The door opened, and she was soon guided into the drawing room. Her footsteps came to a stop when she saw three ladies. One was at a desk with a parchment and quill in hand. The duchess was sitting on the settee, and the third lady sat in a chair close to the duchess.

  “Duchess,” the butler began, gesturing to Regan, “Lady Cantrell has arrived.”

  “I’m sorry,” Regan told the pregnant duchess who rose from her settee. “I must have gotten the time wrong.”

  “No, your timing is perfect,” the duchess assured her, waving her into the room. “These are my friends. They help me arrange marriages.”

  “Oh.” Since that was the case, Regan stepped forward.

  “What kind of tea do you like?” the duchess asked.

  “Um, do you have white tea?”

  “I do. Will crumpets be all right to eat?”

  Regan nodded, and the butler left the room. She removed her hat, surprised when one of the duchess’ friends gasped. Did one of her pins come undone? She touched her hair, assured everything was in place.

  “Forgive me,” the one in the blue dress said as she came over to her. “Your hair is the loveliest shade of blonde I’ve ever seen.”

  Since that was the case, Regan felt better. While she didn’t put a high standard on looking perfect whenever she went somewhere, she felt it was important to make a favorable impression on the duchess. “Thank you,” Regan replied and smiled.

  “I’m Lady Toplyn,” the lady introduced, “but you can call me Melissa.” She gestured to the other lady at the desk. “This is Lady Reddington.”

  “I also go by Chloe, if you’re so inclined,” the lady interjected.

  “The informalities are my fault,” the duchess spoke up, motioning for Regan to sit on the settee next to her. “Ever since I met them, I insisted we address each other by our Christian names. It’s become a habit.”

  “I don’t mind,” Regan said as she sat down, placing the hat beside her. “My name is Regan.”

  “And I’m Helena,” the duchess replied with a smile that set Regan completely at ease.

  Perhaps this was a sign that things would work out for the best.

  “Of course, when we’re in public, we are more formal,” Melissa told Regan. “We promise not to embarrass you in front of anyone.”

  Regan chuckled. If they only knew her secret, they would be the ones who were embarrassed.

  The butler came in with the tea and crumpets, and Helena waited until everyone had a cup before turning her attention to Regan. “I should explain how we do things,” Helena began. “We want to arrange a marriage for you with a gentleman who will be a best fit for you, so we have quite a few questions to ask. It’ll take an hour to ask them all. I hope you don’t mind, but we want to be thorough.”

  “I don’t mind,” Regan replied. “However, before we begin, I was wondering if Mr. Jasper is seeking your services.”

  “Mr. Jasper?” Melissa asked.

  Regan nodded. “He said he is already engaged. In fact, he recommended I come here.”

  “Dark brown hair, clean shaven, often wears dark clothing, and has gray-blue eyes? Six feet tall?” Melissa pressed.

  “Yes. That’s him.”

  “Why, he’s my brother!”

  “Is he?”

  “Yes. He suggested you come here to find a husband?”

  “He did. He said you,” she looked at Helena, “found him a lady to marry. Is it true? Is he engaged?”

  Helena took a sip of her tea then put the cup back on her saucer. “I’m not at liberty to disclose the details. I do everything I can to keep my clients’ information private. But I can say that he is one of my clients.”

  “You know him?” Melissa asked.

  Turning back to Melissa, Regan said, “Not well. I talked to him at a ball.”

  “You did?”

  For some reason, Melissa found this piece of information much more interesting than Regan believed it to be. Many people talked to each at the balls. “It was only for one dance.”

  “Mind if I ask what you talked about?”

  “Not much, really. It was only a few minutes.” Since Melissa seemed disappointed in her answer, she decided to reveal more. “To be honest, I danced with him because he looked so bored he was going to fall asleep right there on the dance floor.”

  Melissa giggled and handed her a crumpet. “That’s Malcolm alright. He’d much rather spend time with ledgers than ladies.”

