Page 23 of A Match Made On Duchess Square

He took a sip of his tea. “None.”

“None?” She cast him such a perplexed look.

“Gwen, I am not good at this sort of thing. Relying on me to toss out names is impossible.”

“Then you wish to leave all the choices to me?”

“Yes, is it not wiser?”

She rolled her eyes and graced him with a surprisingly sincere smile. “You still believe this after yesterday?”

He nodded and smiled warmly in response. “Yes, more than ever.”

“More than ever?” She shook her head and sighed. “I was certain you would conclude I was deranged and wanted nothing more to do with me.”

He regarded her with much surprise. “You thought I would put an end to our matchmaking endeavors?”

“Yes.”

He gave a light snort. “I was convinced you would give up on me and do the same.”

Her eyes rounded. “So, we are to continue?”

“Full cavalry charge forward,” he said, taking a bite of his lemon cake.

“Excellent, then let’s get to work on this bride list. May I make a suggestion? We are both invited to Lady Fielding’s soiree this evening.”

“Everyone is invited, Gwen. It is going to be a crush.”

“Oh, you have such a look on your face. I know how much you hate these ton affairs. Well, it cannot be avoided. Lady Fielding is a charming hostess and everyone adores her parties. You’ll simply have to endure,” she teased. “Look for me once you arrive and we’ll take a walk around the room together. I’ve put together a list of seven names for you. It’s a good start, I think. I’m sure all these ladies will be in attendance. We’ll pare the choices down to four while there.”

“Or three.”

She rolled her eyes. “Four. Any fewer, and there will be too much attention put on you while you go about the business of choosing a wife.”

“Attention will be on me no matter what I do, whether I’m with one prospective bride or fifty.”

Gwendolyn ignored his comment. “I’ll ask Fiona to invite a few of the local bachelors in order to round out the house party and provide some distraction for the ladies.”

“As I dismiss them from contention,” he muttered.

She cast him a chiding frown. “You are forbidden to dismiss any of them before the house party week is up. Do you have any bachelor friends to recommend who might like to join us?”

“No. I’ve spent the last few years concentrating on my sons and doing my best to make Milbury Hill a happy home for them. I only acquired the place a few years ago, but it is one of the best decisions I have ever made. It gave me and the boys a fresh start that we desperately needed. We’ve made it our own.”

“I look forward to seeing it.”

“You’ll fall in love with it instantly, just as we did. We haven’t made very many friends there yet, but those we have made are true and trustworthy. Fiona and her husband, the Duke of Durham, for example. The Duke of Bromleigh and his wife, Cherish, for another. Unfortunately, they do not have children the same age as my boys. But that is something to work on over the summer, extending our circle of friends while we are there.”

“At least Jordan and Robert have each other.”

He chuckled. “Yes, and they are good friends and brothers for the most part. But to get back to your question, I do not mingle with a bachelor crowd. I think it is wisest to rely on Fiona when it comes to selecting eligible men to round out our party.”

“All right.” She took a sip of her tea, now seeming lost in her thoughts.

“What else, Gwen?”

She shook her head. “Nothing more at the moment.”