"I've never noticed her before."
Well, of course he hadn't. No one had noticed Amanda before Juliana took her in hand. "What did you think of Lord Stafford's controversial speech?"
"To which speech do you refer?"
"Yesterday's. In Parliament. Concerning smallpox vaccinations."
"How would you come to know of that?" he asked, but apparently the question was rhetorical, because he didn't wait for an answer. "I was at my club all day and night," he told her. "Playing cards."
She wondered why she found that disturbing. After all, she wanted a man who had plenty of time for her, and clearly he put pleasure before more serious pursuits. "Did you win?"
"Does it matter? It was an amusing way to pass the hours." He smiled down on her indulgently. "I can afford to lose, I assure you. I have plenty of money to both gamble and buy flowers for a special lady."
She was glad he thought she was special, but if he had extra funds, perhaps they'd be better spent on something more meaningful. A worthy cause. The Foundling Hospital, perhaps, or smallpox vaccinations.
Once she knew him better, she'd make the suggestion. She wished he would loosen up so she could get to know him better. "Did you eat any more of my macaroons?" she asked, concluding he hadn't.
"All of them," he said, surprising her. "They tasted so wonderful, and I couldn't find anywhere to put them to save them for later."
That was as she'd expected. But why weren't they working? "I'm glad you enjoyed them."
"They were truly very good."
Apparently they weren't good enough. They didn't seem to make him amorous at all. She moved a little bit closer, but he stiffened his arms until they were once more at a proper distance.
Lord Cavanaugh, she noticed, wasn't dancing nearly so properly with Lady Stafford. The two of them looked rather cozy. And Aunt Frances and Lord Malmsey were so close they were all but tromping on each other's toes. Amanda, however, was dancing at a proper distance from James.
She should have left James more macaroons, considering two had worn off too quickly and even seven hadn't affected the duke. What would make a man so resistant? Since the duke was a by-blow, she imagined his father might have acted distant, knowing his son was actually sired by another. But a good mother should have made up for that.
"Was your mother very affectionate?" she asked.
"Affectionate?" He looked taken aback by the mere question. "I wouldn't know. I never knew either of my parents."
Oh, how tragic. "Why was that?"
"They died when I was six months old. Drowned in a storm while crossing the Channel."
"I'm so sorry." Juliana had lost her parents as a young adult—she could hardly imagine growing up without parents altogether. Even motherless Emily and Amanda had fathers in their lives. "Who raised you, then?"
His handsome mouth compressed into a thin line. "My uncle and aunt—my father's brother and his wife. Did you know I was born in your house? The first thing they did as my guardians was sell that house to your father and then buy my current, more splendid house in Grosvenor Square. I was well satisfied to turn them out of it when I gained my majority."
She was happy to hear he had a splendid house, but she wondered at the bitterness in his tone. "Were they not nice to you?"
"Nice?" He laughed, but it was a laugh devoid of humor. "If I hadn't been born half a year before my parents died, my uncle and aunt would have been the duke and duchess. They never forgave me for robbing them of that."
He didn't offer any details, but Juliana could imagine them for herself. His uncle and aunt had been cold, cruel, and resentful. He'd received no hugs growing up, no physical affection.
No wonder he wasn't affectionate himself. No one had ever shown him how. "I'm so sorry you had a sad childhood," she told him.
"You're so caring, my dear," he said, giving her a fond smile.
Now she understood. No one had cared for him throughout his childhood, which was why he had a hard time getting close to others now. Like all people, he'd learned by example, and he needed a new example to learn by.
Human touch could go a long way. Once he learned to be more affectionate, he would also be more charitable. The poor man needed someone in his life to gently guide him, to help his softer side come to the fore.
He needed her. With her in his life, demonstrating affection and giving to others—
The dance came to an end. Before she could finish formulating her plan, he bowed formally and thanked her.
No sooner had he walked away than Lady Stafford walked up. "I must thank you for introducing me to Lord Cavanaugh."
"I thought you already knew him."
"Reintroducing me, then." She smiled, her kindly eyes reminding Juliana of her own mother. "I'm giving a little dinner party tomorrow evening at Stafford House, and Lord Cavanaugh has agreed to attend. My son will be there, too. Might I have the pleasure of your company as well?"
"I'd be delighted to attend." She liked James's mother. Lady Stafford was very motherly, and Juliana missed her mother rather a lot. Plus the dinner would give her a chance to ask James how his courtship of Amanda was proceeding and remind him to invite her to visit the Egyptian Hall. Once Amanda discovered their shared interest in Roman antiquities, she was certain to fall in love.
"I'm also going to ask the young lady with whom my son has been dancing." Lady Stafford's gaze slid to Amanda and back. "Shall I invite the Duke of Castleton to round out our party?"
"That would be lovely," Juliana said.
That would be perfect, in fact. The duke never called on Sundays, so the dinner would give her a chance to begin helping him right away. She'd be able to direct the conversation to James's
