Chapter 19

She loved him.

Thomas traced a finger around the rim of his glass. The dark, amber-coloured brandy reminded him of Lady Victoria's hair. She was unlike any woman he had ever met. As Thomas sipped his drink, he thought fondly again of the day before when he and Lady Victoria had their amorous congress in the library. He was almost sure he had stopped breathing when she emerged from behind the curtain clad in her chemise and stays.

"What are you thinking?" Samuel asked.

The two lords sat together in Thomas' study. Originally, they had been reviewing proposed legislation together, but the conversation had inevitably turned to women, who were always a more fascinating topic for conversation.

"Hm?"

Samuel sighed and fixed his friend with an expression of fond exasperation. "I am trying to speak with you about Loralie, and you keep looking as though your thoughts are elsewhere."

Thomas chuckled. "Apologies, my friend. I was thinking of Lady Victoria."

Samuel grinned and leaned forward, his own glass of brandy held loosely in his fingertips. "Oh? You seem to be thinking of her a lot."

"I cannot resist her charms," Thomas replied, offering a small shrug. "She is too enchanting."

"You are in love."

"I am," Thomas said. "I intend to propose to her."

Samuel's face brightened. "Do you? I thought you disliked the ladies of the ton."

"I do," Thomas conceded. "She is unlike any of them, though. There is no denying that we are well-suited for one another."

"It seems like one of your friends told you that you might like the young lady," Samuel said. "Again, I say, some of us only wish that we could be as fortunate as you. You will have both a wife you love and the entirety of Sinclair McCallister. Truly the best possible outcome."

"I will admit that you are right," Thomas said. "Is that what you want to hear?"

Samuel grinned and raised his glass. "That was precisely what I wanted to hear you say."

Thomas clinked his glass against his friend's. "To the love of a beautiful woman."

"Indeed."

"Her stepmother will be displeased," Thomas said. "She warned Lady Victoria not to be taken by my charms, and I do not imagine she will approve of my proposal."

"Lady Victoria is not yet of age," Samuel said. "Have you considered what you will do if Lady Norwood does not approve of the match?"

"Yes," Thomas replied. "I intend to involve the courts if necessary. I will admit that I know less of chancery law than I ought, but I am certain that Lady Norwood cannot prevent her daughter from marrying me and receiving her inheritance. I will pursue the matter in the courts if I must."

"That sounds exhausting," Samuel said.

"Indeed. Hopefully, I will be able to persuade Lady Norwood to become amenable to the arrangement. Of course, that assumes that Lady Victoria herself agrees to marry me."

"What lady would refuse you?" Samuel asked, chuckling. "You ought to be more concerned with all the forlorn ladies who will be disappointed that they will not have a chance to win your hand and your fortune."

"I doubt that. I do not know the ladies well enough for them to care if I am no longer on the marriage mart."

Thomas finished his brandy and smiled, his thoughts wandering once again to Victoria. There might be some difficulties in marrying Lady Victoria, such as gaining Lady Norwood's approval, but Thomas had no doubt he would prevail. Love conquers all, as the old adage went.

***

Thomas joined his father for dinner that evening. He was received as jovially as always. Throughout the evening, Thomas found that his thoughts kept drifting to Lady Victoria. His father had not yet noticed that Thomas was distracted. They sat together in his father's study, drinking after dinner.

"I have something important to tell you," Thomas said.

His father raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And you waited until this late hour to tell me?"

Thomas chuckled. "I did not want you to think that I only came to visit you because I wanted something."

His father clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "I would have never thought such a thing," he said. "You do come visit me so often."

Thomas did not, and he knew it. "I should visit you more often," Thomas agreed. "You may be happy to learn that I intend to travel less often in the near future."

"Oh?" His father's face broke into a broad smile. "And why might that be?"

"I think that it is past time for me to wed and begin a family of my own," Thomas said. "Coming to this decision has also made me realize that I have not visited you as often as I should have. I want to be a better son."

"Do you?"

His father's expression reflected fond amusement, but beneath that, Thomas noted the genuine delight in his father's voice.

"Is it Lady Victoria?" Thomas' father enquired.

"It is, indeed," Thomas replied. "I have found myself entirely charmed by her, and I wanted to know if I might have my mother's ring to offer her with the proposal."

"Certainly! When do you intend to ask her?"

Thomas hummed and frowned, thinking. He had not considered the precise place and time yet. "I will need to consider that," Thomas replied. "Lady Victoria is a lady who favours the theatrical, so my proposal must be special. I cannot simply ask her. She deserves something that I have put careful thought into."

His father stroked his chin and hummed. "You must be besotted then if you cannot simply ask her."

"I could simply ask her," Thomas countered, "but I would prefer to make her feel special. She deserves that."

"Your mother would be pleased to see that you have found a love match, and I am proud of you, son. Not only have you found love, something too rare in this world, but you are fulfilling my old partner's wish of ensuring that his beloved child will be taken care of."

"Yes," Thomas replied. "I am quite pleased with how wonderfully everything has happened."

His father rose from his chair and beckoned for Thomas. "Let us get your mother's ring."

Thomas followed his father to his mother's bedroom, which had remained untouched since her death. She had died when Thomas was a boy, and although his father had—after many years—returned to the cheerful man that Thomas remembered from his childhood, Thomas also knew that his father had never really finished grieving.

They entered the room, and Thomas' father opened the familiar rosewood jewellery box. After only a few seconds of searching its contents, his father found the ring. It was a simple gold band set with a single, sparkling turquoise.

"Your mother would want your new bride to have it."

Thomas took the ring in his hands. He stared at it for a long moment, his memory of his mother's love lingering like a spectre. "Thank you," Thomas said softly.

"Of course, my son."

Thomas pocketed the ring. He returned to the study with his father, and they spoke late into the night. Once they finished their conversation, Thomas took his carriage back to his townhouse. His fingers curled around the ring in his pocket. How was he supposed to propose to Lady Victoria? Thomas frowned. He did want his proposal to her to be special. After all, she had staged a play for him. Surely, she deserved something that reflected the same amount of effort. Unfortunately, Thomas was not quite an artist like she was.

He sighed, lips twitching in amusement. It seemed as though Lady Victoria intended to challenge him, and that suited him fine. More than fine. It was very seldom that he found himself challenged by anyone, and this only proved how perfect he and Lady Victoria were for one another.

Once they were wed, he would have the entirety of Sinclair McCallister, too. He would have the means to give Lady Victoria the life she deserved. No longer would she have to spend her days mending; she could spend every waking moment writing her plays and working to see them performed on stage. He could afford to buy her more beautiful dresses, like those that the other ton women often wore. He could make her the happiest wife in all of London.

The carriage halted, and his footman opened the door. "We have arrived, My Lord."

"Thank you."

Thomas left the carriage and smiled as he walked to the townhouse. This could be theirs. He imagined how it would feel to leave the long hours of debate at Parliament and of business and to return to the lovely Lady Victoria—

No, to Lady Bedford.

It sounded like the most wonderful dream he had ever conceived. Thomas grinned. It would take some time to think of an appropriate way to propose, but in the meanwhile, he would enjoy every precious heartbeat that he was allowed to spend with Lady Victoria.