is going to change for me.”
After Kitty departed, Edward jabbed a hand through his hair. What was he going to do? It was unfathomable to him that Kitty could hold affection towards Mr. Kendall, a mere solicitor.
What was she thinking? That was the problem. She wasn’t. How was he going to get through to her? Then, a thought occurred to him. Miss Blackmore would know what to do. She had to.
Miss Blackmore would fix this. He was sure of it.
“Am I interested in dams?” Miss Teresa asked as she pushed her spectacles up higher on her nose.
Amelia nodded. “Yes, dams.”
“I don’t dislike dams,” Miss Teresa replied with a baffled look on her face.
“But are you interested in learning more about them?” Amelia pressed.
Miss Teresa brought the teacup up to her lips while saying, “I don’t see why not. I find that I am curious about a wide range of subjects, engineering being one of them.”
“That is wonderful news!” Hannah declared.
“Not to the gentlemen of the ton,” Miss Teresa remarked, lowering the cup to her lap. “They frown on women wanting to further their education.”
“That is true,” Amelia replied. “I agree with you that it is quite disappointing.”
“But, alas, there is nothing that we can do about it,” Miss Teresa sighed dramatically.
Katherine smiled at the dark-haired young woman. “I heard you attempted to sneak into a lecture at Oxford.”
A mischievous smile came to Miss Teresa’s face. “I did,” she replied. “Sadly, I was turned away at the door when one of the gentlemen recognized me.”
Katherine placed her empty teacup onto the tray. “You must be wondering why we invited you over for tea,” she said.
“I already know the reason why.”
“You do?” Katherine asked.
Miss Teresa gave her an amused look. “You are a matchmaker, and I must assume you believe I would be a good fit for one of your clients.”
Katherine gave her an approving nod. “I am impressed, Miss Teresa.”
Miss Teresa waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t be,” she said. “It was rather easy to deduce, and I must admit that I am flattered.”
“You are?” Amelia asked.
“I am,” Miss Teresa replied. “Most gentlemen consider me a bluestocking and hardly give me the time of day.”
Hannah brought the teacup down to her lap. “I am sorry to hear that.”
“It is something that I have become accustomed to,” Miss Teresa stated in a resigned voice.
Leaning forward in her chair, Amelia revealed, “We believe we found you a most brilliant match.”
“Truly?” Miss Teresa asked.
Amelia bobbed her head. “Truly,” she replied. “Are you familiar with Mr. Dunn, the second son of Lord Exeter?”
Miss Teresa shook her head. “I am not.”
“I am not surprised,” Hannah interjected. “He is much more interested in reading than attending balls and soirées.”
Miss Teresa perked up. “That pleases me immensely.”
“I am delighted to hear you say that,” Katherine responded. “Should we arrange a time for you two to meet, then?”
“I would be amenable to that,” Miss Teresa replied.
“We could invite you both over for tea and…” Her voice trailed off when Lord Berkshire stormed into the room. His eyes seemed frantic.
Katherine rose from her chair in alarm. “Is everything all right, Lord Berkshire?”
His brows were drawn together in a frown. “I need to speak to you, now,” he asserted, his voice gruff.
“Of course,” she replied before turning back towards Miss Teresa. “I apologize for leaving so soon, especially since we were having such a nice chat, but my sisters will be able to answer any questions that you may have.”
Miss Teresa smiled up at her. “Thank you, Miss Blackmore.”
Lord Berkshire’s eyes tracked her as she approached him. She stopped in front of him and lowered her voice so as not to be overheard. “Shall we adjourn to the gardens?” she suggested. “We will be able to converse freely there.”
“I would appreciate that,” he replied, extending his arm towards her.
Neither one of them spoke as they exited the townhouse and stepped onto the gravel footpath. Finally, Katherine decided to break the silence. “May I ask what has happened that has upset you so?”
Lord Berkshire didn’t answer her at first. Then, he let out a deep, heartfelt sigh. “How did you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Raise your sisters so well?”
“I take it that Kitty has done something to upset you,” she observed, removing her hand from his arm.
“She has,” he replied. “I feel like I am failing her.”
“You aren’t failing her,” she assured him.
“How do you know that?”
She smiled over at him. “Because you love your sister dearly, and you are doing the best that you