Page 59 of A Dreamy Match Made in Heaven
“I have made my decision. There is no other woman in the world quite like her. And if she is enough to take even me, how could I possibly refuse? How could I possibly seek out another when I am utterly bound by her already?” he asked.
Thomas was astonished to hear these words from a man who had always been so indifferent toward marriage and commitment of any kind. It was wonderful to hear him speak so highly of the young woman that he had been matched to and to see the joy in his face as he spoke of her.
“I am astounded by the ways in which you have changed in such a short time, now that you know this woman. You are quite affected by her I can see. And while I would never have anticipated that you would make this choice, I am glad for it,” Thomas said, patting his friend on the shoulder.
“Well, I am delighted to see how things appear to be going between yourself and Lady Cranford. I know that it was difficult for you when things did not work out so well with Lady Hastings, but it seems that things are now coming together,” he replied.
“Yes, of course,” Thomas said, trying to convince himself of the same.
“Or have I misunderstood?” Officer Kingsley asked, looking at him more intently.
“No, not at all,” Thomas replied.
“You know, you are not very good at hiding your thoughts. Has anything given you pause in your decision?” he asked.
“Nothing. It is only that it is not so easy to move on sometimes. As I’ve told you, the history that exists between myself and Sophia is rather long and difficult. But it is the past now. And she shall move on just as I must. I cannot imagine a better option than Lady Cranford and I look forward to the future we may have,” Thomas said.
“As long as you really mean that. If you believe it and you really do see a future for the two of you, then you must pursue it. And more importantly, you must stop worrying about Lady Hastings and her future. If she falls in love, all the better. But even if she does not, you have made the right choice,” he said.
Thomas nodded, trying to believe that. He wanted to believe that it was alright if Sophia did not find love again, but he couldn’t. He wondered if he would always feel responsible for her happiness even though he knew well that it was not his duty.
He had made a commitment to her, to leave her alone from now on. But Thomas realised that he had failed to make that commitment to himself. He had failed to make the commitment not to care.
But regardless, he would press onwards and take good care of Lady Cranford, guarding her heart as best he could. He would not make the same mistake as last time, allowing himself to be intimidated by any potential rival suitors. No, he would make his intentions very clear to her.
Perhaps even after this very night, he would speak with her mother and father and discuss a formal courtship.
Then again, he knew that it would be very fast to do so. It was, perhaps, better that he wait even a short period and get to know her a little bit better before taking such a step. Maybe within the following week or two they would be ready for that, but in the meantime, they still had the rest of this evening and the ability to write to one another.
Indeed, as the evening progressed Thomas asked Lady Cranford for another dance and they enjoyed it together, spending time in one another’s company. After the dance, her mother and father came to speak with him before he had any chance to even initiate a discussion.
“It is very nice to meet you, Officer Gregory,” her mother and father said.
“And you as well, Lord and Lady Albers. I am delighted to finally make your acquaintance,” he said politely.
“We would like to invite you to join us for dinner one evening this week at our home. It would be good to get to know you a bit better,” Lord Albers said, eyeing him with a hopeful wonder.
It was clear that Thomas had intrigued them enough that they wanted to see if he was truly the right man for their daughter. He felt relieved that they considered him a prospect, but was also rather nervous about how he should be received.
“That sounds wonderful, Lord Albers. I thank you for the invitation,” Thomas said.
“Certainly. We shall send you our card once we have chosen an evening. Our daughter seems interested enough in the match that has been made that it appears to be the right thing,” Lord Albers added.
Thomas agreed, although he still sensed hesitancy in Lord Albers’s approach. No matter how Lady Cranford’s mother and father approached him, there would certainly be the wondering as to whether or not he would be adequate for their beloved daughter.
He thought back to Lord and Lady Silsby, who knew him well and never treated him with any suspicion at all. It had been a fortunate thing to have the trust of a woman’s parents before there was ever any potential romance involved.
But Thomas knew that Lady Cranford was worth it. She was someone he cared about enough to endure the rigours of society and the curiosities of her father. So he would happily attend the dinner and make the best of it.
And all the while, he would be able to block out thoughts of Sophia, who stood just across the room.
Chapter 23
Miss Wainwright had failed in a match for the first time. Sophia was devastated that it had been her who caused it. Humiliated and filled with remorse, she wondered if there was anything to be done to make it up to the poor woman who had tried so hard to do things well and bring her together with a prospective husband.
But returning to her mother and father in the countryside, that was an equal devastation.
How would she explain it to them? Would she even be willing to share the truth? And if she did not, would Miss Wainwright go out of her way to tell them what had truly occurred?
