Page 46 of A Match Made On Duchess Square

He shook his head. “You are Lady Gwendolyn’s companion. It is important that our house party guests perceive you as her proper chaperone.”

“Yes, for my reputation,” Gwendolyn remarked with obvious disdain. “I detest all these rules set out for us. Even the very lords and ladies considered pillars of Society break them. Yet they are among the loudest when condemning others. The true crime is in getting caught, I suppose.”

“This is what comes of marrying for alliances rather than for love,” James said, crossing his arms over his chest as he studied Gwendolyn. “Well, we shall see if I find love at our house party.”

Agatha snorted. “I’ve heard all about the naughty goings-on at these parties. Lots of bed hopping. I’ll be keeping careful watch over you, Lady Gwendolyn. No bounder will get his itchy hands on you while I am around to guard you.”

“Thank you, Agatha,” Gwendolyn said with a soft laugh. “I have heard wild stories, too. But I know Lord Milbury will protect me from those bounders.”

Agatha cast him a look that revealed she considered him most dangerous of all.

Which he was. He would not deny that he ached to bed Gwendolyn, but that desire was coupled with an equal desire to marry her.

“How about you leave the rest of the unpacking to Agatha while I take you on a tour of the house?” he said.

“Oh, yes.”

He held out his arm to her and they descended the stairs together, for he meant to start by showing her the formal rooms of the house where most of the entertaining took place.

It felt nice having her by his side.

They started with his formal parlor, which she would probably find too dark for her tastes because of the abundance of wood paneling along the walls, even though the paneling was an exquisite cherry that spoke of wealth and power.

Well, this was what his decorator had mentioned when giving him the hefty bill for it.

The windows were tall, stretching almost from floor to ceiling, and allowed in a lot of natural light to offset the dark effect of the wood. So, why put the wood in if it had to be countered with tall windows? His decorator had grown indignant when asked, so James had let the matter drop, since he liked the décor and this was about providing a home for him and his boys.

“James,” Gwendolyn said, sounding tentative, “I’d like to ask you a rude question.”

“Go ahead,” he said with a chuckle.

She took a deep breath and blushed. “Will you be bedding any of your bride prospects?”

The question took him by surprise, although he ought to have expected it, since he often complained about these ladies brazenly tossing themselves at him. “No, Gwen, it would set a terrible example for my sons. And what sort of message would it send to these four hopefuls if I bedded a different one every night? Well, perhaps they would not care.”

“I would care if I were one of them, and I am sure they would, too.”

“Shall we wager on it?”

She sighed. “Must you always be so cynical?”

“Yes, I must. There is no other way to protect myself from those who seek to take advantage of me. Why do you find it so hard to believe these ladies are only interested in me because of my wealth and title?”

“But you have so much more to offer!”

He shrugged. “You are one of the few who believe it is important to know the heart of the man I am. You’ve taken the time to know me and have shown endless patience with my sons.”

“It isn’t a chore. They are delightful. So are you, despite your tendency to trust no one, and you grumble a lot.”

“See? You know me very well,” he said, leading her into the dining room, which was large enough to easily accommodate thirty guests. “This is why you are my goalpost. The lady who manages to get beyond you in my estimation will be the one I will marry.”

“So you’ve said before. But you’ve set that goalpost too far in the distance. They’ll never exceed it in the short span of one week. Don’t judge them too harshly,” she insisted, now studying the dining room. “They may feel compelled to make improper advances because they know of no other way to gain your notice in so short a time.”

“They could just talk to me.”

“You are a very intelligent man and they may feel daunted by you.”

“You don’t.”