Free The Courtesan's Wager by Claudia Dain Page B

beyond dispute: they did not enjoy being insulted. In fact, they had no toleration for it at all.
    “He is certainly unique in his height,” Sophia said blandly. Calbourne came as close to preening as a man could while seated. “You did remark upon that, did you not, Lady Amelia? Having met the man, can you now overlook what you had deemed a hindrance?”
    If there were any possible way to slap Sophia and get away with it, that is to say, continue to put forth the carefully constructed aura of demure reticence and breeding that Amelia had spent a lifetime perfecting, she would have done so in that instant. Calbourne, as to be expected, looked completely annoyed and he was staring right at her with an affronted and, strangely enough, disbelieving look. Did he not know that he was excessively tall? Did he not once think that a woman, a carefully reared woman, might find his size not a little off-putting?
    Oh, bother men and their vanity. It was such a cumbersome business to have to pet them at all times and about every single thing.
    “The duke is a most . . . that is, he gives every appearance,” Amelia stammered, “of being quite vigorous. Quite robust.”
    It wasn’t entirely a compliment, but it could hardly be deemed an insult either. Amelia sat very still and waited for the duke’s response.
    “You have a gift for understatement, Lady Amelia,” Sophia said before Calbourne could say anything at all. “The duke is quite vigorous and extremely robust. I have it on good authority.”
    Whereupon Calbourne looked quite close to blushing.
    “But he is also, and this must not be overlooked, extremely tall and not at all slight of frame. Was not your pronouncement that he was excessively tall?” Sophia said with a smile.
    “I am positive I did not say that ,” Amelia said briskly. “I am quite, quite positive that it is impossible to be excessively tall.”
    “Oh, come,” Sophia said on a trill of laughter, “what of Lady Beauchamp’s daughter? She is by every report extremely and most excessively tall.”
    “I am not interested in Lady Beauchamp’s daughter,” Amelia said through clenched teeth.
    “Neither am I,” Calbourne said. “If anyone’s interested.”
    “But of course you should not be,” Sophia said. “You would, between you, produce nothing short of giants. I can’t think what it would cost you in tailoring, your grace.”
    Whereupon Calbourne frowned and tugged on his right coat sleeve. Odd.
    “But we simply must keep on task, your grace, and that is why you must do all you can to assure Lady Amelia that your . . . size is not an issue.”
    Which of course put the most lurid emphasis on the issue. If Amelia were not so determined to interview a duke, she would leave this instant.
    She stayed.
    More importantly, Calbourne stayed.
    In the end, that was all that mattered. She simply must find a way to make a good impression on Calbourne. Even with his disturbing size and his even more disturbing sense of humor, she could not openly discount him. There were only so many dukes to go around, after all. She could not afford to be that particular.
    “I wonder if you would mind standing up, your grace,” Sophia said. “I should like for Lady Amelia to stand beside you. A couple, even so exalted a couple as a duke and his duchess, must appear well together.”
    Mrs. Warren snorted in obvious amusement.
    Aunt Mary snorted and shook her head a bit drunkenly, but she said nothing. Of all the times that Aunt Mary had spoken when it would have served Amelia better for her to be still, this was not one of them. Aunt Mary was, without qualification, the worst chaperone in the world. Fortunately for Amelia, she could usually make that work to her advantage. Now was not one of those times.
    “I do not think that is at all necessary,” Amelia said, feeling a blush color her cheeks. She only hoped it made her look virginal and appealing. She was perhaps beyond the point in this situation of appearing