Page 32 of Pleasantly Pursued

Claverley did not appear inclined in the least to do so. “Hmm. Whatever would bring your mother here?”

Because Mother did not travel. She grew too ill in the carriage, no matter the distance, and my cousin knew this. He would know that she would not plan to see him without adequate cause.

“Thea, of course. The girl has come home.” My chest tightened at the word, but I ignored it, leaving my placid smile in place.

Claverley’s eyes brightened with greed. “Ah, I understand. Finally had enough of school, has she? We will ready her chamber.”

I shrugged. Mother had complained that it had been a feat to convince Claverley that Thea stayed on to assist Mrs. Moulton and to perfect her accomplishments even greater in preparation for the marriage mart. He could not know that Thea had run off or the entiretonwould know of it within a fortnight. “She has greatly improved her skills on the pianoforte. You will be mightily impressed, I vow.” Or so I hoped. I ought to have questioned Thea a little further before undertaking this conversation.

He nodded. “When can we expect her?”

“Mother is so pleased to have her returned to us that she could hardly allow the chit to leave right away, you understand.”

“I suppose.”

“Thea has greatly bonded with James’s new wife, Felicity, as well. It will be a feat to separate them when the time comes to travel to London. It very well may be impossible,” I added with a carefree laugh. Planting each seed one bit at a time and watering them to grow. Before Claverley knew it, he would have an entire garden of understanding as to why Thea would not be living under his roof when January rolled around.

Claverley was silent, and I took his sudden disapproval as a good opportunity to cease my gardening and shift the conversation to something that would leave him satisfied. “But I did not come here to gossip. I am here to ask your advice on a matter of great importance.”

That successfully captured his attention. Claverley leaned back in his leather chair and folded his hands together over his ample belly. “What is it?”

“My inheritance.” The words slipped from my tongue as though traveling through glue. I ignored the anxious fettering in my stomach and held my pompous cousin’s gaze. “I cannot decide if I am better suited to purchasing an estate or settling on an occupation.”

Claverley sat up, his interest secured. “You did not think to ask James?”

I scoffed lightly. “James would never press me to do anything. He is happy to have me on at Chelton forever, of course, but I cannot very well bring a wife to live at my brother’s house. It would never do.”

“A man must have his pride,” he said, nodding.

“Precisely.”

He seemed to contemplate me for a moment. “Do you have any careers in mind?”

Did I? I had not thought this far ahead on the matter. I only wanted to leave Claverley feeling as though he’d helped his young, directionless cousin, and not analyzing my revelations about Thea too deeply. But he was forcing me to consider things I’d long since tried to avoid.

“I can see the answer from the blank look on your face,” Claverley said, rubbing his finger over his greasy chin. “You must think, first, about the careers you would be willing to devote yourself to. Are you opposed to a great deal of travel? There are fortunes to be made overseas, you know.”

“Travel is not wholly repugnant to me, but I believe my mother would find it displeasing for me to be so inaccessible.”

“Hmm. You’ve given me much to consider. Shall we reconvene on Wednesday next and discuss the matter further? You can take the time to contemplate occupations or whether you would be successful as a master of a modest estate when you cannot like to remain in one place for very long. I can have my steward look into the available estates in the area, too. If there are any for sale, Jenkins will know of them.”

Surprise lifted my eyebrows. “That would be greatly appreciated.”

I rode away from Claverley with the distinct impression that while I had gone to my cousin to dupe him, he had started my cogs turning on the planning of my future. It was equal parts frightening and—I had to admit—intriguing. If I ever wanted to marry, which someday I did, I would need to have this sorted. The answer of which profession I should pursue had not come to me in school. I supposed I would begin looking for it now.

Chapter12

THEA

It was impossible not to notice Benedict’s absence at dinner later that evening. I would like to think my special attention to his whereabouts was due to the fact that I had spent the last four days in his company alone, but the truth was that I always sought the man out in a room. It was ridiculous, like some sort of punishment I gave myself, that I always wished to know where Benedict was, despite his clear dislike of me.

James took up the head of the table, with his wife on one side and his mother on the other. Henry had the seat beside Lady Edith, so I sat beside Felicity. Benedict and his mother had both been correct, of course, and I liked Felicity excessively. She was far more reserved than me, but the amusement dancing in her eyes was evidence that she was a jolly soul, and I liked that about her.

“We have a dinner party planned for Monday next,” Lady Edith said absently, as though I had not been missing for nearly half a year. “It is too late to add Lord and Lady Claverley, but we can extend an invitation for Friday, perhaps. I am certain they will want to see you, Thea.”

I dropped my fork and knife and they clattered to the plate loudly. Four sets of eyes trained on me. “I do not find that necessary.”

A line formed between Lady Edith’s faded eyebrows. She opened her mouth to speak when the door opened at the far end of the room and Benedict sauntered inside, effectively stealing the attention of the room.