Clearly aware that he had made a rather large misstep, her brother apologized profusely, practically begging for Sophie to forgive him.
“After all,” he concluded apologetically, “you have always been the very best of sisters and have never once put a foot out of line. Forgive me, my dear sister. I ought never to have thought such a thing, not even for a moment.”
“No, you certainly should not have,” Sophie replied, a little placated. “Victor, I will tell you now that the reason I came here in such haste is because of a broken heart.” She lifted her chin and tried not to let the sudden rush of tears fall from her eyes, but despite her efforts, her lips trembled and her lashes grew wet, as the pain began to surface in all its fullness.
“A broken heart?” Catherine repeated, leaning forward to touch Sophie’s hand. “I am truly sorry, my dear.”
Victor, now looking rather angry, shook his head. “The braggart!” he exclaimed, somewhat loudly. “Who is he? What did he do? If he so much as laid a finger on you, I shall—”
“He did not,” Sophie replied, accepting the delicate handkerchief from Catherine. “I am afraid he rather took hold of my heart more than anything else, Victor.” Managing a slightly rueful smile, she shook her head. “You know how jealous our sister can be at times.” Her throat constricted painfully as Victor’s mouth dropped open. He was clearly aware of what had occurred without her having to go into any kind of detail.
“She did not,” he said on a breath, as tears began to drip from Sophie’s lashes. “Tell me she did not, Sophie.”
Taking a steadying breath, Sophie let the pain and anger rip forth from her heart, her words spilling out over one another. She told her brother and sister-in-law everything that occurred, her chest beginning to heave with sobs by the time she reached the end of her tale. Her brother and sister-in-law both looked utterly horrified, with Victor going rather pale.
“I do not know what Papa intends to do, but he said he would have to punish Juliette,” Sophie finished, her sobs slowly beginning to abate. “I could not remain there. I hope you understand.”
“You are welcome here for as long as you wish,” Catherine said at once, patting Sophie’s hand. “I would not have it any other way.”
“I am truly sorry to hear of what has occurred,” Victor stated, his voice a little hoarse. “I would never have expected Juliette to do such a thing as this! I knew she had that rather spiteful streak, but still….” He trailed off, looking over at Sophie as though he did not quite believe her.
Feeling rather exhausted, Sophie sat back in her chair and let out a shaky breath. “You are both wonderfully kind,” she said quietly. “I do not yet know how long I will stay, but I certainly cannot think of returning to London any time soon.”
“No, indeed,” Victor agreed, his voice a little stronger. “In fact, I think I shall write to Papa and insist that you remain with us until Christmas, at the very least.”
Sophie smiled at her brother, her heart lifting just a little. “Thank you, Victor,” she said, as he rose and kissed her cheek. “You are truly the kindest brother I could have ever wished for.”
9
Leonard swiped ineffectually at the tall grasses in his path, wishing his head did not hurt as much as it did. Of course, it was entirely his own doing since he had chosen to drink a very large amount of brandy last evening. In fact, he had drunk a large amount of brandy in the seven nights he had, thus far, spent at Victor’s estate, all in an attempt to rid himself of any thoughts of Polly.
However, it had not entirely worked. She still remained there, both in his heart and in his thoughts—although the pain had begun to lessen in its intensity. He told himself just how foolish he had been, over and over. It was as though if he had just taken a little more time, he might have been able to see what was coming.
Not that this made any sense, of course. Nothing could have prepared him for Polly’s sudden desertion, no matter how much his guilt tried to make him believe that.
Lengthening his strides, he walked hurriedly along the path, not quite sure where he was going. This path had wound its way from the estate towards the sea, the salty air stinging his nostrils. He had always delighted in the views from Victor’s estate but had never found this small, winding path before. He did not care how long he walked, nor where it took him. He just wanted to walk until his mind grew clear.
