Page 6 of The Viscount's Unwanted Bride
Perhaps that was a little overdramatic, but the idea of going out in society made his gut churn unpleasantly and a nervous sweat form on his upper lip. Society had not been kind to him after his wife died. Gossips had whispered that he’d had something to do with her untimely demise.
Of course, he had—but not in the way they thought.
Still, he couldn’t handle the assessing looks and the way they would smile to his face but exchange nervous glances as soon as his back was turned.
“See, I don’t think being busy is the problem,” Nicholas said, spearing a piece of carrot with his fork and popping it into his mouth. “I think you’re afraid. You remember how they were after Elizabeth passed away, and you’d rather molder in your office than venture out and see if it’s really as bad as you fear.”
“That’s not it at all,” Theo insisted, then intentionally filled his mouth so he’d have a reprieve before replying. “I’m behind on my reading for the next parliamentary meeting, and then there’s some kind of discrepancy in spending at Blackwell Estate that I need to get to the bottom of.”
Honestly, he suspected that the discrepancy was nothing more than his mother spending more than she ought to, but Nicholas didn’t need to know that.
Nicholas reached for a glass of wine and gave him a look that said he wasn’t fooling anyone. “How’s this? I’ll give you theentirety of the next two days to get your affairs in order, but Saturday night, you’re coming with me to the opera. You can spare a few hours. You’re a viscount, not a king.”
Theo pursed his lips. “You know that Mother would have a conniption if you and I were seen together somewhere so public.”
Their parents, in their infinite wisdom, had decided to lie and claim that Theo was born a year ahead of Nicholas, the better to ensure that Nicholas never challenged Theo’s role as the heir apparent. It was meant to be a simple, harmless deception to prevent in-fighting, but the problem was that anyone who saw them standing side-by-side would know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were twins.
They were identical.
It was a shame that their parents hadn’t realized that before it was too late to do anything about it.
At first, their parents tried to maintain the ruse, sending the boys to separate schools and limiting their circle of acquaintances so that no one would notice their similarities, but eventually their father had decided it simply wasn’t worth the effort—especially since Nicholas showed no signs of wanting the title and the viscount and viscountess wouldn’t get more than a public scolding should the truth come to light.
After that, they’d been allowed to interact more freely—to their mother’s dismay—but their personalities were so different that their lives outside the house rarely overlapped. Lady Blackwell had wanted to keep up the charade because she feared being the subject of gossip if their lie became public knowledge, but their father had the final word.
Alas, she still became vexed if she heard they’d been out and about together. Theo found the entire thing wearisome, but he cared for her, so he tried to humor her.
“What about a masquerade ball?” Nicholas asked, refusing to drop the subject. “She won’t care who sees us at one of those. Provided we have different costumes, no one will look at us twice.”
Theo felt like banging his head against the table. “No, thank you. I have no desire to rejoin society.”
Nicholas smashed his cutlery down hard enough that they both flinched. “You’re too young to waste away like this. Elizabeth’s death was tragic, but it wasn’t your fault, and you shouldn’t let it stop you from living.”
“Itwasmy fault,” Theo said quietly.
Nicholas could insist otherwise until he was blue in the face, but it wouldn’t change the reality. Theo had failed Elizabeth, and it had cost her life.
“There’s no reasoning with you.” Nicholas shook his head, disgusted. He grabbed his wine glass and emptied it far too quickly to be healthy. “I won’t watch you wither up and follow her into an early grave.”
Theo’s heart clenched. He closed his eyes, and an image of Elizabeth’s face appeared on the inside of his eyelids. She had been so pretty, so bright and full of life, until all of the vivacity had drained out of her and she’d been left a shell of her former self.
“They are right to whisper about me as they do.” Perhaps if he’d been a better husband, Elizabeth would still be with him.
“Ridiculous,” Nicholas grumbled but didn’t argue more, instead finishing his meal in silence.
There was a tension between them that Theo didn’t like, but he wasn’t sure how to get rid of it either. He wasn’t willing to give Nicholas what he wanted, and his brother wasn’t the type to accept anything less. As the younger child—even by only two minutes—he was used to getting his way.
As the silence dragged on, consuming painful moments, Theo considered starting a conversation about the latest bill he’d been asked to vote on, but he knew Nicholas wouldn’t really be interested and that he’d only get angry about Theo trying to distract him. Instead, he allowed the awkwardness to continue.
They finished the meal, and Nicholas rose to his feet.
“You ought to consider remarrying,” he said as he straightened his cravat and smoothed down the front of his waistcoat. “It’s been long enough, and you need an heir.”
“I have you,” Theo pointed out.
“Yes, well, I have no desire for a wife or a title. I quite like my life the way it is.”
Theo shrugged. “Think how many young ladies you could impress with the title ‘viscount.’”
