“I resemble my father’s family. And you? Do you favor your father or mother? I can see the resemblance between you and your sisters. You’re all very blond and attractive.”
He set down his glass. “Margaret resembles Mama the most. Mama’s hair was the palest shade of blonde, nearly white. Her eyes were the lightest-blue shade of an afternoon sky. She was quiet-spoken and very shy.”
“Then, I take it Deborah does not resemble your mother in personality or appearance very much.”
Shaking his head, Christopher chuckled. “No. Deb takes after my father and must be at the center of attention at all times. She’s determined, like he was, and twice as stubborn. I find her almost impossible to lead.”
“You said that your sisters have been at school. Might I ask which one?”
He flushed, remembering that Deb’s actions had caused his sisters’ hasty exit. “Miss Mason’s School for Gentry in Bath. They were there since my father died nearly nine years ago.”
Sarah took a bite of her fruit and nodded. “Margaret’s table manners—in fact, her manners in general are perfectly pleasing. Perhaps a little animation in her countenance would do her some good to attract more male attention. Otherwise, I can find no fault with her. She is intelligent, thoughtful, and extremely beautiful. I do not think we will have any difficulty finding her a fine match, when she’s ready.”
Christopher dropped his napkin. “You do not think she is ready?”
“For Society?” Sarah said. “Definitely. I think we will have a most lovely little Season in the fall and push for her to be presented to the Queen in the spring. I only meant that I do not think that she is eager to marry yet. I believe she wants to have a home before she becomes the mistress of one.”
He felt his hackles rise. “My sister has always had a home with me in London.”
“The Christmas holiday and a couple weeks in the summer is not the same. From what she confided to me yesterday afternoon, she has no close friends. And she and Deborah do not always get on comfortably.”
Gripping his fork tighter, Christopher said, “Deb’s not the type to get along comfortably with anybody.”
Sarah raised her eyebrows. “That I can well believe. However, all that I am suggesting is that we not be in a rush to lose Margaret. If and when she finds a gentleman she holds in high esteem, then we shall approve of the match.”
“You do not think my sister could marry a titled gentleman?”
“Oh, I think Margaret is sweet enough and beautiful enough to marry anyone. I only caution you that there are very few aristocrats with titles and even fewer whom you’d wish for her to marry. I would not want her to be matched with a lord who is old enough to be her father, nor to a young buck living a life of dissipation, waiting upon his expectations to inherit a title or property.”
Christopher dropped the fork onto his plate with a clatter. “Like your cousin, the Honorable Ralph Randolph?”
“Oh no. Ralph is not a part of the fast set. All his friends are gentlemen of good reputation, for which we, his family, are all most grateful. But he would not do at all for Margaret. She is too timid, and he would ride roughshod over her feelings. No, ifyou were interested in the heir to a mere baronet, I would say he would do very well for Deborah. They both have such strong personalities and outgoing natures. I daresay they would come to either loath or love each other.”
Christopher’s brow furrowed. He’d assumed Sarah did not think his sisters were well-born enough to marry aristocrats or members of her esteemed family. He’d jumped to conclusions and judged her wrongly once again. His wife was more worried about his sisters’ happiness than their social aspirations. Something his own father should have thought more of. Something that he himself needed to remember. Something that made his chest warm and his blood thrum in his body. “Then, Deb ... ?”
“I do not think she should marry for several years at least,” Sarah assured him with an airy wave of her hand. “She is only sixteen, and between you and me, she has a great deal of maturing left to do. Her behavior is often childish, and she can be carelessly cruel to Margaret. If we do not nip it in the bud, she will become a mean woman.”
He squirmed. “She isn’t a bad girl.”
“Of course not. She is merely a young lady who still needs to learn when to hold her tongue and how not to throw a tantrum when she doesn’t get her way. Mostly, I think her outrageous behaviors are a plea for attention. The poor child has lost both her parents, and she resents when her elder sister attempts to mother her. I am hoping that if I shower her with the right kind of attention, she will be less likely to seek the negative type. I think Deborah is simply bored and will blossom nicely when she finds friends of her own age.”
Picking up his napkin, Christopher wiped at the corners of his mouth. He was impressed and a bit flabbergasted by how easily andaccuratelySarah had been able to assess his sisters. What surprised him more was that she seemed to genuinely care fortheir welfare and finding them good gentlemen to marry, rather than just making them a good match.
“Are there many young ladies in the area?”
Sarah placed the lid back on her tray. “Several. Not as many as we will find in London, of course. There are the three Lake sisters, who are Mr. Robinson’s stepsisters. I would guess their ages to be close to those of your sisters. Miss Lily is not yet out, but she has the same boisterous spirits of Deborah, and I think they would get on swimmingly. I can see them as a very tight pair. There are also the misses Whitman and Miss Iphigenia Wentworth. Her mother is a bit pretentious, but the daughter is quite charming.”
Christopher leaned back in his seat, his worries concerning his sisters lessening a little. He was right to find a wife to oversee them. “And will they all welcome friendship with my sisters, despite their lower origins?”
Sarah waved one of her delicate hands in the air. “They will all welcome friendship with the sisters-in-law of Lady Sarah. I am still the highest-ranking lady in the neighborhood, and my grandfather is the Duke of Aylsham. The young ladies will like your sisters, and their mothers will follow my lead. And, as I told you when I proposed marriage, my family is one of the most prominent and well-connected in England. Only a fool would try to snub one of its members.”
“And me? Will they accept a businessman as your husband, or shall I be treated like a poor relation?”
Shaking her head, Sarah chuckled. “I should hardly describe you as poor, Christopher, and you are my husband. I would never countenance anyone treating you with anything but the highest of respect. It would reflect poorly on both of us.”
“But I am not your equal.”
“In what way? Birth? I had nothing to do with that. Education? I can assure you that I am your superior at sewing andneedlework; I’ve had to be since I make most of my own gowns. However, a lady’s education is not very deep. I can read and write and have a passable knowledge of history and geography. I am also learned on the pianoforte and the harp. If pressed, I can speak a few phrases in French and Italian. But you are an intelligent and capable businessman. And fortune? No, indeed. I am not your equal. My father gamed away my dowry, which forced my maternal grandfather to settle some money on me so that I would not be completely destitute. And a lady is not allowed to earn her own way in the world, as you have done so brilliantly. In that way, I would say that you are my superior. In fashion, however, you are quite a bit behind me. And probably always will be, for I am a trendsetter.”