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A nother ballroom but the same crop of debutantes—more or less, plus a sprinkling of flirtatious widows.

Sir Frederick deplored these events, but with a flighty younger sister who needed an especially keen eye kept upon her at all times, it seemed, he had little choice but to throw himself into the social mill.

With their mama so ill, their father gone these past few years, and their older sister married and established in the north, Caroline had no one else to ensure she survived to adulthood without making a disastrous match.

And despite his earlier success at nipping in the bud her efforts at inveigling herself into the company of that inappropriate cad, the monstrously wealthy upstart, Mr. Algernon Greene, she seemed determined to thwart her brother at every turn.

In fact, Frederick had his eye on Caroline and Mr. Greene right now and was just considering moving across the ballroom to draw Caroline away, when Lady Townsend appeared at his elbow, saying, as she followed his gaze, “What a delightfully charming sister you have. I have no doubt her season is destined to be a successful one. What a handsome young man beside her, though a little old for her, perhaps. Is that Mr. Greene?” A concerned frown creased her forehead for Caroline was not with her chaperone, Mrs. Robins, whom Frederick could see laughing with another gentleman a little distance away.

“It is indeed,” he said grimly, “and I was just about to intervene—”

“As is only right. Oh, but here is Miss Fairchild. Perhaps she can offer chaperonage if that is what you are concerned about. Miss Fairchild!”

Before Frederick could stop her, Lady Townsend had hailed the dark-haired beauty over to her side.

She really was a beauty, thought Frederick.

Her self-composed serenity had quite forcibly struck him during her first season out when she was so different from giggling chits like Miss Penny, who was Caroline’s bosom friend.

Caroline might be of a lively disposition, but at least she wasn’t so cheerfully…

vocal… as Miss Penny. Or as vocal as the frightful little pug the young lady carried around whenever she was visiting Caroline, and which had taken a decided disliking to Frederick.

Indeed, the feeling was mutual. Frederick liked large, self-confident dogs. Not yappy lap dogs.

“Good evening, Lady Townsend.” Miss Fairchild bobbed a curtsy and inclined her head, smiling a little at Frederick before turning in the direction of Lady Townsend’s meaningful look.

“Your sister appears to be enjoying a lively conversation with Mr. Greene,” she said, stating the obvious but obviously not understanding the gravity. Well, in Frederick’s eyes.

“Mr. Greene is ten years too old for her and has not of the kind of temperament I would wish for my sister.”

“He is also enormously wealthy. However, do you wish me to join them and perhaps draw her away?” Miss Fairchild suggested with beautiful acuity.

“I would like that very much,” said Sir Frederick, watching her graceful form part the throng while Lady Townsend said, “Such a charming and accomplished young lady. She is as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside. And that’s from someone who has known her since she was a child.

No surprising temper tantrums with that one. And so very knowledgeable.”

Her admiration was cut short by the return of Miss Fairchild and a glowering Caroline who nevertheless appeared to be trying to rein in her temper as she greeted the pair of them, adding in a whisper while the other ladies exchanged several words, “It does seem a coincidence that my innocent conversations with Mr. Greene are forever being interrupted, brother. I would just like to understand your objection. Not only is Mr. Greene vastly wealthy and most charming, he is in line for a viscountcy. There! Does that change your mind, brother dear?” Angling herself a little away from Miss Fairchild as if she understood that she was being childish, she put her nose in the air.

“I know all about Mr. Greene’s claims to a bogus title, and I’m surprised you’ve fallen for it, Caroline.

” Frederick tried not to let her words irritate him, but she was so young.

She’d learn. He just needed to make sure she had time to grow up a little before she fell victim to someone as smooth and charming as Greene.

“Last time you sent Henry to drag me away, as I recall.”

“And I’d have done the same again except Miss Fairchild was on hand. Ah, Henry, did you in fact hear us speak your name? Caroline is looking for a partner for the next dance. Perhaps you’d oblige. But first, I must introduce to you these distinguished ladies.”

The tousle-haired youth, with a dusting of freckles and a cheerful expression who’d just arrived in their midst, bowed to the ladies before giving Caroline a grin.

“Causing your big brother palpitations again, are you? It’s that Greene fellow, isn’t it?

Mighty dashing, and I do admire his adorable brown curls and handsome side whiskers.

Just like that Sir Walter Scott hero you were telling me about.

But Caro, let me fetch you some lemonade.

In fact, why don’t you come with me because I’ve just seen…

” He lowered his voice but Frederick heard very clearly that he was inviting her to covertly inspect some poor woman in a purple toque whom he’d spied and clearly wished to parody.

It was ever thus with the pair of them, he thought, with something between fondness and exasperation.

With Caro giggling like a schoolgirl, Frederick could see that Lady Townsend and Miss Fairchild had also overheard so, shaking his head, Frederick explained.

“The pair of them are like school children when they are together. Henry lives on the neighboring estate and they grew up together. At least I can count on Henry to some extent to keep Caro out of trouble, if only by enticing her away from fortune hunters like Greene.”

“And what constitutes a fortune hunter, Sir Frederick?” Miss Fairchild asked. “Either female or male. I am curious. You see, I was under the impression Mr. Greene had quite a fortune and was in no need of an heiress.”

“Mr. Greene’s reputation is not all that he makes it out to be. I have heard concerning things. But, you ask me what I consider constitutes a fortune hunter?” Frederick considered her question. “Why, simply when marriage is based on pecuniary considerations before character.”

“Pity the couple who has not a penny between them,” said Miss Fairchild. “Would you suspect every young lady without a fortune behind her of less than honorable motives if she smiled at you?”

“Why, Miss Fairchild, that is an interesting question,” Lady Townsend murmured, while Frederick, too, thought it rather direct. Still, it was refreshing…

“Take, for example, Miss…” she appeared to be scanning the room before she settled upon a young blonde miss looking longingly at the dance floor while the matrons on either side of her prattled away.

“Miss Playford is a charming young lady without a fortune. Yet she has so many other graces and accomplishments. What is it that you are looking for in a young lady?”

“Lord, I’m not in the market for a bride!” Frederick exclaimed with such vehemence that Miss Fairchild jumped before glancing with slight concern at Lady Townsend who blushed and stammered, “But if the right one happened to come along you’d surely not be averse.”

“But the right one has not come along,” said Frederick regaining his good humor. “And I am not looking. Now, pray excuse me, but I have claimed Miss Barrow for this dance.”

*

As the tall gentleman stalked through the crowd, Amelia turned to Lady Townsend with a frown.

“I fear I must have misunderstood you, Lady Townsend, for I was certain you elicited my help in narrowing down the prospective matrimonial pool for Sir Frederick, who, I was led to understand, was looking for a wife.”

Indeed, Lady Townsend’s words had been welcome and percipient, for it supplied Amelia with just the excuse she needed to plumb the depths of Sir Frederick’s interest in a manner that would not appear odd or calculating.

If Amelia could discover the character traits that appealed to Sir Frederick, it would enable her to find the right “blonde” young lady who possessed such attributes.

But how dampening to learn that the gentleman seemed almost averse to the idea of marriage.

Particularly when Amelia needed him to marry in six weeks, if she was to enjoy any kind of a future, she thought gloomily.