“My father was determined to join the families in the next generation.” Thomas laughed then, but there was an uncomfortable, exasperated note to it. “To rectify the unfortunate mongrelization caused by my mother’s entrance into the bloodlines.”
“Oh, don’t be silly,” Amelia said, even though she had a feeling he was not being silly at all. Still, she ached for the boy he must have been, growing up in such an unhappy household.
“Oh, no,” he assured her, “he said it quite often. I must marry a noble bride, and I must make certain my sons did the same. It was going to take generations to get the bloodlines back to where they should be.” He grinned at her then, but it was an utterly awful expression. “You, my dear, were meant to be our savior, even at the ripe old age of six months.”
Amelia looked away from him, trying to take this all in. No wonder he had been so uneager to set a date for the marriage. Who would want to marry her, when it was put in such terms?
“Don’t look so somber,” he said, and when she turned back to face him, he reached out and touched her cheek. “It isn’t your fault.”
“It isn’t yours, either,” she said, trying to resist the urge to turn and nuzzle his hand.
“No,” he murmured. “It isn’t.”
And then he leaned forward, and she leaned forward…because she couldn’t not lean forward, and even then, as the carriage rocked gently beneath them, he brushed his lips against hers.
She tingled. She sighed. And she would have gladly melted into another kiss, except that they hit an exceptionally vicious rut in the road, which sent both of them back to their respective seats.
Amelia let out a frustrated snort. Next time she’d figure out how to adjust her balance so she’d land on his seat. It would be so lovely, and even if she happened to find herself in a scandalous position, she’d be (almost) completely blameless.
Except that Thomas looked dreadful. Quite beyond green. The poor man was puce.
“Are you all right?” she asked, very carefully scooting across the carriage so she was not sitting directly across from him.
He said something, but she must have misheard, because it sounded like, “I need a radish.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I’d kiss you again,” he said, sounding very droll and perhaps a bit queasy at the same time, “except that I’m quite certain you would not appreciate it.”
While she was trying to formulate a reply to that, he added, “The next kiss—”
(Brief moment of silence, followed by a grunt, both brought on by another rut.)
He cleared his throat. “The next kiss, you will appreciate. That, Amelia, is a vow.”
She was quite sure he was right, because the statement alone made her shiver.
Hugging her arms to her chest, she peered out the window. She’d noticed they were slowing down, and indeed, the carriage had wound into the small courtyard in front of the posting inn. The Happy Hare dated from Tudor times, and its black and white exterior was well-kept and inviting, each window adorned with a flower box, blooming all shades of red and gold. From the jettied upper story hung a rectangular sign featuring a toothsome rabbit, standing upright in his Elizabethan doublet and ruff.
Amelia found it all rather charming and intended to comment, but Thomas was already making for the door.
“Shouldn’t you wait for the carriage to come to a complete stop?” she asked mildly.
His hand went still upon the door handle, and he did not say a word until they had halted completely. “I’ll be but a moment,” he said, barely looking at her.
“I believe I will accompany you,” she replied.
He froze, then his head turned slowly toward her. “Wouldn’t you prefer to remain in the comfort of the carriage?”
If he had been trying to douse her curiosity, he was going about it the wrong way.
“I would like to stretch my legs,” she said, affixing her favorite bland smile onto her face. She’d used it with him a hundred times at least, but not since they had got to know each other a bit. She was no longer sure how well it would work.
He stared at her for a long moment, clearly baffled by her placid demeanor.
Like a charm, she decided. She blinked a couple of times—nothing too coy or obvious, just a couple of flutters in a row, as if she were patiently waiting for him to respond.
“Very well,” he said, sounding resigned in a way she did not think she’d ever heard in his voice before. He always got everything he wanted. Why would he ever feel resigned?
He stepped down with far less bounce than his usual hop, then held up a hand to assist her. She took it gracefully and stepped down herself, pausing to smooth her skirts and take stock of the inn.
She’d never been to the Happy Hare. She’d passed it dozens of times, of course. It was on a main road, and she’d spent her entire life, save for two seasons in London, in this particular corner of Lincolnshire. But she’d never gone in. It was a posting inn, and thus primarily for travelers passing through the district. And besides that, her mother would never have stepped foot into such an establishment. As it was, there were only three inns that she would deign to visit on the way to London, which did make travels somewhat restricted.
“Do you come here often?” Amelia asked, taking his arm when he offered it to her. It was surprisingly thrilling, this, to be on the arm of her betrothed, and not because it was a requirement he felt he must fulfill. It was almost as if they were a young married couple, off on an outing, just the two of them.
“I consider the innkeeper a friend,” he replied.
She turned to him. “Really?” Until this very day, he had been the Duke to her, raised high on a pedestal, too rarefied to converse with mere mortals.
“Is it so difficult to imagine that I might have a friend who is of inferior rank?” he asked.
“Of course not,” she replied, since she could not tell him the truth—that it was difficult to imagine him with a friend of any stripe. Not, of course, because he was lacking. Quite the contrary. He was so splendid in every way that one could not imagine walking up to him and uttering anything benign or banal. And wasn’t that how friendships were usually formed? With an ordinary moment, a shared umbrella, or perhaps two seats next to each other at a bad musicale?
