An Improper Proposal (The Distinguished Rogues Book 6) by Heather Boyd

your home?” Esme asked, and conversation soon turned to the practicalities of combining the substantial contents of two avid collectors under one roof. It seemed a certainty that the decisions would not be made swiftly, although Somerset was anxious to protect Lady James from the society thief as soon as possible.
    Through it all, Lady Ames was silent. She met Iris’s stare with a raised eyebrow.
    Iris gained her feet and approached the lady. “Is everything all right?”
    Lady Ames smiled wryly. “As you get older, hope can seem like a thing of the past.”
    She glanced at the happy couple, holding hands with eyes only for each other. “It is clear he loves her.”
    “Love is all well and good.” She sipped her champagne and grimaced. “It is the rest of the relationship that matters so very much more.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    Lady Ames cupped her cheek. “And I hope you never shall. Women like me, and Esme to some extent, go on with our lives never daring to believe that such happiness belongs to all. The lucky few like Lady James gain their heart’s desire to marry for love and we are happy for them. But I don’t believe I shall ever be as lucky to fall in love a second time.”
    Lord Ames had died long before they had met but Iris did not believe Lady Ames referred to her late husband. By all accounts, the marriage had not been a happy one. “Has your heart been lost again?”
    A fleeting smile crossed the countess’s lips. “Long ago, to the first man I ever made love to, actually. Take my advice and never fall into love, Miss Hedley, if you can help it.”
    The pleasant mask Lady Ames wore slipped away, revealing a woman ravaged by grief. The expression was fleeting, but so clear Iris caught her breath. “It is a painful and messy business with no end but heartbreak in sight,” Lady Ames continued before she moved away, back to congratulate the soon-to-be-married couple and lend her opinion on the necessity of haste in the matter of moving.
    Iris was left reeling. She had always admired Lady Ames and had never suspected some bounder had broken the woman’s heart. If a woman such as Lady Ames had failed to find love a second time, what hope did Iris have of achieving such a feat when the odds were stacked against her?

Eight

    Martin eased the door open a crack and shook his head firmly. Inside the small parlor, Mrs. Hughes heaved a sigh and smiled at the woman sitting with her back to the door. The other woman, Mrs. Battle, continued to babble about her past experience without pause and never even noticed the tide had turned against her. He would not hire that woman to look after his daughter. No one should ever talk so much in one sitting.
    Eventually, Mrs. Hughes got rid of Mrs. Battle and poured herself a cup of tea. “If you refuse every woman the employment agency sends, you’ll be looking after the girl yourself soon,” she complained.
    Martin emerged from the adjoining room. “I do not want to have my ears assaulted endlessly like that on my every visit. They are still ringing.”
    “Just remember you are not marrying the next housekeeper. She doesn’t have to be exactly what you prefer in a woman.” Mrs. Hughes smiled wryly. “But as for that woman in particular, I really can’t blame you for saying no this time. If you had not refused her yourself, I certainly would not have pushed you to employ her.”
    From the next room, the babe began to cry and he rushed toward the sound eagerly. The little girl was about ready to explode, by the look on her face, so he quickly scooped her up and rested her head against his shoulder. He rocked her back and forward and patted her bum as Mrs. Hughes had shown him and received a quiet belch as his reward. He smiled down at the girl’s face. “Is that better?”
    “It doesn’t hurt her to cry, my lord. You will spoil her and ruin her temperament if you do not make her wait even a little bit for your attention,” Mrs. Hughes chided him as