Lord Thomas and his bride (The Duke's Brothers Book 3) Read online

  Lord Thomas and his Bride

  Fiona Miers

  Published by Fiona Miers, 2021.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  LORD THOMAS AND HIS BRIDE

  First edition. May 9, 2021.

  Copyright © 2021 Fiona Miers.

  Written by Fiona Miers.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four.

  Chapter Five.

  Chapter Six.

  Chapter Seven.

  Chapter Nine.

  Chapter Ten.

  Chapter Eleven.

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Epilogue.

  Thank you to Carolyn Shelley Depew of Write Right Edits for your editing talents.

  And Fionn at Milktee Designs for my cover art.

  Chapter One

  The sun had barely lifted above the horizon and a pink sunrise glow was still present in the clear June sky. For Thomas Melton, it was the ideal time for him. His favourite time of day. The water was calm, as the tide was low, and it was the perfect opportunity for him to scale across the rock formations at the bottom of the cliffs. The exposed rocks were easy to navigate and there were small pools of water dotted around.

  As the youngest of the Melton brothers, Thomas had always hidden his interests from his siblings. He believed his brothers would find his occupations... unusual.

  Despite being outgoing and friendly, he enjoyed time on his own, especially when it involved rocks. He possessed a love for anything old in terms of nature, particularly relating to fossils and shells.

  He’d collected many shells and fossilised sea specimens during his lifetime and had an extensive collection of them in his townhouse in Poole. He had his own small exhibition in the Bournemouth Natural History Museum, where his discoveries were displayed. Of course, he did visit the museum from time to time, adding pieces to the collection if the curator requested.

  He’d spent most of his younger years dabbling in fossil hunting, and he was proud of what he’d accomplished. Unlike his older brother, Robert, who was a solicitor in London, Thomas did not have a full-time profession. But he enjoyed excursions to the countryside, the beach, and the mountains up north.

  He occasionally enjoyed a formal event with dancing, as well as the theatre. Boxing matches and card games. He was very good at reading people, which made him an excellent card player.

  Thomas maintained his lifestyle as well as his townhouse in Poole, thanks to a generous allowance from his eldest brother, Charles, who encouraged Thomas to follow his dreams. At times, Thomas believed that Charles lived vicariously through his adventures.

  Charles had married young to a lovely woman, Emma. But the marriage was an arranged one, and not without its problems.

  His closeness to his brothers was unrivalled, and he spent the entire off-season in Weymouth.

  The sky around him began to turn a bright blue. Morning had officially arrived, but he was still the only person on the beach, which was what he preferred. Hunting for fossils and shells was a personal interest, a solitary pursuit. He had invited his brothers along once. It had not been his finest moment.

  Or his brothers’, for that matter. Robert had complained the entire morning of the sharpness of the rocks under his delicate feet. James had been nursing a headache from the previous night’s overindulgence. And Charles had consistently reminded Thomas of his distaste for the excursion.

  He’d never asked them to join him again.

  The texture of limestone under his feet was welcoming and he kept his eyes downcast, slowly moving along the rocks. For the first time since he had reached Weymouth this year, he felt at peace. Despite only arriving a few days ago, things were not how they normally were.

  This year everything was different.

  Emma had given birth to another baby girl, and it seemed as though she and Charles had worked through their three-year-long quarrel. They appeared happier and more content with one another, although it may simply be the atmosphere of having a new baby in their home.

  Although he couldn’t imagine that having another child would make things easier and better. But for the moment, everyone was content.

  James was now married to Abigail, who was expecting their first child later in the year. Of all his brothers, Thomas had imagined James would never marry. He had always enjoyed his freedom and dealt with his issues on his own.

  Robert was both a besotted husband to Julia and the doting father of their newborn baby boy. They resided in London, in Robert’s townhouse, but made regular efforts to visit Weymouth as well as Cornwall, where her mother and father now lived. Thomas was not certain of the details regarding Julia’s mother, but he was told she had been ill.

  Although his brothers had their own wives and families now, they still made it a priority to visit the estate on the off Season, as they had done every year.

  Finlay Hall hadn’t been this lively since all four brothers resided there in their youth. They were pleasant memories, but those days were behind them. They were now grown and expected to lead different lives.

  Everyone except Thomas, that was.

  Of course, Charles had made it clear on more than one occasion that he expected Thomas to find a suitable wife and settle down. But such responsibilities did not feature in his plan. He very much still enjoyed his freedom, despite his love and adoration for his brothers’ wives and children.

  At present, all Thomas believed he was able to offer was being an uncle to his nieces and nephews, and a brother to his siblings and their wives. A husband and father seemed much too outlandish to him.

  Thomas scoffed in disapproval at his brother’s words chiming in his head and as he glanced down, he noticed something he had not seen before. His eyes widened and he nearly could not believe what he gazed upon. He had known that Weymouth’s beaches were a treasure trove in terms of shells and fossils, but he had not expected to find such a valuable.

