of her difficult brother-in-law, she decided, thinking of the anger and hurt she'd seen in Joss's sage-colored eyes. Perhaps, like Joss, all that Mr. Fitzsimmons required was knowing someone cared. And she did care, she realized with something akin to surprise. She found she cared very much.
Matty spent the rest of the afternoon brooding over her confrontation with the marquess. Looking at it rationally, she supposed she could understand his objections to her scheme, although she still felt he was being unforgivably stubborn. Any fool could see he needed a bride, and she thought it most unfair that the estate should suffer because of his arrogant pride. There had to be some way she could force him to see reason, she thought, drumming her fingers on her desk. But how?
She was still stewing over the possibilities when Lady Louisa came into her study, dressed in a simple gown of gray crepe trimmed with black ribbons. "Good afternoon, Stone," she said, bestowing a sweet smile on Matty. "I thought I would find you here. Still hard at work, I see."
Matty, who hadn't accomplished even half the tasks she'd set for herself, blushed guiltily. "I am almost finished, my lady," she said, not quite able to meet her employer's eye. "Was there something you wished?"
"Only to see how your search for the bride is progressing," she replied, settling her skirts about her as she took her seat. "Have you narrowed the prospects to a manageable number, or shall we be inviting half the
ton
to call upon us?"
Matty's flush deepened. "Actually, I am afraid there is a slight problem," she said, feeling like the worst traitor alive.
"A problem?" The marchioness's brows gathered in a delicate frown.
"Yes," Matty admitted, fighting the urge to crawl under her desk. "Lord Kirkswood learned of my plans, and he has adamantly refused to have any part of them. In fact, he ordered me to drop the matter altogether."
"But that is impossible!" Lady Kirkswood cried, clearly distressed. "How could he have learned of our scheme?"
"Because I told him," Matty admitted, hanging her head in shame as she related the afternoon's events. She glanced up when she was finished, and to her dismay she saw the marchioness holding a handkerchief to tear-filled eyes.
"Then you mean we can not invite even a single guest?" she asked, her voice quavering with unhappiness. "But — but I was so looking forward to having company again."
The sight of tears on Lady Louisa's face filled Matty with protective fury. Cursing his lordship for his selfish nature, she rushed around her desk to soothe her employer as best she could. "Of course you may have company," she said fiercely, slipping a comforting arm about her shoulders. "You are the marchioness of Kirkswood, and you are free to ask whomever you please to call uponyou."
"But you just said Joss forbade you to invite anyone," Lady Louisa sniffed, dabbing her eyes with the crumpled handkerchief. "I don't wish there to be harsh feelings between the two of you, and if this is going to cause any unpleasantness it might be best if we let the matter drop. If I am so desperate for company I suppose I could always go to London — with Joss's permission, of course," she added with a brave smile.
"I don't see what that tyrant has to do with anything," Matty grumbled, her mind working fast as she reviewed her conversation with the marquess. She looked at it from every angle, weighing each word carefully, and then a slow, crafty smile stole across her face. "Actually," she said thoughtfully, "he only said I wasn't to arrange his marriage for him. He didn't say a single word about not inviting any guests. In fact, when I first proposed the matter to him he seemed quite enthusiastic."
Lady Louisa lowered her handkerchief. "But would that be ethical?" she asked doubtfully. "You said he made you promise you wouldn't play matchmaker."
"He all but made me take a blood oath!" Matty bristled as she recalled the arrogant way he had extracted her
Matty spent the rest of the afternoon brooding over her confrontation with the marquess. Looking at it rationally, she supposed she could understand his objections to her scheme, although she still felt he was being unforgivably stubborn. Any fool could see he needed a bride, and she thought it most unfair that the estate should suffer because of his arrogant pride. There had to be some way she could force him to see reason, she thought, drumming her fingers on her desk. But how?
She was still stewing over the possibilities when Lady Louisa came into her study, dressed in a simple gown of gray crepe trimmed with black ribbons. "Good afternoon, Stone," she said, bestowing a sweet smile on Matty. "I thought I would find you here. Still hard at work, I see."
Matty, who hadn't accomplished even half the tasks she'd set for herself, blushed guiltily. "I am almost finished, my lady," she said, not quite able to meet her employer's eye. "Was there something you wished?"
"Only to see how your search for the bride is progressing," she replied, settling her skirts about her as she took her seat. "Have you narrowed the prospects to a manageable number, or shall we be inviting half the
ton
to call upon us?"
Matty's flush deepened. "Actually, I am afraid there is a slight problem," she said, feeling like the worst traitor alive.
"A problem?" The marchioness's brows gathered in a delicate frown.
"Yes," Matty admitted, fighting the urge to crawl under her desk. "Lord Kirkswood learned of my plans, and he has adamantly refused to have any part of them. In fact, he ordered me to drop the matter altogether."
"But that is impossible!" Lady Kirkswood cried, clearly distressed. "How could he have learned of our scheme?"
"Because I told him," Matty admitted, hanging her head in shame as she related the afternoon's events. She glanced up when she was finished, and to her dismay she saw the marchioness holding a handkerchief to tear-filled eyes.
"Then you mean we can not invite even a single guest?" she asked, her voice quavering with unhappiness. "But — but I was so looking forward to having company again."
The sight of tears on Lady Louisa's face filled Matty with protective fury. Cursing his lordship for his selfish nature, she rushed around her desk to soothe her employer as best she could. "Of course you may have company," she said fiercely, slipping a comforting arm about her shoulders. "You are the marchioness of Kirkswood, and you are free to ask whomever you please to call uponyou."
"But you just said Joss forbade you to invite anyone," Lady Louisa sniffed, dabbing her eyes with the crumpled handkerchief. "I don't wish there to be harsh feelings between the two of you, and if this is going to cause any unpleasantness it might be best if we let the matter drop. If I am so desperate for company I suppose I could always go to London — with Joss's permission, of course," she added with a brave smile.
"I don't see what that tyrant has to do with anything," Matty grumbled, her mind working fast as she reviewed her conversation with the marquess. She looked at it from every angle, weighing each word carefully, and then a slow, crafty smile stole across her face. "Actually," she said thoughtfully, "he only said I wasn't to arrange his marriage for him. He didn't say a single word about not inviting any guests. In fact, when I first proposed the matter to him he seemed quite enthusiastic."
Lady Louisa lowered her handkerchief. "But would that be ethical?" she asked doubtfully. "You said he made you promise you wouldn't play matchmaker."
"He all but made me take a blood oath!" Matty bristled as she recalled the arrogant way he had extracted her
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