is not at all what we are saying,” Amelia responded with a shake of her head. “We are just asking you to not speak so plainly to gentlemen that you have only recently become acquainted with.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand, then,” Miss Olivia replied. “No one asks a man not to speak his mind.”
“That is true, but you were born a woman,” Amelia stated. “And there are certain restrictions we must adhere to.”
“Those rules are stupid,” Miss Olivia complained, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I am not going to disagree with you there,” Amelia started, “but we must follow the rules of Society if we wish to have a place within it.”
“Such as?”
“A lady is expected to behave with courteous dignity at all times,” Amelia explained. “If engaged in conversation, you can speak on a wide range of topics, but do not explicitly express your opinion. That is generally frowned upon.”
“Perhaps I should choose to remain a spinster,” Miss Olivia suggested indignantly.
“And become a drain on your family’s household?” Amelia questioned, shifting her gaze towards Katherine.
Reading the plea for help in her sister’s eyes, Katherine spoke up. “You must understand that everyone wishes to be the smartest one in the room, especially the gentlemen.” She smiled. “We are merely asking you to curb your tongue until you become more acquainted with a potential suitor.”
“You want me to pretend to be something I am not?” Miss Olivia questioned.
“Heavens, no!” Katherine declared. “You are unique, as is everyone else. And we want you to embrace that uniqueness.”
“I just find it disheartening that I am unable to discuss poetry, philosophy, or physics with the gentlemen that I associate with,” Miss Olivia muttered defiantly.
Hannah interjected, “In a card game, does the player show his winning hand up front?”
“I suppose not,” Miss Olivia admitted, uncrossing her arms.
“Neither should you,” Hannah explained as she reached for her teacup. “You play the game, by the rules, until it is time to show your winning hand.”
“I am beginning to understand now,” Miss Olivia said. “But I think it is rather foolhardy that I have to hide my intellectual prowess from the gentlemen of the ton to earn their favor.”
“Only until you become more acquainted,” Katherine pressed. “Until then, you should continue conversing only with polite conversation.”
Miss Olivia let out a groan. “I tire of talking about the weather, the state of the garden, or how accomplished I am,” she grumbled. “I want to discuss more substantial subjects.”
Katherine smiled. “On a good note, I believe we have found you a potential suitor.”
Miss Olivia straightened in her chair. “You have?”
“We have,” Amelia replied. “We were speaking to our dear friend, Lady Hawkins, and she mentioned her son, Lord George, has recently become interested in matrimony.”
“Is that so?” Miss Olivia asked eagerly. “Will you tell me about him?”
“Well, he is a professor at Oxford who teaches experimental philosophy, and he is thirty-two years old,” Amelia listed. “His mother said his main hobbies include reading, preparing for his lessons, and bird watching.”
Katherine added, “He also has a two-level library in his townhouse, which houses their family’s book collection.”
A broad smile came to Miss Olivia’s face. “Do you suppose he will let me see his library?”
“Perhaps we should take one thing at a time,” Hannah responded, amused.
“We have already arranged for Lady Hawkins and Lord George to come over for tea tomorrow afternoon,” Katherine revealed.
Miss Olivia jumped up from her seat and spun in a circle.
Amelia laughed. “I take it that you are pleased.”
“That I am,” Miss Olivia responded gleefully as she came to a stop. “I am excited to meet Lord George. He sounds exactly like a man that I would want to become acquainted with.”
Hannah gave Miss Olivia a pointed look. “You must remember not to blurt out anything and remember to keep the conversation light.”
Miss Olivia bit her lower lip as she glanced between them. “Will you not be joining me?” she questioned.
“No, we will all be there,” Katherine answered encouragingly. “We wouldn’t miss this opportunity.”
At that moment, Cooper stepped into the room. “Miss Olivia’s coach has arrived and is waiting out front,” he announced.
Miss Olivia quickly went to embrace each one of them before she practically skipped out of the drawing room.
“Have either of you met Lord George?” Hannah asked, glancing between her sisters.
Katherine nodded. “I have, and he is very pleasant,” she said. “Lady Hawkins and I are both quite confident that Miss Olivia and Lord George could be a brilliant match. Not only do they share similar