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“You’d better prove it, then.” Aimee tilted her face up to his. “Are you going to kiss me today? You’ve been teasing me lately.”
Thomas didn’t want to kiss her. The thought didn’t sit well with him at all. Taking her hand, he kissed her fingers before dropping her hand, and Aimee frowned.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“You can wait. I’m not comfortable with it.”
“But we’re about to become husband and wife. Why don’t I get a kiss?” Aimee pouted. “I’m sure other future brides didn’t need to wait for their future grooms to kiss them.”
“Well, you’re going to have to wait.” Thomas shook his head. “This isn’t a love match, Aimee. You and I are not doing this because we love each other. I won’t be unkind, but I will not pretend.”
Aimee’s mouth fell open.
“What? Why are you saying this? I thought you loved me.”
“Did you think I would love someone like you?” Thomas turned away and started getting into the carriage. “I’m going to leave before I say something I shouldn’t. You’d better get inside, Lady Aimee.”
“Wait! I didn’t say you could leave yet!”
Thomas ignored her, slamming the door shut and sitting back as he heard Aimee calling his name and hitting the side of the carriage. He was relieved when the carriage started moving, and the shouting faded. Aimee looked less and less ladylike when being told something outside her narrative. Even if he were going through with this marriage without any concerns, this would be unattractive.
How could she expect him to kiss her with her attitude? Didn’t she see that was not attractive? Thomas knew things would be explosive, and Aimee would expect to be in charge of their marriage. He didn’t like the idea of that. Thomas liked things being a bit more equal, within reason. Someone who wasn’t going to complain and argue with him over everything, be supportive of what he was doing, Who could be her own person while also complementing him.
Aimee would expect things her way if the rest of her family was anything to go by. Her snooty attitude was not pleasant. Thomas wondered if Aimee would have been able to get a husband without her parents arranging a match for her.
That was unkind, he knew that, but Thomas couldn’t help it. He was resenting Aimee more and more for being the person he had to get married to. It was unfair, and Aimee didn’t deserve that. However, Thomas couldn’t bring himself to see her as anything but a nuisance he didn’t want around.
Why couldn’t she be more like Sophia? It would make this a little easier.
They were almost halfway back when Thomas rapped his fist on the ceiling.
“Can you stop here? I’ll walk back.”
The carriage stopped without question, and Thomas got out, waving at the driver as he walked away. He knew there would be some questions from his parents when he returned later than planned, but Thomas didn’t really care. He needed some time to clear his head, especially after the morning he had experienced having contrasting times with Aimee and Sophia.
As he walked off the road and into the woods, Thomas became more and more certain that he could not marry Aimee. He had to tell his father that. He could give his father a marriage and give himself a wife, although it wouldn’t be what Hawksworth wanted.
And it would depend on what Sophia said. If she agreed to marry him, Thomas would be really happy. If she didn’t, then that would be crushing. Thomas would have to figure out what to do next. Would he try and persuade Sophia that this could work? Or would he respect her decision and walk away?
Either way, he could not go into a marriage with Aimee Burke, especially with his feelings towards her sister.
After a while, Thomas realised he was coming upon the place where he met Sophia for the first time. And he remembered that moment when he saw her and how beautiful she looked as she worked on her sketches. It was a serene sight. Thomas liked the image in his mind. It was rather calming for him, even now.
Then he spied someone ahead. Someone was sitting against a tree, coppery-head bent over what looked to be a sketchpad, hand practically flying across the page.
It was Sophia. She was out here as well.
This almost felt like it was fate. Thomas squared his shoulders and approached her.
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Sophia froze when she heard the breaking of twigs. She didn’t need to look up to know it was Thomas. She stared at her drawing, hoping that if she didn’t look at Thomas, he would go away. This was not the time to be encountering him.
Of all the time for him to find her, why did it have to be now?
“Sophia?”
Sophia swallowed. Why didn’t he just walk away and leave her be?