  Malcolm? So that was his Christian name. It suited him quite well. Malcolm sounded like a strong, solid name. She took the crumpet from Melissa and bit into it. If Malcolm was Melissa’s brother, then it stood to reason he talked to her about things that happened to him during a day…or during the course of an evening at a ball.

  Swallowing the food in her mouth, Regan asked, “Did he mention me?”

  “Not by name, but I gathered you were the most exciting thing that happened to him that evening.”

  It was on the tip of Regan’s tongue to ask whether that excitement had been a good or bad thing, but she already knew the answer. For him, it’d been bad. That being the case, if they were still looking for a bride for him, there was no way these ladies would pair her up with him. What a shame. The last flicker of hope fizzled out.

  Well, it didn’t mean she couldn’t still get married, and they just might find someone who would be a good match for her. She set down the unfinished crumpet and wiped her fingers on the napkin in front of her.

  “He did suggest I come here for your guidance,” she glanced at Chloe and Helena, “and since I’ve heard good things about your service, I see no reason not to take his recommendation.”

  “Do you fancy him?” Melissa asked, surprising her.

  “I didn’t have the same experience he did,” she replied, choosing her words carefully. This was his sister she was talking to after all. No doubt, he’d given Melissa a poor impression of her. The best she could hope for was that Melissa wouldn’t think ill of her. “I admit I was bold in my actions at Lord Roderick’s ball. When I took Malcolm by the hand and led him to the dance floor, I assure you, I meant no harm.”

  “Oh, I know. He tends to be much too serious for his own good.”

  Regan relaxed. Good. Maybe his sister hadn’t taken an instant dislike to her after all. She smiled. “I thought he was charming in a shy sort of way.”

  “Yes, he can be.”

  Sensing the topic of Melissa’s brother was at an end, Regan turned to Helena. “I have a four-year-old son, and he is my primary consideration in finding a husband. I need someone who would willingly welcome the child. I understand children are to be seen and not heard, but I would prefer a gentleman who likes spending time with them, too. I also want someone sweet and thoughtful. I don’t want the rakish sort. They’re too busy thinking they know everything about pleasing a lady to listen to my instructions. The bedroom is a very important matter to me. I’ve had the fortune of enjoying a good love life with my first husband and wish the same with the second.”

  “There aren’t as many rakes in London as you fear,” Helena assured her. “And most gentlemen have no trouble marrying a widow with a son, especially if she comes with money. Are you wealthy?”

  “Yes. My husband was good in that regard.”

  “It sounds like he was good in a lot of regards,” Chloe, who’d been silent up to now, spoke up. “You are fortunate that way.”

  “Yes,” Regan acknowledged, “I was, and I still am. Leonard is a wonderful reminder of him.”

  “Are you ready to marry again?” Helena asked. “In your heart, I mean.”

  Regan nodded as she took a sip of her tea. “It’s been three years since his death. I’m ready, but I want to make sure I do what’s best for my son. If it turns out there are no suitable gentlemen, then I would rather you tell me than arrange a marriage with someone who doesn’t like children.”

  Helena rubbed her large belly and smiled. “I understand. I think it’s a mother’s natural instinct to want the best for her child, even if she has to sacrifice what she wants for it.”

  “But there’s no reason why you need to sacrifice a husband in this situation,” Melissa said. “I have the perfect gentleman in mind for you.”

  “Melissa,” Helena began, “we all need to choose him. It can’t be just you who does it.”

  “A mere formality,” Melissa whispered to Regan. “But I know he’ll be the one.”

  “He’s good with children?” Regan asked.

  “Oh, yes. I know this for a fact.”

  Helena let out an exasperated sigh. “Even if you think you know someone is the right one for her, we need to learn more about Regan in order to make sure she’s a good fit for him.”

  “I already know she is,” Melissa replied.

  “Let Chloe and I make that determination first,” Helena said.

