Chapter 11
Isolde went down to breakfast the next morning feeling all out of sorts, having struggled to sleep after seeing Thaddeus in the library.
Her mind would not stop replaying the moment she’d kissed his cheek. She’d been surprised at her own boldness, but he had looked at her with such fondness that she’d forgotten herself.
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she made her way to the table and was pleased to see Thaddeus was sitting at the head of it. Her heart felt lighter seeing him back here, where she felt he belonged. And she had been worried that he would avoid her after the kiss.
Her excitement at his presence soon faded, however, when he barely gave her a second glance.
Trying to conceal how much that hurt, she took her place at the table.
He continued to ignore her for the rest of breakfast, and now she wondered if he was angry with her.
He had not seemed angry last night, even after the kiss.
He had been formal with her, but his hand had held onto hers, and she could have sworn she did not mistake the way he looked at her.
Perhaps she was wrong, though – just seeing what she wanted to see.
She was still lost in these thoughts when Thaddeus spoke.
“Mother, I have been meaning to speak to you about the annual hunt. I’ve decided I would like to continue the tradition. How soon do you think we might be ready to hold it?”
Lady Hartington contemplated the question.
“Fairly soon, I should think. The staff are well accustomed to preparing it, and our friends all expect it. I have had a few inquire about it, many who say they’ve set next week aside and want to know if they should continue to hold it.
Thaddeus nodded.
“Tell them we are moving forward with it. I shall write to invite the others this morning. Let us set the opening date for the end of the week.”
A hunt? Isolde had never been part of a hunt before. She was intrigued at what it would involve but could not help feeling sad that this hunt was apparently worthy of more of Thaddeus’s attention than she was.
Soon after, Thaddeus excused himself to write the invitations and finish some business affairs. Likewise, Lady Hartington hurried off to see to other preparations for the hunt. Henry was apparently in London again, so Isolde was left alone with Tatiana.
“Are you all right, Miss Fairchild?” Tatiana asked her. “You’ve seemed very quiet this morning. I must admit, I thought you would be happy to have Thaddeus home.”
Isolde gave her a small smile.
“I must admit to you, Lady Tatiana, that I sometimes find your brother a bit confusing. He seems to feel one way one moment but then will act completely differently the next. I have some trouble making him out.”
Isolde felt a pinch of nerves being so honest, even though she liked Tatiana, and she thought Tatiana liked her. The nerves dissipated quickly, however, when Tatiana laughed.
“Oh, don’t worry, Miss Fairchild! My brother is indeed a mystery at times, and he is certainly stubborn, and likes to do things in his own way on his own time. But I know him very well, and I know when he holds affection for someone. And I promise you that he certainly does hold affection for you.”
Isolde felt a shock ripple through her body at Tatiana’s words, as well as a blush spreading across her cheeks. She was sure Tatiana was mistaken and rushed to say so.
“Oh, I don’t believe that’s so, Lady Tatiana …”
Tatiana regarded her carefully for a long moment and then smiled.
“Well, I think we shall soon have the perfect opportunity to find out! It’s always a bit chaotic during the hunt, and therefore a perfect time for an engaged couple to sneak a moment to themselves.”
Isolde felt her blush deepen at the idea.
“I shall make sure it happens!” Tatiana continued. “All you and Thaddeus need is time alone together to properly speak of your feelings.”
Isolde’s heart skipped a beat at the idea of being alone with Thaddeus, of perhaps finally knowing how he truly felt about her.
“Thank you, Lady Tatiana,” she said, her words warm with the genuine gratitude she felt.
Tatiana laughed again and reached across the table to take Isolde’s hand.
“Of course! After all,” she gave Isolde a cheerful wink, “what are sister-in-laws for, if not to help in moments like this?”
***
At the end of the week, guests began to arrive for the hunt. Isolde was beside herself with excitement because this year the invitation had been extended to her father, brother, and sister, as well.
She was a little nervous, too – not only because her family would be mingling with all of Thaddeus’s friends and acquaintances, but because of how Tatiana had promised to get her a moment alone with Thaddeus. She hoped it would happen.
When her father’s carriage pulled up, and the door opened to reveal Cornelia, Isolde felt her heart leap.
She was relieved to see her sister looked well, and while they both restrained their joy at being reunited to a respectable level, she could tell by how hard Cornelia squeezed her hand that her sister had missed her as much as she had missed her sister.
Her father seemed in good spirits, as well. He was no doubt feeling chuffed about being included among all these noble – and wealthy – gentlemen. Only Thomas gave her pause, coming last out of the carriage and giving her a smile that did not reach his eyes.
She soon found out why, when her brother seized a quiet moment to pull her to the side.
“Things have only gotten worse with Father, Isolde,” he told her in a worried whisper. “I’ve done everything I can to rein him in, but it just isn’t working. Of the winnings that Lord Hartington helped him recover from Lord Crowley, nearly half of it is already lost again.”
“Oh, Thomas. I’m sorry to have left you to deal with this alone!” Isolde chewed her lip in worry, wondering what they could possibly do to keep her father’s gambling in check.
“That’s not all. Izzy …” Thomas paused, and she could tell by his face that he hated to tell her this next part. “There’s been talk of marrying Cornelia off shortly after you are wed. And not just to anyone, Isolde. To Lord Crowley.”