A sudden stumble had him thrown forwards, his leg jerking painfully. Unable to hold back a cry, he shouted aloud, but the sound was carried away on the wind. Falling forwards, Leonard landed hard, his hands squelching into the mud. His shoulder jarred, making him wince all the more.
Closing his eyes, Leonard bit his lip hard, as he waited for the first wave of pain to reach its crescent. It broke, and finally, Leonard was able to draw in a ragged breath. Opening his eyes, he tried to push himself to his knees, only to realize that one of his legs was stuck.
“Blasted rabbits,” he cursed, seeing that he had caught his foot in a rabbit hole. His boot had gone through the soft ground and right down within it, putting his foot at a somewhat awkward angle. With a great effort, Leonard pushed himself back to standing on his one good foot, only for a flurry of pain to shoot from his trapped left leg, causing him to shout aloud again and fall back to sit down, hard, on the soft ground. His knees now bent, meaning that his trapped foot was, yet again, at another strange angle. Pain began to cloud his vision, making him groan. He could not work out how to free his leg when he simply could not stand. If he had something to lean on, then he might be able to wrench his foot out of the hole, but there was nothing around him but grass.
Groaning aloud, Leonard came onto his right foot, still bent at the knee, in an attempt to relieve some of the pain he felt. Somehow, he managed to move forward just enough to take some of the pressure off his trapped leg, lessening the agony.
He was tired and growing colder with every minute that passed. It was not a particularly warm day, and whilst he was wearing his coat, being so close to the coast meant that the cold air from the ocean was blowing hard in his direction. Leonard felt as though his strength was slowly seeping into the earth, making him almost numb with weakness.
“This is ridiculous,” he said aloud, gritting his teeth. “Get yourself together, man.”
Whether it was because of the copious amounts of brandy he had drunk last evening or because of the pain radiating from his leg, Leonard found that no matter how hard he tried he simply could not pull his leg from the earth. In fact, it almost appeared to have sunk a little deeper.
With one knee on the ground and his trapped leg only a little bent, Leonard sighed to himself and tried to think what to do. Without the strength to pull himself out, he would, therefore, be stuck. Victor did not know where he was, and he was not quite sure that any of the servants had seen where he had gone.
A small flicker of panic began to wind its way up through his chest, striking at his heart. He did not want to feel afraid, but given his previous melancholy, he could not help but begin to feel a little alarmed.
“Hello?” he shouted, his voice being pulled away by the wind. “Hello? Can anyone hear me?”
There was no answer. No one came running to his aid, no strong hand grasped his. He was entirely alone.
Leonard did not know how long he sat there for, his head blossoming with pain as the agony of his trapped leg melded with the pain from his head and began to scream as it wound its way right through him. The mud ran over his fingers, chilling his hands—and still, he could not find the strength to pull himself out.
“You there!”
A sudden shout caught his ears, and Leonard lifted his head for just a moment before dropping it again. There was no one there.
“Lord Huntington? Is that you?”
The voice was louder this time, making him jerk with surprise. Turning his head, he saw none other than Miss Sophie hurrying towards him, her face pale as she approached. They had not spent a great deal of time together this last
week—although he had enjoyed her company at the card table and found her conversation rather interesting over dinner. All in all, she was quite agreeable, even though he had not yet found the reason for the sadness he often saw on her face.
“Ah, Miss Sophie,” he rasped, his voice hoarse and dry. “I am afraid I might need your help.”
“Is that so?” she muttered, her hands on her hips as she looked down at him.
Heat effused his face. “I am not drunk, if that is what you are asking, Miss Sophie,” he retorted, looking up at her. “My leg is stuck.”
She did not immediately reply, her eyes glancing down at his trapped leg. Leonard closed his eyes briefly, cursing himself for his harsh retort. Of course, he must look rather strange to be found in such an awkward position, which simply added to his embarrassment.
“Did you fall?” she asked softly, her eyes back on his face. “Is it very sore?”
