“They were having breakfast this morning when I left my estate. He still hasn’t spoken a word, according to what she informed me but he is quite taken with her. He won’t let anyone else clothe him now and he refuses to eat unless she eats with him. After only a day, he is absolutely smitten with her,” Thomas grunts, emptying his glass.
“And you? Do you intent to keep her at arms length until your three months together are up?” Edward wondered, pouring him another drink and refilling his own glass as well.
“I only did this because of Reuben. I have no need to blur the lines between us.”
“Why does there need to be lines at all? I understand that you were reluctant to enlist the help of an outsider for help, but it has been three years. You had to try something else eventually. And from what you have said, this plan has a chance of working out in your favor,” Edward pointed out.
“It is precisely because he has been like this for three years that I am upset. I should have been able to help him. I can’t help but wonder about all the times before… all the moments when he wished to communicate his needs but could not. Now that there is a possibility he might do so, I can’t help but feel pathetic,” Thomas admitted quietly.
Edward was quiet for a bit, then he huffed in annoyance.
“I really do hope I am not as sour as you are so soon after my marriage.”
Thomas regarded him with thinly veiled irritation.
“That is if you can find someone willing enough to marry you. I suspect you might have to kidnap your own bride.”
“How dare you say such offensive things? Does your wife know you are so unkind? I feel as though I should write her a strongly worded letter, to reveal all of your shortcomings. I might just tell her of that time you squirted tea from your nose during my mother’s brunch.” Edward stated, pointing at Thomas.
“You said you would never tell another soul about that!”
“Ha! That’s what you get for not respecting a keeper of your secrets.”
Thomas smiled, shaking his head in amusement. Edward chuckled, lifting his glass to his lips.
“Tell me about your wife. Was she worth chasing after?”
“Based on her close relationship with Reuben?” Thomas questioned, reaching for the bottle, only to have his hand smacked away.
“Based on her interactions with you. You are the one she married, after all. Although you might be insistent on the line drawn between you both, fate might have other ideas for you.” Edward explained, refilling their glasses once more.
“Fate?” Thomas snorted. “I did not know you believed in such silly notions.”
“I am a believer of convivence and the benefits of its existence. It is rather convenient that there happened to be a woman who looked quite like your late wife, who was unmarried and searching for a husband. We are still yet to reap the benefits of such a convenient stroke of luck, but it would seem that we are already well on our way. Would you not agree?”
Edward was not wrong. He might have had his reservations at the start, but it seemed as though Jane might be exactly what Reuben needed. He only hoped things would progress as smoothly as possible, in the time they had.
“She is… kind,” Thomas admitted. “She is attentive. Quite shy and honest… mostly.”
“Mostly? Has she lied to you? Two days into your marriage and you are already being deceived? My goodness, Ravencroft. What am I to do with you?” Edward shook his head in disappointment.
“She claimed to find me… handsome.”
Edward stared at him for a moment, then he sighed deeply.
“That poor girl. I doubt she is aware that her skills – whatever they might be – will be needed to care for both you and your son. You are just as worrisome as dear Reuben is.” Edward tutted with a frown.
“Do not patronize me,” Thomas warned.
“Do not sell yourself short. I realize that Eliza’s passing left you… wounded. Your relationship was quite tumultuous from the start and as such, it was doomed to fail. I wish you would not hold it against yourself. You have fought so hard, Thomas, all your life. You fought well during the war, you fought well to be a good duke, and you fought well to be a good husband and father. You tried your best and now you have another chance to try again and do it right. Which is why I wish you would not worry so much. This young woman seems to know what she’s doing. Follow her steps and let her guide you. Trust yourself. I am sure you made the right call.” Edward said earnestly.
Thomas stared down at his hands, his gaze tracing over the scars much like the ones on his face, a vivid reminder that he had survived the horrors of war. Sometimes, he wondered if things might have been easier if he had simply… perished on the battle field.
But it would seem ‘fate’ had other plans for him, which he must adhere to, if he wished to live a semblance of a good life.
“I will do my best,” he stated after a moment.
Edward nodded in approval, a proud smile climbing his lips.
