Chapter 6
Chapter Six
“Icannot believe I nearly kissed her,” Thomas muttered an hour later as he climbed the steps toward his study.
When he had gone to his fiancée’s home to discuss their engagement, he had not expected to encounter such clumsy attempts at flirting. It was clear she had no experience in the matter.
He had not realized how pretty she was until her hazel eyes had flashed with defiance. So he had advanced upon her, expecting her to blush a little and for them to put the matter of her trying to flirt with him behind them.
He had not expected to catch her as she stumbled, nor had he anticipated the effect her nearness would have on him. A part of him had wanted to kiss her, to see that delightful flush creep across her face.
‘I did not mean to anger you.’
“How can she be so practical and yet so innocent?” He shook his head, feeling a smile tug at his lips. “Though I suppose I should be grateful that she misread my temptation for anger.”
“And just what are you smiling about, Thomas?” His grandmother’s voice jerked him into the present, and he leaped to his feet.
Agatha Felton, Dowager Duchess of Caverton, was easily a foot and a half shorter than Thomas, but she had a way of making him feel about an inch tall. She strode into the room as though she owned it, her walking stick making a soft clacking sound on the wooden floor.
“Grandmama, what a pleasant surprise.” Thomas clasped his hands behind his back. “I had not expected to see you today.”
“You and I both know that is not true.” His grandmother settled herself in one of his plush armchairs and gestured toward his decanter of brandy with her walking stick.
“Or were you hoping that I had not yet seen this morning’s copy of the Times?
Or the Herald? Or any one of the six scandal sheets that reported on my grandson’s engagement. ”
Thomas bit back a sigh. He had hoped to have at least a few hours before the woman heard the news, but clearly that was not to be.
“I know better than to hope anything will have escaped your keen eyes.” Thomas poured out two measures of brandy and offered a glass to his grandmother. “Though I had not realized quite how heavily my engagement had been reported.”
“Yes. You really should be more careful about who you let overhear things, Thomas.” His grandmother sipped her brandy, her eyes full of mischief. “You know what sort of gossips and busybodies flock around our family.”
“Indeed. Though it is unlikely you will let anything slip through your net.” Thomas sat in the armchair across from her and studied the woman’s face as a sneaking suspicion formed in his mind. “You usually have a firm grip on such things.”
“I am not the one who let anything slip, dear boy. If you wished for things to remain private, then perhaps do not propose to someone who is the talk of the ton.” His grandmother peered at him over the top of her glasses.
“You have certainly made an interesting choice. Though how interesting remains to be seen. I will get the measure of this girl when you bring her around for dinner.”
So that is why she is here.
He waved a hand. “That will not be necessary. I am not marrying for love. This is a practical arrangement and nothing more. We will go our separate ways after the honeymoon.”
His grandmother’s eyes widened, and she clutched a hand dramatically to her chest. “You know how I feel about such things, Thomas. One should never marry for anything less than love. And I know a thing or two about such things. After all, I have been married thrice now.”
“And yet I suspect you are not at all surprised at my announcement.” Thomas sipped his own brandy.
“Hardly. But that does not mean I must accept it.” She tapped her walking stick on the ground and sniffed disparagingly.
“Then why allow news of my engagement to spread to the press?” Thomas arched an eyebrow at her. “You must have known this was no love match.”
“I hoped I was wrong. Besides, I like a little drama every now and then.” She made a motion with her hand as though she were a conductor in front of an orchestra.
“But with that being said, I am still your grandmother, and you know my feelings on marriages of convenience. I do not wish to see you miserable.”
“Which is why I have no intention of being miserable. Lady Vivian will give me the credibility of marriage, which will mean my business dealings will improve and my finances will grow, all of which will make me deliriously happy.” He leaned back in the armchair and folded his arms across his chest.
Unsurprisingly, his grandmother rolled her eyes, her every word dripping with sarcasm. “Ah, yes, everyone knows that it is money that makes one’s heart sing and the poets weep for want of understanding it.”
“Well, you certainly have plenty of it,” Thomas pointed out.
It was well known that his grandmother was one of the wealthiest women in England, let alone the ton.
“And it is the least interesting thing about me.” She made a dismissive gesture with her hands. “Love is what makes life worth living. It is what drives us, what inspires us. You are hardly a pauper, Thomas; you need not marry only to improve your financial situation.”
“I have no wish to marry for any other reason.” He said flatly. “It is either this or I remain a bachelor for the rest of my days.”
His grandmother pouted. “But it is such a common thing to do, and you are anything but common. After all, you are my third favorite grandson.”
“And yet just last week, you insisted I was your first favorite.” Thomas teased; he was used to his grandmother adjusting such things when she felt like it, but he knew that he, Frederick, and Dominic all held a special place in her heart.
“That was before you decided to marry someone to improve your fortune.” His grandmother replied, narrowing her eyes at him. “Marry for another reason, and I might bump you up to second.”
“Blackmail, grandmama? Come now, you have wanted me to marry for years, and now I am giving you that gift.” He massaged his neck. “Can we not simply be happy about that?”
