been likely to be bosom friends."
"It is a wonder that we have not yet gotten into a hair-pulling fight," Irene said with a wry smile, a little surprised to find herself talking to Francesca about her problems. Irene would never have thought that she would particularly like Francesca, but she was finding her very easy to talk to.
Francesca laughed. "Well, perhaps you
should
think of getting married, then. It would get you away from Maura. You would be the mistress of your own house."
"No, I would be the mistress of my husband's house, with nothing of my own and under a man's entire control. 'Tis far easier to put up with Lady Maura's barbs and petty attempts to run my life. At least at Humphrey's house I have a brother who defends me, at least sometimes, from his wife's edicts. And I am not legally under her thumb. With a husband, one is entirely at his mercy."
Francesca cast her a startled look, but said only, "There are those who are loved and cherished by their husbands."
"It is always a gamble, though, is it not?" Irene shot back.
Francesca shrugged. "Most women want to find husbands. They are quite happy with the married state."
"I must point out that you have not remarried, though it has been several years since your husband died," Irene told her shrewdly.
Francesca blinked in surprise, but recovered quickly. "Perhaps I felt I could not again find such love as I had with Andrew."
Irene grimaced. "Forgive me, but I was acquainted with Lord Haughston. He was one of my father's boon companions. I am well aware of how he spent his time, for I know how my father spent his."
Francesca replied levelly, "It would be false to say that you are wrong. However, my position as a widow is much less uncomfortable than yours as a dependent in-law. It is far easier for me to avoid marriage. Anyway, I am not a good example to use." She turned her head away, gazing out across the street, as she went on. "I married foolishly. I am sure you would not make the same sort of choice I did."
"I am sorry," Irene said, feeling a flash of regret for her blunt words. "I should not have spoken so about your husband. My tongue often gets the better of me. As you know, I have a reputation for it. I did not mean to hurt you."
"Nay, do not worry about it." Francesca smiled at her. "There is no harm in telling
me
the truth ... although I would not advise you do so with others in the general course of things. Most people, I believe, would take your candor amiss."
Irene smiled back, and they drove on in silence for a moment. Then she said, "After you introduced me to Lord Radbourne last night, he informed me that he was searching for a wife and was willing to consider me as a candidate."
"I see." Francesca raised her eyebrows fractionally. "The earl is not, I think, known for his subtlety."
"Indeed. I informed him that I was not interested in marrying, and I would have thought that would be an end to it. But then you came to the house to invite me out for a ride, and here we are, once again talking about marriage. Am I to believe it is a coincidence?"
Francesca gazed back at her for a long moment, then gave a little shrug. "Lord Radbourne's great-aunt is Lady Odelia Pencully, and she asked for my help. You are right in saying that I seem to have acquired a certain reputation for—" she gestured vaguely, her expression amused "—for making matches. The earl's family is eager to find him a wife. You know, I am sure, of the tragedy of his past. They feel that the proper spouse would facilitate his taking his rightful place in the
ton."
"And they thought that I would be the proper spouse?" Irene asked in disbelief. "What makes me a good candidate for that position? Do they think that because I am a spinster, I must be desperate enough to wed any man, even one I hardly know?"
"There is no need to wed without coming to know him first," Francesca pointed out mildly.
At the spark that flared in Irene's golden eyes, Francesca held up her hands
"It is a wonder that we have not yet gotten into a hair-pulling fight," Irene said with a wry smile, a little surprised to find herself talking to Francesca about her problems. Irene would never have thought that she would particularly like Francesca, but she was finding her very easy to talk to.
Francesca laughed. "Well, perhaps you
should
think of getting married, then. It would get you away from Maura. You would be the mistress of your own house."
"No, I would be the mistress of my husband's house, with nothing of my own and under a man's entire control. 'Tis far easier to put up with Lady Maura's barbs and petty attempts to run my life. At least at Humphrey's house I have a brother who defends me, at least sometimes, from his wife's edicts. And I am not legally under her thumb. With a husband, one is entirely at his mercy."
Francesca cast her a startled look, but said only, "There are those who are loved and cherished by their husbands."
"It is always a gamble, though, is it not?" Irene shot back.
Francesca shrugged. "Most women want to find husbands. They are quite happy with the married state."
"I must point out that you have not remarried, though it has been several years since your husband died," Irene told her shrewdly.
Francesca blinked in surprise, but recovered quickly. "Perhaps I felt I could not again find such love as I had with Andrew."
Irene grimaced. "Forgive me, but I was acquainted with Lord Haughston. He was one of my father's boon companions. I am well aware of how he spent his time, for I know how my father spent his."
Francesca replied levelly, "It would be false to say that you are wrong. However, my position as a widow is much less uncomfortable than yours as a dependent in-law. It is far easier for me to avoid marriage. Anyway, I am not a good example to use." She turned her head away, gazing out across the street, as she went on. "I married foolishly. I am sure you would not make the same sort of choice I did."
"I am sorry," Irene said, feeling a flash of regret for her blunt words. "I should not have spoken so about your husband. My tongue often gets the better of me. As you know, I have a reputation for it. I did not mean to hurt you."
"Nay, do not worry about it." Francesca smiled at her. "There is no harm in telling
me
the truth ... although I would not advise you do so with others in the general course of things. Most people, I believe, would take your candor amiss."
Irene smiled back, and they drove on in silence for a moment. Then she said, "After you introduced me to Lord Radbourne last night, he informed me that he was searching for a wife and was willing to consider me as a candidate."
"I see." Francesca raised her eyebrows fractionally. "The earl is not, I think, known for his subtlety."
"Indeed. I informed him that I was not interested in marrying, and I would have thought that would be an end to it. But then you came to the house to invite me out for a ride, and here we are, once again talking about marriage. Am I to believe it is a coincidence?"
Francesca gazed back at her for a long moment, then gave a little shrug. "Lord Radbourne's great-aunt is Lady Odelia Pencully, and she asked for my help. You are right in saying that I seem to have acquired a certain reputation for—" she gestured vaguely, her expression amused "—for making matches. The earl's family is eager to find him a wife. You know, I am sure, of the tragedy of his past. They feel that the proper spouse would facilitate his taking his rightful place in the
ton."
"And they thought that I would be the proper spouse?" Irene asked in disbelief. "What makes me a good candidate for that position? Do they think that because I am a spinster, I must be desperate enough to wed any man, even one I hardly know?"
"There is no need to wed without coming to know him first," Francesca pointed out mildly.
At the spark that flared in Irene's golden eyes, Francesca held up her hands
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