Lisbeth waved Miss Ashby away and sat on the edge of his bed, stroking his hair. “I dropped a glass. Go back to sleep, little one.”
He did as she asked, drifting off. Lisbeth shook her head, horrified by both her and Thomas’s behavior. She wouldn’t live with him if they could not get along. It was too much for Alice and Jeremy. They would have to figure something out. Perhaps she would take the children to the country until things settled down.
The Historical Society for Female Curators was planning an event to reveal the end of the epic. She would miss that. Still, it didn’t matter. If she stayed, she and Thomas were likely to destroy each other.
*
Thomas sat atthe Den in one of the quieter rooms. He needed a moment to himself. In his anger, he’d tipped the newspapers off about his wedding to Lisbeth; now, it was everywhere. The minute he’d walked into the club tonight, men had wanted to congratulate him.
He sipped his brandy, hating all the poor choices he’d made of late. Thomas had truly turned into a madman, not like the one in the Arabic tale, but an actual lunatic. He’d forced Lisbeth to marry him. Still, anger shot through him whenever he thought of his daughter being raised by another.
When he met her yesterday, she looked at him with pure hatred. Thomas suspected that suddenly having a new father figure would make any child feel that way. Jeremy, Lisbeth’s other child, seemed to deal with it better, but it was a disaster.
He took a sip of his drink. His mind flashed to last night. He’d wanted her so badly, and then she’d shown up in his bedchamber. It was like his dream had come true. For a moment, he didn’t want to think about all the bad stuff between them. He’d simply wanted to feel Lizzie’s body against his.
Then, in the middle of it, his brain couldn’t stop thinking about the townhouse he was in and the life she’d lived without him. Any tenderness he felt for her evaporated instantly. The end of their coupling had been one filled with anger and selfishness. The sad part was that afterward, he still wanted her even though he despised Lisbeth now.
Devons sat down across from him. “I hear congratulations are in order.”
Thomas scowled and said nothing.
“Why are you here if you are newly married?”
He sighed. “Didn’t you just marry recently?”
The club owner smirked. “I did, but this is also my business. I’ve also been married for a few weeks now. If gossip is correct, you’ve just gotten married yesterday.”
He forced himself to smile. “I’m just getting away for a few hours.”
“I know we haven’t seen each other since Latakia, but if you ever need anything, let me know. It is very easy to become wrapped up in all your admirers. If you need a real friend, I’m here.”
Some of Thomas’s anger subsided. He did appreciate Devons. Since his arrival, people seemed to fawn over him. In truth, it was overwhelming and something he wasn’t enjoying all that much. Well, except that, at times, it helped him keep his mind off his debacle with Lisbeth. He was in so much pain right now, but he cringed every time he remembered his words to her yesterday evening.
“Do you think if two people have hurt each other deeply, they can overcome that?” he asked.
Devon’s eyes widened. “I’m not sure. I believe it depends on what they’ve done and if they love each other more than they hate each other.”
Thomas nodded, unsure how he felt. Their conversation was interrupted when Lord Jude stumbled into the room. “Mr. Easton, join us for drinks out here. We want to hear about your adventures and congratulate you on your wedding.”
He forced himself to smile. “I will be there momentarily.”
Jude stumbled back out of the room. Evidently, he’d already been celebrating a great deal.
“A word of caution: Lord Jude is a notorious gossip. It isn’t wise to reveal anything to him because all of London will know about it,” Devons explained.
“I appreciate you letting me know.”
Devons added, “Go home. Spend time with your bride.”
Thomas couldn’t go back to the duke’s residence. He took a sip of his drink and stood. “I think I will join the revelry in the main hall for a bit.”
“It won’t help with whatever you’re upset about,” Devons stated.
He finished his drink and forced himself to smile. “I’m fine.”
Thomas walked out into the main hall, and a large group of men applauded him. Yes, this was what Thomas wanted. He needed to get lost in the noise. He hoped that would help him forget about everything else.
He smiled at a server and loudly said, “Bring all these men another drink. I have a story to tell them.”
