The real reason was that William had decided that enough was enough. He had her locket in his pocket, wrapped in the same delicate strip of muslin which had protected it since he found it, and he had planned to hand it over to her once and for all.
“Here,” he would say, as casually as possible, “I believe this is yours? I picked it up after a party, and I believe it belongs to you.”
And then he would dismiss any expressions of gratitude, and the matter would be concluded.
Yet his hand remained resolutely out of his pocket, and Miss Brookford remained unaware that he had the necklace at all.
What is wrong with you? Just give it back. The longer you keep it, the odder it will look. Give the wretched thing back, and then you can concentrate on more important matters, like managing the future and letting Miss Bainbridge know her plans are acceptable.
I daresay the woman already has our wedding planned out, down to the guest list.
It was half a joke, but suddenly didn’t seem very funny at all.
“Your Grace?”
He blinked, suddenly jerked back to the present. Miss Brookford was looking up at him, mildly curious.
“Hm?”
“You seem preoccupied. Is…” she paused, shifting, “is everything quite alright, your Grace? Is there anything I can help with?”
Before William had a chance to say anything at all – not that he had the slightest idea of what hemightsay – Alexander came sailing over, with Abigail on his arm.
“Enjoying the water?” Alexander chirped. “Good day, Miss Brookford.”
“I believe Lady Brennon said that this is your first visit to Bath?” Abigail spoke up, as softly spoken as always. She had come out of her shell since her marriage to Alexander, but she was still Abigail, who thought before she spoke and never had a harsh word for anybody. Frankly, William thought that his brother had met with exceptional good luck in marrying Abigail, although Society in general had disapproved of the match for many reasons. For example, Alexander had a reputation as a rake, and Abigail and her family were not wealthy.
Not that it mattered, of course. After his wedding, Alexander received his portion of their inheritance and was now a remarkably rich man. The only part of the Willenshire inheritance that was not claimed was William’s part. He was receiving increasingly nervous letters from the family solicitor, reminding him of the terms of the will and the approaching deadline.
As if I wasn’t aware of every passing day, launching me towards the deadline,William thought, with a rush of frustration.As if I don’t have my siblings’ happy marriages in front of me constantly, reminding me of what I do not have and will likely never achieve.
Not marriage, of course, I’m fairly sure I can manage that.
Love.
He swallowed hard, jerking himself back to the present.
“His Grace was just telling me that you plan a tour of the Roman Baths today,” Miss Brookford was saying, and William was uncomfortably aware that the conversation had gone on without him. Nobody had noticed, however.
No, that was not quite true. He glanced up and saw his sister-in-law looking at him, her expression thoughtful and cool. She gave him a small smile, and he was not entirely sure what it meant. Or evenifit meant anything.
“You ought to come with us,” Alexander was saying. “King’s Bath, isn’t it? That’s what we’re touring? The ladies are doing the Queen’s Bath.”
Abigail shot her husband a quick, intent look which William could not interpret, but Alexander’s eyebrows flickered.
“You should come with us to the King’s Bath,” he said at once, before William could say a word.
William bit his lip. Hard. “Alexander, I’m sure Miss Brookford would rather…”
“Oh, yes, I would love to!” she chirped, before he could finish. “His Grace was just telling me about the architecture and the cleverness of the Romans, and I should love to see it myself in person. My mother and sister will probably be happy to while away their afternoon here in the Pump Room, but I am already bored.” She paused, blinking. “Notbored, exactly. Ladies aren’t bored, are they?”
Colour rushed into her face, but she recovered when Abigail reached over and patted her shoulder.
“I know it,” she said soothingly. “Don’t worry – this is quite an informal gathering. The Dowager likes things done properly, but when it’s just us, things are quite different. I was pleasantly surprised by how friendly the Willenshire siblings are. You’ll find the same, I’m sure.”
William eyed his sister-in-law.Save the charm for Miss Bainbridge,he wanted to say.She’s the one we want to impress.
Miss Brookford smiled. “Thank you. I must say, all of this is quite new to me. Bath, and all that. I’ve never much enjoyed the Season.”