  “Unfortunately, I have to do it Helena’s way,” Melissa told Regan as she picked up a crumpet. Glancing at Chloe, she added, “Go ahead and ask her questions.”

  Chloe picked up the quill. “Regan, what are your interests?”

  Getting comfortable, Regan set her mind to answering all the questions they had for her.

  ***

  “The Duchess of Ashbourne wishes to have a word with you,” Malcolm’s butler said the next day.

  Malcolm looked up from his ledger. The duchess already picked out a lady for him to marry? He rose from his chair and shut the ledger. “Show her into the drawing room and bring her whatever she wants.”

  “Yes, Mr. Jasper,” the butler said then left the room.

  Malcolm straightened his cravat, surprised his pulse had sped up. He was about to find out who the future Mrs. Malcolm Jasper was going to be. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he told himself all he was going to do was find out who he was to marry. He wasn’t actually going to marry her today…or meet her. Unless the duchess brought her over to introduce them. No, the butler didn’t mention two ladies. He’d only mentioned one.

  His pulse slowing down, he left the den. It wouldn’t do to look too excited. When he reached the drawing room, he was the perfect image of calm. Though the tea had been placed on the table in front of the settee, the duchess hadn’t bothered to touch it. In fact, she hadn’t bothered to sit down.

  Surprised by her serious expression, his steps slowed. Maybe this was bad news. Maybe she couldn’t find anyone for him. If that was the case, this wasn’t going to go at all like he’d expected. While he could have the satisfaction of telling his father marriage was a useless point, the sting of regret told him he would have preferred to marry after all.

  The duchess offered a polite smile. “Good afternoon, Mr. Jasper. I hope you don’t mind I came so late in the day.”

  “No, I don’t mind, Duchess.” He gestured to the tea. “You didn’t need to wait for me to come in before drinking. I assure you I only get the best tea.”

  “I have no doubt your tea is delicious, but I try to watch how much I drink when I leave the house. I really shouldn’t even be out considering my delicate condition.” She rubbed her belly. “Did you not receive my missive requesting you come to my townhouse?”

  “I did, but my sister said all you wanted was to hand me some questions.”

  “Yes. These questions are very important. Your sister, Lady Reddington, and I want to make sure we get the very best match for you. I would feel better doing that if you came by to answer our questions. If you would rather fill them out here and send them to me, I put them on your desk.”

  His gaze went to the desk she motioned to, and he shook his head. “My sister knows me better than anyone. She can answer those for me.”

  “While I appreciate your faith in your sister, I advise you to reconsider. We don’t often know people as well as we think we do.”

  He waved aside her warning. “That may be true for most people, but Melissa and I are different. We have a strong bond. Ever since she was born, I took her under my wing and protected her. We agree on everything.” At least everything but Logan. “Believe me, Duchess, she will answer those questions in the same manner I would.”

  “I urge you to reconsider.”

  “There’s no need.” He collected the papers and held them out to her. “I trust Melissa implicitly to do what’s best for me.” When she looked as if she was going to protest again, he added, “I have a dinner party at Lord Steinbeck’s this evening. Tomorrow, I am going to meet with a businessman who stands to make me a good profit in my investments. I’m an important gentleman. I don’t have time to fill this out. That’s why I told Melissa to do it for me.”

  After a moment, she closed her mouth and took them. “As you wish, Mr. Jasper.”

  Satisfied, he smiled and wished her a pleasant day before seeing her out.

  Chapter Four

  Regan arrived at her mother-in-law’s townhouse and knocked on the door. She’d given herself permission to go to the seamstress’ after her appointment with Helena, so she could get started on her wedding gown. There had been an inner debate for a good five minutes over whether or not she should get a special gown, and in the end, hope won out.

  She’d decided from here on out, she would expect the best. This would work out. Helena, Melissa, and Chloe would find her a husband who had a good heart and would treat her son well. So it was with a light heart she followed the butler into the drawing room where her mother-in-law, Eloise, was reading a book to Leonard who was snuggled up with her in a chair.

