Page 70 of A Scandalous Bargain
“Tom—Rockbourne—lives next door to the duke. I climbed the tree in his garden to spy on Ramsgate.”
“And that’s how you met Rockbourne?”
Beatrix nodded, leaving outhowshe’d met him, that she’d seen his wife fall over the side of the balcony. “We’ve become friends.”
Selina’s brows arched nearly to her hairline. “You looked a bit closer than that. Exactly how often were you visiting him in his garden?”
“You don’t want to know.”
Selina briefly pressed her hand to her cheek. “Does he want to court you?” She shook her head. “He can’t. He’s in mourning. Why is he even here? Good gracious, I don’t understand Society’s rules one whit.”
“I don’t either. I’m fairly certain if it were you or I who were in mourning, we’d be vilified for coming to a friend’s wedding.”
“Mmm,” Selina murmured in agreement. “It seems like they’ll jump on any reason to disparage a young woman.” She pinned Beatrix with a dark frown. “You are not helping matters behaving in that way. You can’t go to his garden anymore.”
“I know.” Shedidknow.
“Good.” Selina touched her arm. “I’ve been so focused on the wedding, but things will return to normal now. Well, as normal as we can be.” She squeezed Beatrix’s elbow. “The most normal we’ve ever been.”
“I think that will be nice. Don’t you?”
“Exceedingly. I’m looking forward to getting back to work on the orphans’ home.” This had become Selina’s passion—after Harry, of course—and the Spitfire Society had taken up the cause. “I meant to tell you that I met someone whose sister-in-law runs an orphanage in Somerset. Her husband’s family has managed it for centuries, apparently. I plan to write to them for advice.”
“What a wonderful idea. Perhaps you and Harry should go take a tour. As a wedding trip.”
Selina laughed softly. “That would require me to persuade Harry to leave his position at Bow Street for longer than a week, which I am not sure he’s willing to do. Things are very busy there lately.”
So it seemed. Beatrix was just glad she and Selina were not in any way responsible for that. And they could have been, if things had gone differently. Indeed, Beatrix could still find herself in trouble if she continued to steal.
Instinctively, she smoothed her hands over her gown and then remembered it didn’t have pockets. She’d decided all her new dresses, and this was her newest, wouldn’t have them. It seemed prudent. Where could she stash a stolen object if she didn’t have pockets? Hopefully, it would work.
“What about Rockbourne?” Selina asked with a half smile.
“We are friends.”
“Nothing more?”
“He’s in mourning.”
“He won’t be forever.”
No, he wouldn’t. “If I ever decide to commit myself to someone, as you have to Harry, I want to be sure I’m doing it with my whole heart and that he is doing the same.”
“That is very wise. And you deserve nothing less.” Selina linked her arm through Beatrix’s. “Come, let us pretend we are members of Society for a while.”
Beatrix laughed. “We don’t have to pretend. Not anymore.”
At least not about that.
* * *
Though Thomas never took naps, he was tempted to lie down with Regan that afternoon. Staying up so late with Beatrix the night before followed by the wedding breakfast had combined to make him exhausted.
It was, however, a good sort of exhausted. For the first time in ages, he felt energized instead of drained.
As she did most days, Aunt Charity arrived in the late afternoon. Thomas met her in the drawing room for tea.
“Good afternoon, Aunt,” he said as he sat down with her at the small oval table that overlooked Grosvenor Square.
