Fella Enchanted by S.O. Callahan

Author:S.O. Callahan [Callahan, S.O.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2022-02-14T00:00:00+00:00

Thirteen

I’d returned home just long enough to put some food in my stomach at supper. Anne seemed to have recovered from earlier, though I noticed she didn’t eat very much. Nan and William noticed the same thing, and both made comments about it. I was secretly glad to not have this directed at me for once. I excused myself to check on the horses one last time for the night. Thomas was just finishing up when I arrived.

“Going for a ride so late?” he asked. I was still dressed in my riding breeches and boots.

“Never changed from earlier today,” I told him as I walked past.

“You’ve been quite busy lately. Haven’t seen you around much.”

I paused then, giving him a sidelong glance from where I peered over the chestnut mare’s half door. Henry and I had often thought of Thomas as more of an annoyance than a friend over the years, mostly due to his quick temper and immaturity. I sometimes forgot that he was capable of carrying on a real conversation.

“I guess that’s true,” I agreed, not offering him any details. Suddenly, something dawned on me. “When is your birthday, Thomas?”

He looked at me suspiciously. “The sixth of December. Why?”

“How old are you now?”

“I’ll be twenty-one,” he said, his arrogant tone returning for some reason I couldn’t guess. How could he and Breck possibly be so close in age? My gaze shifted down over Thomas’s body. In my head, he remained the portly little lad who put too much wax in his hair. While his short, dark hairstyle remained unchanged, he’d grown taller at some point. His figure had slimmed a bit, though his cheeks were still round and soft.

“Did you hear me?” he asked, sounding annoyed that he had to repeat himself.

“No, sorry,” I said, moving along to the rest of my horses.

“I asked if you really intend to court Emma Clare after Henry’s wedding.”

“What?” I gave him a look, and then I realized I didn’t even know that name. “Who?”

“Emma Clare. Sarah’s sister…?” he said in a leading way, as if this detail would make it obvious who he was talking about. I blinked a few times, an apologetic look growing on my face, and he rolled his eyes dramatically. “The youngest one,” he added finally, and I had to stop myself from reacting in a way he might notice.

“Why would you think that?” I asked.

“That’s what she’s been telling everyone. That you’re being respectful of Henry and Sarah, but as soon as their wedding is over, your courtship will be announced.”

“That’s a bloody joke, right?” My eyebrows couldn’t get any closer together.

“Not at all,” he started. Where Henry was known for his wisecracks, Thomas was known for the opposite. He really wasn’t joking. “She’s the most beautiful of all the sisters, and nearly the most talented with her singing voice and domestic training. It’s a wonder Henry didn’t pick her for himself. But you’re the most eligible bachelor in the village now, so it only made sense when I heard it.

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