She had seen the way people treated him. Either they fawned and preened and begged his favors, or they stood to the side, too intimidated to attempt a conversation.
She’d never really thought about it before, but it must be rather lonely to be him.
They entered the inn, and although Amelia kept her face politely forward, her eyes were darting this way and that, trying to take it all in. She wasn’t sure what her mother had found so repellent; everything looked respectable enough to her. It smelled heavenly, too, of meat pies and cinnamon and something else she couldn’t quite identify—something tangy and sweet.
They walked into what had to be the taproom, and were immediately greeted by the innkeeper, who called out, “Wyndham! Two days in a row! To what do I owe your gilded presence?”
“Stuff it, Gladdish,” Thomas muttered, leading Amelia to the bar. Feeling very risqué, she sat atop a stool.
“You’ve been drinking,” the innkeeper said, grinning. “But not here with me. I’m crushed.”
“I need a Baddish,” Thomas said.
Which didn’t really make any more sense than a radish, Amelia thought.
“I need an introduction,” the innkeeper returned.
Amelia grinned. She’d never heard anyone speak to him in this manner. Grace came close…sometimes. But it wasn’t like this. She would never have been so audacious.
“Harry Gladdish,” Thomas said, sounding supremely irritated that he was being made to dance to someone else’s tune, “may I present the Lady Amelia Willoughby, daughter of the Earl of Crowland.”
“And your affianced bride,” Mr. Gladdish murmured.
“I am most delighted to make your acquaintance,” Amel
ia said, holding out her hand.
He kissed it, which made her grin. “I’ve been waiting to meet you, Lady Amelia.”
She felt her face light up. “You have?”
“Since…Well, da—dash it all, Wyndham, how long have we known that you were engaged?”
Thomas crossed his arms, his expression bored. “I have known since I was seven.”
Mr. Gladdish turned to her with a devilish smile. “Then I have known since I was seven as well. We are of an age, you see.”
“You have known each other a long time, then?” Amelia asked.
“Forever,” Mr. Gladdish confirmed.
“Since we were three,” Thomas corrected. He rubbed his temple. “The Baddish, if you will.”
“My father was assistant to the stable master at Belgrave,” Mr. Gladdish said, ignoring Thomas completely. “He taught us to ride together. I was better.”
“He was not.”
Mr. Gladdish leaned forward. “At everything.”
“Recall that you are married,” Thomas bit off.
“You’re married?” Amelia said. “How delightful! We shall have to have you and your wife over to Belgrave once we are wed.” She caught her breath, feeling almost light-headed. She’d never anticipated their life as a married couple with such certainty. Even now she could not quite believe she’d been so bold as to say it.
“Why, we would be delighted,” Mr. Gladdish said, giving Thomas a bit of a look. Amelia wondered if he’d never invited him over.
“The Baddish, Harry,” Thomas almost growled. “Now.”
“He’s drunk, you know,” Mr. Gladdish told her.
“Not anymore,” she replied. “But he was. Quite.” She turned to Thomas and grinned. “I like your friend.”
“Harry,” Thomas said, “if you do not place a Baddish upon this counter within the next thirty seconds, as God is my witness, I shall have this place razed to the ground.”
“Such an abuse of power,” Mr. Gladdish said, shaking his head as he went to work. “I pray that you will be a good influence on him, Lady Amelia.”
“I can only do my best,” Amelia said, using her most prim and pious voice.
“Truly,” Mr. Gladdish said, placing a hand on his heart, “it is all any of us can do.”
“You sound just like the vicar,” Amelia told him.
“Really? What a compliment. I have been cultivating my vicarish tone. It aggravates Wyndham, and is thus something to aspire to.”
Thomas’s arm shot across the bar and he grabbed his friend’s collar with strength remarkable in one so impaired. “Harry…”
“Thomas, Thomas, Thomas,” Mr. Gladdish said, and Amelia nearly laughed aloud at the sight of her betrothed being scolded by an innkeeper. It was marvelous.
“No one likes a surly drunk,” Mr. Gladdish continued. “Here you are. For the sake of the rest of us.” He plunked a short glass on the counter. Amelia leaned forward to inspect the contents. It was yellowish, and rather slimy-looking, with a dark brown swirl and a few flecks of red.
It smelled like death.
“Good heavens,” she said, looking up at Thomas. “You’re not going to drink that, are you?”
He grabbed the glass, brought it to his lips, and downed it in one gulp. Amelia actually flinched.
“Ew,” she let out, unable to suppress her groan. She felt sick to her stomach just watching him.
Thomas shuddered, and his chin seemed to tense and shake, as if he were steeling himself for something very unpleasant. And then, with a gasp, he let out a breath.
Amelia backed away from the fumes. That kiss he had promised…
He had better not be planning on it today.
“Tastes just as good as you remembered, eh?” Mr. Gladdish said.
Thomas met his gaze dead even. “Better.”
Mr. Gladdish laughed at that, and then Thomas laughed, and Amelia just looked at them with a complete lack of comprehension. Not for the first time, she wished she’d had brothers. Surely she could have used a bit of practice with the males of the species before trying to understand these two.
