“It is very good of you both to allow me to visit on such short notice,” Sophie murmured with a small smile. “I cannot tell you how relieved I am.”
Her brother nodded slowly, looking at her with concern in his expression. “I do not know all that has gone on, but I can tell that you are deeply burdened by it. I am sorry, my dear sister. Whatever has occurred has upset you greatly.”
It was on the tip of Sophie’s tongue to blurt out all that had happened, only for a wave of mortification to crash over her.
“Shall I show you to your room?” Catherine asked softly, shooting a worried glance towards her husband. “I am sure you will want to rest before you have something to eat.”
“It is very late, is it not?” Sophie murmured, aware of just how tired her sister-in-law looked. “I would not have you stay up on my account. I am quite happy just to take care of myself.”
Both her brother and her sister-in-law began to protest at once, but Sophie simply held up one hand and smiled. “In truth, I am rather tired myself,” she continued, waving away their concerns. “Do not stay awake for my sake. I will be more than happy to talk to you both come the morning.”
“Are you quite sure, Sophie?” Victor asked, putting a gentle hand on her arm. “I am happy to remain here with you.”
Sophie shook her head. “No indeed, I would not ask it of you. If you would have a tray sent to my room, then I shall eat there and then retire. It is something of a relief to simply be here with you both instead of at home.”
Her brother studied her for another long moment, before shrugging. “I will not press you, my dear sister. Just promise me you will be honest with me and tell me whatever it is you require.”
Sophie’s smile wobbled. “You are very good to me, Victor. I am quite sure I shall be ready to talk to you both come the morning. For the moment, I am rather weary and shall be glad to rest, I promise you.” Her body was humming with tiredness even though her mind was still whirling with all that had gone on. “With everything that happened, I did not actually sleep all that well last evening.”
“Then we will take you at your word and speak to you in the morning,” Catherine answered with a light smile. “I shall have a tray sent up to you.”
Wishing her sister-in-law goodnight, Sophie made her way up the large staircase and along the hallway into a large bedchamber, which welcomed her with a roaring fire and the sweet smell of roses.
“You can thank Catherine for all the homey touches,” Victor said, with a hint of pride in his voice. “The maids have already unpacked, I see, and the tray will be up with you soon.” He looked at her steadily, the smile slowly fading from his features. “Are you sure there is nothing I can do to help you, Sophie? Nothing that you need from me?”
Shaking her head, Sophie felt her heart lift from the chains of pain and grief that held it so tightly. “I already feel somewhat better simply being here with you and Catherine,” she replied honestly. “You are both very kind.”
Victor nodded slowly before lifting one shoulder. “I would do anything for you, Sophie, you know that. I shall bid you goodnight then and see you in the morning. Rest well.”
“Thank you, Victor,” Sophie replied, truly grateful for all that her brother had done for her. “Thank you for everything.”
One hour later found Sophie pacing up and down her bedchamber rather than in her bed. She had changed, eaten, and tried to sleep, only for her mind to remind her—over and over—of all that Juliette and Lord Crawford had done.
There seemed to be no escape from them.
She had thought that coming here would allow the burden to roll from her shoulders, to give her the freedom from her tormented thoughts, but still they lingered. She could do nothing but consider them, fighting the despair and melancholy in a desperate attempt to close her eyes, but she found that she could do nothing of the sort.
So now, she walked up and down her room, hoping that her body would soon become so exhausted that she would have no other choice but to sleep. However, as she was now discovering, the more she walked, the more awake she became. It was as though her body refused to give into the aching tiredness of both her limbs and her soul, forcing her to stay awake.
“This is quite ridiculous,” Sophie said aloud, stamping her foot as hot tears began to prick at the corner of her eyes. “I will not allow myself to think of them any longer.”
Her brother’s library, she knew, was rather substantial, and even though it had been a few years since she had last visited, Sophie thought she would be able to recall where it was. Perhaps a good book would allow her to put her thoughts to rest so that she might drift off into the sleep she desperately needed.
Pulling on her dressing gown, she snuggled into the warmth for a moment before putting on her kid slippers. The floors would be cold enough, even though it was still in the midst of summer. An old house like this always grew somewhat cold overnight.
Opening her door carefully, with a candle in hand, Sophie padded her way quietly through the house, looking all about her. It was a little disorientating in the darkness, but she managed to find her way. With the candle still burning gently, she turned the handle of the door and stepped inside.
A wave of warmth hit her straight away, making her blink with astonishment. There was still a roaring fire in the grate and candles lit all over the room. Was Catherine still awake? Or had her brother chosen to read for a time before retiring?
Stepping a little further into the room, Sophie frowned as she searched for someone else within. She could see no one, which did not account for the fire or the candles. Shrugging, she thought that she would just put them all out before she returned to her chambers unless her brother or sister-in-law appeared before then.
Setting her candle down, she began to look through the many books that lined the room, wondering where she might find something other than the history of England or the geography of the known world. Her brother had always been something of an intellectual, keen to know and learn as much as he could, whereas her interests lay in getting her hands on as much fiction as she could. To lose oneself in a novel brought her nothing but pleasure—although now she considered that, in doing so, she might have given herself ridiculous ideas about what love was. She had entirely lost her heart to the first gentleman to show her any attention, believing that they would have a happy future ahead of them, and as Juliette had so starkly shown her, she had been utterly wrong in that.
