Page 41 of Failure to Match

Molly nodded. “He does not.”

“Oh, well, we’re used to that in this house, aren’t we?”

“That’s exactly what I said.”

I sank onto the couch, grabbed my still-steaming cup, and settled in for the ride.

“You said you were going to take the teas to the library,” Mabel accused her sister as she set down her ruined tray.

“And you said you were headed straight to bed!”

“Yes, well, I couldn’t very well tell you what I was really up to, could I? You’d have had my head if you knew,” Mabel said.

“And you’d have had mine.”

“Bloody right. What do you think you’re doing, going against Jackson’s orders?”

“Well, I couldn’t just sit back and let this opportunity pass by, could I?”

“And I could? It’d weigh on my conscience if I did, wouldn’t it? Drag me straight to an early grave.”

“That’s the whole point, isn’t it? What would he do then?”

“We can’t just not do anything about it.”

“Exactly why I’m here. It’s well worth a shot.”

“And?” Mabel looked between me and her sister expectantly. “Have we come to an agreement?”

“Not yet,” Molly said, palms bracing on her knees as she sat down again.

“And why not? It’s all straightforward, isn’t it?”

“It is not. I was just about to tell her about Richard and how we initially came on when you barged in.”

“Why does she need to know all that for? Just ask her to do the damn thing. Time is of the essence, Molly. The girl only has thirty days.”

“Why don’t you do it, then? Ifyou’reso bold.”

“Well, all right.” Mabel rubbed her hands together decidedly before placing them on her hips. “Miss Paquin, we need you to find Jackson a life partner.”

“That’s… sort of what I’m here for,” I said.

Molly shook her head. “No, dear. You’re here to try, but you’ve already given up on him. We saw your interaction earlier tonight, didn’t we?”

“We need you towantto help him. It’s the only way this will work.”

My brows knit together as I looked between them. “I’m so confused. Why does everyone want this man to be in a relationship when he clearly couldn’t be less interested?”

“Minerva has her own reasons,” Molly said briskly.

“We’re not very happy with the way she’s handling it, but that’s not what’s important right now.”

“We raised that boy, Mabel and I did.”

“Hired two weeks before the Young Master was born, and we were both at the hospital when Richard Sinclair was told he finally had an heir. Watched him walk straight out of the room and go back to work.”

“Our titles have changed over the years, but we’ve been looking after Jackson just the same, haven’t we?”

---