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"There isin her chair to find a more comfortable position Her hands rested on the ample curve of her belly "Father has made Swift into a substitute son, since none of our brothers turned out the way he wanted"

"The way he wanted?" Annabelle asked in puzzle toes, eliciting a gurgling chuckle from the infant

"Devoted to the company," Lillian clarified "Efficient and callous and unscrupulous Aelse in his life It’s a language they speak together, Father and Mr Swift Our brother Ransom has tried to make a place for hiainst Mr Swift"

"And Mr Swift alins," Daisy said "Poor Ranso," Lillian said

"But hat of Mr Swift’s own father?" Evie asked "Does he have no objection to his son beco someone else’s de facto son?"

"Well, that’s always been the odd part," Daisy replied "Mr Swift coland family They settled in Plymouth and some of them ended up in Boston by the early seventeen hundreds Swifts are known for their distinguished ancestry, but only a few of theed to retain their eneration to make it, the second to spend it, and the third is left with only the na about, the process takes ten generations instead of three--they’re so , dear," Lillian interrupted "Back to the point"

"Sorry" Daisy grinned briefly before resu-out between Mr Swift and his relations because he hardly ever speaks of them And he rarely travels to Massachusetts to visit So even if Mr Swift’s father does object to his son inserting himself into someone else’s family, ould never know about it"

The four women were quiet for a moment as they considered the situation

"We’ll find someone for Daisy," Evie said "Now that we are able to look beyond the peerage, it will be ood blood who do not h-happen to possess titles"

"Mr Hunt has many unmarried acquaintances," Annabelle said "He could make any number of introductions"

"I appreciate that," Daisy said, "but I don’t like the idea ofa professional man I could never be happy with a soulless industrialist" Pausing, she said apologetically, "No offense to Mr Hunt, of course"

Annabelle laughed "I wouldn’t characterize all professional men as soulless industrialists Mr Hunt can be quite sensitive and earded her dubiously, none of the, bold-featured husband as being sensitive in any way Mr Hunt was clever and char, but he seemed as i of a gnat

"We’ll take your word for that," Lillian said "Back to the matter at hand--Evie, will you ask Lord St Vincent if he knows of any suitable gentlemen for Daisy? Now that we’ve expanded our definition of ‘suitable,’ he ought to be able to find a decent specimen Heaven knows he possesses infors to rub together"

"I will ask him," Evie said decisively "I am certain we can come up with some presentable candidates"

As the owner of Jenner’s, the exclusive gao, Lord St Vincent was rapidly bringing the business to a height of success it had never reached before St Vincent ran the club in an exactingmeticulous files on the personal lives and financial balances of every one of its ered on thoughts of the club "I wonder…do you think Lord St Vincent could find out -lost Irish lord or soh the roonificant glances being exchanged between her sister and friends She was abruptly annoyed with the thehalf-gypsy with dark hair and bright hazel eyes They had only met once, when Rohan had stolen a kiss from her Three kisses, if one wished to be factual, and it had been by far the most erotic experience of her entire life Also the only erotic experience of her entire life

Rohan had kissed her as if she were a groo sensuality that had hinted of all the forbidden things kisses led to Daisy should have slapped his face Instead she had dreamed about those kisses at least a hundred thousand tiently, and Daisy shtly, as if she had made a joke

"Oh, of course he isn’t! But you kno e into every little mystery"

"We must remain focused on what is important, Daisy," Lillian said sternly "No fantasies or stories…and no hts of Rohan He’s only a distraction"

Daisy’s initial i reply as she always had when Lillian became bossy However, as she stared into her sister’s brown eyes, the saerbread color of her own, she saw the flicker of panic in theht," she said, forcing a s to do whatever it takes to stay here with you Even marry a man I don’t love"

Another silence, and then Evie spoke "We’ll find a man whorow in time" A wry little smile quirked her full lips "Soain you ered in Matthew’sto take Thomas Bowman aside at the first opportunity and ask hiuests that

Mattheondered if old Bowman had really taken it into his head to pair hih the years Matthew had entertainedDaisy Bowe That had always been so far out of the real So Matthew had never kissed her, had never danced with her or even walked with her, knowing full well the results would be disastrous

The secrets of his past haunted his present and endangered his future Mattheas never without the awareness that the identity he had created for himself could be blown to bits at any moment All it would take was for one person to put two and two together…one person to recognize him for what and who he really was Daisy deserved a husband as honest and whole, not one who had built his life on lies

But that didn’t stop Matthew fro her He had alanted Daisy, with an intensity that seemed to radiate from the pores of his skin She eet, kind, inventive, excessively reasonable yet absurdly ro eyes filled with dreams She had occasional moments of cluhts to focus on what she was doing She was often late to supper because she had gotten too involved in her reading She frequently lost thiaze The never-forgotten sight of Daisy leaning wistfully on a balcony railing one night, her pert profile lifted to the night sky, had charged Mattheith thedesire to stride over to her and kiss her senseless