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meeting the ladies on my list?” she asked, her voice heavy with accusation.
    “If you see any of these ladies, you’re welcome to point them out to me.” He could not be more reasonable than that.
    “How convenient, however it is highly unlikely that we will see any ladies of the ton while driving aimlessly about.”
    Although he enjoyed the angry sparkle in her eyes, his intention was not to incite further hostility. “If your heart is set on going to a park, I’ll oblige you.” She sighed heavily. “It is not that I wish to go to the park. What I wish is to present my list to you and convince you that you have better prospects elsewhere for a wife.” He did not reply. He was busy trying to avoid an urchin who had run in front of his horses to retrieve a ball. Deftly handling the reins, he missed the boy by inches. The youngster looked up and saluted Ian with a cocky wave of his hand before running back to a tree-lined park.
    “Here is a park. Will it do?”
    “Frankly, you could take me for a drive through Cheapside. All I want is for you to listen to me about my list.”
    He would listen to her list and then he would explain that he had already made his choice.

    The commons looked pleasant and empty of the crush of people they would be subjected to at Hyde Park. The few people present appeared to be children with their nursemaids or mothers. Their dress indicated that although it was near fashionable residences, the park was not frequented by the ton . In the middle of the park a small pond glistened in the sunlight. Waterfowl swam near its shores.
    Ian offered Annabelle his arm. She ignored it. He sighed. The stubborn set of her jaw did not bode well for courting this day. He took her hand and led her to the water.
    She surprised him by asking about his list rather than trying to tell him about her own. “How did you come up with your requirements for a wife?” She looked at him sideways, her eyes lit with curiosity. “In general, I’ve noticed that men are looking for beauty, money and youth. Yet, you spurn all three.” How much should he tell? “I dinna trust beautiful women.”
    “Why not?”
    He struggled with the answer. He had never told anyone about Jenna and wasn’t sure where to start. “I was engaged to a beautiful woman. In truth, she was the most beautiful lady of my acquaintance. When she discovered better prospects elsewhere, she set her sights on him instead.”
    Annabelle laid her hand on his arm. “I’m sorry. That must have been terrible. Did you love her very much?”
    “Nay.”
    “How sad.”
    Sad? Not likely. If he had loved Jenna, her betrayal would have been even more devastating. He did love his brother and the thought of Edward’s disloyalty still had the power to make his gut churn.
    “’Twas for the best.”
    “Surely, you don’t think all beautiful women cannot be trusted because of one incident.” She sounded incredulous.
    “A plain woman is not going to tempt other men.” Annabelle stiffened beside him. “That’s a terrible thing to say. I cannot believe that you would exile yourself to life with an ugly wife just to avoid the possibility that another man might find her attractive.”
    He had offended her, again. “I dinna say ugly. I said plain. ’Tis no an exile,” he added.

    “What else could it be? If you don’t believe other men will be tempted by your wife, I assume you won’t be either.”
    Tears sparkled in her eyes. They brought back the feeling of helplessness he had experienced the night before in the face of her hurt. He stopped walking and pulled Annabelle around to face him. She looked away. He put his hand under her chin and gently guided her face until her eyes met his. “I didna say I wasn’t tempted, lass.”
    “But—”
    “I would show you just how very tempted I am if we were no in a public park.”
    “You said—”
    “I wasna talking about you.”
    “I’m plain. You want to marry me so other men won’t be tempted.”