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"Neither of you has sufficient knowledge to assess etable," he told theested with a twinkle

Roberta laughed and changed the subject But itit had been since any woreeted him with Eleanor’s profound lack of interest In truth, it had been years since he encountered indifference

He did not have pretentions when it caly, to put it bluntly But his title was beautiful, and the shine of his gold even more attractive, and the combination had delivered to him woman after wo him on the arm with her fan The lazy, sweet tone of her voice put her in the interested category, though in this case it was not for his gold or his title Louise was h her husband was incapacitated "I have been told that you are looking for a wife"

"I never cease to be ast the ton," Villiers said, by way of reply

"I’ives me time to rehearse my condolences once you find an appropriate lady," his former fiancée said with a s surprised," Louise put in "After Roberta threw you over, I thought you would never succumb to the parson’s mousetrap"

"Villiers is a man," Roberta said to her friend "By definition he is in need of someone to look after him" She turned back to hi no one below a duke’s daughter Should I be coiven my lowly birth?"

"I just had a conversation with Lady Eleanor, the Duke of Montague’s daughter," he ad to Kent later this week"

"Lady Eleanor would be an admirable choice But Lady Lisette…" Louise’s tone cooled Apparently, she didn’t care for Gilner’s daughter

"And I intend to retrieve two ofthem back to be reared under my own roof" He knew he shouldn’t enjoy Louise’s dropped jaw quite as much as he did But there it was: he had learned to enjoy the petty pleasures of astonishing the ton

"Good for you!" Roberta said, without turning an eyelash Since she was raising her husband’s illegiti business with…business while in Kent While I a your own children, Villiers, I’ You are as deliberate as Damon when he surveys orous logic?"

"You were an impulse And a lovely one"

She liked that "I haven’t met Lady Lisette Of course, I’ve heard--" She broke off

Louise shook open her fan so it hid herLady Lisette’s witlessness are exaggerated After all, so many people in London fall under that description"

A finely nuanced stateht Guaranteed to make the point that the lady’s mental state had been called into question "Is that why she hasn’t been presented at court?" he asked with some interest "As far as I know, she’s never been presented, nor yet appeared in London at all"

"Not everyone wishes to meet the queen," Roberta said "And certainly there are many who consider occasions of this nature to be a waste of ti Lisette would be a waste of his time He wanted a ould wield sufficient social clout to introduce his illegiti a woman who hadn’t bothered even to introduce herself to society could hardly fit the bill, especially if she were deranged

Roberta’s husband, the Earl of Gryffyn, strolled up and gave Villiers an insouciant grin "Ah,partner"