She shoved him away with a laugh and turned to Christopher.“What are you looking for in a wife?”
“Perfection,” Nick answered dryly before Christopher had a chance to reply.
His brother was only half right.
“It isn’t just a matter of finding the perfect woman,” he said carefully.“I need to be the perfect match for her, too.”
Nick’s gaze met his and he nodded in understanding.
When their mother had walked away from their unhappy home never to return, she hadn’t just left their horrid father.She had tossed aside the entire family.
He could not go through that again.
Only by finding a woman who was a one-hundred-percent match to him in all things could Christopher be certain their union would have a chance.
“You don’t want a meaningless affair,” Penelope prompted.“You want a woman who…”
“Shares my interests,” Christopher said.“That should be a good foundation.”
Nick ticked traits off on his fingers.“Unwillingness to put down roots, proclivity toward pedantic fact-checking, improbable command of languages, inability to suffer a mistake in silence, obsession with fact-gathering in order to always be right—”
“You’re repeating yourself with different phrasing,” Christopher said in irritation.
“I rest my case,” his brother murmured.“This is going to be fun.”
Penelope waved this aside.“Ignore him.Tell me in your own words.”
Christopher thought it over.“I don’t think it unreasonable to hope for someone sensible.It’s not just a matter of respecting facts and figures.I need someone who can be counted on.”
“That’s not a wife,” Nick said.“That’s an abacus.”
“Conformity to rules isn’t a bad thing,” Christopher pointed out.“In a few weeks, you and Penelope are going to make your vows before God.But neither church nor state canmakeyou comply.A successful marriage is something two people choose to share.”
The amusement faded from his brother’s eyes.He understood at once.“We will not repeat their mistakes.”
The worst moments of their childhood could be traced back to lack of fidelity.Father had not upheld his vows.Or values of any kind.When Mother left, she broke hers, too.Including the unspoken bonds that should have existed between a mother and her sons.
They had learned all too well the disastrous results of imperfect unions.A perfect match was the only way to ensure a marriage that would last.
“Wanting someone who keeps her word is a perfectly understandable requirement,” Penelope said.“Don’t worry.I grew up in this town.They’re all good people.It won’t be hard to find a nice young woman.”
“There’s too many,” Christopher muttered.
Nick stared at him.“What are you talking about?I’ve seen more women stuffed into Almack’s than live in this village.”
“Yes, well.”Christopher shrugged.“Now that you are taken, they’re all throwing themselves at me at once.If I can’t locate a good match in the smallest town in England, London will be a thousand times worse.”
“Easy.”Penelope snuggled against Nick.“You need a matchmaker.”
Christopher blinked.“A what?”
“It solves everything at once,” she explained.“You won’t need to interview every woman in Christmas, because the matchmaker will already know everyone.You need only detail your preferences, and she will find the right bride.You’ll be done inside of a week.”
Christopher held perfectly still.“I could make a match within a sennight?”
“When is your next trip?”Nick asked.
“Port of London in three weeks.”Christopher’s chest filled with hope.“I purchased double passage just in case.”