“Ridiculous,” she muttered to herself, her pain rising to the surface once more. Blinking furiously, she dashed the tears from her eyes, determined not to cry another tear over Lord Crawford.
“What is ridiculous?”
With a shriek, Sophie collapsed against the bookcase, half turned towards where the voice had come from. With her hand pressed against her heart, she saw a tall gentleman rising from his seat, a chair in the corner of the room hidden by the shadowy gloom. He bowed deeply as he saw her.
“I do apologize,” he continued, his voice low and gravelly. “I did not mean to intrude on you, nor scare you. You did not see me then? I confess I have been sitting rather quietly in the corner, enjoying Victor’s fine brandy.”
“No, I did not see you,” Sophie gasped, still struggling to catch her breath. “Might I ask who you are?”
“Leonard, Earl of Huntington,” he replied with another bow. “Your brother told me you intended to arrive this evening.”
Sophie managed to straighten her stance, her heart still beating violently in her chest, as she tugged at her dressing gown, ensuring her frame was entirely covered. “He did not, I am afraid, tell me about you,” she managed to say, her limbs shaking from fright. “Have we met before?”
“Some time ago,” he replied, leaning heavily on the back of a chair. “I have been a friend of your brother’s for a rather long time, ever since Eton in fact, but we have not seen much of each other for some years.”
Sophie nodded slowly, thinking about nothing other than retur
ning to her room to escape from such an embarrassing situation. “And are you to stay long?”
“I have only just arrived,” came the slightly amused reply, “and intend to have a prolonged visit.”
Heat rippled up her spine and into her cheeks. “I was not intending to be rude, my lord,” she mumbled, wishing that he would step into the light so that she might see him a little better. “I have only just arrived myself.” She looked at him steadily, frowning a little. “Might you come closer? At the moment, you still look to be something akin to a wraith, and I find it a little disconcerting.”
He chuckled, making her skin tingle, and took a few steps closer.
“There,” he replied, as the candlelight hit his features. “Is that better? You can see that I am still flesh and blood.”
Sophie studied him for a moment, aware of his dark eyes and thin lips. He did not look to be either a warm or an amiable gentleman, but rather a man who carried some kind of weight on his shoulders. He wore no coat nor cravat, his shirt a little open at the neck. The shirt itself was rumpled, as though he had been sitting for a long time. “Indeed, you are,” she replied softly. “It is good to see you again, Lord Huntington—although I will be truthful and say I do not recall you.”
“That is to be expected,” Lord Huntington replied, with a slight shrug. “Now, do not allow me to delay you any longer. I shall leave you to find your book.”
Sophie nodded and turned away, reminding herself to rail at her brother for not alerting her to the fact that he had another house guest. Had he done so, then she would not have walked about the house so freely, especially when she was in her dressing gown!
Not sure what she was grasping, Sophie hastily picked out three separate books, hoping that she would find something to read in at least one of them. The last thing she wanted to do was to spend any more time in Lord Huntington’s presence, finding him to be a rather unusual and even dark figure. She was not quite sure of him, wondering what he was doing in the library at so late an hour—unless, as he had said, it was simply to drink some of her brother’s excellent brandy!
“Good evening, Lord Huntington,” she murmured, her books clasped in her arms as she made her way to the door. She did not turn to look at him, hearing only his gravelly voice from across the room, as he wished her a pleasant night of reading.
8
The following morning found Sophie still abed near noon, and much to her relief, her brother and sister-in-law had left her entirely alone. No maid had called for her, no breakfast tray had been sent to her room, and so, Sophie had enjoyed a long, uninterrupted rest.
She awoke to see sunlight bursting in across the room from the window, bringing a slight smile to her face. Stretching languidly, her smile broadened as she recalled that she was no longer at home with her sister, but rather in the confines of her brother’s estate, far away from all that had taken place in London.
That, in itself, was a rather great relief.
Rising from her bed, Sophie pulled on the bell pull. Knowing that the maid would be arriving with her breakfast tray within a few minutes, she decided that she ought to, at the very least, try to dress and sit by the fire. To have her breakfast tray in bed would be rather too lazy for her, even though she had not slept until the early hours of the morning.
The books she had taken from the library sat by her bed, reminding her of the gentleman she had met last evening. It was the last thing she wanted, truth be told, to have someone other than family at what she thought of as her haven. She had wanted it to simply be her brother and sister-in-law, on whom she might pour out her woes, but now that Lord Huntington resided with them, that rather put a dampener on things. She would no longer have that freedom to speak openly with her family, not unless Lord Huntington was elsewhere. Since he was a friend of her brother’s, Sophie rather expected him to be spending a great deal of time with her brother.
The knock on the door signaled the arrival of the maid, and Sophie immediately asked for her assistance to dress. Once she had done so, the maid returned to pick up the breakfast tray, and as she left the room, Sophie saw that her sister-in-law was standing in the doorway, looking a little uncertain.
