But it was the grace with which Ria had accepted it that most riveted him.What was the point of James’s overwrought gallantry? Geoffrey hoped James was not sincerely wooing her. Ria was too good for James. Startled to find himself thinking this after the way she’d irritated and unsettled him, he amended to himself that, despite her many faults, she was too good for James.James was a womanizer and a wastrel. He did not know how to keep two shillings in his pocket. It was rumored that his family fortunes were low and James would have to procure a rich wife in order to maintain the lifestyle to which he was accustomed. That would leave Ria out of the running. Ria had clearly returned from Australia without a shilling to her name. She was due an inheritance from her father, but it would not be large enough to support opulent living.Ria stood still as a statue as he approached. The bright red flower in her hand set off the dark gray gown she wore. Behind her, the Crystal Palace glinted in the sun.
