THE SECOND VOW

CHAPTER 3 THE HOUSE AWAIT

“Will you be present for the marriage?” Adrian asked his brother.

Sebastian looked up from the book in his hands. He had known Adrian would ask, but he did not know how to tell him without disappointing him. After a moment, he closed the book and stood, walking towards his brother, who was staring through the window.

“Father wants me to oversee his estates and farms. I also have to travel overseas to inspect some of his private properties,” Sebastian said calmly.

“But can't you wait a little longer?” Adrian asked, turning to him. “After the marriage, you can go. I might even accompany you.”

Sebastian gave him a smile. Adrian could not help thinking about how different things had become between them. When they were younger, he and Sebastian had been almost inseparable. They had spent most of their days together, but as they grew older, their father's responsibilities had slowly pulled Sebastian away. Now, there always seemed to be something keeping his brother away from home.

“You know how Father is,” Sebastian said. “He would want the work done before any pleasure.”

“But what if you wait until after the marriage? I will follow you afterwards,” Adrian said, hoping his words would change his brother's mind.

Sebastian looked at him and smiled. “Would you leave your new bride?”

Adrian laughed. Sebastian already knew the answer. Adrian had never met the girl he was going to marry, yet he had found himself wondering what she would be like. He knew only her name, Lavinia Hawthorne, and that their fathers had arranged the marriage.

“How do you suppose she will look?” Sebastian asked, noticing his brother's silence.

“I do not know. I suppose she must be pretty.”

“Whatever you say,” Sebastian replied with a small laugh as he turned towards the door.

“What about Katherine?” Adrian asked.

Sebastian stopped. He had almost forgotten about her, though perhaps that was because he had been trying not to think about their argument. Katherine had always been difficult to understand. She carried herself with a confidence that often crossed the line into arrogance, and she rarely admitted when she was wrong. She had a way of speaking that made even simple conversations feel like arguments, especially when things did not go the way she wanted.

Sebastian had tried to be patient with her, but there were times when her words went too far. She could be dismissive and sharp, and whenever they disagreed, she would rather defend herself than listen to him. What frustrated him most was that Katherine never seemed to believe she had done anything wrong.

Yet Sebastian knew he was not entirely innocent. He could be stubborn himself, and perhaps that was why their disagreements became worse than they should have been. Their recent argument had been no different. Neither of them had been willing to give in, and Sebastian had eventually decided to leave things alone until his return.

“What about her?” he asked.

“You two were doing well, were you not?”

“We had a disagreement.”

“Is it serious?”

Sebastian shrugged. “Nothing that cannot be settled.”

“And you intend to settle it?”

“Perhaps when I return.”

Adrian shook his head. “You always say that.”

Sebastian smiled faintly. “I have other things to worry about at the moment.”

He wondered whether he and Katherine were simply too different to make things work. Perhaps their differences had always been greater than either of them wished to admit.

He had spent so much of his life working for his father that he sometimes wondered if he had forgotten how to live for himself. The estates, the farms, and the properties overseas had taken most of his time. Whenever he thought he had found someone he could love, there was always something else demanding his attention.

“Perhaps I am simply not fortunate when it comes to love,” Sebastian admitted.

Adrian looked at him. “Love is not something you find through work.”

“Then how does one find it?”

“You do not. If love wants to find you, it will.”

Sebastian laughed softly. “That sounds rather convenient.”

“Perhaps it is.”

Before Sebastian could answer, there was a knock at the door. A servant entered and bowed.

“My lord, Lord Alexander and Lady Genevieve request your presence downstairs.”

“We shall be there shortly,” Sebastian replied.

The servant bowed and left.

The brothers made their way downstairs, where their parents were waiting in the drawing room. Alexander Beaumont sat in his usual chair, his tall frame straight and composed.

Beside him sat Genevieve Beaumont, an elegant woman whose gentle expression made her easier to approach.

“You took your time,” Alexander said as the brothers entered.

“We were speaking upstairs,” Sebastian replied.

Alexander nodded. “Sit. I wished to speak with you both about the marriage.”

Adrian took a seat while Sebastian stood beside him.

“The arrangements are progressing well,” Alexander said. “The Hawthornes have agreed to the union, and there are only a few matters left to settle.”

Genevieve smiled. “I am happy about it.”

Adrian looked towards his mother. “You are?”

“Of course. I am going to have a daughter.”

Her expression softened, and for a moment, her eyes lowered.

“Ever since I lost my daughter, I have missed having a young girl in this house. Knowing that Lavinia will soon become part of our family makes me very happy.”

She did not go into the matter any further, and neither did Alexander.

Instead, he looked towards his sons.

“Lavinia has been raised well. I expect both of you to treat her with the respect she deserves.”

“I will, Father,” Adrian said.

Sebastian nodded. “Of course.”

Genevieve looked at Adrian with a warm smile.

“I only hope she will be happy here.”

Adrian lowered his gaze for a moment. He still knew very little about the girl who would soon become his wife. Only her name, her family, and the fact that she would soon be part of their household.

Lavinia Hawthorne.

Soon, he would meet her.