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Verity assumed Mrs. Trenton was referring to time spent with his brother.

But William Cole did not glance in his direction even once.

His eyes remained upon Verity, as if all rested upon what would become of her if he left.

Perhaps he had shared their little pact with his sister.

He might feel he was letting their guest down if he did not see the outing through.

Had he not promised to help Verity sift only the best matches from the chaff that might distract her?

“I will stay,” he said eventually. “But I will forego unnecessary conversations and confine my energy to our little crew.”

“Very well,” his sister replied. “But don’t be surprised if Lady Howell comes to greet you.

You haven’t spoken since…” Mrs. Trenton stopped and pondered a moment.

“I believe it was just before her wedding. I was amazed neither of you sought the other out at the ball. Especially when one thinks what fast friends you had become. It would be good of you to at least wish her well on her nuptials.”

William Cole nodded, though his face remained grim. “If she wishes to speak with me, I will do so gladly,” he said.

“Of course she would wish it!” Mrs. Trenton laughed. However, the sound carried no conviction. She looked at her brother with a small frown but said nothing further.

Up the stairs they went. William Cole managed them well enough.

The color had returned to his face. In fact, it had returned in excess.

Verity hoped he was not coming down with a fever.

If he was exerting himself for her sake, she would never forgive herself.

It was all very well for him to take his promise to her so seriously, but it wasn’t worth the cost of his health.

Inside, the rooms were filled almost to capacity. People mulled around, perusing the various displays. Butterflies in one room, glass vivaria in another, and so on. Down a hallway was a larger assembly room, its chairs waiting to be claimed once the lecture was ready to begin.

“Perhaps you should rest here,” Verity told the younger Mr. Cole. “We will stay with you. I can always browse afterward if you are feeling better.”

This did not appear to comfort William Cole as it should have. He shook his head slowly. “I am well enough. And if I weren’t, I would take myself home. Please, Miss Lockhart, take every advantage of your time here. I would be dismayed to rob you of even a moment of it.”

“Well…” Verity looked uncertainly upon her friend. “If you are sure…”

Mr. Cole gathered himself, standing straight and determined.

Verity had to admit, he did seem to have recovered a great deal.

“I am fine,” he said. “In fact, I might even offer you my arm. My sister can hover at your side so that my propinquity might not be misconstrued by others.” He offered her a lopsided grin.

Verity breathed out a sigh of relief. “Ah, sir, I see you are indeed yourself again.” She countered his mischievous smile with her own.

“And because you are, I shall rely on myself for locomotion. To be on the arm of such a charming gentleman would discourage the attentions of the very suitors you have promised to help me find. After all, is this not the perfect place to find them?”

“What is this?” asked Lawrence Cole, his blond brows lifting at his brother.

“Are you to play matchmaker for Miss Lockhart?” He turned to Verity and scoffed.

“It seems you are taking advice from a gentleman who has not yet secured his own partner in life. If that is the case, Charlotte and I shall have to add our efforts to the cause. With your permission, of course.”

The irony was not lost on Verity. The very family she had almost married into, the one she wished now could be her own, had—to a man—volunteered to help her find any other partner than she one she wanted. And how could she refuse?

Just look at them. Three pairs of eyes willing me to happiness. And one pair belonging to the man who could give it.

“Er… thank you.” What else could she say? William Cole was never going to be hers. She might as well explore other avenues. And what better than the support of three people who were so sincerely invested in her well-being?

A crowd began to filter into the lecture hall. Among them, Dr. Westbridge. His eyes lit up the moment he recognized Verity and her companions, and he hurried over to where they were standing.

“Miss Lockhart! So glad you could come!” He acknowledged the rest, then turned his attention back to Verity.

“Have you seen the mounted large blue in the butterfly room? It was donated to us anonymously this week. Isn’t it funny that we just spoke about it at the ball?

Do you think your friend has had a change of heart? ”

Verity willed herself not to look at Mr. Cole. He certainly was full of surprises! “It would appear so,” she answered. “What a generous gesture! Then again, it seems to be more and more the norm for that particular friend.”