  Eloise glanced up at her. “How did things go with the duchess this afternoon?”

  “I think it went well,” she said as she went over to kiss her son on the head. “Do you like the story Grandmother’s reading to you?”

  Leonard nodded but wiggled off the chair. “Can we go to the park?”

  “I promised him I’d take him to the park if he was good,” Regan explained to Eloise.

  “Well, he was.” Eloise glanced at Leonard and added, “You were a perfect gentleman.”

  “Good. Then we will go to the park. But first, I want to talk to your grandmother, so why don’t you have a tart? We’ll go soon.” She sat in the chair next to Eloise and asked, “Would you like to join us?”

  “Not today, thank you.” She closed the book and placed it on the table while Leonard picked up a tart and bit into it. “Did the duchess pick someone for you?”

  “Not yet, though it seems one of the ladies who works with her said she had someone in mind.”

  “Sounds intriguing!”

  “It does. Lady Toplyn said he fit everything I was looking for. The most important thing being that he has a tender heart for children. Do you know anything about Lady Toplyn?”

  “I’m afraid I don’t. I haven’t engaged in the social scene since my son needed a wife. I wanted to make sure he got a good one.” She shot her a smile and patted her hand. “And he most certainly did.”

  Tears filled Regan’s eyes as she placed her other hand over Eloise’s. “I was very blessed to be married to him. You know that, don’t you?”

  “Of course, I do. You needn’t worry about me. I never expected you to spend the rest of your life alone.”

  “I’m not alone. I have you, Leonard, and Danette.”

  “Yes, but a lady as young as you shouldn’t have to go without love. Family and friends are important. Your son is important. But it’s also important to have a good gentleman who can fill in the hole Frederick left when he passed away.”

  “It’s no wonder I adore you so much. You’ve always been good to me.”

  “And you’ve been good to me. Leonard is a great comfort after losing my son. It’s nice to know his legacy will live on.”

  “Are you sure you won’t come with us to the park?”

  “I better not. I’m not as young as I used to be, and though this afternoon’s reading hasn’t exhausted Leonard, it’s exhausted me. I’m going to lie down and rest.”

  “All right.” Regan turned to her son and wiped his hands and mouth clean. “You will be coming to my townhouse tomorrow for dinner?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

  “Good because Leonard’s been working on his tracing, and he wants to do your profile.”

  Eyes twinkling, she glanced at Leonard who was grinning at her. “In that case, I’ll come in my best hairstyle.”

  Patting his shoulder, Regan stood up. “He loves to draw. I think he might have a future in it.”

  “I draw good,” he said.

  “Yes, you do,” Regan told him. “And tomorrow, you can show your grandmother how much you’ve improved.”

  “I look forward to seeing it,” Eloise said, nodding at Leonard.

  After saying good-bye, Regan took Leonard by the hand and led him outside. The day was a pleasant one. It was cloudy enough to cool things off. It was actually the kind of day she’d love to take off her hat, let her hair down, and enjoy the feel of letting her hair blow free in the breeze. But she couldn’t do it, of course, not with all of London watching.

  In the country, she could, but she often grew bored in the country with so little to do. She came to London as soon as the weather permitted and stayed until all the interesting things to do were over for the Season.

  There were drawbacks to everything, she supposed. Except having children. She glanced down at her son and squeezed his hand affectionately.

  When she looked up, she caught sight of Mr. Jasper coming out of a carriage. A part of her knew she shouldn’t go up to him, but another part couldn’t resist the thrill of talking to him again. What was it about him that intrigued her so much? On the surface, he seemed like any other gentleman, but she sensed something beneath his prim exterior that promised to be very exciting. The question was, just how could a lady break through his wall?

  Since he was talking to the footman, he didn’t see her coming, and that gave her the advantage of being able to come right up to him. She stopped and gestured for Leonard to be quiet.