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provided before disappearing in the direction of the card tables.
    She wasn’t quite sure what to make of the man. Chipple looked relieved when she refused his offer of a dance, but the delivery of the punch was a courtesy that was a bit too marked. If he started getting romantic notions she would have to abandon Hetty to her fate after all.
    But then, half the women there seemed to have a great interest in the bluff Josiah. As Lady Prentice had said, money would perfume the stink of the shop quite effectively, and there were any number of widowed ladies casting curious eyes in Chipple’s direction. Heseemed unaware of it, but once the ladies knew that Annelise was a part of his household, at least for the time being, she was besieged with questions.
    Annelise nodded and murmured agreement and passed on whatever encouraging information she could think of. Yes, she’d answered numerous times, he was a most devoted father. Yes, his house by Green Park was quite large. No, he’d been widowed for a great many years, she believed, and had yet to choose a new wife. Yes, perhaps London was just the place for both Chipples to form new attachments. Shipping, was it? Not as bad as it could be. Really, shipping was quite a respectable trade, if one must have a trade, and he did carry himself quite well, didn’t he?
    There were at least half a dozen women there, no more than ten years older than she was, who would love to provide Josiah a new wife. He might even marry a title himself, though of course he wouldn’t benefit financially from it. But he could say, “my wife, Lady Ermintrude,” with great pride.
    Clearly she needed to match make for the both of them. His gratitude should be boundless if he managed to secure his own happiness, as well, and perhaps she might end up with that tiny cottage and a genteel income to call her own after all. Anything was possible.
    â€œYou haven’t seen Christian Montcalm, have you?”
    The conversation wasn’t addressed to her, and she pretended to ignore it, but the sound of his name had her immediate attention.
    â€œYou think he’d dare show his face here?” anothervoice replied. “Surely not after that escapade with Lord Morton’s wife!”
    â€œMorton has taken her to the continent until the scandal dies down,” the first woman said. “As for Montcalm, he sold his soul to the devil years ago. This latest scandal will make little difference, I expect.”
    â€œNo, indeed,” said the second woman, fanning herself vigorously. “We can only be thankful he is unlikely to try to show his face here tonight. If he does I think I might be tempted to give him the cut direct.”
    The first woman laughed. “No, you wouldn’t, Lavinia. All he’d have to do is smile at you and you’d be at his feet. You should never have gotten involved with him in the first place. It was more than five years ago and you’ve yet to look at another man.”
    Annelise could stand it no longer. She turned to glance at the women. She recognized Lavinia Worthington. She was the same age as Annelise’s older sister, but she’d aged far better. She was widowed several years ago, if she remembered correctly, and hadn’t yet doffed her widows’ weeds. Maybe she had the same financial problems Annelise did. Or maybe she just knew how stunning she was in black. The diamond necklace around her elegant neck was worth a hundred black dresses.
    â€œI’m more than ready to look at another man. I think Mr. Chipple might suit me very well.”
    â€œYou wouldn’t!” her companion sputtered.
    â€œI would,” said Lavinia. “You’re right—Christian has ruined me for anyone else. The things he does in bedare beyond sinful and so wickedly delicious that you’d want to die with pleasure. I’m not going to get that again, so I might at least settle for a comfortable amount of