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My stomach flipped at the wordsa short relationship. I resumed walking to cover my shock. “An admirer in Sweden?”
“No, in Vienna.” She looked at me and away again as we neared the entrance to the house. “The man we saw in the inn, remember? Peter Seymour. I did tell you at the time that he was persistent.”
“Of course. I forgot.” A persistent admirer did not necessarily equate to a relationship, though. This was new information, and the souring of my stomach proved how much I rejected the notion. I held the door open for Thea, and she gathered her skirt and shook out the dirt. “You did not love him, then?”
“No. I thought I did until he kissed me.” She made a face. “I quickly learned that my feelings for him were fleeting. In my defense, however, I was rather young.”
My body jolted at hearing her words. I was not scandalized—I’d kissed girls before, and I understood that the important thing was to not be caught—but thatTheahad kissed someone made my blood heat to an unaccountable degree. I looked at her lips, then quickly tore my gaze away. “I assume he is not the man you wish to marry then.”
“Of course not. I told you this already. I have not met my future husband yet.”
We walked through the great hall toward the wide staircase, over the checkerboard floor. “I can take you into Bakewell tomorrow if you’d like. We can call in at the baker, the butcher, the blacksmith. The vicarage might be a little too grand for you, but I will add that stop to my list if you’d like to try again with Mr. Upshaw’s son.”
She flattened her lips. “You are making too much of my goals. The only thing you need to concern yourself with is convincing your mother I will be perfectly fine with Felicity’s chaperonage. I can manage the rest.”
“Felicity’s chaperonage?” I questioned, stopping at the top of the stairs. “Does that mean you’ve decided to attend the Season?”
She gave a flippant shrug, but I could see beneath the expression to the apprehension that flicked over her face. “It will please your mother, and I have always enjoyed dancing. I do not expect to leave London with a husband, though, so temper your amusement.”
“You can believe I never imagined you to do what was expected of you, Thea. Certainly not in this or any regard.”
We continued down the corridor and into the family wing.
“Yes, well . . . your mother has done much for me since I arrived back on English soil, and this is important to her.” Her tone changed, growing lighter. “Only think, Ben. Six more weeks and you will not have to see me ever again.” Her smile was wide, amusement shining in her blue eyes.
Ever again? I stumbled but caught myself before she could notice. It was a completely foreign concept that Thea could walk out of my life and never step back into it.
Despite our rocky relationship, I did not like the idea of that at all.
I tried for a light tone to match hers. “The house will certainly be more peaceful.”
Thea laughed, the melodic sound bouncing about the long, enclosed corridor. “After your dauntless search for me and the resulting stress it provided you, I am more than certain you will feel immense peace at my departure next month.”
“I would not say immense peace,” I corrected. “More like a great deal of peace.”
She chuckled and shook her head, walking toward her door. She dropped the skirt of her habit, the dark violet fabric trailing on the carpet behind her like a queen. I did not know any other women who allowed their habits to trail in the same way Thea did, but it said so much about her personality. Her vivacity and uncaring nature—not that she did not care about people, but that she did not care for what they thought of her. I was envious of her ease in that way, of the way she was so confident in herself and what she wanted that she was willing to leave school and set off on her own in search of that very thing, despite what others—namely my mother—wanted for her, or what Society expected of her.
She had mentioned in the carriage that she did care what Society thought of her, about her reputation, but her actions and attitude belied that statement. She was a puzzle, one I knew I would never have the chance to piece out.
“I will see you later, I suppose,” she said once she reached her door. “There’s no helping it in this house.”
“I thought we decided to be friends. You should look forward to seeing me again.”
“I do,” she said, a little too innocently. “Almost as much as I look forward to seeing your cousin at the dinner next week.”
Her sweet smile was overdone, and I laughed, walking past her toward my own chamber. “Well, in any case, you shan’t see me for the rest of the day. I truly have business to attend to.”
She leaned against her door frame and crossed her arms over her chest. “Truly? What about?”
“Well, actually, it’s about you.”
Her mouth dropped open the slightest bit, and I continued, unhurriedly, into my own room and shut the door behind me, my wide smile reaching from one dimpled cheek to the other.
* * *
There was a modicum of shame attached to my visit to Claverley House, and I did not tell anyone where I was going when I left Chelton, except for the delectable tease I had left behind in Thea’s ear. The shock and confusion on her face when I mentioned that my business was about her was priceless, and I would carry that moment of sweet victory into the meeting I was about to attend. I was no closer to determining what sort of future I wanted for myself, and I did not think Claverley would know any better than I, but it was a good excuse to meet in his study and further Thea’s cause.
Now that I knew more of the situation, a conversation with Claverley would be much easier to navigate.