He gave her a tight smile. “It is not too bad,” he replied, lying to her in an attempt to save face. “However, I am unable to pull myself out for some reason, and it feels as though my leg is sinking just a little.”
“That is because the ground is boggy,” she murmured, moving around to look at his leg a little more. “This must be an old burrow.” Coming to crouch down beside him, she tried to smile. “If I help you, will you be able to pull it free?”
“I would rather you did not,” Leonard replied with a frown. “Best you return back to the estate and get someone a little more…robust.”
He had clearly said the wrong thing, for her cheeks flamed with color and her eyes grew dark.
“I am quite able to assist you on my own, Lord Huntington,” she retorted crossly. “Now, you will either take the assistance I offer you, or I shall leave you here and continue on my walk.”
His mouth dropped open. “You would just leave me here?”
“I would return to the estate and fetch help for you, of course,” she replied calmly. “But only once I have finished my walk. I do enjoy the air around here, you see.”
Despite the pain in his body, Leonard could not help but let a small smile tug at his mouth, finding her both stubborn and tenacious. “Then it seems I have no choice,” he answered, pushing himself up a little more. “You will need to come around this side, Miss Sophie.”
Miss Sophie glared at him for a moment longer, all sympathy gone from her expression, before coming around to his left side and managing, somehow, to wedge herself against him as he attempted to stand.
“I will need to lean on you rather heavily,” Leonard bit out, the pain in his leg already beginning to increase. “I need to balance in order to tug this leg out.”
“Do whatever you must,” came the firm reply. “I am quite ready.”
Leonard slowly straightened to his full height, putting one hand on Miss Sophie’s shoulder, his arm around her. His hand clamped down tightly, as he tried to straighten his right leg as much as he could, struggling to keep his balance as his left leg remained stuck.
Sucking in a breath, Leonard began to move his foot around gently, ignoring the stabs of pain that shot up his leg every time he did so. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, he could not free it.
“Might I try to help?” Miss Sophie asked gently. “I can bend down and—”
“Then I would lose my balance,” he said through clenched teeth. “If I were to fall again…”
Miss Sophie looked up at him, her eyes clear. “Why not rest your hand on my back as I bend forward?” she asked calmly. “I think there must be something in the way of your foot and any amount of wriggling is not going to free it.”
Leonard swallowed, biting back a hiss of pain. “Very good,” he tersely said, as he nodded. “Just get on with it.”
A flash of irritation crossed her face, but she said nothing. Slowly bending down, giving him time to use her for balance, Miss Sophie soon reached his trapped foot, her hands gently feeling all around the rabbit hole.
“There is a large stone here,” she murmured, her voice a little muffled as she tried her best to pry it out. “Just a few more minutes and I will have it out.”
Unfortunately for Miss Sophie, the large stone came out rather quickly, making her jerk backward in surprise. Leonard scrabbled at her coat, his fingers tightening on whatever he could find as he tried to keep his balance.
Miss Sophie clutched at his leg in an attempt to steady them both, but such was their momentum, that they both fell backward together, their heads landing on the soft ground within inches of each other.
Leonard let out a long breath, staring up at the sky in surprise. “I believe you did it, Miss Sophie,” he murmured, growing aware that his leg was no longer trapped. “My many thanks.”
Miss Sophie lay where she was, her cheeks pink, and one hand flopping across her forehead. “Very good, Lord Huntington,” she gasped, before trying to right herself. “Now we had best try to get you back to the estate. It is rather muddy after all, and by all appearances, it is going to rain at any moment!”
Leonard looked at her, seeing the mud clinging to her dress, her bonnet, and her hands. He had no doubt that he was very much the same.
“I am not quite sure I can walk on my leg,” he muttered, managing to sit up. “Might you be able to help me once more, Miss Sophie?”
He held out a hand to her, which she took without hesitation. With neither of them wearing gloves, the contact was somewhat intimate…although—under the circumstances—rather cold.
