***
By dinner, she had learned that the blonde woman was Lady Vivienne Bradshaw, the cousin of Thaddeus’s longtime friend,Lord Reginald Cassian. Isolde had heard him mention Viscount Cassian, but she had not met him before today.
She told herself that it was only natural that Thaddeus would seem close to a woman he had known since childhood.
Still, she was disappointed when they went into dinner and she found herself seated at the other end of the table from Thaddeus – and could not help the twinge of jealousy when she saw that Lady Bradshaw was sitting beside him.
She chided herself for that, realizing she’d been hoping to sit beside Thaddeus herself, and what a silly hope that had been.
Lord Cassian was not seated with his cousin, but rather at her right. He seemed intent on engaging her in conversation, and she did her best to respond to him, but her eyes kept being drawn to Thaddeus.
Though the table was long, and there were many people between them, she could have sworn that he was looking for her, too. Their eyes kept meeting, and Isolde couldn’t help continually glancing his way to see if it would happen again. It did, every time.
She noticed that Lady Bradshaw didn’t seem too pleased with this, throwing dark glances at Isolde when Thaddeus was not paying attention.
When Thaddeus did turn to her, she became bright and bubbly, flashing him brilliant smiles and talking animatedly. Isolde couldn’t hear their conversation, but it definitely looked as though Lady Bradshaw was flirting with her fiancé.
Calm down, Isolde. You’ve no real claim on the man, and competing with another woman for his affections is certainly not the plan.
Yet no matter how many times she admonished herself, she could not help the stab of jealousy whenever Thaddeus looked at Lady Bradshaw, nor the hot rush of pride and triumph she felt whenever Thaddeus’s eyes returned to Isolde’s face and lingered there.
“Did you meet my cousin yet, Miss Fairchild?” Lord Cassian said, interrupting this cycle of emotions. She looked away from Thaddeus with reluctance.
“I have not yet had the pleasure to formally meet Lady Bradshaw, no,” Isolde replied.
“Ah. Well, I’m sure Harrow – that is to say, Lord Hartington, as you would know him – will introduce you soon. We grew up together, and they were always quite close, the two of them. I did think, before she was married, of course, that they were meant to be together.”
Suddenly, Lord Cassian had all her attention, a knot forming in her stomach.
“Were they so close?” she asked and held her breath waiting for the answer.
“Oh, indeed,” Lord Cassian said, nodding. “Harrow was sweet on her from the beginning, held a flame for her our whole childhoods. I still don’t understand why he never proposed.”
Isolde’s head swam with this new information, and she looked back up the table just in time to see Lady Cassian lean her head close to Thaddeus and whisper something to him.
“Well, I suppose people grow apart as they age,” Isolde said faintly, feeling she must protest what seemed to be obviously happening right in front of her eyes.
“Perhaps,” Lord Cassian agreed. “Though perhaps not forever. They do seem to be almost as close now as before. I’m happy to see it, for she was so devastated by her husband’s death.
Isolde did not think Lady Bradshaw seemed very devastated. She swallowed hard, looking down at her plate just to stop looking at Thaddeus with that woman. She felt tears pricking the corners of her eyes and blinked them away.
He’s not mine, she reminded herself.If he loves her, I have no right to stand between them.
It was the truth, yet it felt as though no part of her could accept it. Her heart sank further.
Isolde, what have you gotten yourself into?
Chapter 12
Thaddeus was regretting his decision to hold the annual hunt. Despite having purposefully decided to hold the event to help Isolde meet someone, he was disgruntled at how little he’d been able to see of her since his return.
First, the preparations, and now the event itself, was keeping him from spending time with her. He had convinced himself to move forward with their plan but continued to be plagued by doubts.
All the men had gathered in the courtyard to mount up for the hunt, and Thaddeus headed toward his horse. The women had also come to the courtyard to see the men off before retiring to the garden for games and a luncheon his mother had prepared.
He walked quickly, hoping to avoid any further interactions with Lady Vivienne – last night’s dinner had been enough. He made a mental note to ask the housekeeper not to seat him next to her for any more meals.
As he reached his horse, something caught his eye – Isolde’s father was cornered by another man at the edge of the courtyard.
