The Haunting of Lady Sophie

by Marly Mathews

  Constance waved her hand flippantly in dismissal. “I have known that Lord Redding would try to steal into the house to gain the wisdom of the Dragonwyck Ruby for quite a while now. I just never thought the Ruby would direct him to you. Nor did I believe his intrusion would cause such a commotion to the rest of the household.

  “We normally manage to keep these things from you all. I thought he would have been a trifle more discreet about it.” Deflated by her mother’s swift change of heart, Sophie’s broad smile faded.

  “Well, thank you. You are all heart, Mama.” Sophie’s eyes dropped to the floor. She knew her mother had been hoping to make a great match for Simone just to get her off her hands. Who despite her best attempts at charming most of the eligible men in the ton still hadn’t secured an engagement. It wasn’t a wonder, as she had a laugh that keenly sounded like an over excited sow.

  When she had heard Redding was on the hunt for a suitable wife during the last season, she had been so giddy it had made Sophie sick.

  Simone had gone after Redding like he was the loveliest gem she’d ever seen. Despite being told by Constance that she was shooting for a star far out of her reach. She had flaunted her beauty at him, and had attempted to procure as many dances with him at the season’s balls, as she could without overstepping propriety.

  Fortunately, her sister Alexandra had been more than willing to bring all of the gossip back to Sophie. Sophie had not attended any balls during the season, and she had no intention of finishing the season with the Duchess of Devonshire’s Fancy Dress Jubilee Ball, whom she lovingly called Aunt Louisa.

  Sophie’s father finally cleared his throat, and looked over at the grandfather clock. He looked like he had been cooking up some kind of a Banbury tale and when he opened his mouth, Sophie was disappointed to find out her hunch had been spot on.

  “Redding, my dear boy, now that you’re here nice and early we can go fishing for salmon.”

  Sophie exchanged a puzzled look with her mother. Her father was still attempting to pretend that none of it had been planned.

  “It’s only half past twelve, Robert, don’t be so silly,” Constance pointed out. “And besides, Robert, it has been established that Redding asked you to let him in so he could be judged. You needn’t invent such nonsense in an attempt to get him out of trouble.”

  Had the family been out the previous evening, some of them would still have been out at their various soirees. Lady Willingham’s Balls always went on until the wee hours of the morning.

  “Ah, so it is, and you’re quite right. I knew he was coming and I let him in. There, that’s off my chest. I need my beauty sleep. I think I shall leave the three of you to sort this out. Lord Redding, I’ll see you later, then. And we’ll be on our way to the country for a nice day of fishing.”

  “I look forward to it, sir. I can’t think of anything I would enjoy more.” Redding’s eyes glittered. He looked over at her and winked.

  Her father was incorrigible. He was certainly the silliest person in their family, and yet—she was the one with the moniker Silly Sophie.

  Sophie rolled her eyes.

  “Since you’re so enjoying this little bit of nonsense, I shall remind you that you can’t go salmon fishing today. You have to go hunting today, dearest. As I have told you several times before you can’t go fishing for salmon on a Sunday. I keep telling you that’s the law here.” Constance served her husband with an exasperated look.

  “Yes, well…shall we shoot a brace of pheasants then, eh? Oh, sod it! The farthest I’ll be getting is to my Club today and the Opera, Ballet, or Theatre tonight. Whichever my darling Constance wishes. Redding, you are on your own, my boy. Good luck! This will be good practice for you, if you intend to marry Sophie, and become part of this fascinating family. If you’re worried about having our blessing, Constance and I willingly give it. We know that you can’t fight the power of that Ruby.”

  He shifted his feet. Her mother nodded her head and smiled, obviously thinking back to their own whirlwind courtship. As it was, Sophie wasn’t exactly ready for that kind of a courtship with Redding. She couldn’t marry a man like him no matter how hard she wanted to crush Simone’s aspirations.

  Sophie let out an indignant gasp. “Him, marry me? Papa, you must still be half-asleep. Lord Redding and I are not going to get married. Not for all the magic or money in the world.” Why did her words sound so hollow to her?