“Good morning, Sophie,” Catherine said quietly. “Do you mind if I sit with you for a few moments? I have been rather worried about you, you see.”
“Oh, of course,” Sophie replied, suddenly grateful for Catherine’s presence. “Do come and sit. You need not look so concerned, I would be truly grateful for your company.”
Her sister-in-law looked greatly relieved and came to sit with Sophie at once. The maid, who had returned to see if Catherine needed anything, soon dashed off to bring a tea tray for her mistress, leaving Sophie and Catherine alone.
“You slept late,” Catherine said softly, as Sophie picked up a piece of toast. “Were you truly so exhausted?”
“I did not sleep for some time,” Sophie replied honestly. “I had a great deal on my mind.”
Catherine’s eyes held nothing but sympathy. “I am sorry to hear it. Of course, I am always ready to listen to your troubles, whenever you wish to speak of them.”
Recalling that she had not been explicit in her reasons for leaving London so quickly, Sophie let out a long breath. “Yes, of course. I should explain all, I know, but I must eat first,” she replied with a quick smile. “I do find myself rather hungry.”
Her sister-in-law laughed, lifting the worry from her features. “Very good,” she replied, as Sophie ate her toast. “I shall take this opportunity to inform you that we also have another house guest.”
“I know,” Sophie replied between bites. “I met him.”
For a moment, Catherine stared at her in surprise, her eyes wide. “You met him? I had thought he had gone to bed last evening before you arrived. Lord Leonard Huntington, in case you were not introduced?”
Sophie took another sip of her tea, waiting until the maid had placed down Catherine’s tea tray and exited the room before answering her.
“I went to the library to find a book to read,” she explained, with a slight shiver. “I will confess that he gave me something of a shock!”
Catherine covered her mouth, looking horrified. “Oh, I am terribly sorry! I did not think you or he would stir from your beds until morning otherwise I would have said.”
Sophie, despite the fright he had given her, laughed softly. “You need not worry, Catherine, he was quite all right. He greeted me; we talked for a moment; and then I left.”
“I see,” Catherine said, still looking somewhat shocked. “Goodness, I had never thought you should meet under those circumstances! But then again, mayhap he could not sleep either, poor man.”
Her comment roused Sophie’s interest. “What has happened to him?”
Catherine closed her eyes briefly and shook her. “I should not really say, but I suppose you will find out eventually. He was due to be married, but the night before, his betrothed ran to Scotland with another. He is quite heartbroken, I believe.”
Sophie’s heart stirred with sympathy. “Oh, goodness. How awful.”
“The whole place was full of rumor and gossip, of course,” Catherine continued, shaking her head. “From what Victor has said, the poor man was almost desperate in his grief and despondency. I am glad he has come here.”
“He did not seem to be particularly despondent when we met,” Sophie murmured thoughtfully. “But then again, that may have been due to the brandy.”
Catherine’s eyebrow lifted. “Indeed. I would not allow his easy façade to be so quickly believed, Sophie. I think he has had a rather difficult time of it, but he is not to be spoken to about it—or so Victor says.”
Sophie lifted her shoulders. “I would not speak to him about it even if I was asked to,” she replied, recalling her own misery. “He has his own misery, just as I have mine.” She felt her spirits plummet once more, as she remembered all that had happened back in London. How strange that she should be in a house where another person
had been dealt a blow to their heart! She did not wish to share her feelings with him, however, even if they were somewhat similar. In fact, she did not wish to spend any time with Lord Huntington whatsoever.
“Then are you going to tell me what has brought you here?” Catherine asked gently. “I only wish to help you.”
Sophie opened her mouth to speak, only for there to be another knock at the door. It creaked open and her brother appeared in the doorway, looking a little embarrassed.
“Ah, you are awake after all. I do apologize for the intrusion, Sophie. Might I come in?”
“Of course,” Sophie replied, glad that she was already dressed. “Come in, Victor.”
“Your sister has already met our other houseguest, Victor,” Catherine said, with a slightly disapproving air. “Last night in the library, I believe.”
Victor chuckled, coming to sit by the fire with them both. “So that explains why the brandy has disappeared from the library then,” he said and smiled, looking over at Sophie. “I do apologize, my dear sister, but I did not think you would meet him until today.” He studied her for a moment, the smile fading from his lips. “I know it is rather improper for us to be taking tea in your bedchamber, as large as it is, but I will admit to being rather concerned for you over what has happened. And then, when I saw that Catherine had gone to speak to you, I simply could not wait any longer.” He leaned forward, his eyes grave. “Do tell me, Sophie. What has brought you here?”
Sophie gaped, her mouth falling open as she saw the seriousness of her brother’s expression. “Victor! You cannot truly believe that I have done anything scandalous, can you?”
A slightly embarrassed look crossed his features. “Well, no. I mean, it was rather sudden, and I just wondered if—”
“No, it is nothing of the kind!” Sophie exclaimed, going hot all over. “It is Juliette you should be worrying about in that regard, not I!”
Regency Engagements Box Set Page 50