Isolde gasped, and her heart sank. It had been bad enough hearing that at one point she might have suffered the fate of marrying Crowley, but to think of it befalling her sweet baby sister … it was too much to bear.
Isolde shut her eyes and tried to contain the revulsion that washed over her body. What could she do to stop this from happening?
“I shall speak to Lord Hartington about this. Perhaps there is something he can do to help.”
“Lord Hartington?” Thomas sounded surprised. “Have the two of you grown so close that you could confide in him about this?”
Isolde could feel her cheeks heating, and she hoped that Thomas could not tell.
“I wouldn’t say we are close,” she demurred, “but he is a kind man, and he has been good to me so far. I believe if there is something within his power to do, he will do it.”
“Then may there be such a thing,” Thomas said, and the desperation in his voice made Isolde’s heart hurt. “We are running out of time and options.”
She squeezed her brother’s hand and offered him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. Just then, another round of guests arrived, and Isolde turned toward the door.
Thaddeus was already there, greeting everyone as they stepped down from their carriages. He was just shaking hands with a tall blond man, who Thaddeus seemed to know well.
Then Thaddeus held up his hand to a woman emerging from the same carriage.
She was beautiful, with gleaming blonde hair and blue eyes.
Even after she had descended from the carriage, she lingered near Thaddeus, even going as far as to lay her hand on Thaddeus’s forearm.
Isolde felt a hot spike of emotion, and it took her a moment to realize that it was jealousy that she felt.
“Seems you’re not the only woman Lord Hartington is close to,” Thomas murmured near her ear. “You should keep an eye on her, if you don’t want to lose your fiancé.”
Isolde’s stomach felt tied in knots and her jealousy felt tinged with nausea. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that she and Thaddeus had laid out a very clear plan, one in which she had no real claim on him.
Still, Isolde could not keep herself from staring at the blonde woman until she had moved away from Thaddeus’s side.
***
By dinner, she had learned that the blonde woman was Lady Vivienne Bradshaw, the cousin of Thaddeus’s longtime friend, Lord Reginald Cassian. Isolde had heard him mention Viscount Cassian, but she had not met him before today.
She told herself that it was only natural that Thaddeus would seem close to a woman he had known since childhood.
Still, she was disappointed when they went into dinner and she found herself seated at the other end of the table from Thaddeus – and could not help the twinge of jealousy when she saw that Lady Bradshaw was sitting beside him.
She chided herself for that, realizing she’d been hoping to sit beside Thaddeus herself, and what a silly hope that had been.
Lord Cassian was not seated with his cousin, but rather at her right. He seemed intent on engaging her in conversation, and she did her best to respond to him, but her eyes kept being drawn to Thaddeus.
Though the table was long, and there were many people between them, she could have sworn that he was looking for her, too. Their eyes kept meeting, and Isolde couldn’t help continually glancing his way to see if it would happen again. It did, every time.
She noticed that Lady Bradshaw didn’t seem too pleased with this, throwing dark glances at Isolde when Thaddeus was not paying attention.
When Thaddeus did turn to her, she became bright and bubbly, flashing him brilliant smiles and talking animatedly. Isolde couldn’t hear their conversation, but it definitely looked as though Lady Bradshaw was flirting with her fiancé.
Calm down, Isolde. You’ve no real claim on the man, and competing with another woman for his affections is certainly not the plan.
Yet no matter how many times she admonished herself, she could not help the stab of jealousy whenever Thaddeus looked at Lady Bradshaw, nor the hot rush of pride and triumph she felt whenever Thaddeus’s eyes returned to Isolde’s face and lingered there.
“Did you meet my cousin yet, Miss Fairchild?” Lord Cassian said, interrupting this cycle of emotions. She looked away from Thaddeus with reluctance.
“I have not yet had the pleasure to formally meet Lady Bradshaw, no,” Isolde replied.
“Ah. Well, I’m sure Harrow – that is to say, Lord Hartington, as you would know him – will introduce you soon. We grew up together, and they were always quite close, the two of them. I did think, before she was married, of course, that they were meant to be together.”
Suddenly, Lord Cassian had all her attention, a knot forming in her stomach.
“Were they so close?” she asked and held her breath waiting for the answer.
“Oh, indeed,” Lord Cassian said, nodding. “Harrow was sweet on her from the beginning, held a flame for her our whole childhoods. I still don’t understand why he never proposed.”
Isolde’s head swam with this new information, and she looked back up the table just in time to see Lady Cassian lean her head close to Thaddeus and whisper something to him.
“Well, I suppose people grow apart as they age,” Isolde said faintly, feeling she must protest what seemed to be obviously happening right in front of her eyes.
“Perhaps,” Lord Cassian agreed. “Though perhaps not forever. They do seem to be almost as close now as before. I’m happy to see it, for she was so devastated by her husband’s death.
Isolde did not think Lady Bradshaw seemed very devastated. She swallowed hard, looking down at her plate just to stop looking at Thaddeus with that woman. She felt tears pricking the corners of her eyes and blinked them away.
He’s not mine, she reminded herself. If he loves her, I have no right to stand between them.
It was the truth, yet it felt as though no part of her could accept it. Her heart sank further.
Isolde, what have you gotten yourself into?