  One minute, she wanted to throw caution to the wind, and give herself willingly to Rupert, and the next minute, she was getting cold feet!

  “Oh, I think you would be surprised at the way things tend to turn out. It will be coming up roses soon for all of us, Sophie. Or in your case, fields of violets. You will have a suitable husband, and I will have an excellent fishing and hunting companion who will thoroughly understand how magical this family is. I think I’m going to like having a man like Redding in the family. Your brothers will certainly approve.” Her father beamed.

  “That is quite enough, Robert. You’re about to give Sophie a heart attack with all of your matrimonial gibberish. Why don’t you go back to bed, darling? I will sort this all out, in the blink of an eye.”

  “Oh, that’s just smashing. You are the best wife a man could ever hope for. Try to go easy on him, eh? I like this one. Make sure you come back early, my boy. The salmon run early, just after dawn.” Her father planted a quick kiss on her mother’s waiting lips, and then began backing toward the door. He took his leave as fast as he could, nearly tripping over his own two feet in his haste to exit the scene of the incorrigible Marquess’ crime.

  Her father was indeed quite mad. She couldn’t help but giggle. “I think I’ll follow Papa’s lead. I am rather tired. I must confess the creaky old noises in this rattling place have kept me awake, and Redding’s surprise visit has robbed me of more of my beauty sleep so if you’d both excuse me….” She looked over at him, in a silent challenge. “Go ahead and fish with my absentminded father on a Sunday. I hope you both get arrested.”

  Chapter Eight

  “You stay right where you are, little lady.”

  Sophie stopped in mid-motion, at her mother’s sternly spoken command. Constance moved toward them and sat down in her favorite Chippendale armchair. “It would seem the two of you are in quite the predicament.”

  “Redding’s smack dab in the middle of that mess, Mama. I, on the other hand, will have no part of it. I don’t want anything to do with Lord Redding. As far as I am concerned, he can pick up and move straight to Timbuktu.”

  “No one will be moving to Timbuktu, sweetheart. The Dragonwyck Ruby has spoken and has given its sage judgement. You cannot deny what it has already put in motion. Never mock fate, my dearest daughter. It will only end in the most grievous heartache for you. I would not wish that kind of suffering on my worst enemy, least of all my beloved daughter.

  “The two of you will simply have to get married and learn to live with each other. You shall love each other for certain, but you might fight like cats and dogs in between those periods of love making. Despite having our soul mates, the Ruby does not always ensure a smooth sailing into matrimonial bliss. I speak from experience, so heed my words well.”

  Redding grunted. Whatever enchantment the Ruby was weaving on him disappeared when her mother said the two words matrimonial and bliss together.

  His hands shook. He gave her the glowing Ruby. When their fingers brushed against each other, a jolt of electricity bolted up her arm. She gasped. His cheeks reddened, memories of their shared kiss still burned vibrantly in her mind, and the delicious feeling of it lingered on her lips. Absentmindedly, she put her fingers up to her bottom lip.

  “I am sorry. I think I’ve already overstayed my welcome…” He moved away from her.

  “What welcome? You weren’t invited in the first place, you bloody cat burglar!” Sophie hissed, heat rushing to her cheeks. Something warm rushed through her when his eyes connected with hers again. She shook her head in an att
empt to remove the infatuated fog from her head.

  She had to shake it off. She needed to fight the connection or he would be the death of her!

  “You may run if that is your choice, Lord Redding. But the call of the enchantment will make you stir crazy. One way or the other, you will be drawn back to my daughter. You will love her for the rest of your life. You forget, I have been a victim of that Ruby. As it has been for each of the women and men in your Papa’s side of the family, Sophie. You yourself will not be able to escape the overwhelming draw of the Ruby and the spell it has woven on you and Redding. Some find their true heart’s desire, while others spend their lives searching for a beloved that will never come.

