The Husband Hunt (Madison Sisters 3)

"Aye," Lisa said with a grimace, and Christiana turned to pick up a glass beside the bed.

"The doctor left a tincture for you. He said it would help, but would make you a bit woozy. So don't get up and try to move around after you take it. "

Lisa sat up with Suzette's help to drink the tincture. Once she'd downed the last of it, she sank back with a little sigh and then asked, "Is Robert here?"

"Across the hall," Christiana answered, setting the empty glass down.

"Oh," Lisa said quietly, and then glanced at Christiana sharply. "How are you?"

Christiana's eyebrows rose slightly. "I am fine. I was not the one knocked out or stabbed. "

"Yes, but all this excitement cannot be good for the baby. You should rest," Lisa said firmly.

"The baby?" Christiana said blankly.

"Robert told me that you are with child," Lisa said solemnly. "I wish you had told me yourself. I - "

"With child!" Suzette squawked, glaring at Christiana. "And you did not tell me?"

"I did not tell you because I am not with child," Christiana said dryly to Suzette and then glanced back to

Lisa. "Robert said I was?"

"Yes. He said that was why he had to watch over me and we could not hire a body guard. You would ask questions and might get upset and lose the baby again," Lisa explained.

"Well, that might be a concern if I were with child. But I'm not," she said impatiently and then asked with bewilderment, "Where the devil would he get an idea like that?"

"Ah. " That sound from the door made all three women glance that way to find Richard standing there with Daniel at his back. At least Daniel started at his back, but Richard now collared his friend and urged him forward into the room, saying dryly, "Ask Mr. I'vegot- a-plan here. "

"Daniel?" Suzette asked with surprise. "Did you tell Robert that Christiana was with child?"

"Yes, actually, my love, I did," he admitted without shame as he moved around the bed to stand behind her. He bent to press a kiss to her forehead as she tilted her head back to look at him, and then shrugged and said, "It was the thing to do. "

"Why on earth would you do that?" Christiana asked with amazement, covering Richard's hand with her own when he paused behind her and set it on her shoulder.

"Because it meant a guard couldn't be hired to watch out for Lisa and that Robert would have to do it himself," Daniel said simply. "Which he really wanted to do anyway. I just gave him the excuse he needed to move in here and do it. "

"What?" Lisa asked with bewilderment.

Daniel glanced to her and smiled gently. "Lisa, my dear, Robert loves you. And not like a little sister," he added dryly. "But he's allowing his fears to prevent him doing anything about it. He needed a nudge, so I supplied it. When this business with Mrs. Morgan came up, he suggested an around-the-clock guard on you, but I said Christiana was with child again and that the worry of this business might cause her to lose the child. We would have to look out for you ourselves. "

"But you haven't looked after me at all," she pointed out dryly. "It is Robert who has been with me night and day since - " "Wait. What business with Mrs. Morgan?" Christiana

interrupted with a frown and then glanced to Lisa. "Have you seen that woman since coming to London?"

When Lisa grimaced, it was Richard who quickly explained about her tea and all that had followed.

"Damn," Suzette muttered. "We should have known she was up to no good. No proper lady would be giving young girls books like that one about Fanny. "

"Never mind that," Christiana said impatiently and turned to glare at her husband. "Why did you not tell us about this Mrs. Morgan business?"

"Because then you and Suzette wouldn't have let Lisa out of your sight," Daniel explained for him.

"Too right we wouldn't have," Suzette said dryly.

"Which wouldn't have given Robert the chance to realize his feelings," Daniel pointed out calmly, and then returned his glance to Lisa and added, "And, no, Richard and I haven't been watching out for you. We trusted that to Robert. In fact, we've been keeping Suzette and Christiana away as much as possible to leave him here alone with you. " He paused and raised an eyebrow. "How has that been going?"

Lisa scowled at her brother-in-law. "Not all that well, thank you very much. He's stubborn and stupid and . . . male," she finished with disgust.

"Has he kissed you or anything?" Suzette asked. Lisa snapped her mouth closed, but could feel the heat of the blush that bloomed on her face.

"He has, hasn't he?" Suzette crowed.

"Once," she acknowledged shortly. "But he's also been a horrible ogre, nasty and short-tempered and most unpleasant. " "He's jealous that all your suitors are fawning all over you," Daniel said with a shrug. "That's a good sign. "

Lisa peered at him uncertainly. She'd come to the sad conclusion that Robert simply didn't love her and that explained his lack of interest in marriage. That if the right girl had come along, one he did actually love, he would change his mind. But Daniel was suggesting that Robert did love her. Biting her lip, she asked. "Why do you think he loves me?"

