Walter’s brows drew together. “I didn’t realize you dined with E.J. last night, and am now feeling sufficiently slighted because you refused to dine with me.”
“It wouldn’t have been productive for you to dine with your matchmaker.”
“And that train of thought didn’t apply to E.J. as well?”
“Not when I didn’t have the slightest idea what E.J. was searching for in a potential spouse except that he was interested in securing a match complete with affection.”
She waved a hand toward where E.J. and Frances were now wandering arm in arm through the graveyard. “I’m now of the belief that matchmaking as a profession has far more worth than I once thought.”
Walter stopped walking, turning his back on the white church sporting a classic steeple that rose in stark relief against the storm clouds gathering in the sky. “I can’t argue with you about the merits of a good matchmaker since you’ve managed to convince most ladies to maintain their distance from me—except for the young ladies who were apparently focused on E.J. and didn’t bother to find out I now come with rules. With that said, though, I’m more than bewildered over how you managed to set up the Boettcher-Bottleworth merger so quickly.”
Her lips quirked. “Their surnames alone suggest they belong together. I mean, Boettcher and Bottleworth? That’s just too precious for words.”
“If you’re going down that route, I’m surprised you haven’t suggested I pay more attention to Suzette Tilden because Townsend and Tilden have the same alliteration.”
She tapped a gloved finger against her chin. “You know, I never thought about that.”
“And you’re not going to consider it now,” Walter countered. “After the enlightening conversation I had with Suzette last night, I’m convinced we wouldn’t suit.”
Gwendolyn frowned. “What conversation?”
“Did you not notice Suzette managed to position herself on the other side of me at dinner?”
“I was somewhat preoccupied with my conversation with E.J.”
“A preoccupation that evidently left you oblivious to my plight during a meal that consisted of eleven courses.”
“There’s no need to get snippy, Walter. I’m sure you’re capable of maneuvering your way through a dinner without my assistance. Besides, my engaging dinner conversation with E.J. yielded impressive results, as can be witnessed by the happy couple strolling around the churchyard this morning.”
Walter pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m still confused how you concluded you might have a love match between those two. What information could I have possibly disclosed that had you realizing that?”
“You told me Frances enjoyed bird watching. You also mentioned she’d recently purchased a bicycle and adores tooling around Newport on it to search for birds she’s not had an opportunity to discover yet.” She smiled. “E.J., with no prodding from me, told me his favorite pastime is bird watching, followed by a recent love of bicycling. Clearly, the two of them share more than a few common interests. All that was left for me to do was suggest they enjoy a dance together and mention how lovely it was to learn they shared a passion for birds.”
“That was all it took for them to become smitten with each other?”
“There’s no explaining true love. But do know, if you’d mentioned you enjoyed bird watching, I would have suggested you take Frances for a second turn around the floor.”
“I don’t have anything against birds, I merely don’t like to trudge around looking for them.”
“Which means you should have no issue with my not pushing Miss Bottleworth in your direction, unless, of course, you have a great love for bicycling.”
“I’ve never been on a bicycle in my life.”
“Then I’m sure you’re now going to extend your best wishes to E.J. and Frances since, clearly, you don’t have much in common with that lady.” She tilted her head. “With that now settled, allow us to return to Suzette Tilden. It was surprisingly bold of her to have joined you and Elizabeth without an invitation.”
“She didn’t force her way into my company, if that’s what you’re thinking. She and her dinner partner, Mr. Thurman Chandler, merely sat down at the table Elizabeth and I were seated at, although I believe Suzette deliberately sought me out.”
“I don’t believe I’ve been introduced to a Thurman Chandler.”
“He only just returned from a business trip, hence the reason he missed the Astor ball. His family is heavily invested with the East Indies Company, and truth be told, now that he’s in Newport, there’s every chancehe’llbecome thecatch of the Season.”
Gwendolyn glanced at the small watch attached to the cuff of her sleeve, took Walter’s arm, and hauled him into the cemetery and over to a stone bench. She took a seat, dug her notepad out of her reticule, flipped it open, retrieved a pencil from her bag, and arched a brow at Walter, who was looking more than bewildered as he sat down beside her. “Why might this Thurman Chandler become the catch of the Season?”
“You dragged me over here to ask me questions about Thurman?”
“Of course, but because the service is to start in less than thirty minutes, tell me the most important thing I need to know about him—which is why he could dethrone you astheeligible bachelor of the summer.”
Walter shrugged. “Thurman possesses an impressive fortune and the ladies consider him to be quite a, well, dish. But why is any of that of interest to you?”
