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“Look, I have a feeling Aimee is going to be talking to Pierce for some time,” Thomas said. “Why don’t we make the most of the time we have now?”
“How do you mean?”
“I mean, we could talk. Get to know each other better. It’s only fair that we should know more about the other …” Thomas hesitated. “Seeing as we will be family soon.”
He did have a point. But Sophia wasn’t sure if that was a good idea. However, if she was going to be in Thomas’ company for a while, she had to make it less uncomfortable. Looking at him directly for the first time, she managed a smile.
“Alright. Let’s do that, Mister Ford.”
Something flickered behind his eyes, but then Thomas was smiling back.
“Good.”
Chapter 14
Thomas knew he was torturing himself being in Sophia’s company, but he couldn’t help it. Especially after Aimee moved off to talk to Pierce and kept his attention for most of their walk. He couldn’t leave Sophia on her own.
So, instead, he had walked with Sophia, attempting to engage her in conversation. It had been as he offered to walk with her that he realised he didn’t really know much about her. Even though they had been alone together many times, and he had even kissed her, she was still a stranger.
Thomas wanted to know more. He needed to know more about her.
And it was surprisingly easy with Aimee’s attention diverted. Pierce, despite what he said about not caring for her, was happy to let her guide the conversation. That left Thomas to talk to Sophia. Once he asked her questions about her drawings, she began to soften up and soon talked about the many things she had sketched over the years that she loved to draw and paint. Thomas hadn’t even realised she had a specific room in the house that was her studio; none of her family had mentioned it.
Then again, they barely mentioned anything about Sophia at all. It was like she was the forgotten child. Thomas felt some sympathy for Sophia over that; he couldn’t imagine what it was like to grow up and not have her family even care about her passions.
So, they talked about pretty much anything, and Sophia began to light up and talk about something that didn’t involve her sister. Thomas could tell she had a lot of passion, something she kept hidden from everyone. It was like he saw a window into her life, and he felt privileged to have that.
It had to end too abruptly for Thomas when Aimee came stomping back to them and took Thomas away without allowing him to say farewell, giving Sophia a glare that could have withered anyone else. That was unfair, and Thomas wanted to say something then, but he didn’t want to upset Sophia.
If only he had the courage to tell Aimee what he really thought about her, but then he remembered what his father wanted. Thomas hated that argument in his head between what his duty was and what he really wanted. It was driving him mad.
It didn’t help that Pierce was around, and he was paying attention to both sisters. Aimee was lapping it up, but that didn’t bother Thomas. He knew it should, but it hadn’t upset him as much as it did when Pierce paid attention to Sophia. She gave him a small smile and seemed to be fine with him escorting her, but all Thomas wanted to do was punch his friend in the face.
This was wrong. He was supposed to focus on Aimee, but he just couldn’t. His mind was on Sophia, the sweet, kind, and gentle Sophia. Out of the two sisters, Sophia was the better person. If she were the one Thomas had to marry, he would be happy.
As of right now, he wasn’t.
By the time he escorted Aimee home after parting from Pierce, Sophia sitting in silence across from him in her carriage, Thomas knew he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t marry Aimee, not with his mind on Sophia. As far as he was concerned, Sophia pretty much had his heart.
That was not meant to happen, but it had. Thomas just needed to figure out what he had to do. And he had to find out what Sophia wanted as well. If she said yes to him, then it would make it easier.
But if she said no …
Thomas didn’t want to think about that.
The carriage pulled up outside Sophia and Aimee’s house, and Sophia got out first, avoiding Thomas’ gaze. She had refused to look at him since they rejoined Aimee and Pierce, almost as if she was ashamed of having a good time with her sister’s fiancé. Thomas didn’t like that. He wanted her to look at him, to see her smile. A smile only for him.
He was in a real mess.
“Well, I must say,” Aimee said as Thomas got out and turned to help her out of the carriage, “that was a pleasant outing. I wasn’t expecting to run into Mister Shore.”
“He does tend to turn up at the most surprising times,” Thomas commented.
“He was certainly better company than you. You were away with your own thoughts. It was a struggle to talk to you today.” Aimee shook her head. “You really need to remember where you are when I’m around, Thomas, darling. Otherwise, someone might turn up and steal me away.”
She giggled, but Thomas didn’t find it amusing. He frowned at her.
“I don’t think you need to worry about that, Lady Aimee.”
