fact that any lady would refuse him.â
Lenore swallowed a snort. At sixteen, Amelia had dutifully acceded to her parentsâ wishes and married a man forty years her senior. Widowed at the age of twenty-three, left with a respectable jointure and no protector, she was ripe game for the wolves of the ton . Determined not to be pressured into another loveless union, Amelia spent her days endeavouring to avoid a union of less respectable state. The gentlemen of the ton , however, had yet to accept the fact that the widowed Lady Wallace felt in no pressing need of male protection.
Fleeing London and the importunings of Lord Rothesay, Amelia had come first to her relatives in Berkshire. âIâm sure a few months will be sufficient to cool Rothesayâs ardour. I had planned to go to stay with Aunt Mary but she wonât be back in Bath before the end of the month.â Amelia scanned the crowd, swelling as the gentlemen strolled in, forsaking their port for feminine company.
âAs Jack said, youâre always welcome here.â When Amelia continued to consider the gentlemen as they strolled through the door, Lenore asked, âThere is none here who has caused you any bother, is there?â
âNo.â Amelia shook her head. âI was just checking for any potential problems.â Linking arms with Lenore, she smiled up at her. âDonât fret. Iâm sure Iâll manage to survive Jack and Harryâs crowd. They all seem to be well-heeled enough not to need my money and well-mannered enough to accept a dismissal. I must say, though, that Iâm surprised to see Eversleigh here.â
âOh?â Conscious of a sharp stab of curiosity, Lenore strolled beside Amelia. âWhy so?â
âI had heard,â Amelia said, lowering her voice conspiratorially, âthat heâs decided to marry. Iâd have thought heâd be playing host to a collection of the fairest debs and their doting mamas at Eversleigh Abbey, rather than enjoying the delights of one of your brothersâ little gatherings.â
Aware of a sunken sinking feeling, Lenore resisted the compulsion to turn and look for Eversleigh in the crowd. âI hadnât considered him the marrying sort, somehow.â
âExactly so! The story is that he had no intention of succumbing. His brother was to keep the line going. But heâthe brother, I meanâwas killed at Waterloo. So now Eversleigh must make the ultimate sacrifice.â
Lenoreâs lips twitched. âI wonder if he considers it in that light?â
âUndoubtedly,â Amelia averred. âHeâs a rake, isnât he? Anyway, from everything Iâve heard and seen, itâs the poor soul he takes to wife who deserves our pity. Eversleighâs a handsome devil and can be utterly charming when the mood takes him. It would be hard work to remain aloof from all that masculine appeal. Unfortunately, His Grace is reputed to be impervious to the softer emotions, one of the old school in that regard. I canât see him falling a victim to Cupid and reforming. His poor wife will probably end in thrall and have her heart broken.â
Brows rising, Lenore considered Ameliaâs prediction. âCharmingâ was not the word she would have chosen to describe Eversleigh; the power he wielded was far stronger than mere charm. Suppressing an odd shiver, she decided that, all in all, Amelia was right. The future Lady Eversleigh was to be sincerely pitied.
Leaving her cousin with Lady Henslaw, Lenore paused by the side of the room. Under pretext of straightening the upstanding collar of her chemisette, she glanced about, eventually locating Eversleigh conversing with her father, ensconced in his chair by the fireplace. The sight brought a frown to Lenoreâs eyes. Listening to her fatherâs reminiscences seemed an unlikely joy for a man of Eversleighâs tastes. Still, she was hardly an expert on what a