  “Fortunately, my Sophie has found her one true heart’s desire, even if she is too stubborn to realize it right now. She will begin to feel the bond that has been forged between the two of you as well. You can either give in or be a match made in heaven or you can fight it, and be miserable for the rest of your lives.

  “Of course, strength of character can alter the intensity of it. Some have been able to resist its pull. Others…haven’t been so lucky, and they have lost their minds.

  “This madness has even driven some of the afflicted to their own early graves. You will not have that happen to you, Sophie, I strictly forbid it. As far as I am concerned, the two of you are as good as married. I will make the announcements as soon as I can and I shall be holding an engagement ball for you both.

  “You can attempt to fight me on it, Lord Redding but given a day or two, you will beg me to formally announce my daughter’s engagement to you. I have heard about your fondness for the ladies. Well, my dear boy, your rakish ways are behind you. The only woman that will haunt your mind from now is Sophie, and no other woman will be able to satisfy your carnal desires.”

  *****

  Rupert knew the pull of the Ruby all too well. He had fought his love for Sophie for three years, nearly going mad with the intensity of the need to claim her as his own! How he had survived the harshness of it, he would never know. But if he could take just one thing back in his life, he would take back erasing Sophie’s memory of him!

  *****

  An artic chill arced through Sophie’s heart. She could not imagine having to live with Lord Redding as his wife, and if her Uncle Lloyd and her mother were correct, he would never let her leave their marriage bed! The thoughts terrified her almost as much as they titillated her!

  How could opposites such as she and Lord Redding ever be able to live in harmony with each other? They would never be able to get along outside of their bed, she knew they’d grate on each other’s last nerve. Why he was as different from her as night and day. He had always gone for the girls who were more like Simone. The ones who were willing to do anything to make him happy.

  The thought made her want to grind her teeth in exasperation. She just wasn’t the sort to blindly agree with her husband on every matter. He would want her to join that blasted agency of his, and she would have no way of maneuvering out of it!

  “Mama, we can’t force Lord Redding into something he obviously reviles. And to be fair, I wouldn’t marry him if he were the last man on Earth. I beg you not to announce anything of our upcoming nuptials.

  The ton will go dizzy with that kind of news. Please, let us attempt to resolve this in our own way. I know we can find a way to break this bond. I do not want to become Redding’s wife. As far as I am concerned, Simone can have him. She is more than welcome to him.”

  Pain stabbed her heart at the thought, but she would not have her mother parading her as Rupert’s betrothed, without her consent and right now. She was too damn conflicted to know what she wanted!

  “You should watch your tongue, Sophie, my dear. You may say something in the heat of the moment that you will later come to regret. I have never been one to mince words when they need to be said, but sometimes, words must be chosen with extreme caution.” Her mother’s wise, aquamarine blue eyes rested on her.

  Rupert had already put a great distance between them. His gaze caught hers. Something unidentifiable flickered in his bright green eyes.

  “I agree with Sophie. We are definitely ill-matched. I would say the Dragonwyck Ruby is wrong in its prediction. The two of us could not be wed. We would fight, oh, how we would fight.” His voice became hoarse. He actually looked like it pained him to get those words out.

  Again, she suspected that he was lying through his teeth, she had caught the expression on his face when Simone had rushed into the room in all of her nightly glory. He looked terrified beyond belief. She had a fair bet that he would rather fight a fire-breathing dragon over being leg-shackled to Simone.

  So what had she done or said to make him change his tune?

  “There is a magnetism that exists between the two of you. You only need to open your eyes to see it.” Constance nodded her head solemnly.

  “My eyes are wide open, Madam. I shall take my leave now, Your Grace. Goodnight.”

  With that, he left the room, and left Sophie with a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  Sophie stared down at the warm jewel she held in her hands. It oozed with Rupert’s effervescent personality. His soul had imprinted the gem with such longing it nearly stole her breath away.

  The Ruby blazed. Swirling mists met her eyes. Gradually, the mists cleared. And to her deepest chagrin, she found herself staring at Rupert. She dropped the Ruby, and rubbed her hands against the heat lingering on them, which only made it worse.