“You’ll be cured before long,” Mr. Gladdish said.
Thomas gave a nod. “That’s why I’m here.”
“You’ve had one of these before?” Amelia asked, trying not to wrinkle her nose.
Mr. Gladdish cut Thomas off before he could reply. “He’d have my head if I told you just how many of these he’s tossed back.”
“Harry…” Thomas said warningly.
“We were young and foolish,” Harry said, holding up his hands as if that were explanation enough. “Truly, I haven’t served him one of these in years.”
Amelia was glad to hear it; as amusing as it had been to finally see Thomas at less than his best, she did not relish the thought of marriage to a habitual drunkard. Still, it did make her wonder—just what had happened that made him want to go out and overindulge?
“Served one of these to your friend the other day,” Mr. Gladdish said offhandedly.
“My friend,” Thomas repeated.
Amelia hadn’t been paying much attention, but the tone of his voice when he replied was enough to make her look sharply in his direction. He sounded bored…and dangerous, if the combination was possible.
“You know the one,” Mr. Gladdish said. “You were in here with him just yesterday, wasn’t it?”
“Is someone visiting?” Amelia asked. “Who is it?”
“No one,” Thomas said, barely looking at her. “Just an acquaintance from London. Someone I used to fence with.”
“He is handy with a sword,” Mr. Gladdish put in, motioning to Thomas. “He trounced me every time, pains me though it does to admit it.”
“You were invited to share his fencing lessons?” Amelia said. “How lovely.”
“I shared all his lessons,” Mr. Gladdish said with a smile. It was a real smile, too; nothing teasing or silly.
“It was my father’s only generous gesture,” Thomas confirmed. “Not generous enough, of course. Harry’s education was stopped when I left for Eton.”
“Wyndham couldn’t be rid of me that easily, though,” Harry said. He leaned toward Amelia and said, “Everyone should have someone in his life who knows his every secret.”
Her eyes widened. “Do you?”
“Know his every secret? Absolutely.”
Amelia turned to Thomas. He did not contradict. She turned back to Harry with delight. “Then you do!”
“You didn’t believe me the first time?”
“It seemed only polite to verify,” she demurred.
“Well, yes, you do have to marry the old chap, whereas I must only bear his company once a week or so.” Mr. Gladdish turned to Thomas and took the empty Baddish glass off the counter. “Do you need another one?”
“One was quite enough, thank you.”
“Your color is returning already,” Amelia said with some amazement. “You’re not so green.”
“Yellow, I thought,” Mr. Gladdish put in. “Except for the purple under the eye. Very regal-like.”
“Harry.” Thomas looked quite close to the edge of his patience.
Harry leaned closer to Amelia. “Those ducal types never get black eyes. Always purple. Goes better with the robes.”
“There are robes?”
Harry waved a hand. “There are always robes.”
Thomas took hold of Amelia’s arm. “We’re leaving, Harry.”
Harry grinned. “So soon?”
Amelia waved with her free hand, even as Thomas tugged her away from the bar. “It was lovely meeting you, Mr. Gladdish!”
“You are welcome any time, Lady Amelia.”
“Why, thank you, I—”
But Thomas had already yanked her from the room.
“He’s very sweet,” Amelia said as she skipped along beside him, trying to keep up with his lengthier stride.
“Sweet,” Thomas repeated, shaking his head. “He’d like that.” He steered her around a
puddle, although not so deftly that she didn’t have to take a little hop to save her boots.
The coachman was already holding the door open when they approached. Amelia let Thomas help her up, but she’d not even taken her seat before she heard him say, “To Burges Park.”
“No!” she exclaimed, popping her head back out. “We can’t.”
Good heavens, that would be a disaster.
Chapter 10
Thomas stared at her for longer than was strictly necessary, then motioned to the coachman to leave them to their privacy. As Amelia was already half hanging outside the carriage, he was not required to lean forward in order to ask, “Why not?”
“To preserve your dignity,” she said, as if that made perfect sense. “I told Milly—”
“Milly?”
“My sister.” Her eyes widened in that way women affected when they were frustrated that their companion (usually male) could not immediately discern the nature of their thoughts. “You do recall that I have one.”
“I recall that you have several,” he said dryly.
Her expression turned positively peevish. “Not that it could have been helped, but Milly was with me this morning when I saw you—”
Thomas swore under his breath. “Your sister saw me.”
“Just one of them,” she assured him. “And luckily for you, it was the one who can actually keep a secret.”
There should have been something amusing in that, but he wasn’t seeing it. “Go on,” he ordered.
She did. With great animation. “I had to give my mother some reason for abandoning Milly on the Stamford high street, so I told Milly to tell her that I’d come across Grace, who was running errands for your grandmother. Then she was to say that Grace invited me back to Belgrave, but that if I wished to go, I had to depart immediately, because the dowager had ordered Grace to return right away.”
Thomas blinked, trying to follow.
“Because I had to have a reason why I did not have time enough to go into the dress shop and inform Mama of the change of plans myself.”
She stared at him as if he ought to have a response. He did not.