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.One friend pined over a married lady an ocean away, another tried to shuck his responsibility to marry a perfectly acceptable young lady, and, he, a duke, was forced to deal with Miss Hamilton––an innocent he lusted after on a daily basis.“You know what I think, Amesbury?” Thomas began.“I think Lady Beth is an exceptional choice for a bride, and you should resign yourself to your fate.”“Easy for you to say.You’re not going to be leg-shackled in four months’ time,” Amesbury said as he frowned at the empty glass in his hand.“Indeed I’m not.But you could think of yourself as lucky because Myles and I still have to find a bride amongst the debutantes that are left.” Thomas picked up his glass in a salute.“You have chosen the diamond among lesser gems.”“Here, here,” Myles added.CHAPTER EIGHTEmma had just changed into her night rail when Amelia and Bella burst through her bedchamber door.Both were dressed in long, flowing white robes, and both plopped down on her bed without asking.She could get used to this closeness with them.They reminded her of Amy and Penelope, on the other side of the ocean.She swallowed a lump in her throat.She missed her friends.Still, hadn’t she always wondered what it would have been like to have a sister? She had the feeling she was about to find out.“Well,” Amelia smiled, “Bella and I want to hear everything about America.”Emma laughed with a lightheartedness she hadn’t felt in a long time, and she joined the two sisters on her bed.“Like what?”“Like what?” Bella asked, her eyes wide as saucers.“Like everything and anything about American men.”“To tell you the truth, I didn’t meet many.My father kept me protected from the outside world.”Bella looked positively devastated.“You mean you never flirted with a gentleman or stole a kiss in a dark corner?”Amelia gasped.“Bella, you have never done such things either.”“I know,” Bella agreed with dreamy eyes.“But by this time next week we will make our debut.” She sighed and flopped back on the bed, her arms spread wide.“We will actually have the chance to use our dancing skills with gentlemen.No more partnering with females fighting over who will lead.We can use our fans to flirt and send men scurrying toward the punch bowl, each one hoping to be the first to return with our refreshments.”“If you don’t behave…” Amelia eyed her sister.“Thomas will send you home and pick your husband himself.”Bella sprang up.“You are so right, sister.” She shuddered.“I’ll be the picture of a perfect, meek debutante.I’ll only speak when spoken to and will look shy and innocent behind my fan.And dance the waltz with the perfect arm’s length between my partner and me.And I will never, ever leave the ballroom with a gentleman––no matter how handsome and charming he is or how weak in the knees he makes me.”All three young ladies sighed loudly.“Weak in the knees…” Amelia moaned.“Do you think that really happens?”Bella giggled.“I hope so.I have read about it in gothic novels and in Lord Byron’s poems.Not that he says it in those words exactly.But oh, I do hope it is true.To meet a man who makes my heart pound… My hands itch to touch his naked flesh and cause flames to burn in my loins.”“Bella!” her sister admonished.“You have been reading naughty things.”“Oh, Bella, do tell,” Emma requested shyly.Bella smiled coquettishly as she scooted up on her knees.“I found the most tantalizing book in Sebastian’s room.It had illustrations and everything, although I’m not quite sure how some of the positions worked.How one would bend like that.There was one drawing of a naked man’s large pizzle.” Bella giggled.“It looked rather strange standing up against his stomach, with large, round twin balls hanging down below.A woman was stroking his manhood, and one drawing showed her mouth kissing it.” Bella shivered
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