Read Online Bexley-Smythe Quintet 02 - Rhyme and Reason by Catherine Gayle - Free Book Online
Authors: Catherine Gayle
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estate, and I worked as a groom there until—well, until Danby changed things.”
Lady Matilda didn’t turn away upon learning just how low his birth had been. She met his gaze fully, unwaveringly, unflinchingly. “He provided you with a living and a boost up in Society,” she mused aloud.
“Yes. Danby gave Abby a dowry so she could marry the Earl of Fordingham’s brother. The Fordingham estate borders the Pritchard estate, and she had been desperately in love with Wesley Cavendish for as long as I can remember. She’d accepted the fact that she could never marry him, however, until Danby came along and changed everything. He gave my brother and me each a settlement, and he purchased the horse breeding business I run.”
“And your brother?” she prodded. “Has he married?”
Thomas couldn’t stop himself from chuckling at that. “Robert has not married, though I’m sure Danby has done everything he possibly could to secure a bride well above his station, just as he’s done with me.”
He shouldn’t have said that last part, but he had.
“Lady Matilda, I know I’m not—”
“You’re a man who would not be bothered by marrying a lady who might be attached to some scandals,” Miss Emery interrupted him, speaking for the first time in a good while. She gave Lady Matilda a pointed look but kept speaking to him. “So in theory, Mr. Goddard, if your potential bride had a scandalous brother, it wouldn’t matter to you in the least.”
“No,” he said slowly.
What sort of scandals might Lord Stalbridge be embroiled in? But then, while Thomas had never truly been part of the ton , he knew enough to be well aware of far more scandals than he ever would have cared to discover. Stalbridge could have well and truly destroyed his family already. This was even more reason Lady Matilda needed a man like Thomas to protect her from the scoundrels of the world like Hammond.
He took a brief sip from his teacup. “I’ve never really been part of Society, although my grandfather seems to be intent upon changing that. The scandals of the ton don’t really affect me one way or another.”
A broad smile overtook Miss Emery’s features. “That’s lovely to hear, Mr. Goddard. Oh!” She looked out the open door into the corridor. “I do believe I just heard someone call for me. Would you excuse me for a moment?”
Thomas hadn’t heard any such thing. He stifled a chuckle at Miss Emery’s deviousness. She was trying to give them a bit of privacy, even if only for a moment. And while yesterday he had been loath to find himself alone with Lady Matilda, things had changed rather quickly. Today, it seemed a lovely prospect.
“Of course, ” he murmured. He might rather like this Miss Emery.
“Bea!” Lady Matilda called after her, but to no avail.
Miss Emery was out of the drawing room so fast one might have thought her skirts had caught fire. She even pulled the door nearly closed.
Lady Matilda looked at him sheepishly and then swallowed so hard it was visible, picking up the teapot once more. “More tea?”
She mustn’t have been counting on her friend’s desertion.
“I still have plenty of tea,” Mr. Goddard said, smiling at her as though he wanted to laugh.
As well he should. Offering him more tea had been rather silly, when she could clearly see that his cup was almost full. But she’d had to say something , and asking if he wanted more tea felt better than discussing her brother and all the troubles he’d brought upon the family of late.
Even if Mr. Goddard wouldn’t be bothered by Percy’s scandalous behavior, that didn’t mean she ought to marry him. And if she wasn’t going to marry him, then what did it matter if he knew about Percy’s penchant for betting money he no longer had and doing Lord only knew what else? It didn’t.
Yet , for some reason, she still didn’t want him to know.
Revealing it all felt disloyal. Mattie couldn’t bear the thought of being disloyal to her
Lady Matilda didn’t turn away upon learning just how low his birth had been. She met his gaze fully, unwaveringly, unflinchingly. “He provided you with a living and a boost up in Society,” she mused aloud.
“Yes. Danby gave Abby a dowry so she could marry the Earl of Fordingham’s brother. The Fordingham estate borders the Pritchard estate, and she had been desperately in love with Wesley Cavendish for as long as I can remember. She’d accepted the fact that she could never marry him, however, until Danby came along and changed everything. He gave my brother and me each a settlement, and he purchased the horse breeding business I run.”
“And your brother?” she prodded. “Has he married?”
Thomas couldn’t stop himself from chuckling at that. “Robert has not married, though I’m sure Danby has done everything he possibly could to secure a bride well above his station, just as he’s done with me.”
He shouldn’t have said that last part, but he had.
“Lady Matilda, I know I’m not—”
“You’re a man who would not be bothered by marrying a lady who might be attached to some scandals,” Miss Emery interrupted him, speaking for the first time in a good while. She gave Lady Matilda a pointed look but kept speaking to him. “So in theory, Mr. Goddard, if your potential bride had a scandalous brother, it wouldn’t matter to you in the least.”
“No,” he said slowly.
What sort of scandals might Lord Stalbridge be embroiled in? But then, while Thomas had never truly been part of the ton , he knew enough to be well aware of far more scandals than he ever would have cared to discover. Stalbridge could have well and truly destroyed his family already. This was even more reason Lady Matilda needed a man like Thomas to protect her from the scoundrels of the world like Hammond.
He took a brief sip from his teacup. “I’ve never really been part of Society, although my grandfather seems to be intent upon changing that. The scandals of the ton don’t really affect me one way or another.”
A broad smile overtook Miss Emery’s features. “That’s lovely to hear, Mr. Goddard. Oh!” She looked out the open door into the corridor. “I do believe I just heard someone call for me. Would you excuse me for a moment?”
Thomas hadn’t heard any such thing. He stifled a chuckle at Miss Emery’s deviousness. She was trying to give them a bit of privacy, even if only for a moment. And while yesterday he had been loath to find himself alone with Lady Matilda, things had changed rather quickly. Today, it seemed a lovely prospect.
“Of course, ” he murmured. He might rather like this Miss Emery.
“Bea!” Lady Matilda called after her, but to no avail.
Miss Emery was out of the drawing room so fast one might have thought her skirts had caught fire. She even pulled the door nearly closed.
Lady Matilda looked at him sheepishly and then swallowed so hard it was visible, picking up the teapot once more. “More tea?”
She mustn’t have been counting on her friend’s desertion.
“I still have plenty of tea,” Mr. Goddard said, smiling at her as though he wanted to laugh.
As well he should. Offering him more tea had been rather silly, when she could clearly see that his cup was almost full. But she’d had to say something , and asking if he wanted more tea felt better than discussing her brother and all the troubles he’d brought upon the family of late.
Even if Mr. Goddard wouldn’t be bothered by Percy’s scandalous behavior, that didn’t mean she ought to marry him. And if she wasn’t going to marry him, then what did it matter if he knew about Percy’s penchant for betting money he no longer had and doing Lord only knew what else? It didn’t.
Yet , for some reason, she still didn’t want him to know.
Revealing it all felt disloyal. Mattie couldn’t bear the thought of being disloyal to her
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