Page 37 of Debating with the Duke (Second Sons of London 2)

“I will leave that to Tessa. Now, we need to discuss your list.”

She rose and went to a small desk and removed paper and pen. Sitting, she opened a bottle of ink and then said, “You are awfully far away. Bring your chair over to me.”

Everett did as she asked and they were even further away from Bridget, who had yet to glance up from her book.

He watched Addie writeThe Duke of Camdenat the top of the page and shook his head. “No, I don’t want my name anywhere on such a list,” he insisted. “If for any reason it was discovered by someone, I would not want the contents of the list associated with my name.”

“Good thinking, Ev,” she said, discarding the page and retrieving a new one.

This time, she did not title it as she looked at him expectantly. “Well?”

He felt awkward and said, “I don’t really know what to tell you to write,” he admitted. “I have never really thought about this before. Being a second son and knowing I would spend my entire adult life in His Majesty’s army, I doubted I would ever wed.”

“Your situation has changed and so must you,” Addie told him. “Let me help you get started.”

He wondered if she did this for everyone she had previously helped find a spouse.

“We should start with physical attributes and then discuss character traits. What type of woman appeals to you, Ev?”

Her. She appealed to him.

“If you are asking if I like a woman who is tall or short, it does not matter to me.”

“All right, then what about coloring? Do you prefer a blond or brunette? Or even darker hair? What about eye color?”

He shrugged. “I truly have no preference regarding looks. I think knowing a person and what they are truly made of is more important than any physical characteristic. So I don’t believe we need to consider anything regarding looks on this list.”

Her nose crinkled, quite appealingly, and she said, “I suppose then that you are going to tell me her family will not matter to you, either.”

“What do you mean? I am not marrying her family. I am wedding her.”

“Ev, most marriages are made for political or social gain. You, being a duke, should be drawn to and only considering making a match with the women who come from the better if not best families in all of England,” she explained. “It would be much more suitable for you to wed the daughter of a fellow duke or a marquess.”

“What if I find nothing about them that I like?” he challenged. “What if I am interested in wedding a lowly baron’s daughter? Or a woman whose father has no title at all?”

“That won’t really do, Ev,” she said. “You need to give unattached females at the highest end of the hierarchy your most attention.”

“Then why on earth did you not object to my pursuing Miss Goulding? Not only did you not object, you even encouraged my interest in her.Herfather holds no title, though I am certain he is well thought of in many circles.”

She sniffed. “That was quite different. Louisa is my cousin, one whom I think the world of. She is a woman of beauty, maturity, and refinement. I would challenge you to find anyone of Louisa’s worth within the eligible ladies in Polite Society. In my opinion, my cousin would have made for the perfect duchess.”

She paused, pressing her lips together a moment. “Since the two of you mutually decided that you did not suit—and since you have asked for my help in securing you a bride—I am giving you the best advice possible. A duke should look to the upper echelon of theton. That is what I am recommending to you, Ev.”

“And I say hogwash to that.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Get to the important stuff, Addie. I don’t care what a woman looks like or who sired her. I won’t need to wed a woman with a large dowry because I am obscenely wealthy. I don’t need to make a match to improve my social position. I am wedding because I want to do so. Because I desire children.”

“I see,” she said quietly. “Then tell me—whatisimportant to you?”

“Common values, of course. She must value the importance of family above all. My duchess should not only want to give me numerous children but love those children unequivocally. I want her to spend time with them. Play with them. Talk to them.”

He watched her scribble on the page and added, “I need a woman with empathy. One who is kind to all, not just her friends. I wish for her to be honest and honorable. She should have a strong sense of duty. She will need to visit the tenants on our estates and truly get to know them and see to their needs. She must never take responsibilities lightly but rather take them to heart. As a duchess, she will be looked up to and become a leader in society. She should use that not to her advantage but for good. My duchess should be dignified. Reserved. Composed. Serene. She must at all times conduct herself in the manner of a duchess.”

Everett waited while she caught up to him and finally added, “And she must be faithful. I know I had said before that I thought we would go our separate ways and then mentioned I might not be satisfied with that. I have given the matter more thought and have decided that we both should honor our wedding vows. That we come together as a couple and family and remain that way. For the rest of our lives.”

She stopped writing and gazed up at him, her blue eyes intense. “Are you seeking love, Ev?” she asked softly.

“No,” he said.

But he knew he lied.

Because looking at Addie, Everett knew he had already found it.

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