  He crouched down to lower himself between the crevices of rock. He could see a fossil of a rare seahorse, perfectly preserved. He grinned with excitement as he slid off the edge of the rock, closer to the crevice where the fossil lay. As he crouched down, his foot slipped on surface on which he stood . He stumbled forward and gasped as pain shot through his leg. He grabbed for his pants and looked down. There was a large cut on his leg, which had been slashed by the sharp edge of rock.

  Thomas winced, groaning in pain but grabbed the small fossil he’d wanted. There was no way he wouldn’t take it after what he’d endured to get to it. He slipped the fossil into his satchel, which was specially reinforced with compartments to keep his treasures safe, then pushed himself into a standing position.

  By the time he reached the smooth sand of the beach, his tan breeches were soaked in blood, and he was barely able to put any weight on his injured leg. He quickly removed his shirt and wrapped it around the wound to stem the bleeding. He remembered that the local physician’s home was very close, he simply needed to walk a short distance.

  Hopefully the man was home.

  REBECCA MORTON ATE her breakfast and glanced over at her father sitting opposite her at the dining table. His attention was captured by the thick medical journal that lay next to his tea and toast. He referred to that particular book when he had cases that were puzzling or unusually difficult.

  Most people would find it inappropriate of him to
bring something as graphic and detailed to the breakfast table, but Rebecca was used to it. He’d done it her entire life.

  Rebecca’s father had been a physician since before she was born and continued to do so until this day. She couldn’t imagine her father being anything else. He loved it too much.

  She found tales of her father’s occupation fascinating and enjoyed it when he told her stories of what he had seen and what ailments he had treated. So much so, that after her mother had passed away five years ago, she not only assumed the role of the lady of the house, but also assisted her father with patients.

  “Anything interesting in your journal today, Father?” she asked.

  “Always,” he said with a wink. “However, nothing I have not told you about.”

  “What of Mrs. Roth’s condition? Has she improved?”

  “Indeed. Swimming in the ocean certainly does wonders for both the body and the mind,” her father said. “Her daughter is with child, she tells me.”

  “Is that so? That is wonderful news,” Rebecca said with a smile. “She is married to Lord James Melton, is that correct?”

  “Indeed.”

  Rebecca nodded and quietly sipped her tea.

  Suddenly, a loud pounding sounded on the front door, and her hand jolted, causing her cup to clatter against the saucer. Such a hammering usually meant only one thing. There was an emergency – someone in need of medical assistance.

  “I will go,” she said and stood from the table.

  As she walked to the foyer, she noticed their manservant had already opened the door and she stopped abruptly in her tracks. In the doorway stood an incredibly handsome, bare-chested man. He leaned against the doorframe and Rebecca noticed his bloodied leg, which was wrapped in what appeared to be a shirt.

  “Goodness,” she said with a gasp.

  “My apologies for being a bother, Miss, but is the doctor in?” the young man asked, his face pale.

  It was evident that he’d lost a lot of blood, and he required medical attention urgently.

  “Indeed, he is,” she said and turned to the manservant. “Christopher, please assist the gentleman to the waiting room. I will get the doctor.”

  “Thank you,” the young man said as Christopher guided him towards the waiting room.

  Rebecca exhaled slowly, regaining her composure, and returned to the kitchen and her father. “Father, there is a young man who is injured, bleeding profusely from his leg. He appears very pale in his face, and I suspect he has lost a large quantity of blood.”

  “Then we shall not dawdle,” her father said and stood from the table.

  Rebecca hurried after her father, following him to his examination room and readied the room for the patient. His handsome face still lingered in her thoughts, and she scolded herself for being foolish. She had to remain focused and behave as professionally as her father.

  Once the room was ready, Rebecca stepped outside and looked at the young man in the waiting room.

  “The doctor is ready to see you,” she said quietly and approached him.

  She assisted him into an upright position and led him into the examination room.

  “I will lay you on the patient bed now,” she said to the young man.

  “That is rather quick. You have not even told me your name yet,” the young man said with a grin on his face.

  Rebecca ignored his attempt to be flirtatious and helped him onto the patient bed. He lay back onto the soft, padded pillow.

  His warm, brown eyes sparkled in the sun-drenched room and despite the pain he must have felt, the corners of his lips curled up into a grin. “Or perhaps angels do not have names, merely beautiful faces.”

  “Your injury has made you delirious, it seems,” Rebecca said, slightly amused by the man but she certainly didn’t wish for him to know.

  “Perhaps, but it has not affected my eyesight.”

  Rebecca’s cheeks heated and she lowered her gaze, with no clue how to respond.

  Much to her relief, her father entered the room and approached the bed. “Good morning. I am Dr. Morton.”

  “A pleasure, indeed, Doctor,” the young man said. “Thomas Melton.”

