and clearly you know nothing about the complexity of business dealings.”
Rather than take offense, she squared her shoulders and forced a smile to her lips. “I daresay that I am only twenty-five, I am well acquainted with love, and my business dealings are none of your concern,” she countered. “Furthermore, I find it interesting that you have come into my home and choose to insult me.”
“I assure you that was not my intention.”
“Then what was?”
His eyes flashed with indignance and anger. “I think it would be best if I departed.”
“I agree, Lord Berkshire.”
He gave her a curt nod before he turned and departed from the room.
Katherine lowered herself onto her chair and let out a sigh. Good heavens, what an insufferable man! She was glad that she’d turned him down because she didn’t want anything to do with Lord Berkshire. Nothing good would come out of associating with that man. She was sure of it.
2
Two days later, Edward Simpson, the Marquess of Berkshire, was still reeling from his encounter with the presumptuous Miss Blackmore. How dare she speak to him in such a bold, direct manner! She should have curbed her sharp tongue around him, being mindful of her place. It was little wonder that she was unwed. No man would want to tie himself to a woman like her, no matter how beautiful she was.
And Miss Blackmore was undeniably beautiful. For the briefest of moments, she had beguiled him with her beautiful face, creamy skin, and eyes that spoke of extreme intellect and wit. But that all changed when she opened her mouth.
Frankly, he had been surprised by her age. He’d anticipated meeting a woman much older than she, especially since Miss Blackmore’s reputation amongst the ton was beyond reproach. But she was only twenty-five. How had she managed to establish herself as a matchmaker at such a young age?
“Blasted woman,” he muttered as he opened his ledger. Why couldn’t he just banish her from his thoughts and be done with it? She wasn’t worthy of his time or notice. She meant nothing to him.
His butler’s voice broke through his musings. “Did you hear me, milord?” Garvey asked.
“I did not,” he replied, bringing his gaze up.
Garvey’s expression remained stoic. “I assumed as much,” he remarked. “I wanted to inform you that your coach is ready and waiting out front.”
“Thank you,” Edward responded, rising from his chair. “Is my sister ready?”
“Yes, she is waiting for you in the drawing room.”
Reaching behind him, Edward retrieved his black jacket from the back of the chair and shrugged it on.
“Will there be anything else, sir?” his butler asked.
“That will be all.”
Garvey tipped his head and departed from the room without saying another word.
Edward exited his study and headed towards the drawing room. As he stepped inside, he saw his sister, Kitty, was sitting on an upholstered settee with a book in her hand.
“Are you ready to depart?” he asked.
In response, Kitty held up her finger before she turned the page in her book. Then another. And another.
Edward leaned his shoulder against the door frame, knowing that nothing he said would hurry his sister along. When she was reading, she refused to quit until she reached the end of the chapter.
Finally, after a long moment, Kitty closed the book and lowered it to her lap. “What a fantastic book this is turning out to be,” she remarked.
“May I ask what you are reading?”
Her eyes twinkled as she shared, “It is called ‘Pride and Prejudice’, and it is written by ‘A Lady’.”
Edward straightened from the door frame. “That sounds like rubbish. I’m unsure how I feel about you reading a book written by a lady. It just sounds like it would be full of fantastical nonsense and whatnot.”
Kitty cast him an annoyed look. “Don’t be so archaic, brother,” she drawled. “Would it be permissible for me to skip attending Lady Fitzroy’s soirée this evening so I may finish my book?”
“I think not.”
His sister pouted. “I don’t know why you insist I attend these soirees,” she remarked. “It is not as if I have any fun.”
“Then you need to make a greater attempt to enjoy yourself.”
Before Kitty rose from the settee, she placed the book into the reticule tied around her right wrist. “Hardly any gentlemen speak to me, and when they do, I get tongue-tied around them. Frankly, it is embarrassing.”
“You just need to practice more mingling amongst the ton,” he encouraged.
“I don’t know why I bother,” she replied. “The only man that I am