Charlotte Trenton, having also looked away from her brother for likely the same reason, now tapped Verity on the arm. “Look, there are Lord and Lady Howell. And they have Miss Kinsey with them. Let us make introductions before they are surrounded by entomologists hoping to fund a favorite project.”

Mrs. Trenton walked toward the Howell party at once and Verity was obliged to follow. She was a little annoyed. She had not come to make conversation with strangers. When would she have a chance to browse the displays with Dr. Westbridge?

The Messrs. Cole did not join them, which Verity thought odd. William Cole seemed himself once more. There was no reason for him not to greet an old friend. Then again, it would have been rude for them to all abandon Dr. Westbridge just as he had arrived.

Verity decided to give it no further thought, focusing instead on the party they were approaching. A quick introduction, she hoped, would free her to admire the specimens she had specifically come to see.

Lord Howell cut a fine figure—tall and broad-shouldered, with dark hair curling into an alluring forelock. His wife was no less handsome, her intelligent eyes already tracking them from across the room.

“Lord and Lady Howell,” said Mrs. Trenton, reaching out her hands to take the viscountess’s and planting a fond kiss upon her cheek. “May I introduce Miss Verity Lockhart, a friend from my hometown? She is probably the only woman here who is genuinely interested in today’s subject matter.”

Lady Howell’s perfect skin creased into a warm smile.

“Miss Lockhart, a pleasure to meet you. This,” she said, indicating to her left, “is my very dear friend, Miss Jillian Kinsey. We are country folk, like yourself—more familiar with the denizens of the meadow than our counterparts of the city would be. Though I doubt we will recognize any specimens from today’s talk.

Unless they have stag beetles in Egypt.” She finished with a half-wink at Miss Kinsey.

The lovely Miss Kinsey, golden-haired and cheerful, took Verity’s hand at once.

“Miss Lockhart, how happy I am to make your acquaintance! Ellena assures me that Munro is not all pomp and pretense, but I have not met many folk who suggest otherwise, unless they are handpicked by the viscount to visit Munro House. He has impeccable taste in people’s character, don’t you, Lord Howell? ”

Before the gentleman could answer, she had tripped merrily along in her conversation.

“I hope I shan’t be bored today. I am so easily bored in the city.

It’s a pity I can’t ride. Never learned how, you see.

And I must always have a maid running after me if I leave the house.

It is very droll, you know. The theater is all right.

And I do enjoy dancing. But Ellena is attempting to educate me, though I cannot say it has been a success.

The greatest lesson I have learned is that a lady’s life is altogether dull.

Unless you have a lovely husband like the viscount.

Then it’s not so bad. Do you have a beau, Miss Lockhart? ”

Miss Kinsey’s monologue ended so abruptly that Verity was caught quite off guard. “Oh, I… er… no, not as yet.”

“Well, good luck, say I. Chances are you won’t find him here. The gentlemen are far too occupied with six-legged creatures to notice the two-legged ones.” She laughed brightly, the sound echoing across the heads of the very many people she likely thought needed some laughter in their lives.

Lady Howell leaned to the side and said quietly, “Jilly, I think you might want to give Miss Lockhart a moment to assimilate all that you have said.”

While Miss Kinsey obliged by taking a breath, Mrs. Trenton asked the viscountess, “Do you know who else is here today? I shall give you three guesses.”

Lady Howell cast her eye across the room.

Her smile faltered. She looked up at the viscount quickly, taking his arm as if to keep him close.

“I see your brothers are both in Munro, Charlotte,” she said.

“It must be a special blessing to have the whole family together.” Her voice was light and friendly, but her fingers were wrapped tightly about the solid muscle of her husband’s upper arm.

His eyes found what she had seen, and he also stiffened.

Verity twisted her body to catch sight of what had so visibly disturbed them, but all she could see was Dr. Westbridge and the Messrs. Cole, all three of whom were chatting in a pleasant manner, seemingly oblivious of the attention.

“You will come and say hullo , won’t you?” Mrs. Trenton asked. “It has been more than a six-month since you and William have last spoken to each other. I know he will want to wish you well since he was not at the wedding to do so.”

“Alas,” came the formal tones of the viscount, “the lecture is about to begin, and we will be in a hurry to leave when it is done.”