Page 46 of A Dreamy Match Made in Heaven
“It was splendid meeting you, Officer Gregory,” Lady Cranford said, giving a delicate curtsey.
“And you, Lady Cranford,” he replied with a bow.
From there, the two women exited and Thomas watched them go. He told himself how charmed he ought to feel, repeating in his mind that Lady Cranford was quite a spectacular woman to be sure. She would have been a dream come true for any man who had his head on right.
The day had been rather a different one than Thomas might have expected, but he was glad to have been surprised. He thought that perhaps this would be the very thing that would bring his mother some peace of mind now that he had met another woman who might be an option for him.
Of course, it was all entirely up in the air. Lady Cranford might not even like him all that much. She might tell Miss Wainwright that she was not interested. She might have been entirely disappointed by him but simply knew how to maintain a polite exterior when faced with a prospect of marriage.
And he would have to understand and accept that, no matter how difficult it might be to do so. This was not only about him, but about the young woman he would end up with.
But Thomas put those thoughts off to the side. For now, he needed rest. For now, he needed something to take his mind off the choices that lay before him.
He retired to his room, relieved that Officer Kingsley had not yet returned to bother him. It was an ideal time to take a short nap and give himself a break before he moved forward with whatever was next in his life.
Thomas lay on the bed with his head resting comfortably on the pillow and wondered if he was wasting time by sleeping. But before he could consider it, he drifted away into dreams that provided a great deal more clarity for him than the world in which he truly lived.
He felt as though he were drowning in those dreams, unable to break free of them. It was as if a fever had overtaken his mind and he was trapped by the frenzy of things he had to consider.
One moment, he was holding out a flower to Sophia, bowing before her and asking for a dance.
And in the next, she was laughing with another man and Thomas saw Lady Cranford standing beside him, crying. His mother was scolding him through the bleeding colours and the melting paints of the dream.
There was no real sound, no conversation, simply silent emotions, all of which centered on his own actions. All of the responsibility lay on Thomas to bring joy and peace and satisfaction to the others.
It was a responsibility he tried to run away from, but the fingers of the dream kept dragging him back, disabling him from waking.
A door slammed and Thomas jolted upright. His body was covered in sweat and he realised that he was shaking.
His friend stood beside the door, a smirk on his face as he watched Thomas struggle to remember where he was and what was happening.
“It’s about time you woke. I called your name, I began to shake you until I realised how utterly covered in perspiration you are,” Officer Kingsley complained.
“What do you mean?” Thomas asked, catching his breath.
“I couldn’t wake you. You are sweating and you were mumbling something in your sleep. Are you quite alright? What’s the matter with you?” he asked.
“Oh…it’s nothing,” Thomas replied.
“Nothing? It seems like a great deal of something has disturbed you. A nightmare?” he prodded.
“I suppose so, yes,” Thomas answered.
“Anyway, I had to slam that door just to wake you. Will you be coming for a drink at the tavern?” he asked.
Thomas thought for a moment, not entirely sure if he was in a place to be having a drink when he was so utterly confused without it.
“I may come later. Do not wait for me. I’m not entirely sure if I shall come or not. But I do have a few things to take care of,” Thomas said.
“Alright, but you ought to make up your mind quickly. It’s getting late,” he replied, taking his leave.
Thomas looked outside and saw that the light had faded and dark had descended. It was certainly getting late enough that if he did plan to have anything it was the time to do it. Otherwise, he had best remain in his room. Of course, after that dream, a drink was rather tempting.
But Thomas had bigger priorities on his mind and drinks simply were not one of the things that was most pressing.
Rather, he knew from his dream something that must be done, something that he would not have peace without.
Thomas sat down at the desk in his room and pulled out a slip of blank paper, a pen, and ink. This was what he had to do if he was going to move forward with his life as he had wished to. This was the necessary letter to write if he had any hope for joy that might come.
