Now, that was never to be.
Every bitter thought and moment of jealousy was suddenly fresh in his mind. Every time he had wished for his brother to disappear, to leave him in peace…
Well, now Edward would never bother him again. Guilt crashed over him now, accompanied by a flash of nausea.
Had he not wished for this? Wished for the day when he would not have to endure Edward’s judgment, his eternal superiority, his perfect life with his perfect wife and…
Amelia.
Tobias straightened at the thought of this, his heart racing. He uncrumpled the letter, rereading the last words. Your brother’s widow and son remain at the estate and are in need of your guidance.
His guidance. Amelia was a widow, and their child, who would barely know his father, was still an infant.
They needed the guidance of a rake who hardly managed to handle his own life. Waiting for him. Depending on him. The eternal disappointment, who had fled the last time he had seen them—who had never even enquired about the child.
He moved now, without conscious thought. He had to go. He was not quite sure what it was he had to do he only knew that he had to help. He threw essentials into a bag without any care for order before ringing the bell for Morrison, whose eyes widened when he took in his master’s haphazard appearance.
He thrust the crumpled letter into the man’s hand wordlessly. Morrison glanced at the words, and then—to his credit—let out no words of sympathy. Instead, he nodded.
“Shall I arrange for your carriage, my lord?”
“Immediately, yes. Tell them not to spare the horses. I need to reach Kent before dawn breaks.”
Morrison’s eyes widened at this. “My lord, it is… the dark of night. Would it not be wiser to wait until…?”
“Now, Morrison.”
Perhaps it was the inheritance that he had just received, but the authority that escaped from his tone was clear. The valet bowed before leaving the chamber and Tobias sank down onto his bed.
Was this truly happening?
He continued haphazardly throwing items into his bag quickly, before he grabbed them and rushed down the stairs. The carriage was already waiting, and he climbed in wordlessly.
At some point, rain started to fall. As though the entire universe was mourning the death of the real viscount.
Tobias pressed his fists against his forehead, as though it could rid him of the rambling thoughts in his head. Somewhere ahead lay Redmond Park—a Redmond Park that now belonged to him. In that manor was Amelia—grieving, alone with a child, and now his responsibility. The exact responsibility he had spent his entire life avoiding.
He could not run from this.
He would have to face it—face the burden he was happy to watch his brother bear. The estate, the title, the obligations.
The woman with the sad blue eyes, the baby on her lap.
It was all his now. And he had absolutely no idea how he was meant to handle it all.
His responsibility. A lot of new obligations.
His home.
CHAPTER 2
“Lord Redmond, the household has been informed of your arrival.”
At once, Tobias felt the weight of those two words settle upon his shoulders like a physical burden. Lord Redmond. The title that had belonged to Edward for all of Tobias’s life now rested uneasily upon him—a garment that did not fit, would perhaps never fit properly.
“Thank you, Pemberton.” Tobias descended from the carriage, his legs stiff from the relentless journey through the night. Dawn had barely broken across the Kent countryside, painting Redmond Park in shades of grey. “I trust the arrangements proceed as they ought?”
“Indeed, my lord. The funeral shall take place this afternoon. We feared that you might not make it in time.” Pemberton’s weathered countenance betrayed nothing save professional composure, though his eyes held the shadows of recent strain. “Lady Amelia has attended to every detail with admirableprecision. She… forgive me, my lord, but we did not know if you would be able to attend it.”
