Ford frowned at Wye's remark about being poor. The ghost was likely just being sarcastic, but it hit too close to the truth for Ford to just laugh it off. He hoped his sisters weren't near enough to overhear and take that comment the wrong way. The last thing he needed was for Verity to get it into her head that they were nearing the workhouse door. He might have been gratified that Wye quickly moved on, if the next thing he said hadn't been even worse in its own way. Relieve the pressure. This was as sexually graphic a conversation as Ford had ever had (poetry, even the erotic variety, decidedly didn't count) and he could feel his cheeks growing hotter by the second.
"I'm not saving up to marry anyone," he said quickly — maybe snapped. He couldn't actually tell if he was irritated or just flustered. Ford didn't want to be talking about this any more. He didn't need Wye giving him advice about how to find a mistress, because he didn't want one — and now that he'd made the mental connection between mistresses and what he was doing (or planning to do) with Macnair, he didn't want to talk about this at all.
"I've got more than enough family already," he said dryly. Of course he didn't mean it; he loved all of his siblings, and Mama too, even though she could be maddening at times (most of the time, even). The idea of trying to marry someone himself when he still had three unwed sisters was patently ridiculous, however. Even if he did manage to get them all through this and see each of his sisters safely married to someone who could support them, he expected to be buried under debt the rest of his life (particularly if he had to keep looking after Mama). He couldn't in good conscious invite someone to share that kind of a life with him.
"I'm not saving up to marry anyone," he said quickly — maybe snapped. He couldn't actually tell if he was irritated or just flustered. Ford didn't want to be talking about this any more. He didn't need Wye giving him advice about how to find a mistress, because he didn't want one — and now that he'd made the mental connection between mistresses and what he was doing (or planning to do) with Macnair, he didn't want to talk about this at all.
"I've got more than enough family already," he said dryly. Of course he didn't mean it; he loved all of his siblings, and Mama too, even though she could be maddening at times (most of the time, even). The idea of trying to marry someone himself when he still had three unwed sisters was patently ridiculous, however. Even if he did manage to get them all through this and see each of his sisters safely married to someone who could support them, he expected to be buried under debt the rest of his life (particularly if he had to keep looking after Mama). He couldn't in good conscious invite someone to share that kind of a life with him.
Set by Lady!