Thel tilted his crystal glass back and forth, clinking the ice inside. A fortnight had passed since he’d dismissed Olivia, and a day had not passed without him thinking about her. She’d filled his heart with joy, had taught him things about pleasure and about himself that he might not have discovered otherwise. She was brave, caring, and deserving of a far better life than the one she’d been given.
But they could not be together.
He’d allowed her personal desires to rule him once, and it had earned him nothing but heartbreak. Things might’ve been different if she’d loved him, but she had been clear on that point. She didn’t believe in love. For the sake of his household, he had to let her go.
He leaned back from the stack of papers on his desk. He had not left his office since the previous night, and the sky outside his window was bright. As he stood, his knees cracked, and his back gave a warning twinge. When he sniffed his underarms, the smell was terrible.
Perhaps it had been more than one night.
He summoned a footman and arranged for a bath. When he was clean and dressed again, he poured another measure of brandy and summoned his brother to his office.
Felix opened the door and stepped inside. “You wished to see me?”
Thel could see the satisfaction in his brother’s eyes. That was the nature of his family. They were so close that it was very difficult to keep secrets.
Except Constance. She had hidden the most important secret of her life.
None of this would have happened if Marguerite were still alive.
He felt as if someone had burned out his insides and left only ash behind. He’d done his best for his daughter but had failed time and time again. As he could not be the father she needed, she deserved a mother. A feminine hand that could guide her where he could not.
“You know why I called you,” Thel said. “You were right. It’s time for me to remarry.”
Felix gave a wide smile. “Excellent. There are several fine ladies who would suit. Do you have any preferences?”
Felix was tall and confident, with a penchant for matchmaking.
Thel waved his hand. “Her experience and breeding are all that matter. This household needs a woman who knows what she is about.”
Felix raised an eyebrow. “A widow, perhaps? There are not many of those, but I can think of several who would be amenable.”
Lady Allen was a widow. She had befriended Constance, sought only to ensure his daughter’s happiness, and he had thrown her out of his house for it.
“A widow will suffice,” he said.
“Excellent,” Felix said. “There is Lady Newberry, of course, although she is a bit stern. You might prefer Lady Rothwellan…”
Thel listened halfheartedly. He didn’t care whom Felix chose to be his wife. All that mattered was that she could fulfillher marital duties and produce an heir. Beyond that, it didn’t matter what she looked like or even if she carried on her own affairs outside of their marriage.
His dreams, his very thoughts, were devoted to Olivia. Every sound was her deep laugh, every crack the sound of her heels on the floor. The sooner he married, the sooner he could put her behind him.
Or so he hoped.
###
Thel put his chin in his hand and leaned his elbow on the padded arm of the upholstered settee in his mother’s sitting room, trying not to think about how much he felt like a child preparing to be disciplined, and not a five-and-forty-year-old man. He was not in the habit of spending his mornings being lectured, but the note his mother had placed on his desk had left no room for argument. His family was already coming apart. He could not afford any additional conflict. Thus, he waited.
“I cannot abide this,” his mother said as she dabbed her face with a piece of cloth. “Have I taught you nothing, Thel? You cannot simply pick a woman to marry at random!”
Of course that was why she’d summoned him. Felix had informed her of his intention to remarry. His brother had a terrible habit of not keeping his mouth shut.
“I am not choosing at random, Mother. I am carefully weighing the benefits of each candidate. I am not interested in locking myself into a spiteful marriage, as my brother did.”
His brother had had set his sights on Lady Celina the very day she’d debuted, claiming she was the most beautiful woman he had ever met. Thel had tried to talk Felix out of marrying the woman so quickly, but his brother had refused to listen.
His mother shook her head. “Your brother is a fool. If he had truly known his own heart, he would not have pursuedCelina with such haste.” She picked up a framed portrait of his father on the table and smiled. “Love does not flower in an instant like a night-blooming rose, my dear. You must tend the bud of your love and allow it to grow, showering it with affection.” She put the portrait down. “Do not look at me with such sad eyes. You have a chance at a life your brother could only imagine.” She sniffed. “He would never admit it, of course. He is as stubborn as your father.”
Thel clenched his hands in his lap. “You and Father did not have to wait.”
