“Bribery.”

“For most, it was enough. For the rest…” He turned to his desk and sat on the edge of it, gently swinging his foot as he watched her. “An amazing number of Elliots are addicted to gaming. A family weakness, I suppose. I merely bought a number of their vowels, which they could not repay, of course, and threatened to send them to gaol if they did not change their way of life.”

“And that worked?”

“To a great degree, yes. Gaol is not something men and women of fashion long for.”

Anna could only guess at the amount of determination it had taken for one man to bring an entire family of wastrels to heel. She looked at Anthony with new eyes, noting the tiny laugh lines that creased the edges of his eyes and the firm set of his mouth. He’d fought hard for his family honor. Fought and won.

He met her gaze with an easy lift of his brows that sent her heart thumping wildly. “And you, Thraxton? What challenges do you face?”

“Grandpapa. Trust me, that is quite enough.”

“He is a very interesting man. He comes to visit now and again. I lend him books and we discuss shipping, investments, reform work, classical literature—he can converse about any topic you wish.”

“At one time, he had investments in over twenty different ports. Unfortunately, his last ventures were not so successful.”

“Ah, yes. So he told me, though he seems hopeful of making a recovery.”

It was nice, standing there, talking to Greyley about their families. But it was just an illusion of intimacy, a hint of what could have been, if circumstances had been different for them both.

Anna swallowed a sudden lump of hurt. “I really must be going. The children are working on a play.”

He quirked a brow. “I’m not going to have to sit through it, am I?”

“Every minute. Furthermore, you will applaud wildly when the time comes and you will even ask for an encore.”

“I’ll do it,” he said, his eyes glinting warmly. “But just for you.”

“No. You’ll do it for the children. Because it will make them happy.”

“For the children, then,” he agreed with amazing alacrity. His gaze softened, caressing and exploring until a shiver wracked her spine. “I’ll have you to bed, Anna. And when I do, you’ll see why we are meant to be.”

If she were to walk to him right now, he would enfold her in his arms and kiss her senseless, which sounded perfectly and absolutely wonderful. She yearned to throw caution to the wind, to ignore her obligations, to ignore the fact that he was promised to another, but she couldn’t. “Good-bye, Greyley.”

Gathering her tattered resolution, Anna left. As soon as the door was securely closed behind her, she paused to regain her breath and restore peace to her thudding heart.

“What a surprise to find you here.”

The shrill voice made Anna sigh. Lady Putney faced her in the narrow hallway, her painted face garish in the harsh afternoon light.