Christian did a double take. “She’s looking for someone titled?”
“No. It’s just that Meg, much like the ladies Lucy has introduced you to, is already helplessly, hopelessly, in love with another man.”
“Ah.” Christian shook his head sadly. “A story I’ve heard all too often. Who is the lucky man?”
“Thatis a story for another time,” Lady Sarah replied. “For now, let’s get back to your predicament.” She took another tentative sip, the grimace on her face less noticeable this time at the lack of cream and sugar.
“By all means,” Christian replied, raising his cup in the air in salute.
Sarah smoothed her skirts with her free hand. “Let’s begin with the obvious. Pardon my forwardness, but I assume you are eligible?”
“Eligible?” Christian nearly choked on his tea. He drew his brows together.
“Yes. You know. Not already married? Have a steady income? That sort of thing.”
He laughed and settled back into his chair again. “No. I’m not already married.”
“No heavy debts?” Lady Sarah drew an elegant finger around the rim of her teacup.
“None.”
“And your income?” she prodded.
“Steady enough.” Why was the smell of lilies slowly driving him mad? The woman was helping him find a wife, for Hades’s sake. He shouldn’t be fantasizing about kissing her rose-red lips.
“No madness in the family?” she ventured.
Christian scratched the back of his ear. “None of which I am aware.”
“No scandal that’s marred your reputation?”
“Ironic,youaskingmethat.”
She pushed her nose in the air, but she smiled. “We’re talking about you now, not me.”
“Fine, no scandals,” Christian said. He still couldn’t shake the image of what it would be like to kiss her.
“No former wives dead under unusual circumstances?” she asked.
This time his head snapped up to face her. “Good God, no.”
She laughed. “I didn’t think so, but I felt it necessary to ask. Anything else to declare that might make a lady in any way reticent to accept your suit?”
Christian quirked a brow. “Other than the stutter and the fact that my home is far from London?”
She contemplated that for a moment. “Scotland isn’t so bad.”
Christian didn’t correct her. She obviously believed this was his only home. He didn’t know why he hadn’t told her the truth yet. “Some young ladies don’t like the idea of being so far from the amusements of London, and…”
“And?”
“I’m not overly fond of town, so my lady might well find herself living in the north for a good part of the year.”
“I don’t see why that would be so bad. London can be tedious after a bit.”
“You may not see why, but I assure you, some do. Lavinia Hobbs said I was the least eligible man in London because of it.” She’d actually said he was the least eligiblelordin London, but that was neither here nor there at the moment.
Sarah wrinkled up her nose. “Lavinia Hobbs is a shrew. How she has such a dear of a sister, I’ll never know.”
