentertaining?”
Simmons nodded as he shut the door behind Marc. “Quite popular today. Lady Carraway, Lady Juliet, and Lord Peasemore are intherenow.”
Well, that was an odd trio. Not Felicity Carraway and Juliet Beckford. They were sisters. ButPeasemore? Just the man’s name made Marc scowl. “Jackass,” hemuttered.
“Beg your pardon?” Simmonsasked.
“Keep an eye on Peasemore. I don’t like thefellow.”
“Of course,” the butleragreed.
Marc heaved a sigh as he glanced down the corridor to make certain they wouldn’t be overheard. “That damn Blackaby tracked me down at Gentleman Jackson’syesterday.”
Simmons nodded. “I was afraid he might after Lady Staveleysummonedhim.”
The annoying gnat from Bow Street. Though he had given Marc an important piece of information. “Staveley’s journal is still missing, Iassume?”
“No one has found it yet,” the butler replied. “But her ladyship hasn’t mentioned it today either, though she hasbeenbusy.”
“I don’t imagine it will turn up,” Marc said. “Though I doubt the thief got what he wantedfromit.”
“Sir?” Simmonsfrowned.
“Staveley was odd, to be sure. But I doubt he’d decode something for the Home Office in his personal journal. If the deciphered code is here, it’ll be in the library somewhere. That was the man’s truedomain.”
“I willsearch—”
The sound of little slippered feet on the marble behind them stopped Simmon’s next words. And then the sound got evenfaster.
