To Bed a Beaty

discuss it with you since I heard the news. You were away from home the past two days visiting your mother, and there was no opportunity for a private word last night at Lady Freemantle’s dinner.”

His smile ebbed a little. “You know I don’t discuss my personal affairs with anyone.”

“Except Marcus and Heath, and they are both away. I am offering myself as their surrogate.” When he didn’t reply, Eleanor studied him. “I was quite astonished that you proposed to Roslyn, particularly since you were railing against the abruptness of Marcus’s marriage barely a fortnight ago. Do you truly want to wed her? Have you developed a tendre for her, Drew?”

He kept his expression bland. “My feelings for her are private, minx. I won’t share them with anyone, not even you.”

“Perhaps you should. I expect I could help you.”

“I don’t need your help.”

“Come now, Drew…I have already begun. I sang your praises to Roslyn last night quite fulsomely. But now I feel the need to offer you some sisterly advice.”

As the humor of Eleanor’s offer struck him, Drew shook his head wryly. “There are too many matchmakers overseeing our courtship as it is. Besides, you are hardly one to advise me on my betrothal. You’ve had two broken engagements since your comeout, and you are responsible for both.”

“But I broke those for good reason. And I think that makes me something of an expert on betrothals. You really should learn from my experience.”

“Just what do you think I can I learn from you, minx?”

“I’m sure there is something. If nothing else, I can tell you how Roslyn might think. I am a woman, so I can give you a woman’s perspective.”

She did have a point, Drew mused. Only a short while ago, he’d concluded that his courtship of Roslyn wasn’t working and that he would have to try and win her heart if he wanted her to go through with marriage to him.

Leaning back, he crossed his arms over his chest. “So tell me how I can make her fall in love with me.”

Eleanor’s eyes widened. “I thought you didn’t believe in love.”

“I don’t. But Roslyn does. And she doesn’t want to marry unless it’s a love match. Our betrothal will allow me time to court her formally, but I need to do more than that.”

“How does she feel about you, Drew? She doesn’t appear to be in love with you yet, or at least she didn’t seem eager to set a date for the wedding.”

“She isn’t. I suspect she will be happy for any excuse to call off the engagement.”

“Do you think you could ever love her?” Eleanor asked curiously.

That wasn’t a question he could answer, since he wasn’t certain he was even capable of love. “I don’t know,” he replied finally.

“Hmm,” Eleanor murmured, her countenance thoughtful. “So why do you suppose she doesn’t love you yet?”

“I don’t know the answer to that, either.”

“I expect it’s because you treat her like one of your highflyers.”

That was precisely what he’d done, Drew admitted. His relationship with Roslyn had begun when he’d mistaken her for a Cyprian, and all his tutoring had been designed to teach her how to become an even better one.

Seeing his arrested expression, Eleanor crowed softly. “I am right. You have been trying to seduce her instead of court her.”

Drew frowned. “What if I have?”

“Well, it makes all the difference. If you seriously want to woo her, then you are going about it all the wrong way.”

His mouth pressed together at the irony. It disgruntled him that he had to woo Roslyn at all when he’d never had to trouble himself with wooing any woman before. But he was at least willing to hear what Eleanor had to say on the subject.

“So what is wrong with my wooing?”

“You are focusing on seduction, not romance. The two are not the same thing.”

“Romance?” he echoed. “What the devil are you talking about?”

“Miss Roslyn is not a doxy, Drew. She is a lady with well-bred sensibilities. You cannot rely on physical persuasion to make her love you.”

“I realize that.”

“So you need to romance her.”

His expression turned exasperated. “Very well, how do I romance her?”

“First of all, you must think of her as a person, not a possession or a prize to be won. Not a business transaction, either.”

“I think of her as a person.”

Eleanor looked skeptical. “Do you?”

When Drew didn’t reply, she went on. “You need to be honest with her as well. Honesty shows that you respect her. Along those same lines, you have to at least pretend you are not interested in any other women but her. You can’t keep a mistress while you are courting her.”

“I haven’t had a mistress for months.”

“Good. Then remain that way. I would imagine that after Roslyn’s experiences, fidelity is very important to her-just as it is to me.” Eleanor frowned darkly for a moment before continuing. “Listen to what she has to say.”

“I do listen.”

“But do you really hear what she says?”

Just today Roslyn had accused him of not hearing her, of not taking her complaint to heart. “What else?” Drew asked.

“You should ask about her dreams.”

He already knew about Roslyn’s dreams-and they didn’t include falling in love with him and wedding him. Rather they were all about falling in love with and marrying her neighbor.

“What else?” he repeated.

“Well, you could shower her with kindness. Small, thoughtful acts. It needn’t be elaborate. The simplest things are often the most romantic.”

“Such as?”

“Stroll with her in a meadow and pick a wildflower for her. She will appreciate a violet more than a hothouse rose. Take her for a drive, just the two of you.”

“I already have,” Drew said wryly. “We were caught in a ferocious thunderstorm.”

“Try something else, then. In romance, it is the tender moments that count most.”

“That isn’t the advice Fanny Irwin gave her.”

Eleanor looked at him in surprise. “I doubt Fanny knows much about romance, since she must earn her living pleasing her patrons.” She looked at him earnestly. “That is what I mean, Drew. You need to learn how to please Roslyn, but not in a physical way. In fact, I think you should have no physical contact whatsoever. Most assuredly you shouldn’t kiss her. Not even her hand. She will see the change in you at once.”

“You want me to ignore her?”

“Not ignore. Just don’t use your sensual powers to pursue her. It will confuse her if nothing else. She will start to wonder if you intend to make any advances toward her ever again-and she will start to long for it.”

“What about gifts?”

Eleanor pursed her lips. “I expect that to someone like Roslyn, the small intimacies mean more than the most extravagant gift. But if you do give her a gift, make certain it has special meaning for her.”

“Jewels don’t work; I’ve tried.”

“I would think not. You can find out what she likes from her friends.”

“I know what she likes. Literature and political treatises.”

“So give her a book,” Eleanor advised. “You have a priceless library collection. I’m sure you can come up with something that would please her, that shows you are thinking of her.” She hesitated. “That is what truly is