Page 36 of A Match Made On Duchess Square

Once the meal was over, Agatha and the boys retired to their respective chambers while Gwendolyn and Milbury lingered over a bottle of Madeira port.

Milbury noticed her staring at her glass, which glistened a deep ruby red by candlelight. “Should I have ordered tea for you?”

“No, I would have said something if I preferred it.” She held up her glass in a toast. “Here’s to new adventures, and to blazes with my usual routine.”

He chuckled as he raised his glass. “Bravo, Gwen.”

She shook her head. “Oh, no cheers for me. I haven’t done anything out of the ordinary yet, except for having this after-dinner Madeira instead of my usual cup of tea, and that is hardly worth noting.”

She knew the port ought to be savored and slowly sipped. But she ignored common sense and drank it down faster than was wise. Sipping and savoring were not adventurous at all, and she was determined to do at least one adventurous thing each day.

Milbury arched an eyebrow, but reserved comment.

When she held out her glass to be refilled, both of his eyebrows shot up.

Still, he obliged her. “Dare I say that day one of our journey was a success?”

Gwendolyn smiled. “Yes, I think it is safe to declare it so. But what are we to do if it rains tomorrow?”

He shrugged. “Pray that my sons sleep most of the day. Otherwise, it will be chaos in our carriage.”

“I’ll see what I can do about keeping them occupied,” Gwendolyn said, thinking back to what she might have enjoyed when she was younger.

“You have a gentle way with them.” Milbury took a sip of his port as he turned thoughtful. “They respond so well to you.”

She took a healthy sip of her own glass now that he had refilled it. “You would have managed them quite well without me here.”

“No, you are making a difference for them…and for me.”

Gwendolyn sighed. Was he now thinking of her as a potential match for himself?

She blamed it on their kiss.

This needed to be nipped in the bud.

“Milbury, I must ask you a personal question.”

He grinned. “Must you? And the name is James. I wish you would call me that when we are alone.”

“But this is to my point.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “We have become quite comfortable with each other.”

He nodded again. “I agree.”

“Too comfortable, and this is not a good thing.”

He took another sip of his port, and then set his glass down while frowning. “Why not?”

Gwendolyn took another deep breath. “Because I am not one of your love interests. I am merely your hired matchmaker.”

“Merely? Gwendolyn, you are no ‘mere’ anything. Who else would have been so generous with her time and looked after my interests with your diligence? You also refused to accept a fee. This is not the mark of a hired underling but that of a good and true friend, a person of genuinely commendable character. How can I not admire you and consider you one of the finest ladies of my acquaintance?”

“Yes, well. Um…thank you. But what I am trying to say is that I believe you are too quick in dismissing your bride prospects because you feel too much at ease with me.”

“I would not continue to retain your services if I did not respect and trust you,” he said, once again frowning.

Why was he so stubbornly refusing to see her point?

“What is wrong with my finding you likeable and trustworthy?” he insisted. “How is this bad?”