  “Ah, the youngest brother of His Grace,” her father said. “And what brings you to my rooms this early in the morning?”

  “I was climbing the limestone rocks at the foot of the cliffs and I injured my leg on a sharp edge of rock. To stem the bleeding, I tied my shirt around it.”

  “That was most certainly the smart thing to do,” the doctor said. “Allow me to inspect it.”

  Thomas nodded and glanced briefly at Rebecca. She remained beside her father, only occasionally looking at the young lord. She did not want to blatantly stare at him, although he didn’t stop gazing at her.

  Rebecca found it oddly flattering until her father’s manservant knocked and entered the room. “Doctor, it is Mr. Everly. He needs you.”

  Her father stared at her, communicating his panic with the look in his eyes.

  “I must go to him. Lord Melton’s wound is not life threatening. Can you clean and stitch it, please? My nurse has not arrived yet.”

  Usually Rebecca would not mind helping her father in such a way, and she had been trained as a nurse for years now. But Thomas’ stares made her feel flustered. However, since her father required her help, she would give it.

  “Of course, Dr. Morton,” she said, and her father left the room.

  Rebecca proceeded to remove Thomas’ shirt from around his leg, revealing the large gash in the flesh. It was certainly not the worst cut she had ever seen, but there was a steady flow of blood. She stopped the bleeding with cotton rags rinsed in clean water, feeling very sorry for the handsome young man who winced and groaned every time she did so.

  His hands clenched the metal bars of the patient bed as she sutured his leg using the curved needle. She knew that if she did not distract him somehow, he would focus too much on the pain. She didn’t wish that on him, or anyone for that matter.

  She needed to speak to him about something – anything – but her mind was in a whirl.

  “Your brother is the Duke of Waign,” she commented.

  “Indeed. And you are?”

  Rebecca lowered her gaze as she inserted the needle, expecting him to cry out in pain, but his eyes were intently focused on her. Her gaze met his and she smiled.

  “My name is Rebecca.”

  “A pleasure to meet you.”

  Indeed. The greatest of pleasures.

  “...REBECCA.” A beautiful name for a beautiful young woman.

  Thomas hadn’t expected to meet someone as captivating as her, and certainly not under these circumstances. Despite the fact that he was in a great deal of pain, he focused on his nurse’s light rose-coloured lips, which were pursed together as she stitched his wound. Happily, the pain became like background noise.

  Her blue eyes were focused on the wound on his leg, and her blonde hair glimmered from the beams of sunlight in the room.

  He’d never seen such a pretty young woman assisting a physician and was oddly relieved to observe that she didn’t wear a wedding ring. She also had a striking resemblance to Dr. Morton. Perhaps she was his daughter?

  “May I ask you a question?” she queried.

  He looked down at his leg and noticed the neat row of sutures keeping his wound closed. He was impressed.

  “Of course,” he said.

  “What were you doing at the foot of the cliffs this time of the morning?”

  “I was looking for something.”

  “What were you looking for?”

  “Shells and fossils. I’m a fossil hunter.”

  “A fossil hunter? By profession?” she asked.

  Thomas’ brow furrowed, as he realised it wasn’t something familiar to her. He wasn’t offended, of course. Many people he’d conversed with didn’t know what it was.

  Yet there were many people who hunted for fossils.

  “More of a passion than a profes
sion,” he explained. “I visit the limestone rocks in search of fossils and rare shells to add to my collection.”

  “Is this something you do often?” she asked, wrapping the wound with a clean bandage. “Visit the cliffs?”

  “It’s the first time this summer, but I required time on my own,” he said, not really meaning to share that bit of information.

  She glanced at him and her brow furrowed. “And why is that?”

  “If you knew my brothers, you would understand,” he said with a grin. “We don’t have similar interests, and as much as I adore their wives and their children, sometimes solitude is required.”

  Most people he knew would find nothing wrong with being surrounded by the chaos of life with the Meltons. But even he needed a short break now and then.

  “I understand. Loud and lively surroundings cut up my peace as well.”

  Thomas nodded and studied her for a few quiet moments. The softness and understanding in her eyes made her even more beautiful.

  “It seems so quiet and peaceful here,” he said and motioned around him.

  “It is very early, still. Some days it can get very busy and rowdy in here, so I do understand that once in while we need to get away from everything. It does help.”

  “Indeed, it does.”

  “Did you find any... fossils?” she asked.

  “As a matter of fact, I did,” he said, and he reached for the satchel around his waist. He opened the side compartment and revealed the small seahorse. “I found this.”

  Rebecca finished securing his bandage and placed the leftover materials on the table behind her. When she turned back to Thomas, her eyes widened with awe and her lips parted.

  “Is that a seahorse?” she asked.

  “Yes. This is a species of seahorse that is very rare. I doubt that it even exists in nature any longer.”

  “May I?” she asked and held both her hands out to him. “I’ll be careful.”

  He hesitated only for a moment, “Of course.”