March 1814
England

Dear Interested Parties,

Today’s topic: G— St . V—, the future M— of S—

I’m willing to gamble two outdoor chaises and my infamous pink crocheted wrap that it will take:

1: my dedicated staff

2. my youthful (and by youthful, I mean eighty-two and three quarters years young) neighbor, Mike

3. my dog, Haypenny

4. a few purposely misplaced items, and

5. of course, myself…

…the better part of a two-week house party to turn G— St. V—’s life upside down.

And by upside down, I mean: he will be betrothed.

I know; I know…normally it doesn’t take me quite so long to work my meddling, er…magic, but I am working under extenuating circumstances. As we all know, the victim A: hasn’t been in the country for the better part of a year, B: is too stubborn by half, and C: is flat out determined not to marry. He isn’t even courting anyone for that matter, though honestly, I find his courting status, or the lack thereof, to be utterly immaterial…and temporary…thus, irrelevant.

Because I, Lady Harriett Ross, have found the future M— of S— the perfect bride. Everything else is inconsequential.

Besides, he needs this woman. She is utterly delightful, smart, and well, interested (though she may not realize it yet…ahem).

How could he possibly resist?

Don’t answer that.

And both victims—I mean, soon-to-be-happily-in-love-er-lovers—have accepted their respective invitations to my nephew’s next country house party. Serendipity? I think not.

If I have anything to say about the matter (and I always have something to say about matters), they’re both doomed…

Oh, did I say doomed? I mean, destined…to a long life filled with love and happiness. Eventually.

So if you’ve received one of my nephew’s coveted invitations, accept it at once. You won’t want to miss out. I hear the appetizers are to die for, the company top notch, the country air conducive to romance, and the entertainment—watching a young couple fall in love—swoon worthy.

I hope to see you there!

Lady Harriett Ross
Bloomfield Place
Bath, England

I’m just an old woman with opinions. On everything.

Harriett Ross is a delightful secondary character who appears in every book of Amy Quinton’s Agents of Change series. She is the Marquess of Dansbury’s beloved aunt and is looking to create her own spin-off series of match-making tales. For now, you can find her in any one of the Agents of Change books, including the wildly popular: What the Marquess Sees.

Read more about this and other stories in the Agents of Change series here.