Falling for Mr. Townsbridge - Sophie Barnes Page 0,1

mother while she continued to tick names off on her fingers. Five minutes later, he understood exactly why Sarah and Athena were so glad to have him home. They clearly hoped his presence would help distract their mother from her desire to get them settled by focusing more energy on him.

Ha! Not if he could help it. Although he really did pity his sisters. He knew how relentless Mama could be, and unlike him, they weren’t able to run away. But there was something wonderfully entertaining about watching someone else deal with her matchmaking efforts for a change.

William waited until she was done before saying, “I’m sorry, I forgot the first few names. Could you please repeat them?”

The viscountess knit her brow but proceeded to do so while everyone else glared at him. Athena looked like she’d like to grab the nearest throw pillow and hit him over the head with it. He suppressed a chuckle.

“Well?” his mother finally asked once she’d gone over all the names again. Tea had been served in the meantime, and a plate filled with interesting looking pastries had been placed on the table before him.

William picked one up, took a bite...

Oh dear God in heaven.

Rich cream laced with a hint of lemon burst from within the fluffy dough and filled his mouth with blissful pleasure. He groaned – groaned – and closed his eyes in acknowledgement of the divine moment.

“Good. Isn’t it?” Athena asked.

When William opened his eyes, she was watching him slyly while sinking her teeth into her own piece of perfection.

He nodded. “I don’t think I’ve ever had anything this good before.”

“Papa insists Mrs. Lamont must be a witch,” Sarah said while she selected a treat and passed the plate to her father.

“It does seem like the only logical explanation,” Roxley said, his eyes almost rolling all the way back in his head when he took a bite of the pastry he’d picked.

William ate some more and immediately lamented the loss of the treat once he’d finished off the last bite. “Why aren’t there more?” he grumbled.

His mother chuckled. “Because it would spoil our appetites for dinner. Have some tea, dear, and tell me your thoughts.”

“It’s incredible,” William said. “If everything Mrs. Lamont makes is as good this, you must be the envy of all of London.”

“Try England,” Roxley said.

“And I wasn’t referring to the pastries,” the viscountess said with a hint of impatience. “What I wish to know is which man you think might be best for Sarah. And possibly for Athena as well.”

“Please leave me out of this,” Athena grumbled.

“I don’t see why my opinion should matter,” William said. He picked up his cup and sipped his tea while offering Sarah a look of apology.

“He – the man she marries – will become your brother-in-law,” Mama explained. “You’ll have to spend time with him at family gatherings and—”

“To be clear,” William said, determined more than ever to put an end to this arduous conversation, “my only concern is for Sarah’s happiness. She could choose to marry a troll, and I’d still be cordial to the fellow.”

Athena snorted with laughter, earning a stern look of disapproval from both parents.

Sarah’s lips twitched. “Thank you, Will.”

“A troll indeed,” their mother sputtered. She looked monumentally put out.

“Right then,” William said, deciding to take advantage of her brief silence. “I think I shall go wash up and prepare for dinner.”

“I’ll do the same,” Athena said.

“Me too,” Sarah added.

“See you in roughly one hour,” William told his parents.

He followed his sisters into the hallway and was halfway up the stairs before his father’s startled expression registered. The poor man was now Mama’s only audience, and William fleetingly wondered if he ought to feel some remorse over this. So he paused, glanced back down at the parlor door, and finally chose to continue his climb. Roxley loved his wife to distraction. He’d chosen to spend the rest of his life with her. And there was no way in hell William was going back in the parlor right now.

Instead, he took his time reacquainting himself with his bedroom. The books he’d enjoyed as a child still sat on top of his dresser in a neat collection of sentimentality. The pocket watch he’d received from Grandfather John on his fifteenth birthday gleamed in greeting when he opened the top drawer. A smile curved his lips as he pulled the watch into the palm of his hand. Grandfather John’s sweet tooth had been undeniable. He would have loved those delicious