When Daniel merely burst out laughing at the question, it was Richard who said gently, "Lisa, every other word out of his mouth is your name when we are with him. Lisa likes these almond pastries too. Lisa is coming to town next month, next week, tomorrow. Lisa would have enjoyed this play. Lisa would have liked that. " He smiled gently. "We have known he cared for you for quite some time, and had hoped he would get over his worries about the supposed Langley curse on his own. "

"What curse?" Suzette interrupted with surprise.

"Surely you know about his father's marriage? The rumors floating around about Lady Langley's affair with Gower?"

"Oh, well yes," Suzette admitted with a frown, and then added, "But that is just gossip. "

"I'm afraid it's not," Daniel said solemnly. "Gower has been bragging for years about his long-standing affair with Lady Langley. "

"Oh dear," Christiana murmured.

"Hmm. " Richard nodded and squeezed her shoulder. "But she is only the latest in a long line of unfaithful wives to the Lords of Langley. Robert's father raised him on the belief that it was a curse on the Langley men and told him he may as well get used to the idea that one day he would find his own wife grunting in a stall with his stable master. "

"Oh my," Christiana said with distaste. "What a horrid thing to tell him. "

"Why did he never tell us any of this?" Suzette asked with a frown.

"It isn't exactly proper conversation for ladies," Daniel said dryly, and when she looked about to protest, added, "I know the three of you have been as close as siblings to him. And that is probably what saved him. But - "

"What do you mean by saved him?" Lisa interrupted.

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "Well, what kind of man do you think would come out of having his ear filled with such rot by a bitter father?"

Lisa considered it, her eyes widening as she realized it would have been a bitter, woman-hating man.

"Exactly," Daniel said as if she'd spoken the words aloud. "I suspect his friendship with the three of you, and knowing you were all fine females and faithful friends is all that kept him from becoming as bitter and angry as his father and grandfather before him. "

He let that sink in and then added, "However, even knowing the three of you hasn't completely eradicated the effects of being fed such drivel all his life. He fears that if he gives in to his feelings and marries Lisa, he too could incur the curse and find himself cuckolded. "

"He thinks I would be unfaithful?" Lisa squawked with outrage. "Do not take it personally," Richard said soothingly. "I suspect it is so ingrained, he thinks it is impossible for it not to happen. That the curse would make you do it. "

"What rot," Lisa snapped. "Nothing and no one makes me do anything I do not wish. And I simply would not be unfaithful to my husband, no matter who he was or what he did. I would not break vows made before God. "

"She wouldn't either," Christiana said staunchly. "Our Lisa is as faithful and loyal as a dog. "

"Thank you," Lisa said, and then frowned because really, faithful and loyal as a dog simply didn't sound very attractive at all.

"Yes, well it is not I who think you would be unfaithful," Daniel said reasonably. "And Robert probably doesn't even really believe that himself, it is simply what he has been raised to believe it will most certainly happen. An irrational fear, but it's keeping him from what he wants most anyway. "

Lisa frowned over this and plucked at the blanket covering her, but finally asked plaintively, "Well, how am I supposed to help him over this fear?"

"I am not sure you really can," Daniel admitted regretfully. "I suspect your best bet is to compromise him and force him to marry you. "

Lisa's mouth dropped in amazement and then she asked, "Are you suggesting I seduce him, ensure we are caught and that he has to marry me?"

"No, of course he isn't," Richard said coldly, glaring at his friend.

"But of course," Suzette said at the same moment. "That would work. Robert is t

oo much a gentleman not to marry you if you were caught in a compromising situation. And once you are married, he will see that you are faithful and good and give up his fears. " "Oh, Suzette, I don't know," Christiana said uncertainly.

"Forcing him into marriage . . . Well, Robert might be very angry. It could start them off badly. "

"But it would start them off," Suzette argued. "Which is surely better than her marrying someone else and longing for Robert all her life while he mopes about kicking himself for losing her. At least they would be miserable together rather than apart. "

"Something without misery would be better still," Richard said dryly.

"All right," Suzette said with a shrug. "So what do you suggest?" There was silence as Christiana and Richard exchanged glances and then Christiana sighed. "I don't know. I guess we should all think about it. "

"You'd best think quickly then," Daniel said quietly. "Robert is here now and in bed, which would surely make her seducing him easy. But once the Bow Street runners return with the name of the suitor . . . Well, there will be no reason for him to even stay here. And I suspect he will retreat as quickly and far away as he can once that happens and when he does, her chance will be lost. "

Lisa frowned at his words, knowing they were true. Time was ticking away. If she wanted to win Robert, she had to do it soon, or she might lose her chance altogether.