Uncommon Places, Book 3 in Autumn Club Series

Chapter 1

Beatrix Crosby stared at her hands as she waited for dinner to be served. Another stupid season. Another stupid dinner party. And another stupid nobleman ignoring her presence despite sitting next to her.

Beatrix was over twenty and unwed. She already considered herself on the self. A spinster. But in her youth she never expected that to be her lot in life.

Beatrix, or Bea, as her family called her, was considered to have all the attributes of the perfect debutant. Blonde, blue eyes, average height, and slim - she was what every girl wanted to be, in theory.

But during her first season, she was nearly ruined by a rake, Lord Preston Dudley. He was tall, dark and handsome. A viscount. A rogue. A complete ass!

Bea was young at the time, and Preston was very charming. He knew what to say. Compliments laced with guilt. How could she make him feel so aroused and not do anything?

Luckily her brother, Frank, knew she would be a target to men such as the viscount. She was too kind, beautiful and trusting. But most of all, Bea was naive. Innocent little Bea.

Bea was still naive, but now men avoided her like the plague. They didn't want to be caught and sent to the parson's noose. Frank was by her side when she wasn't with friends or taking a turn on the dance floor. It was common knowledge that he wouldn't let any further damage come to his sister's reputation.

And now Bea was working on her third season. Her friend, Katrina, called it Autumn - when the flowers die and the leaves fall. Bea, Katrina, Sybil and Camilla were all in their Autumn - the Autumn Club.

Stupid Autumn Club.

Bea picked at the stitching in her glove. She wanted to go home. Go to bed. But the endless cycle of parties and dances continued.

A throat cleared to her left where the seat was previously empty. Great, someone wanted to talk about how lovely the place setting was...

Bea turned with her fake smile plastered to her sweet face. "Uncle Thomas!" She exclaimed.

Well, Thomas Longwood wasn't her uncle per se, but she had known him ever since she could remember. He would visit during the summer and Christmas. He grew up with her mother and was a friend of her father.

Bea was actually surprised her mother didn't marry Uncle Thomas. He was extremely handsome. He had dark blonde hair and green eyes. He was about a foot taller than she was, and was tone from horse riding and manual labor at his estate.

Although Thomas was handsome, he always appeared to be putting on a false smile. His eyes held a deep pain. But to all around him he seemed like a pleasant, quiet intellectual sort. Bea actually found his pained eyes the most appealing thing about him.

Bea assumed she knew where his pain originated. A man like Thomas would not be single long, and indeed he wasn't. He married in his late twenties to a lovely woman, Grace. Grace was a lot like herself as far as looks, but she always seemed to be ill.

Most times when Thomas visited over the years, Grace was abed with an illness so he travelled alone. With all of her health issues, she never gave Thomas any children before she unfortunately died a few years ago. He would have made a very good father, it was truly a shame.

"Miss Beatrix, it is lovely to see you," Thomas said with a wide smile.

"It is is lovely to see you as well, my lord," she replied. Thomas was a viscount like that loathsome Preston, but she never was formal with him unless they were in public.

"Tell me, darling, how is your season?" He asked.

"Wretched as usual," she confided.

"As usual?" Thomas asked. "Why is that?"

"Uncle Thomas, it is just a waste of time," she whispered. "No man wants to marry me. Nor should they."

"Don't want to marry you? You must be mistaken."

"You clearly haven't heard about me. Feel free to ask Frank. I shall never marry, and these parties won't change that," Bea hated to complain but only Thomas would try to understand.

"Darling, you are a lady of the first water. I'm sure one of these bucks will sweep you off your feet," he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"How are you doing, uncle?" Bea asked.

"I've decided to stay on land for awhile," he responded. Thomas had spent years at sea working in various capacities. He first left before Grace died, but after her death he rarely came home. "But it gets lonely in the country. I decided to give London a spin."

"I am sure father is pleased to have you around. He always complains of being bored at these events," she teased.

After dinner the men and women didn't separate as they traditionally did, so Bea spent more time speaking to Thomas.

"Tom! I saw you at dinner. Finally back on dry land." Bea's father joined them. "I see you got to see Bea. Isn't she lovely, Tom?"

Oh how embarrassing! "Faaather!"

"As alway," Thomas said.

"She is still looking for a husband. Have you thought about an heir, Tom?"

What? Was her father trying to set her up with Thomas?

"Um, I ..."

Oh God! He couldn't even say "no" outright. He must hate having to reject her after hearing her complain earlier.

"Father! Thomas would not want to marry me! He will have no problem finding a wife without you setting him up with someone like me. Please stop!" She wanted to crawl in a hole and die.

"Someone like you? He would be lucky to have a lady such as yourself!" Her father insisted.

"Um, I haven't given it much thought. I do have to say that I feel Bea would do much better than me. Not the other way around," Thomas said.

Ha! She would be lucky to marry anyone at this point. Thomas didn't know about Preston Dudley. That is why he thinks that.

"Then call on her tomorrow. I insist," her father said. His tone didn't allow for questioning. Thomas just nodded, glancing at Bea from the corner of his eye.