Page 45 of A Dreamy Match Made in Heaven
Thomas wrote a card for Miss Wainwright, accepting her decision to introduce him to another woman. He considered himself brave for doing so, but underneath it all, he wondered if he was just being foolish. It was not as though anyone could actually match up to his first love.
Two hours passed before he answered a knock on his door.
“Officer Gregory, there is a Miss Wainwright and a Miss Cranford downstairs for you,” one of the inn’s maids informed him.
“Yes, thank you. I shall be down in just a moment,” he replied.
Closing the door, he adjusted his shirt and ensured that he looked decent before descending the stairs to meet the woman who would be Miss Wainwright’s next choice for him.
The moment that Thomas saw the beautiful young woman sitting beside Miss Wainwright, he determined that he would make every effort to have a positive match.
“Ah, Mr. Gregory, how lovely to see you. Might I introduce you to Miss Cranford? She is the daughter of Lord and Lady Albers. Miss Cranford, Mr. Gregory has been an Officer defending our nation but is settling in London now as a businessman,” the Matchmaker explained.
Miss Cranford looked up at him sheepishly with her large, clear-blue eyes. A cascade of elegant blonde curls fell to her shoulders and Thomas could not deny that she was exquisite. And having her hair down was rather daring in a way that he found captivating.
“It is lovely to meet you, Lady Cranford,” he greeted.
“And you, Officer Gregory. Miss Wainwright tells me that you attended her ball a few evenings past. I was sad to not have been there,” she replied, a sweet smile upon her pink lips.
“Indeed, it was a splendid time,” he said, trying to forget the way that the evening had ended for him. This was about Lady Cranford and he had no need of remembering another woman just now. Perhaps if he had met this woman at the ball he would never have even known Sophia was there.
Thomas made himself comfortable in the chair and Miss Wainwright called for tea to be brought to them. It was a comfortable place to sit and entertain one another, while not having the awkward privacy of a parlour.
Others mingled about the small restaurant at the inn, unaware that they were in the midst of a match being made. But for Thomas, none of that mattered. He was enjoying this opportunity to get to know Miss Cranford.
Brief moments would spring up in which he found himself pining for Sophia, but it seemed that every time that should happen, he would come back to himself and ask another question to get to know the young woman seated before him.
“You enjoy the piano forte?” he asked, listening intently as she told him of her playing.
“Oh, indeed. It is one of those things that all young women are expected to learn, but for many it is not entirely enjoyable. For me, however, it is one of my greatest entertainments. I love to learn not only the pieces that all are taught, but I enjoy those which challenge my techniques and abilities,” she shared.
“I should be delighted to hear you play sometime,” Thomas said.
“Certainly. We shall find an occasion in which I might do my best to entertain you. I am hardly the most proficient in society, but I do make every effort to improve,” she stated humbly.
Miss Wainwright looked at her and shook her head. “Mr. Gregory, you mustn’t listen to her words. Once you hear Miss Cranford play, you shall be overwhelmed by her skill.”
He imagined as much. After all, were not all young women meant to downplay their skills and act as though they were merely novices when their abilities even rivaled the masters?
“Then we shall have to ensure that I hear your playing sooner rather than later,” he replied with determination and a bit of a flirtatious air.
Miss Wainwright smiled at him with a satisfied look on her face, as though she were rather proud of this match. Thomas knew that, perhaps, he was overcompensating for how poorly things had gone with Sophia, but it felt quite good to share an interest with Lady Cranford as she seemed to be intrigued by him as well.
He soon learned that in addition to the piano forte, Lady Cranford excelled in other arts, such as language and reading. She seemed a most delicate and accomplished young woman. He could hardly imagine why she had not yet been matched and married.
But Thomas simply deemed it his own fortune and tried, further still, to push thoughts away of Sophia.
He truly wanted to feel for Lady Cranford what he had long felt for his first love, but no matter how he tried, Thomas continued to compare the two in his mind. In one moment he would consider the thrill of moving on, the peace of letting go. In the next, he would see Sophia’s face in his mind’s eye.
She haunted him in ways that he could never have anticipated. And Miss Wainwright still had no idea about it.
“Oh dear, I do believe the time has got away from us,” Miss Wainwright said once a lull befell the conversation. It was evident that she did not wish to keep Thomas and Lady Cranford together for too long, as if she wished for a little bit of wonder to remain between them. Or perhaps, Thomas considered, she may have had another appointment.
And Thomas wanted that as well. So long as he could continue not knowing everything there was to know about this woman, he would be able to enjoy learning more about her. He could take his time, get to know her, see who she truly was.
It was understandable to him why the Matchmaker had put them together. They had interacted well and there had seemed to be chemistry between them that Thomas was happy enough with. He thought that he would very much look forward to spending more time with Lady Cranford over the following days and weeks.
Miss Wainwright was skilled at what she did. This was only further evidence of that. Her matches, her techniques, and the way she didn’t allow them to linger, all of this made it clear that she was a master at her craft.