“Ready now?” he asked, seeing her firm expression and determined nod. Slowly, he attempted to get up, but he was forced to lean heavily on Miss Sophie as he attempted to put his left foot on the ground.
A hiss of pain escaped his lips.
“Wrenched, I think,” he muttered, aware of just how much he was putting his weight on Miss Sophie. “Mayhap you should return to the estate and—”
“As I said, it looks like to rain,” Miss Sophie said firmly. “Come now, we can do this together. I am quite sure of it.”
Leonard made to question such a statement, only to clamp his lips shut. Miss Sophie was clearly a strong and determined character, and it would be best not to argue at this point. She had already proved herself in being able to assist him from a rather difficult predicament, which meant that he should give her the benefit of the doubt and do as she asked.
“Come along then,” she said rather briskly, and she began to move off back along the path they had taken, helping him to hop along in a rather ungainly manner. It was both embarrassing and rather painful to make his way back in such a state, but as it began to rain, Leonard could not help but feel somewhat impressed by the lady’s firm command of the situation. She had both strength and fortitude, which he had no choice but to admire. He could not easily imagine the ladies of London putting themselves out in such a manner!
“Almost there,” she muttered, as a mixture of sweat and rain dribbled down Leonard’s neck and into the collar of his shirt. “Is your leg still vastly painful?”
“It is manageable,” he replied, trying not to grit his teeth so hard. “Thank you, Miss Sophie.”
She glanced up at him for a moment. “You are very welcome, my lord,” she murmured before fixing her gaze on the path ahead once more.
10
Three days later and Sophie was still rather weary from her traverse across the moor with Lord Huntington. They had arrived back at the house only to be greeted by her sister-in-law, who, thanks to her calm ways, soon had everything in order within the hour. Both Sophie and Huntington had been given hot baths and the doctor had been called to see to Huntington’s leg. Apparently, it was simply a bad sprain, requiring him to be confined to his room for a couple of days.
However, today found him sitting by the fire in the drawing room with Sophie on the other side of him, trying to engross herself in her book. However, she was finding—much to her consternation, of course—that she was rather distracted by his presence although she could not account fo
r it. He was tall and rather handsome, of course, but after such a disastrous love affair with Lord Crawford, Sophie knew that her wounded heart needed time to recover, without any consideration of gentlemen at all! In fact, she had resolved to keep her conversations with the man light and brief, for she did not truly want to get to know him properly in the least. How frustrating it was that Lord Huntington sat in such an obvious manner when she was trying to read!
At least, after almost a fortnight with her brother and sister-in-law, the pain in her heart over her sister and Lord Crawford had slowly begun to fade. No longer did she cry herself to sleep, thinking that the agony in her heart was likely to burst from her chest and kill her. Instead, there came a rather dull ache in its place, one that simply would not go away. She had tried her best not to let her thoughts turn to Juliette and Lord Crawford, which, thanks to the good company she was with, had been much easier than she had anticipated.
Lord Huntington suddenly cleared his throat, making her look up. Jerking his head to the couch across the room, he gave her a small smile. “I think your dear sister-in-law is rather tired.”
Sophie could not help but smile, and getting up, she set a small blanket over Catherine’s lap. “Yes, I would say so,” she replied softly. “She has done such a great amount of work in looking after us both of late, I will not begrudge her this.”
“I am simply glad she feels comfortable enough in my presence to allow herself to close her eyes,” he murmured, as she sat down again. “I am afraid I have been a rather difficult patient.”
“No, indeed, you have not,” Sophie replied at once, forgetting all about her book. “You have been a little irritated at being confined to your room, of course, but I would be the exact same, I am quite sure.”
His grey eyes held hers steadily, one hand sweeping back his dark hair from his brow. “I do not know if I ever truly thanked you for your assistance, Miss Sophie.”
She smiled and lifted one shoulder. “It is of little importance. I am quite sure anyone would have done as I did.”
Regency Engagements Box Set Page 51
