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Aimee Burke, by all accounts, was a beautiful woman, so hopefully that would work in his favour. Otherwise, both sets of parents would be waiting a very long time for grandchildren and heirs.
If that mysterious woman were my wife, it would be a lot easier.
Thomas pushed that aside. He knew better than to think about a woman who was clearly a servant. If she was a member of the ton, with how brown her skin was, then she would be on the fringes. Not an attractive look, apparently.
Thomas had thought the same until he saw it for himself. Now he liked it. It suited her.
Who was she? Maybe Thomas would be able to find out at some point. Or maybe he wouldn’t. It would depend.
But he did find it interesting that his body had stirred towards her. It had been a while since that had happened when he had been with Constance. Almost a year since he had last seen her, Thomas had thought he had lost all ability to find a woman physically attractive. This woman with no name was changing his mind.
Curious. But he wasn’t going to think much of it. He wasn’t about to have his heart broken again. Thomas hadn’t liked it the last time, and he wasn’t about to deal with it again.
Baron Beauchamp’s house was near the river, the backdrop very pretty when approaching from the front. Just beyond the large townhouse, standing alone from the others, was the River Ouse, calmly trickling along happily. Thomas could watch it all day from his bedchamber window and not get bored. There was something serene about it.
As Thomas approached, a clattering of horses’ hooves and some snorts were coming from the stables. Diverting his course, he entered the courtyard to see Pierce Shore and Edwin Ford by their respective horses, dressed ready to go riding. Pierce looked around as Thomas approached them. He gave him a wide grin.
“Thomas! We were beginning to think you would never get out of bed, but it looks like you’ve been out of bed for a while.”
“I woke early and thought I’d go for a walk.” Thomas turned towards Edwin, stroking his horse’s nose. “Are you sure you should be going out, Edwin? We did travel quite a way yesterday.”
“My horse is ready to go for a ride, and I want to go out.” His little brother grinned at him before nodding towards the house. “Besides, Mother and Father are discussing your prospective marriage with Baron Beauchamp. I thought it was best that we made ourselves scarce.”
Thomas groaned.
“I’m sure they’re going to drag me in there once they realise I’m back.”
Pierce laughed.
“I’m glad it’s you they’re deciding as Miss Burke’s husband and not me.”
“That’s not amusing, Pierce.”
“I think it is. Now, her sister, the only one unmarried, however …” Pierce waggled his eyebrows. “I’ve heard she’s a pretty one as well. And far sweeter than her other sisters.”
“It’s probably a lie,” Edwin snorted. “She’s more than likely the same as the others, and we’re just being told things to believe otherwise.”
“I don’t think that’s the case.”
Thomas grunted and clapped a hand on his friend’s shoulder.
“It more than likely is. And I thought you were going riding.”
“We were.” Baron Beauchamp’s son gave him a sly smile. “Unless you’d like to come along? We can wait for you, and it won’t take long.”
Thomas was about to say he wasn’t going to come along – he had just come back from a long walk, and his feet did hurt – but now he was aware of his parents discussing his potential marriage. They would certainly drag him into it, and Thomas was very reluctant to be around them. They knew his views on it, and while Thomas agreed to it so they could secure the future of the Viscountcy, he didn’t necessarily want to go through with it.
“Let me get my horse out.”
“The servants can saddle him up quickly.” Pierce signalled to two stable lads nearby, who hurried off to the stalls. “We’ll be out of here in no time as long as we take the route that doesn’t take us past the window.”
“You still think they’ll drag me in once they see me?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised.”
Thomas caught sight of Edwin grinning at him. He looked like he was trying not to laugh. Thomas scowled at his brother.
“I really wish I was the younger son. Then I shouldn’t be going through this and marrying a woman I’ve never met.”
