Page 46

A Missive is Discovered

L ater that afternoon

Returning to their rooms to change for dinner, Tom was accompanied by David and his aunt and uncle.

Their last game of whist had been won by Barbara, his aunt replacing Diana and Will replacing Randy when the newlyweds announced they wished to return to their room when there was still one hand left to play.

“I shouldn’t take long,” Tom said, just before David disappeared into his own room.

“We’ll meet you downstairs in the parlor,” Barbara said before disappearing into her room.

Tom entered his room and glanced around, happy to see the bed had been made and that the hotel’s laundress had delivered his other clothes at some point since their departure that morning.

He pulled a white shirt and cravat from the pile and placed the rest of the clean clothes atop his trunk before moving to sit on the bed to take off his boots.

Tom gave a start when a note slid down his pillow.

He chuckled softly at seeing the name written on the outside. Thinking it merely a missive from the hotel or a bill from the laundress, he tossed it aside and continued undressing. He took the time to wash his face and upper body, humming softly as he scraped a razor over his cheeks and upper lip.

About to pull on a pair of pantaloons, he instead sat down on the bed and opened the letter. Even before he had it unfolded, he knew it wasn’t from the hotel.

Especially when he read the opening lines.

Dear Thomas,

I write to you because my every attempt to speak with you has been interrupted, and I find myself experiencing a sort of frustration that I fear might erupt at a most inopportune time or in an inappropriate place.

For a moment before he continued reading, Tom experienced a combination of embarrassment, both for himself and for the young lady. But what could he do?

By now he had decided there was no other man in her life. No way to account for her having a son. If he had any hope for a future with her, he would have to discover the truth of Bradley’s existence. Find out exactly what had happened.

He finished reading the missive before taking a look at his pocket watch. Dinner would over by ten o’clock. After such a long day and with no excursions scheduled for the following day, everyone would be abed by the time she had listed in her letter.

Eleven o’clock.

For some reason he couldn’t sort, he felt relief at knowing that at eleven o’clock or shortly thereafter, he would either be betrothed to Lady Helen or be forced to forget her.

But first, he had to get through dinner.