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to remind her precisely why they were a wretched match.

Not that he would ever marry her, but a marriage between them would mean only one thing for Caroline, a loveless union. While she knew that the more time she spent with him, the more likely she was to fall in love with him completely, she was just as certain he’d never love her in return. Being married to Roe and not have him love her in return would be sentencing herself to a life of pain. She’d already loved and lost so many people, she feared that one more would possibly destroy her, irrevocably change her so she could no longer love other people. That one more would tip her over and dry up what was left of her ability to love others. Then what could she offer the orphans she planned to work with? No, she wasn’t willing to make that sacrifice.

Chapter Six

Roe entered the dining room to find his mother sitting there alone. “Good morning, Mother.” He poured himself a coffee, grabbed a piece of bread, and sat across the table from her.

“Monroe, you look…” She paused as if grappling for the right word. “…tired. Did you not sleep well?”

“I slept. Some.” He sipped his coffee and glanced around the room. “Where is Caroline? She does not strike me as a woman who stays in bed until noon.”

“No, she has always been an early riser. At home, she generally wakes up earlier than I do and goes for a walk on the grounds before she even has a cup of tea. This morning she has gone to inspect her family’s townhome. Evidently, the lessee died recently and she is looking into the house to see what to do with it next.” His mother took a slow sip of her tea. “I believe she has intentions to move in there herself.”

“Yes, she mentioned she planned to stay in London.” Roe was struck again with the notion of having Caroline close by all the time. As it was, he had difficulty keeping his hands to himself, especially since that kiss. But having her here permanently would be his undoing.

“Indeed.” His mother slathered a piece of bread with some preserves. “To be honest, I believe she’s been bored with our country life as of late. Perhaps it has all become too tedious for her. She’s too intelligent to be sitting around embroidering all day.” She took a bite and chewed thoughtfully.

He’d of course thought of Caroline over the years and had sent letters to his mother inquiring on her well-being. He even visited on occasion, but he’d never known precisely what Caroline did with her time. Evidently, she’d been playing cards and perfecting her game, as it were. “Is that what she does, she sews?”

“Absolutely not, she’s terrible with a needle and thread.” She waved her hand dismissively. “In any case, I’ve made arrangements to give her my board position with the Dover Street Girls’ Asylum.” She took a sip of her tea. “It will give her something to do whilst she’s here. Of course, she could always reintroduce herself to polite society, but I believe she has no intention of doing that.”

“Why ever would you give her that board position?” Roe drank the rest of his coffee, then stood to pour himself another cup. His mother had been on that board since the orphanage had been founded. It was a long-standing cause of hers. “It is your favorite charity, is it not?”

“It is, and the charity that I’ve been with the longest, though I haven’t been to a meeting in ages. Now my efforts and funds can go elsewhere. There are so many wonderful charities.” His mother placed her napkin on the table, then folded her hands in her lap. “Besides, the orphans are a special cause for Caroline, she feels a kinship with them. She needs to feel as if she’s giving them hope. I believe if she could, she’d take many of them home.”

“Yes, she mentioned as much, though it is a ridiculous notion, since a single woman is not allowed to take in orphans.” It was one more reason why he and Caroline could not be. He had no business raising children. He wasn’t a good example and had no intention of changing that. He’d thought to try it once, and had courted a woman with the intention of marrying her. But he’d let temptation get the better of him and had come face to face with