“Indeed, it is not. Nor is a marriage.”
He glanced at her in surprise. There was plenty of interest and speculation about Aurora in certain circles. A line routinely formed around her at the start of any ball to claim all her dances. He should know. He hadn’t been able to secure a dance with her all season. “Why haven’t you married?”
She shivered. “I’ve no interest in it for myself. But for others, I am glad to be of help. That is why I’ve decided to become a matchmaker.”
He was shocked but only for a moment. “You’re all in business again? I’m surprised to hear Wharton will allow his wife to engage in trade.”
“It’s a recent development but it is only me now, of course. Wharton does not know about my decision yet, and neither does Sylvia, since they are away from Town. I will talk to both of my cousins when the time is right. They are much too busy to engage in commerce, but I have the time and a great interest in the welfare of others.”
He covered her hand with his where it still rested on his arm. “You’ll do well. You have a way of making a man comfortable.”
Her hand withdrew slowly from under his. “I won’t just be working with gentlemen but with women, too. There’s a lot that can be done to make us all more appealing to a potential spouse.”
“Like telling widows to start kissing strangers?”
“Remembering to brush your hand against hers as if by accident to make her notice your interest,” she countered. “Smiling more often. There are a thousand ways to capture a woman’s heart other than with a hefty purse and lofty title like yours.”
Drew reached for her hand again. “You are a kind woman.”
She laughed and withdrew from his grip a second time. “Don’t think I’ll be doing it out of the goodness of my heart. I expect to be paid well for my advice to all of my clients.”
“How much?”
“I beg your pardon?”
He needed this woman in his life if he was going to make a match. Her insights were priceless. “How much would you charge to make a match for me?”
She was silent for a long time. “You’d really want me to help you find a wife?”
“Yes. Why not you?” He would do whatever it took to get past this hurdle, to have it over and done with at last.
She shook her head. “It might require many more blunt conversations like the one we had earlier in the library. That moment did not go as well as you expected, did it?”
He gulped at the thought of how well that moment of flirtation had gone. But he’d never discussed his sex life, or lack thereof, with a woman who was not sleeping with him first. And even then, there were some topics he’d never shared with his wife. Aurora Hillcrest was not a wife, but she was someone he cared about. She was a matchmaker now, though, and he couldn’t imagine her ever being indiscreet with his confidences. He was sure she could help him if he just put his faith in her, as he had before. “Name your price.”
Aurora suddenly pressed her hand to the window as she peered into the darkness. “Why haven’t we reached Wharton House yet?”
“I asked the driver to take the long way round London first.”
He imagined in the silence that followed that she glared at him, thinking the worst. He knew she had when she finally spoke. “That was presumptuous of you, and wicked too.”
He shrugged, although she likely couldn’t see the gesture. “I was desperate.”
She sighed. “You’re not desperate, my lord. Only a little misguided.”
Drew laughed at that. He’d missed hearing pithy offhand comments like that. He’d missed talking so candidly to her. He’d always felt he could tell her anything…and so he usually had.
“I’ve yet to hear a price,” he reminded her.
“I must be honest with you. You would be my first client as a matchmaker,” she confessed softly.
Her business couldn’t be that new. “Surely not?”
“The venture was only decided upon today, in fact. I need an occupation that is suited to my expertise and experience, and might pay well one day. But I’m under no illusion it will be easy to meet the right people at the right time in their lives.”
He thought about that for a moment. Starting anything new was a challenge. A lot depended on her reputation for delivering results. She could hone her craft on him if they could come to an arrangement about other matters. But to get what he hoped from her, he would need to speak to her with the same brutal honesty as she’d earlier bestowed upon him. He couldn’t let politeness come between him and making a second marriage. “Would a letter of recommendation from a satisfied client, along with a handsome payment for services rendered be helpful?”
“Yes, actually. I had already considered asking my first client for a reference.”