And he wasn’t sure how to make it better. Did she honestly hope for a proposal? He was not the sort of man a girl like her married. She’d spoken of the dangers of misalliance, and despite his education, he was nothing like her. No money, no connections. Even Clermont would be a better fit socially. They came from the same set.God, no. If she tried to marry Clermont, he’d set fire to the church.But Gideon Reed and one of the wealthiest young women in New York? The daughter of a lord?“You look as sour as a lemon, Mr. Reed. Did you and my daughter quarrel? I’ll bet that’s not all you were doing.”He’d forgotten the sharp, direct tongue on this woman. “I assure you we didn’t quarrel. I think she is feeling pressure for other reasons.”“The grand party we’re planning for one. My visit, for another. No, don’t try to deny it, sir.”He hadn’t tried to say a thing.“I know my daughter’s carefully kept household gets shaken by my visits. The place could use a little shaking, and so could my daughter.
