“She’s the unattainable spinster, Seth. Her very existence is a challenge to me,” Allan observed. “I pride myself on my ability to charm ladies, you know that. I should be able to win her over, and if I can’t do that, I’m not as charming as I think I am.”
“I see. So this is a test you’ve set yourself.”
“Does that bother you?”
“She’s my wife’s sister. I don’t know that I like the idea of you using her in one of your games.”
“She may be your wife’s sister, but she’s built her reputation on her ability to resist the charms of gentlemen,” Allan pointed out. “In a way, she’s set herself up for this challenge.”
“I suppose there’s some truth to that.” Seth sighed. “You know, your grandmother wishes very ardently that you would simply go ahead and marry.”
“I know she does.” Allan had had that conversation with his grandmother numerous times. “She wants an heir to the dukedom.”
“She wants your happiness, I think.”
“Well, perhaps that as well.”
“I think you wish to marry too,” Seth said.
“Perhaps I do. But I won’t have a marriage to the first lady who comes along.”
“The first lady who came along wasyearsago. You’ve turned your nose up at more ladies than most of us will ever meet.”
“You’re exaggerating. Anyway, what’s important to me is to find the perfect duchess. She must be captivating and engaging and light up every room she enters.”
“You don’t think Lady Edwina could be the one?”
“Perhaps she could if that was what she desired, but she has no interest in the responsibilities of being a duchess. I know my duty to my title. Lady Edwina is widely known for ignoring her duties, so she could never be my perfect duchess. No, rest assured, the only thing I’m interested in when it comes to her is proving that not even the unattainable spinster is able to withstand my charms. Once that is proven, I’ll be known asthe most irresistible gentleman in in all of London. Ladies will clamor to win my attention.”
“You are arrogant.”
“I’m merely interested in finding the duchess I’m looking for. That’s why I need to prove myself in this way, Seth. I need to be sure that whoever she is, wherever she may be, she sees the way I’m capable of treating a lady. People will wish they were in Lady Edwina’s shoes, and once our five dates are at an end, they will have their chance.
“I don’t think you ought to be wasting your time with a lady you have no intent to marry,” Seth said. “Leave Lady Edwina alone. That’s my advice to you.”
“I didn’t ask you for any advice,” Allan pointed out. “Besides, I paid handsomely for my five dates, and I intend to get them. I should have what I paid for.”
“You should focus on fulfilling your duty as you yourself said. If it’s a perfect duchess you’re looking for, then find yourself one. You know perfectly well that Lady Edwina is not the person you’re looking for. And I don’t know why you feel any need to prove how charming you are. Ladies already vie for your attention. You’re already one of the most desired gentlemen among the ton. What difference will this make?”
“It will set me apart,” Allan said. “No one wins her favor. I will be the first to do so.”
“I just can’t see why it would be so important to you. Do you doubt your own ability? Is that it? You have something to prove to yourself?”
“I want no ladies in any doubt when it comes to the fact that I can win them over. I want them to line up to experience it.”
“And you don’t mind that this is all happening at Lady Edwina’s expense?”
“You’re not thinking about it the right way. She’s the unattainable spinster. She doesn’t want to marry. Everybody knows that. Even when I have charmed her, made her fall for me, she still won’t want to marry. And besides, it will work to her advantage in the end. Just as ladies will rush to experience my charms, seeing Lady Edwina finally be won over by a gentleman will give the rest of London hope that they might have a chance. It will increase her prospects in the end.”
“You want to break her heart!”
“But it isn’t going to matter, Seth. Don’t you see that? Her heartbreak will be temporary because she doesn’t want to be married anyway. There’s nothing so horrible I can do to her. At the worst, she’ll be sad for a while, and then she’ll remember that she never wanted a marriage to begin with, and she’ll move on. And at the best, she’ll discover that she does like being romanced after all, and she’ll accept it from one of the many other gentlemen who are sure to come her way.”
Seth shook his head. “I don’t know if you’ve thought this all the way through,” he said.
“Trust me! I’ll take her for a few nice dates and show her a good time. She already knows that I’m not going to propose when it’s all over and done with. She’s a clever lady, and she’s under no illusions about what’s going on here. She knows I purchased the right to these dates at an auction. She knows we’re only doing this because it was paid for.”
“Which is another thing I find odd,” Seth admitted. “It’s not the sort of thing I would have expected Lavinia to do—arranging an auction like that for the right to a date with her sister. She’s always been so protective over Lady Edwina. It’s stunning that she would make a move like this.”
