Oliver said in an aside to Jonathon.
Jonathon nodded.
“—and there is every possibility their somedays shall occur before mine—”
Jonathon raised a curious brow. “Do they all look like her?”
“Not in the least,” Oliver said. “They all have dark hair, dark eyes and they’re shorter than she is. But all three are lovely. They should have no problem finding husbands. I daresay they’ll be snatched up in their first season.”
“Not if they don’t have acceptable dowries!” Fiona glared at the men. Were they really this dim? Did they not understand the prospects of a good marriage for a penniless girl were bleak? “I need to find a means to come up with the money for—”
“There is another option. Why didn’t I think of it before?” Jonathon smacked the palm of his hand against his forehead. “Wecould find you a husband.” He turned to Oliver. “You said it yourself. Freddy Hartshorne would marry her in a minute.”
Oliver cast Fiona a wary glance. “I’m not sure that—”
“Oh, it’s a splendid idea. Brilliant, really.” Excitement rang in Jonathon’s voice. “And Hartshorne’s not the only possibility. Let me think. There’s Kensington and McWilliams and”—he grinned—“maybe even Warton and Cavendish. That would serve them right.”
Oliver shook his head. “I don’t think—”
“God knows if she wants an Effington, I have a dozen cousins I’d be willing to name who would—”
“Absolutely not.” Fiona clenched her fists by her side. “I will not be peddled like yesterday’s fish!”
“But you’re not yesterday’s fish, Fiona.” Jonathon paused. “May I still call you Fiona? We were, after all, more or less engaged.”
“And you might be again if you’re not very careful,” Oliver warned quietly. She gritted her teeth. “By all means.Jonathon .”
“You’re a wonderful catch, Fiona, not at all like fish, yesterday’s or otherwise. You listed your qualities for me the other night.” He counted them off on his fingers. “You can run a household in seven different languages and you travel efficiently.” He frowned. “Or something along those lines. At any rate, you might well be perfect.”
She stared at him. “What about stubborn? Opinionated? Challenging?”
“That’s what makes you perfect for him,” Oliver murmured.
Jonathon waved off her comment. “We needn’t mention those.”
“Needn’t mention those? Where? In the sales brochure? In the advertisement?” Surely he wasn’t serious? Perhaps he was simply mad? What he looked at the moment was disgustingly eager. As if this were indeed a brilliant idea. Without warning the absurdity of it all struck and she burst into laughter. Jonathon grinned and nudged Oliver. “See, she likes the idea.”
“Or her mind has snapped under the strain.” Oliver studied her. “Are you—”
“Daft? I don’t know.” She sniffed and tried to catch her breath. “It’s just all so ridiculous.”
Jonathon pulled a handkerchief from his waistcoat pocket and handed it to her. “Much of life is ridiculous, really. It simply depends how one looks at it. I have a sister who is about to marry the man who once broke her heart because he thought he was doing the right thing. Quite silly when you think about it.”
“Why?” She dabbed at her eyes with the handkerchief. “If he was doing what he thought was right?”
He shrugged. “It just seems to me that when you stumble upon the person who is truly the love of your life you should let nothing stand in your way.”
Her gaze locked with his and for a long moment they stared at one another.
“He does have a point,” Oliver said, and the moment was shattered. “At least this way you would have an opportunity to select your own husband, which you did say you wished to do—”
“I am not going to ask another man I have just met to marry me.” She shook her head firmly. “It was difficult enough, as well as humiliating, to do so once. It
Jonathon nodded.
“—and there is every possibility their somedays shall occur before mine—”
Jonathon raised a curious brow. “Do they all look like her?”
“Not in the least,” Oliver said. “They all have dark hair, dark eyes and they’re shorter than she is. But all three are lovely. They should have no problem finding husbands. I daresay they’ll be snatched up in their first season.”
“Not if they don’t have acceptable dowries!” Fiona glared at the men. Were they really this dim? Did they not understand the prospects of a good marriage for a penniless girl were bleak? “I need to find a means to come up with the money for—”
“There is another option. Why didn’t I think of it before?” Jonathon smacked the palm of his hand against his forehead. “Wecould find you a husband.” He turned to Oliver. “You said it yourself. Freddy Hartshorne would marry her in a minute.”
Oliver cast Fiona a wary glance. “I’m not sure that—”
“Oh, it’s a splendid idea. Brilliant, really.” Excitement rang in Jonathon’s voice. “And Hartshorne’s not the only possibility. Let me think. There’s Kensington and McWilliams and”—he grinned—“maybe even Warton and Cavendish. That would serve them right.”
Oliver shook his head. “I don’t think—”
“God knows if she wants an Effington, I have a dozen cousins I’d be willing to name who would—”
“Absolutely not.” Fiona clenched her fists by her side. “I will not be peddled like yesterday’s fish!”
“But you’re not yesterday’s fish, Fiona.” Jonathon paused. “May I still call you Fiona? We were, after all, more or less engaged.”
“And you might be again if you’re not very careful,” Oliver warned quietly. She gritted her teeth. “By all means.Jonathon .”
“You’re a wonderful catch, Fiona, not at all like fish, yesterday’s or otherwise. You listed your qualities for me the other night.” He counted them off on his fingers. “You can run a household in seven different languages and you travel efficiently.” He frowned. “Or something along those lines. At any rate, you might well be perfect.”
She stared at him. “What about stubborn? Opinionated? Challenging?”
“That’s what makes you perfect for him,” Oliver murmured.
Jonathon waved off her comment. “We needn’t mention those.”
“Needn’t mention those? Where? In the sales brochure? In the advertisement?” Surely he wasn’t serious? Perhaps he was simply mad? What he looked at the moment was disgustingly eager. As if this were indeed a brilliant idea. Without warning the absurdity of it all struck and she burst into laughter. Jonathon grinned and nudged Oliver. “See, she likes the idea.”
“Or her mind has snapped under the strain.” Oliver studied her. “Are you—”
“Daft? I don’t know.” She sniffed and tried to catch her breath. “It’s just all so ridiculous.”
Jonathon pulled a handkerchief from his waistcoat pocket and handed it to her. “Much of life is ridiculous, really. It simply depends how one looks at it. I have a sister who is about to marry the man who once broke her heart because he thought he was doing the right thing. Quite silly when you think about it.”
“Why?” She dabbed at her eyes with the handkerchief. “If he was doing what he thought was right?”
He shrugged. “It just seems to me that when you stumble upon the person who is truly the love of your life you should let nothing stand in your way.”
Her gaze locked with his and for a long moment they stared at one another.
“He does have a point,” Oliver said, and the moment was shattered. “At least this way you would have an opportunity to select your own husband, which you did say you wished to do—”
“I am not going to ask another man I have just met to marry me.” She shook her head firmly. “It was difficult enough, as well as humiliating, to do so once. It
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