Page 1 of A Gentleman's Wife

Chapter One

London, England – June 1817

Thomas Ramsbury smiled at the woman across the ballroom, his heart pounding at the sight. Lady Finley was an excellent woman. A marchioness of good breeding and moral character, smart and witty, charming and polite. And though beauty could be subjective, she was the pinnacle of everything attractive and appealing in his eyes. He was endlessly thankful they’d met at that ridiculous house party and formed a friendship, for it had slowly turned into something more. Thomas had never expected to develop such a fondness for her, but the fact was he had, and it only encouraged him further to proceed in asking for her hand.

That she was a wealthy and titled widow was not the enticement others might have expected. If anything, it left him feeling rather intimidated. Thomas was due to receive his grandfather’s inheritance upon his marriage, which was no small sum, not to mention his grandfather’s country seat as part of the living. Thomas was a respectable gentleman himself with much to offer. But that didn’t make him feel any more equal to nobility.

Despite having the Duke of Norland as his oldest and dearest friend.

A pat on the shoulder from said duke pulled Thomas’s eyes away from his lovely Lady Finley.

“How goes your evening?” asked his friend, Henry Godwin, who appeared with a glass of champagne in his hand.

“Not quite as well as yours, I’d wager.” The party had been held in Henry’s honor, after all. That he’d managed to find a woman willing to settle down with a scoundrel like him had been quite the miracle, but Thomas had met the girl and found her to be a perfect match for his friend.

“No, indeed.” Henry glanced across the crowded assembly, eyes settling on his fiancé. “If you’d told me someday I’d be looking forward to my own marriage, I would have had you admitted to Bedlam.”

“And yet, here we all are, happily matched.” The duke, known as James Barrington to his closer acquaintances, wrapped an arm around each of them. “I preceded both of you to the altar, and now Henry is surprising us by making the trip at all. Though I’m sure Thomas might be desirous enough to beat you to it.”

Thomas grinned. His friends had been his constant companions over his lifetime. After the loss of his parents, with no siblings of his own, he had quite depended on them, first as boys at school, and then into adulthood. But letting his eyes rest again on Lady Finley, Thomas was ready to embrace the next chapter of his life. He had found the woman who filled his heart completely and therefore made him ready to be a husband, a father. He had long hoped to have an affectionate spouse, and the rapport he had with Lady Finley made him confident that their lives would be infinitely happier together.

“In fact, I believe I’m going to make that change right now.” Thomas cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders. He’d been building up the courage all evening to ask her for a moment alone, and with his friends’ encouragement, he finally felt ready.

Henry patted him on the back. “Best of luck, my friend.”

“You can be in no doubt of her regard for you.” James gave a confident nod. “She’s sought out your company almost exclusively since the house party, and it’s no secret you’re even a favorite of her father. It can only be good news on the other side.”

Thomas gave them both a grateful nod, then turned to pass through the crowds of people that separated him and his future.

Lady Finley looked beautiful in a dark purple dress, with a diamond and peacock feather headpiece, which made her easy to find among the throng. She looked up from her discussion in the corner of the ballroom as he approached, and her eyes brightened. “Good evening, Mr. Ramsbury.”

“Good evening, Lady Finley.” He took her hand when she extended it, and he felt confident enough to place a kiss on her glove. “How marvelous you look.”

“Ta, what flattery you must have picked up from Mr. Godwin,” Lady Finley said with a pleasant blush. “You must know Lord and Lady Darvey?”

Thomas turned toward her companions and bowed. “By reputation only, but it is a great honor to make your acquaintances.”

Lady Finley placed a hand on his arm, as if knowing he needed reassurance in the presence of nobility. “Mr. Thomas Ramsbury, is one of my father’s good friends. We have enjoyed him for dinner many times, and he has entertained us with skills at the pianoforte when no other ladies were present. You simply must invite him to your next soirée.”

“We would be delighted, Mr. Ramsbury,” Lady Darvey said, wrinkles collecting around her sincere smile.

“You are very kind. Though at the risk of losing your invitation, I must beg Lady Finley’s attention for a moment, if you don’t mind.”

Thomas’s heart pounded as Lady Finley turned sharply to look at him without dropping her smile.

“But of course! You young people must have your dalliances,” Lady Darvey said, waving them off. Thomas extended his arm to Lady Finley who took it with a hesitant gaze.

“Why put off such an acquaintance?” she whispered to him as he escorted her around the room. “They would be a lovely connection for you to have.”

If the connection was hers, then she needn’t worry, for they would soon become his connections once they were wed. “All in good time,” Thomas said, patting her hand reassuringly. “I wanted to beg a moment in your company, without the pressures of the rest of the crowd. Is that so much to ask?”

Lady Finley looked up at him with something akin to fear. Surely, she wasn’t scared of being alone with him.

“I suppose a brief moment would be all right.”

Thomas led her through the corridor of the assembly and found an empty room that looked like a large gentleman’s study. He couldn’t recall at that moment who’s house they were standing in, but he hoped to find out and recall the memory fondly someday.

Closing the door, the room fell into near darkness, a roaring fire glowing from the far corner.

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