Gideon pulled himself from his thoughts and smiled. “Nice try, but again, I’m not disclosing sensitive information to you. You’ll simply need to content yourself with the notion that I’m not enamored with the opera singer and leave it at that.”
It came as no surprise when Camilla immediately took to pouting, a look she’d perfected over the years and one that was normally successful with getting her anything she desired.
Unfortunately for Camilla, he wasn’t swayed by any of her perfected feminine charms.
He crossed his arms over his chest and took to regarding her, earning a bit of a grunt from her a few seconds later.
“Fine, don’t tell me,” she grumbled. “Although if you’ve not been successful with whatever it is, you should consider filling me in because I’m convinced I could be a valuable asset to the firm since I have the eyes and ears of society at my disposal. Add in the fact that no one would ever suspect me of being involved in clandestine affairs and it’s a win-win situation for everyone involved.”
“You’re never going to work for the accounting firm. It would be far too dangerous.”
“Gathering intelligence for you at society events would hardly put me at risk. Besides, as I’m sure you’re aware, I’m once again suffering from extreme ennui. It’s so extreme, in fact, that I’ve resorted to delving into melodramatic music to stave off my boredom, something that could very well see me losing numerous members of my staff.”
“Then it’s a good thing I’ve come to call, because I’ve come up with a solution that should hold your boredom at bay for the foreseeable future, which will spare your staff additionalimpromptu concerts on your part.” Gideon leaned closer to her. “I’m in need of a favor. One only you can grant.”
Camilla blinked before she raised a hand to her throat. “On my word, but you want me to come out of matchmaker retirement and finally make you a match, don’t you? And,” she continued before he could get a single protest out of his mouth, “even though I’ve officially hung up my matchmaker gloves, for you, my dear Gideon, I’ll be more than happy to do exactly that. In fact, we can plan out a strategy today, decide what young ladies appeal to you, and then I’ll get right to work. We’ll have you engaged within the first month of the New York Season and to a lady I know you’ll find a spark with, one that will then ignite into flames.”
Gideon swallowed. “I’m not really the type prone to any sparking, let alone spontaneously bursting into flames.”
“Of course you are. You simply haven’t explored those hidden depths I know you possess.”
“My hidden depths have nothing to do with sparks and flames, but before you argue with that, I have to tell you that the favor I need has nothing to do with me.”
Camilla frowned. “You don’t want me to find you the lady of your dreams?”
“Since I have no intention of settling down in the near or distant future, given the demanding and dangerous nature of my profession, no.” He reached out and took hold of her hand. “But before you get yourself all worked up, know that the favor I need to ask of you is far more important than assisting me with my love life, or lack thereof.”
“Finding true love is always of the utmost importance.”
“Not for me it’s not.”
Her shoulders sagged ever so slightly. “Oh, very well. Since you’re apparently not keen to have me find you the love of your life, which, to be clear, I could most certainly accomplish, what is this favor you need from me?”
“I’d like you to take Miss Adelaide Duveen in hand.”
Camilla yanked her hand from his. “Surely I misheard you, because you couldn’t possibly have said you want me to take Adelaide Duveen—as in the lady who allowed everyone to get a glimpse of her unmentionables and then got attacked by rampaging swans—in hand.”
“That would be the lady, and yes, I’d like you to help her.”
“Why?”
Gideon had known that question would certainly come up, but he’d yet to formulate a credible response without disclosing too much to Camilla. He summoned up what he hoped was his most charming of smiles. “I don’t think the reasoning behind the favor is really relevant to the conversation.”
Unfortunately, Camilla didn’t see the smile because she was distracted by a fly that had had the audacity to invade her music room and was currently circling her head.
“How could it not be relevant?” she finally countered as she sent the fly careening through the air with one deliberate slap. “I wasn’t even aware you were overly familiar with Adelaide Duveen, and yet now you want me to make a match for a lady who is currently considered society’s most veritable pariah.”
Gideon scratched his nose. “Actually, Adelaide isn’t keen to marry.”
“You want me to convince her otherwise?”
“Not at all.”
“Then what, pray tell, do you want me to do with her?”
He summoned up another smile, hoping this one would be more effective than the last. “I want you to convince society to abandon their notion that Adelaide is peculiar and to begin thinking of her as an Incomparable, or better yet, a diamond of the first water.”
Five