Duchess' Next Husband by Terri Brisbin

Author:Terri Brisbin
Language: ron
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Chapter Thirteen

»TT

rlas the dowager told you of any others who seem interested in the chit's hand yet?"

Adrian sat down in the drawing room of his club and perused the morning edition of the Gazette, completely ignoring Parker's nagging. His friend had been seated next to Miss Stevenson at another supper party last evening and was beginning to feel the pressure. Parker did not want to admit in so many words that he found her company pleasurable or that he was not opposed to thinking about marriage. For a moment he followed Adrian's example and picked up a copy of the newspaper, but proved to have little patience this morning.

"Blast it, Windmere! My parents are making all the noises about her, too!" he exclaimed, tossing the paper aside.

"Feeling the parson's noose tightening, Parker?"

Adrian laughed. "It is about time for you to think about setting up a nursery, after all."

The words slipped out of his mouth—the usual and necessary reason for marriage—and he thought yet again about how much he wanted to fill his own nursery. Even if he was not here to see the child grow, at least it would fulfill one of the most important responsibilities to his family. Miranda showed no signs of increasing in spite the additional nights he spent in her bed. Though he'd been handling all the important matters of his life, it was still his one regret.

"Is there someone else you have a fancy for, Parker? Or is it just that Miss Stevenson does not fit what you're looking for in a wife?"

"More likely I fear the closeness to the dowager, Windmere. I cannot imagine going through life saddled with her as nearly my mother-by-marriage. I know she would not be the real thing. After all, Juliet's—pardon, Miss Stevenson's—own mother still lives. But the situation would be too close for comfort." Parker shuddered, much like Adrian did when he thought about his mother's interference.

"So, tell me what you hope for in a wife and perhaps I can be looking for one for you. We both have vouchers for next week, so we could begin hunting in earnest then." He was teasing Parker, but the man was so nervous over the topic that he did not realize the fact.

They paused as one of the servers brought over coffee and cakes, and then Parker stretched out his legs and nodded. "An excellent idea! First, I want a woman without pretensions, who doesn't put on airs."

"A woman of humility?" he asked.

"Just so. My family does have several estates, not as large and significant as yours, Windmere, but a responsibility all the same. I want a woman able to live in the country or in the city with the same ease."

"A country mouse and a city mouse, then?"

"An apt description. Next, I would like my wife to be a companion to me, and so I want her to enjoy some of my favorite pastimes."

"Betting on the horses, drinking that single malt I introduced you to and spending

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.