A Suitable Match by Davis Jayne

Author:Davis, Jayne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Verbena Books
Published: 2020-05-05T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

“So, is Miss Roper the most beautiful woman you’ve seen?” Lord Carterton asked, as the dishes were removed and Hobson set the port decanter on the table.

Rather taken aback by this direct approach, Nick wasn’t sure what to say. It was her calm demeanour and pleasant manners that had drawn him to her, not her features, attractive though they were.

“I see she is not,” his father said. “That is promising.”

Nick set his glass down. Was his father’s mind beginning to wander? “How so?”

“A match based mainly on physical attraction is unlikely to be a happy one.”

“I’m not about to offer for her, Father. A week or so isn’t long enough to make such a decision.”

“It can be. It only took me a couple of meetings to decide that Catherine was right for me, and I never regretted that, even though we had no children.”

Nick found it difficult to imagine his father as a young man, courting his first bride. “What about…?” Should he ask? It mattered to him that his own mother had also been a good choice. “How long did you take to decide on Mama?”

“A little longer,” his father admitted, “but that was an excellent decision, too. She was so much younger than me, I wanted to be sure. Now, tell me more about Miss Roper.”

“She would make a good wife. She wouldn’t cause scandals or gossip, or outspend her allowance, I think. And she’s punctual.”

“Good heavens, boy, you sound as if you’re appointing a secretary!”

“You wanted me to marry and get an heir, Father.” He had expected his father to be glad he was getting on with the business of choosing a wife, not to criticise the woman he was considering.

“I want you to be happy, Nick, not simply to choose someone who can tell the time! If you’re going to do that, I can interview some candidates for you and inform you which you should accept.”

Father looked serious, but Nick caught the twinkle in his eyes. “Point taken,” he said, with a smile.

“Joking aside, my boy, if your feelings for the woman are so tepid, do not offer for her. I want you to make a suitable match, but that means one in which you can be happy. Lady Isabella sounds a much more interesting woman.”

She was attractive, certainly, but he shook his head. “Too impulsive, Father.”

“Hmm. Well, I am not so desperate for an heir I would see you rush into something that is not right for you.”

Nick took a mouthful of port. He was relieved that his father wasn’t pressing him to make a decision, but he did have to marry at some time. Miss Roper was the only potential wife he had met so far who seemed to meet his requirements in any way. She would organise his household well without bothering him, and leave him plenty of time for his own pursuits.

“I recall Somerton—you won’t remember him, Nick. Chose a wife because she was sensible, but…”

Nick listened to his father’s rambling story, relieved that tonight’s interrogation seemed to be over.

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