“I may be able to help you. Fortunately, we were not much affected by the grippe. Consequently, we have older sons looking to go out on their own. Perhaps we could compare your needs with our people who would like to move to a new area.”

John almost dropped his jaw. He was stunned. Nay. He was astonished. Yes, he knew she was intelligent, but he had no idea she was so . . . so . . . He couldn’t find the word. Organized? Willing to immediately assist him? Rather, willing to assist others. His growing understanding of the wife he needed had been right. Lady Eleanor Carpenter was exactly the type of lady he wanted and needed. “Yes, I would like that very much. Should we speak with Worthington?”

She fluttered her hand. “There is no need. I know what must be done. Once the decision is made, I will tell him about it.”

John knew enough about her brother to surmise he would not allow anyone to make those kinds of decisions unless they were well trained and knowledgeable. It suddenly dawned on him that there was much more to Eleanor than he could have imagined. “When would you like to discuss the matter?”

“I will make up a list, and you should do so as well. Then we will consult each other. I am certain my sister will allow us to use her study, or perhaps the morning room would be a better place. The desk there is set up for more than one person.”

John prayed it would be soon. His steward was becoming more and more desperate. “Let me know when you are ready.”

“I will.” She smiled at him briefly, then her gaze was drawn away. “Oh, there is Lady Merton and my sisters Kenilworth and Rothwell. We must greet them.”

Drat. Why couldn’t she have continued to look only at him? He drew up to the Merton landau. “Good afternoon.” The three ladies greeted him and Eleanor. That was when he noticed the four little girls as well. “Ladies Alexandra, Vivienne, Constance, and Elizabeth, I wish you a good day.”

All four girls smiled and inclined their heads in exactly the same manner the older ladies had.

“We should go,” Eleanor said. “We are holding up traffic.”

Once they’d driven on, he turned to her. “Were you taken for carriage rides during the Grand Strut when you were young?”

She shook her head. “No. My parents died within a year of each other when I was around their age. Grace did start bringing us with her the year we came to Town for my sisters’ and cousin’s come outs. I believe those rides helped us become accustomed to Town. I suppose that is the reason the little girls are out today.”