Moonlight Becomes You: a short story by Linda Winstead Jones

guiding hand."
    "Mrs. Sedley..." Julian began, anxious to cut the elderly lady off before this conversation went any further. The longer he stood there, the more desperately she pleaded, the more difficult it would be to say no.
    Apparently she knew his weakness quite well. She did not give him an opportunity to continue. "A tutor is not enough," Mrs. Sedley said quickly. "Anya needs someone to take her well in hand. Someone of high moral character who will dedicate himself twenty-four hours a day to her reformation. Someone who—"
    "Mrs. Sedley..." Julian tried again.
    "A husband who will take this wild creature and transform her into the lady she should be," the old woman finished, undaunted by the interruption.
    "A husband? Mrs. Sedley, surely you don't expect—"
    "Your grandfather was a good friend of mine," she interrupted.
    "I know."
    "He shared your interests," she said, walking unerringly toward him, the gleam in her eyes strong and intelligent. Elizabeth Sedley would soon be sixty-eight years old. Her face might be wrinkled, her hair snow white, but there was youth and vigor in her eyes. "A study of cultures not our own, a dedication to academics."
    She played on his weakness. A physician by training, Julian had no tolerance for sick people. He was awkward around his patients and much preferred research. Like his grandfather, he was fascinated by tribal cultures. Their similarities the world round. Their differences. Unfortunately, such study would take years. A lifetime. And it would also take lots of money—money he did not have, thanks to his father's love for and bad luck with games of chance.
    Mrs. Sedley faced him bravely, tilting her head to look him in the eye. "Marry my granddaughter," she said succinctly. "Turn her into a young woman worthy of her station by her twenty-first birthday, and you shall have your own ship from the Sedley line, a worthy crew, supplies, and whatever funds you need to get your studies underway."
    Julian's heart thudded. He was not so sure he would be able to hide his excitement. "When is her twenty-first birthday?"
    "September 15. You will have just over four months to complete the task."
    From what he had heard, four months would not be nearly enough time to tame the beast. Still, the rewards were high. "And what does Anya think of this plan?"
    Mrs. Sedley's lips thinned. "She knows only that I have set about finding her a husband."
    "And what does she think of that?"
    The old woman's eyes flitted away nervously. "She seems quite willing to take that step."
    "Why will another, more dedicated tutor not do as well as a husband?"
    Mrs. Sedley sighed. "Anya responds better to men than to women, I have found. The companions we hired almost always left here in tears. And for her training to be effective, her tutor needs to be here twenty-four hours a day. There can be no rest, no respite from this task." She laid her eyes on Julian. "And I need no more scandal. If you live under this roof, you must marry her."
    "I see your reasoning," he began, "but marriage seems a bit extreme."
    "Anya's portion of the Sedley fortune will be hers when she turns twenty-one." Mrs. Sedley's voice was all business, now. "She will be prey for every fortune hunter on the east coast, and she is so impulsive I fear... I fear she will choose the wrong man, if she's given the opportunity to choose for herself. Even when you are away on your travels, you will be her husband, and so you will protect her from the vultures."
    "I see."
    "Julian," she said, her voice changing to a more maternal tone. "I have made up my mind. What Anya needs is a husband. I called upon you for this task for many reasons. I admired your grandfather greatly, and you are a man of high moral character, as he was. I read your latest pamphlet on the degenerating moral character of our nation, and I must say, it played a great role in my decision."
    Julian looked humbly to the floor. "I appreciate your confidence." And yet...
    "That said,"