Potent Charms by Peggy Waide Page A

would never again share such a moment with
her father, or possibly even return home, Phoebe's excitement ebbed, her mood changing to wistfulness.
    Elizabeth placed a dainty hand on Phoebe's. "I know how difficult this must be. When my father died, I missed
him horribly. My mother told me I would always think of
him, but one day the pain would leave, replaced by marvelous memories. It did. Then I met Winston. I trust you
will find such happiness in England."

    "I have hope."
    "Splendid. Now, no more dreary thoughts. Tell me about
your morning."
    "It was downright tedious. Since word of my situation
spread, I'm swamped with callers. Hildegard becomes
more irritated, Charity crawls into herself like a poor baby
bird afraid she'll trip or stumble or such, and my nanny sits
in a corner, grumbling and grimacing. I simply find the
mess exhausting. Lands alive, I never realized so many
men lacked a title or funds."
    Sunlight bounced off Elizabeth's pink parasol as it
twirled in circles while she talked. "Please don't misunderstand me, but some men probably came out of curiosity.
You are the current denier cri. The rage."
    "What fiddle-faddle. Last night at the ball, I danced with
a lord who wheezed the entire time while using his cane as
a prop. After which he proposed. Only thing is, I wasn't
sure if he was asking the marble statue he stood beside or
me. Charity said he was fifty-two. Can you imagine? Why,
just today I discussed the weather at least fourteen different times. My favorite card games and the flowers of my
choice were also popular subjects. I made the grave mistake of mentioning Napoleon. You could have heard a
mouse sneeze."
    "Heaven forbid we should discuss such topics," Elizabeth confessed, "lest we embarrass ourselves."
    "I fear I made an even worse mistake than that. I mentioned I read Dante's Inferno. Aunt Hildegard nearly fell
from her chair. But I refuse to play an ignorant hen."

    "Good for you. Thankfully, unlike many men, Winston
enjoys intelligent conversation. Has anyone in particular
garnered your attention?"
    "Not the way I hoped. It's quite discouraging. Sir Lemmer hovers nearby at every opportunity, which pleases
Aunt Hildegard to no end. Why just this morning, he intimidated poor Sir Ellwood, who really stopped by to visit
Charity, into leaving after only five minutes. The poor fellow managed to exit without any accidents, but Sir Lemmer lingered a good hour." Remembering Lemmer's
expression as he'd sat next to her, fuming like a jealous
husband, she shivered. Real or imagined, the man's manner disturbed her in a most unpleasant way.
    "Sir Lemmer has a rather unpleasant nature," said Elizabeth as she absently waved to a couple in a passing carriage. "I know for a fact that both Winston and Stephen
dislike him, and Sir Lemmer despises Stephen. I recommend you look elsewhere for a spouse." Turning back to
face Phoebe, Elizabeth said, "In fact, I am going to be a
rude sneaky-beak and say I think you and Stephen might
make a go of it. He needs a wife."
    "I assure you, given my few encounters with the man,
he'd disagree."
    Elizabeth leaned forward, her parasol shading both
women. "He has not been as preoccupied with a woman in
years. He wants you but is afraid to take a chance. The
stubborn fool is a dear friend of mine who seems doomed
to isolation and loneliness. All of his own choosing. I, on
the other hand, believe he deserves every ounce of happiness that comes his way."
    Two deep notes resonated through the air as Big Ben
signaled the new hour. Phoebe admired the distant gothic
towers of Westminster Abbey, silently debating whether to
pursue the topic of Stephen. She decided a better opportunity might not present itself, but she couldn't quite come out and ask if he had, in fact, murdered his first two wives.
If he'd had two wives, she reminded herself. "How do you
know Stephen so well?"

    "Our estates bordered one another. Though he's ten
years my elder, we