  Her mother let out a surprised gasp.

  “Sophie, do take care of that! It is a family heirloom. I daresay your father would be more than a wee bit perturbed if you were to damage it. While it has caused a fair deal of grief for some in the FitzCharles Family, it has also brought many their true heart’s desire, sealing them in holy matrimony with their dearest heart—their soul mate.” Her mother dashed toward her and dropped to her knees.

  Reverently, Constance picked up the gem and placed it back on its satin bed of glory. Carefully, she closed the safe.

  “I need to get away from it. You and father suit each other, but Rupert and I are bad for each other. We go together like chalk and cheese.”

  “Actually, you should wear it, until the bond between you and Rupert is completed.”

  “No…leave it in the safe. I want no part of its bewitching power, Mama!”

  “You saw him within its sparkling depths, didn’t you, Sophie?”

  She stopped dead in her tracks. Closing her eyes, she whispered: “No.” Striking pain pierced her heart.

  “Of course you did, Sophie. I can tell when you are lying to me. Don’t worry, my daughter. He will come back to you. Your father came back to me. No one can deny the call of one’s own heart.”

  Sophie balled her hands into fists. She would have to succeed where others in her family had failed. Or else, risk suffering the all-consuming passionate burn of the Ruby’s divination.

  Chapter Nine

  Sophie’s sleep was fitful at best, and she lay awake as the scullery maid crept quietly into her room to tend to the fire. After that, she drifted back to sleep and continued waking up so many times, she finally gave up and decided to dress for the day. She went about her regular morning routine, sighing when there was a fervent rap at the door.

  “Your Papa wants you to come directly down to the breakfast room, Sophie.” Simone’s voice was high-pitched and strained from fatigue. At least Sophie had not been the only one in the house to have a sleepless night.

  She rolled her eyes at her personal maid. “Thank you, Pamela, you have done wonders for my hair today.”

  Her maid beamed at her. Most magical families didn’t keep up the pretense of normalcy by having a fully staffed house but her father and mother believed in doing all they could to keep their private business their business. For this reason, Rayne House and Castle Rayne were adequately staffed, with those that knew how to be discreet. Most were children of the magical world that were
like Simone.

  Despite these precautions, they were forbidden to display their powers to the servants if they could help it. Even though most of the staff knew of their otherworldly powers, and had been enlisted for their colourful backgrounds making them perfect candidates to keep whatever happened in the house confidential.

  That meant if they wanted to practice casting spells or anything of that sort they had to do so with extreme caution and shield the room they were worked in to prohibit any accidental entrances.

  Sophie hadn’t practiced any magic in months. Her powers manifesting last night didn’t surprise her, she had been emotionally strained, and if she didn’t practice, they got all out of shape, literally.

  Simone didn’t have to worry about neglecting her powers. She didn’t have any powers to disregard. Save for her ear-shattering wail, akin to that of a banshee. Simone could literally shatter crystal with her scream if she got worked into that kind of mood. That only added to the amount of spoiling she received at the hands of Sophie’s father. Even her mother would give her whatever she wanted just to get her out of her way.

  Standing up, she looked distastefully at the door. “I hope she isn’t out there waiting for me.”

  “Chin up, my lady. You won’t always have to deal with her sour ways,” Pamela winked at her.

  “And how do you figure that? Feel free to speak plainly, Pamela.”

  “Well,” Pamela hesitated. “You know how Miss Simone has her eyes on the Marquess of Redding, I should think she will nab him soon enough with the way she pursues him…or so Brooks says, and as his father is still alive. She will have hopes of becoming a duchess one day! Besides, you have Lord Huntingdon pursuing you. He has sent you so many letters. Don’t you think you should answer a few of them?”

  “It wouldn’t be proper. He should know better than to send me letters like that. He can pursue me with chaperones around if he is that intent upon it. As for Brooks, she needs to mind her own business,” Sophie grumbled, irritation flaring in her chest.