“No.” His grandmother cracked her neck. “I am not the type of woman who settles for crumbs, Thomas. I want my grandchildren to find love, not business partners.
“Love is far too inconvenient.” Thomas shook his head.
“Life is inconvenient, dear boy; that is rather the point. A life of convenience would be utterly dull!” His grandmother shook her head and clicked her tongue.
“And yet it could be argued that you live one of the most convenient lives of anyone in the ton, and I doubt any man or woman would dare suggest your life was dull.” He let the corners of his mouth quirk upward.
“Because it is full of love. Besides, I am old. I can do as I wish.” She gestured to him with the head of her cane.
“You are in the prime of life. A strapping young man like you—you could have your pick of women—and yet you seem determined to throw away your good looks, your charm. What is the point of it all if you will not use any of it?”
“You of all people should understand how chaotic love can be.” Thomas gave his grandmother a meaningful look, and her lips thinned.
I remember what it was like when you lost your last husband. I remember that heartbreak. I remember what love did to my own mother.
He forced his thoughts back to the present and sighed. “I have no wish to argue, Grandmother, but I will not be moved on this. I am marrying Vi—Lady Vivian and I intend for it to remain an arrangement of practicality and nothing more.”
“Truly, youth is wasted on the young.” His grandmother let out a theatrical sigh. “I can tell by the set of your jaw that you are in one of your stubborn moods. Very well, marry for convenience, but you will at the very least do it properly.”
“I would dream of nothing less. Besides, I know how much you love a good wedding.” He smiled at her.
“I love a party, dear boy. But yes, I am rather partial to a wedding. So long as you do not hire the same orchestra that played at your cousin Bernard’s birthday party. Honestly, deaf monkeys would have played better.” His grandmother shuddered, and Thomas laughed.
“I had thought to leave the arrangement of musicians to you. Given that we are to be wed by special license, there is very little time to plan it all, and you, Grandmama, know the best musicians in the country.” He knew that his grandmother understood it was a peace offering, but he still appreciated it when she accepted it.
She nodded. “True. And the wedding ball will be at your London estate, I assume? That house always had the most wonderful acoustics.”
“The breakfast and the ball, yes, but we will get married in a church.” He continued speaking, sensing what his grandmother’s next words would be.
“And yes, grandmama, I plan on getting her an engagement ring from Moseley’s.
It won’t be easy to get it in time; perhaps I will have Cecily, Charlotte, or Andrea help me choose.
Or I will get her something temporary, and we shall visit Moseley’s after the wedding.
I would rather she had some symbol of my commitment sooner than later. ”
His grandmother took another sip of her drink. “A rather thoughtful gesture from a man who claims that this is purely a practical match.”
“She has already been jilted once, and I will not have the ton think that I would do the same to her.” Thomas flexed his fingers. “Besides, part of the agreement is that we are to make her ex-fiancé regret his life decisions. Credibility for me, revenge for her.”
“She was engaged to the Viscount of Brixten, was she not? Well, the girl has moved up in the world. The Viscount could not rub two thoughts together to form a spark, and his new wife… pretty, but very little else.” His grandmother tapped her lips thoughtfully, eyes going distant.
“And I do love to watch men like that squirm.”
Thomas smiled. “You see? This arrangement is already bringing you joy.”
“It would bring me considerably more if I thought it would bring you love,” she replied acerbically and then shook her head. “But for now, I will settle for revenge. At the very least, it will make the next whist club more interesting.”
“It certainly will,” Thomas agreed.
“I still wish to meet this girl. Whether you plan to fall in love with her or not, she is joining our family.” His grandmother pushed herself to her feet.
“I shall need to know where to seat the pair of you at family events. If she is a drip, then you will find yourself relegated to a table with your cousin Bertrand and his dullard of a wife.”
“I am sure that will not be necessary.” Thomas gave his grandmother a gentle hug.
“I hope so, for your sake,” his grandmother agreed. “Now, I am off to visit my great-granddaughters and my granddaughter-in-law. Clearly, you have no intention of growing the family.”
“More than enough people are doing that without me,” Thomas replied.
His grandmother let out a disapproving noise and swept out of the room. He had expected her to put up more of a fight, but he was relieved that she hadn’t.
His eyes drifted to the portrait of his father and mother. He shared his black hair and piercing blue eyes with his father. He had inherited his sharp features from his mother. He reached out a hand toward the painting and then curled his fingers into his palm.
“You understand why I have no wish for this to turn into a love match,” he muttered. “You two know how destructive love can be.”
He could hear his mother’s keening cries in his mind. He could remember holding her in his arms, even as he tried to understand what was happening. He had been so small, barely more than six, and his mother…
“This cannot turn into a love match. I will not let it.” Thomas shook his head. “And it is mad that grandmother would want that for me. When her last husband died, she was heartbroken. Her voice shook for weeks.”
Even if he did not believe in the curse, he had no wish to open himself to the kind of weakness love brought with it. It was far better, far safer, to keep his distance. They would be friends and nothing more.
“It is better this way.” He swallowed the rest of his brandy. “Besides, she is far too innocent for someone like me.”
And he had no wish to take advantage of such a thing.