Stealing the Lady's Heart

It was all his friends' fault, the duke thought sourly, sitting alone at a table in a dark corner of a crowded restaurant. He should never have agreed to come out for dinner and drinks with his three closest companions. They were, as they had proven in the past, nothing but trouble. But he was in a difficult situation and he needed their help. He was a land-poor noble, a rarity in this day and age. His father had left him an inheritance, but his mother and sisters had used up the money and run off to Paris. Now he was saddled with an enormous debt that had accumulated since his mother had absconded. The duke was a proud man, but he was also practical. He was in no way embarrassed by the fact that he needed to borrow money. After all, his friend had lent him a good deal of it before. But there was a difference between the small sums the duke had borrowed in the past and the astronomical amount he needed now. He knew the duke was his friend and would lend him the money, but the duke didn't want to burden his friend any more than necessary. He didn't want his friend to have to worry about his finances for the rest of his life. He took a deep breath. "I need a wife," he said. "A wife?" The duke raised an eyebrow. "Yes, a wife. You know, someone to manage the house and take care of the children." "You're getting married?" The duke sounded shocked. "Well, I'm not getting married to you," the duke's friend retorted, a little offended. "That's not what I meant. It's just, well, I've known you for years and I've never seen you show an interest in anyone before." "I don't see what my interest has to do with this. It's not as if you're going to have to pay for it. All you have to do is find a suitable candidate, preferably someone who doesn't come with too many expectations." "Why can't you find your own wife?" "Because I'm busy and I don't have time to go through all the trouble." "And you think I do?" "I thought you'd be interested in the money," the duke's friend replied.