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amused by a handsome man of passable breeding.”
    “I hope that you mean flattery in the normal sense this time.”
    “Let us just say that you can no more take his place thanyou can Obediah’s at the rostrum. Despite his inappropriate proposal, you should have convinced him to stay on.”
    “I could not allow him to stay.”
    “Then you must hire another handsome young man of passable breeding to take his place,” Cassandra said. “Let us go below and compose an advertisement to hire a new manager.”
    A half hour later Emma rose from the writing table in the library and carried her first version of an advertisement to Cassandra. “I do not want a public announcement that Fairbourne’s is seeking inquiries, so I can only describe the requirements, not name the establishment or even its trade. However, this should do, don’t you think?”
    Cassandra read it. “It will do perfectly, if you have a situation available for a vicar.”
    Emma snatched it out of Cassandra’s hand. “I think I did a fine job of it.”
    “You are not seeking just anyone for just any ordinary position, Emma. You must make this sound more appealing, so the sort of man who can do better will still find it interesting.” She rose, took the advertisement back, and went to the writing table. She sat, tossed her long, black curls over her shoulders, and dipped the pen. “First, we must remove this word
industrious
. It sounds like hard labor.”
    “I only thought—”
    “I know what you thought. A solid day’s work for the money of the hire.” Cassandra drew a line through the offending word. “Also,
sober-minded
must go. So must
self-effacing
. No man worth knowing ever thinks of himself as self-effacing.” She tsked her tongue. “It is a good thing that I am here to advise you, Emma. Left on your own, you would have ended up with a very dull but dutiful man, and that will never do.”
    Emma thought it would do fine. “I am of two minds about mentioning the knowledge of art. It should be there, butI want nothing in it to have people wondering if the advertisement is Fairbourne’s.”
    “Why not?”
    Because she did not want a certain earl to become aware of her plans, was why not. She did not explain that because even Cassandra did not know that Southwaite had that partnership. Both the earl and Papa had kept that very quiet, probably because, as she pointedly reminded Southwaite yesterday, it
did
smell of trade.
    Emma did not know how she was going to manage the earl if he became aware of her intentions, but possibly his desire for discretion would aid her. It would be best not to ruin what might be an advantage.
    “If it is known it is Fairbourne’s, all sorts will show up at the door, cluttering the premises for weeks,” she said. “Nor do I want our competition to have cause to use our current lack of a manager against us.”
    “We can remove the reference to art. You will only learn if a prospect truly knows anything when you engage him in conversation on the topic.” Cassandra scratched one more long line with the pen. “Now, we must make it clear this is no ordinary situation. Young men suited for a haberdasher’s shop need not apply.” Cassandra tapped the feather against her chin, then scribbled.
    Emma looked over her shoulder. “
Pleasurable employment
?”
    “This man will attend your preview parties and mix with the ton. He will drink brandy with gentlemen and become an intimate friend with wellborn ladies. If he—”
    “You have no proof that there will be, or ever has been,
intimacy
,” Emma said crossly.
    “He will become
a confidant
of ladies, if you prefer that word. My point is that you should make it clear that the situation has its pleasures if you want to attract the best that can be had.”
    “I begin to wonder why I would even pay this person. He should pay me, considering the opportunities that await him.”
    Cassandra laughed at that, then continued writing.
    “There.” She set down the